Sharing Web Resources

What specific section(s) or information seemed particularly relevant to your current professional development?

I have been looking at the NAECTE web site and the BAM Radio. I really have enjoyed and learned a lot from BAM Radio more than NAECTE.

BAM radio has a wealth of information on it. These are web casts to listen to. This site helps my professional development because I can search a subject and then listen to other teachers and professionals talk about it. This is a great site. The sections most relent to me are Educators Radio and Leadership Radio.

On NAECTE there is information that is relevant if I am a member. Most of the information on this site pertains to members.  I have learned about their yearly conferences that I can attend to get professional development hours. The winter 2014 Enewsletter talked mostly about nominations and board members and so on. It also communicated about scholarships that can be applied for. The section that would be most helpful to my professional development is the Journal Of Early childhood Education teachers. I did not become a member so I am unable to access most of the articles, unless I purchase them, But I know where to find articles if I need them.

 •Which ideas/statements/resources, either on the website or in an e-newsletter, did you find controversial or made you think about an issue in new ways?

Any podcast I listen to can be controversial and/or make you see things outside your knowledge base and explore other points of view. As I listen to these podcast/radio broadcasts, I keep an open mind and listen for statements that are backed by research. I then rethink were I stand in any specific issue, and form an educated decision and outlook.  

•What information does the website or the e-newsletter contain that adds to your understanding of how economists, neuroscientists, or politicians support the early childhood field?

Bam Radio has a tab called News and you can listen to press conferences and more about the race to the top. A program the Obama administration has put into play.

A podcast on  BAM Radio  below discuss the importance of the communities support of Education.

  

Why Schools Cannot  Do it Alone  Jamie Vollmer, Jay Mathews, Valerie Strauss, Debra Viadero, David Bloomfield    Jamie Vollmer is part of a class of education advocates who come from the business world. Though many professional educators dismiss what these increasingly influential advocates have to say, Jamie's message about how to get support for education reform has captured the interest of professional educators in high places. Listen to his key ideas followed by a reality check by our panel.

•What other new insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did you gain from exploring the website or e-newsletter?

I discovered that there is so much going on through politics, society, and science that I did not have any idea how much discussion goes on about our field. Additionally, I have found a plethora of peers to listen to and comment on different strategies, policies, and more.

BAM radio also has a parent category that can be useful when providing information to parents. Three is many different stations that will take months to go through, but is so fun, enlightening, and great for professional development.

 

 

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 1

Poverty is a hot topic. Many people think that people in poverty are lazy and do not work which is why they cannot make money. This couldn't be farther from the truth. Many times families just cannot make enough money ever working 2-4 jobs.


There are many challenges when teaching children in poverty. Older students are sometime pulled out of class or working 3rd shift in order to support their families. The stress level of these students can be debilitating.


Empathy is needed when dealing with children in poverty to avoid deeper problems. Teaching is based on relationships therefore, if you do not know your students, you cannot meet the needs of the whole child if the teacher wants to assist the academic development .Teachers need to be aware and keep abreast of resources that can assist these families.




The Challenges of Teaching Students in Poverty  Tom Whitby,  Nancy Blair,  Rafranz Davis

In this segment from the 9/10/13 #Edchat, we look at the impact of poverty on what goes on in the classroom. Follow:@blairteach, @tomwhitby @rafranzdavis @bamradionetwork Edhcat Archive: http://edchat.pbworks.com/

Romania




I couldn't access the site blackboard gave us; therefore, I used the UNICEF page


http://www.unicef.org/evaldatabase/files/2011_Romania_-_Evaluation_report_Helping_the_invisible_children.pdf


Romania has the most poverty in the world and the united states is a close 2nd.


In the paper, Helping the invisible children report written by  Manuela Sofia Staculesu Monica Marin. I gained three insights,




1.

 

BAM Radio

BAM Radio is a place to listen to other ECE professionals and specialists talk about new issues and trends in the education field.







BAM! is an acronym for "body and mind" and BAM! Radio was conceived in 2007 on the premise that the key to success in life for children and youth is nurturing a healthy mind in a healthy body. Developed by early childhood professionals, BAM! Radio started out as a single online radio program called Body Mind and Child. It was created to bring parents the latest insights and wisdom from the leading experts in the fields of early childhood education, physical education/motor development, play research, child development, and the neurosciences




The link is :
http://www.bamradionetwork.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=76 






I listened to the following:

Teaching Homeless Students

Sarah D. Sparks spent the last five years writing about federal and state education regulations. She writes a blog called "Inside School Research" for Education Week. Barbara Duffield is Policy Director for the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth ("NAEHCY"). John Spencer is currently a sixth grade ELL teacher in a low-income urban school in Phoenix, Arizona and blogs regularly at Education Rethink. Melanie Link Taylor teaches both general ed. and Special Ed.

