Shared Web Resources

I recently found a website titled childpoverty.com.  The website is dedicated to fighting poverty among children in the world.  The site provides research and information about groups that fight poverty.  In a recent news report, the organization discussed its 25 in 5 project goals of eliminating poverty.  Unfortunately, the project is behind schedule in its efforts.  However, this shows that the groups are working together to combat poverty.

References

www.childpoverty.com/

Getting Ready—Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

Part 1, Establishing Professional Contacts

This week, I started reading information on the World Forum Foundation’s website.  I also looked at the World Forum Foundation Radio.  On one of the podcasts, I heard Susan Lyon discussing how she worked with foreign students in a program that focused on language development.  The radio podcast provided insight in how teaching practices vary in other countries.  As a result, Mrs. Lyon developed an exhibit, which she brought back to the United States.  Based on this information, I intended to continue monitoring these sites throughout the course for information, research, and podcasts.

Part 2, Expanding Resources

I also decided to review the Center for the Child Care Workforce’s website. This organization provides a newsletter and information for childcare research. The CCW also “advocated for public policy to restructure the early care and education delivery system to better address the issues of workforce recruitment and compensation” (CCW).  Therefore, I plan to further study this organization during the course.

References

Center for the Child Care Workforce. (CCW) (2011). Retrieved from http://www.ccw.org/

World Forum Foundation. (2011) Retrieved from http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/about.php

World Forum Foundation Radio. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/radio.php

When I Think of Child Development

When I think of Child development, I think of the whole child.  Child development is based on helping the child to learn, grow, and develop mentally and physically.  One philosopher quoted that "All that is valuable in human society depends upon the opportunity for development accorded the individual" (Albert Einstein).  This quote shows that child development is based on individual development and it benefits society as a whole.

I would like to thank all of my fellow scholars for participating and contributing to my blog.  I wish you all the best in your future courses and careers.

Testing for Intelligence

I believe that every child is unique.  Children have different abilities, needs, and skills.  As a result, teachers need to rely on authentic assessments to determine the best way to teach children.  This includes assessing the child's macro and micro environments. The ecosystem of a child's life includes different influences and people who help shape the child's life.  Therefore, these people play a major role in development.  This is why I strongly support parent-teacher relationships.  Furthermore, I do not believe that standardized tests can accurately identify an individual's child's intelligence.  Factors such as culture and environment affect how a child develops, therefore, children have different and multiple intelligences. 

In China, education is more vigorous and children either fail or pass.  This commitment to education produces highly educated students that speak multiple languages and do well in school. Also, "Chinese students attend classes five or six days a week from early morning (about 7am) to early evening (4pm or later)" (Chinese culture, 2011) . Although I do not think that this system would translate very quickly in the American education system, I do believe that children will benefit from a greater focus on education.  Children need to be pushed at their own pace, and it is necessary for children to learn; therefore, the holistic approach is the best approach.

References
http://chineseculture.about.com/od/thechineselanguage/a/Introduction-To-Education-In-China.htm

Poverty

I experienced povery growing up in a poor community. This caused problems in my education and my interaction with others.  I was always concerned about the quality of my clothes and things that I had.  As a result, I was self conscious.  I know that I had poor performance in some classes due to the stress of poverty.  Therefore, poverty can be a stressor to children.

Poverty is a worldwide issue.  There are children in every country who are exposed to poverty.  There are many organizations that are fighting poverty around the world. "CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. We place special focus on working alongside poor women because, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty" (Care.org, 2012).


http://www.care.org/

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is a term used when new born infants die with little explanation of their death.  SIDS is often called crib death because children die in their cribs in the night.  As a result, parents have to carefully monitor children and get regular checkups.  This can help to prevent crib death.  The cause of SIDS is unknown.  However, prevention strategies include ensuring that the baby sleeps on his or her back and monitoring the child during the night.

References

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002533/

Birthing Experience

Giving birth to my son was the most beautiful and painful experience of my life.  I was attached to my son in the womb, and when he was born, I became more attached. The pain was worth seeing his face for the first time.  During the pregnancy, I had some complications.  However, I made sure to get adequate treatment and to stay healthy. 

Mortality in infants is fairly low in the United States.  However, in countries like Africa, infant mortality is very high.  It is expected that due to economic issues, the mortality rate will increase by 50,000 in Africa.  A poor economy leads to less health care and poor prenatal care. Therefore, I attribute the mortality rate in the United States to health care and prenatal care.

References
http://blogs.worldbank.org/africacan/infant-mortality-rates-in-africa-will-increase-by-30000-50000-girls-will-fare-worse