This radio broadcast talked about working with students that are homeless students. Sparks stresses that they are the most vulnerable students that look to school for their support system. School is their constant in their lives. Students are in constant flux and their stress level is high because of the unknown things in their lives. Homeless students try to stay under the radar.


Signs of homeless students
-behavior changes
- Food hoarding
- same clothing
- falling asleep
-talking about staying with other people.


Academic performance seems to dwindle.


Demographics also includes homeless students.


BAM Radio is amazing!! You can also contact people that participated in the radio broadcast.








NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER EDUCATORS (NAECTE) is the organization I have chosen to explore and educate myself with during this class. I was attracted to the Journal tab this week. I searched for demographics and found numerous articles related to the subject. 


The Journal is Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education and there is a plethora of information on this link.


The web site state the following about the journal:


"The Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, publishes original manuscripts, reviews, and information about association activities. Its purpose is to provide a forum for consideration of issues and for exchange of information and ideas about research and practice in early childhood teacher education. JECTE welcomes research reports, position papers, essays on current issues, reflective reports on innovative teacher education practices, letters to the editor and book reviews."


I previewed articles through the abstract, Most have to be purchased; however if you join NACTE you have free access through the members only tab. I am waiting for payday, but have now decided to join this professional organization.


Through their winter 2014 e-newsletter I found out they will have a conference in my state ( Colorado). I am always anxious to get new trainings; therefore, I am going to keep abreast of more information.


This next week I am going to view their tool kit for teachers which includes position statements.








. 

Professional Contacts & Exploring a Professional website

Professional Contacts

I have sent the following letter to:
Romania- I went there on a mission trip years ago.
Greece- I lived there when I was in middle school.
Kuwait- I had a friend that taught in the international school over there for two years, after the war. Germany- I lived their through High School and I have relatives that live there.
Brazil- I want to go there one day.


Whom it May Concern: My name is Jocelyn Richter and I am currently enrolled in a Masters program. One of my assignments is to establish at least two contacts outside the united states, in an attempt to grow my understanding of different perspectives on some of the issues and trends in the field of Early Childhood. I will then blog about my interactions with you for a grade. Are you interested in participating, or can you direct me to someone that will be interested?


Thank you for your time,
Jocelyn Richter




I have not yet received a response.

Exploring Professional Website

For this assignment I wanted to choose a website that would be useful to me in my future endeavors as well as now in my day to day interactions with both my team members and my families. I viewed a number of sites and thought I had decided to go with The Center for the Childcare Workforce, BUT as I viewed it I realized the last updated newsletter was from 2011; therefore, I searched on.  I quickly found the NAECTE website. I have briefly heard about NAECTE and decided that it would be beneficial to me to do some discovery.


I soon discovered through their statements of their purpose that this was a website that met my criteria.


"Our Purpose

To promote the professional growth of our membership

To discuss educational issues specific to our membership

To advocate for improvements in early childhood teacher education

Provide a forum for consideration of issues and concerns of interest to educators of early childhood teacher educators

Provide a communication network for early childhood teacher educators

Facilitate the interchange of information and ideas about research and practice

Use, as vehicles, the Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, conferences, resolutions, position papers, and other publications

Cooperate with other national and international organizations concerned with the study and education of young children"

Below is the link to their brochure for you to view. In addition, their is a discount to become a member if you are in a graduate program. BONUS!
Brochure- http://www.naecte.org/docs/2007_2008%20NAECTE%20Brochure%20Color.pdf


I have not yet become a member, but will be considering it over the next couple of weeks as I explore their site and information.


The following are the benefits of joining:

Benefits of NAECTE Membership

• a subscription to The Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education (published quarterly);
• a subscription to the NAECTE e-newsletter;
• voting privileges;
• eligibility to serve on the Board and other organizational committees;
• eligibility to receive awards.
• reduced conference rates
• networking

Reference
http://www.naecte.org/

My Supports

1. Throughout my life I have had many supports within my life. In fact, I think at every stage in my life it was someone different. The one constant is my Savior Jesus Christ! He is my never faltering support. A poem call FOOTPRINTS is a great example of His support to me. I may make mistakes and not do things that will make Him happy, but His love is constant. Footprints One night I had a dream-- I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord and across the sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints, one belonged to me and the other to the Lord. When the last scene of my life flashed before me, I looked back at the footprints in the sand. I noticed that many times along the path of my life, there was only one set of footprints. I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in my life. This really bothered me and I questioned the Lord about it. "Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you would walk with me all the way, but I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life there is only one set of footprints. "I don't understand why in times when I needed you most, you should leave me." The Lord replied, "My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never, never leave you during your times of trial and suffering. "When you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you." ...Mary Stevenson Something I have learned over the years is that in order to build supports around you, you need to be able to ask for help, accept help, and give help. I like to look at different people in my life as part of my puzzle of life just like different events make part of the puzzle. Without my support systems, I would be missing pieces of my life puzzle.

2. My husband is a great support to me. He supports me in various ways emotional, physically, and he has supported my dreams. Without him I would not be in this Masters Program. He jokes sometimes that he is a Bachelor to my Masters program, but he wouldn't have it any other way. He loves to be there for me and see the joy I gain from a goal completed a dream come true. I am a very touchy feely person and I need hugs and kisses often. My husband is good at hugging, and caressing my hand in the moments I need it most. I also discuss challenges, aggravations, and seek his advice often.

3. My father... a fathers support comes in different ways at different ages. At this point in my life he listens to my thinking and validates my feelings or asks me questions to deepen my understanding of various things.

4. My Assistant Director at work is a great support in taking time to know how I want things to run and having ownership in her duties. She is often a sounding board too. I think it is awesome how we balance each other. When she is mad about something I am chill and vice versa.

A Challenge.... If I were to ever lose my job I would need great supports. I have worked for my company for 10 years and it really has become a part of my identity. It was my baby before I had babies. My job was and is not just a pay check, but a passion. I would need emotional support from my loved ones especially my husband. I would need support because my self-esteem would be threatened because of my passion for the job. Physically, I would be fine. Without my support system, I would be a wreck. Having supports is an outlet for my stress. I just hope I am a support to people around me as much as they are to me.

"My Connections to Play."

“Play is the work of the child.” – Maria Montessori The playing adult steps sideward into another reality; the playing child advances forward to new stages of mastery.” – Erik H. Erikson “Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.” – Mr. Rogers

I loved to play when I was little; I did a lot of dramatic play from playing school, office, house, gas station and much more. Playing office was something I did most often and my dad would support that play by bringing home scrap paper and notebooks from his office. I loved to write too, I had a great love for pens, pencils and paper, and still do. We did not have many “toys” so we created our own play. I feel that my love for dramatic play grew great skills within me. I feel organization skills were one of the best skills I learned through playing office. Coincidentally I work in an office every day. I feel that play made me who I am today. My favorite toys:

I actually had the above barbie. I remember when my mom bought it for me, when my friends would not share. I am saddened by the lack of play throughout today’s generations. Play as I know it has been replaced by technology. I am trying to instill play in my own children, but I do struggle within this technological society. I too love technology and model my love each day to my children. I have to make a conscious effort to show my children play.

Relationship Reflection

Barbra Streisand sings a song about people, "people who need people, are the luckiest people in the world" The song talks about the different relationships within our lives. I need people, without my relationships I believe I would be a very lonely person. I believe that the different relationships in my life help create who I am. They do not define me; however, they play a role and entertain the different aspects of my character. I have many different kinds of relationships with in my life and each play a different role. Family- My confidants, my world, my support, my comfort, trust, and unconditional love. Friends- fun, shared interests, sharing, love, and trust Professional relationships- Team work, support, shared goals

My twin sister, Jasmine, was important to me growing up. We shared the womb and much more. During our teen years, we grew a part and did not understand each other, and I often competed with her. I learned who I was without her through the years, which was needed in order for me to grow into an individual. Today, we are both mothers, and still have our moments of difficulty, but we do have a connection and love I am glad I was blessed with. I learned that some relationships change as we grow and develop over time. Some survive and some do not.

My Husband- We have a relationship and a partnership. We cannot live together without both. In this relationship it is give and take. We must both give and sometimes take. The support we have for each other is more than I could have ever dreamed of. God blessed me with this relationship. In order for any relationship to work there needs to be give or take.

My Assistant Director - We support each other and work together to create a positive relationship.

My boss- keeps me on my toes, challenges me, and pays me of course. I am constantly reflecting on my responsibilities and ask for input often. I want to do a good job and I constantly strive to do better.

My friend Naomi- She is such a good friend even though she lives far away, we support each other and are comfortable with each other. She will give me advice, tell me the truth, or just love me. I love her.

My Children- They are my world. The teach me how to be patient and have taught me a different kind of love. Relationships are all around us and sometimes I find it difficult to describe because they are so intricate in nature. I do know that my relationships define me. Relationships and partnerships take work. Each party must put in effort to grow it and sustain it.