Extra: Congratulations to the Following States

Whether or not you agree with the motivation, procedure, and/or implementation of the "Race to the Top" initiative,  spearheaded by President Barack Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan, I believe congratulations are due to the 35 states which participated in the "race" by submitting proposals for ECE development and/or reform in their states.  Submitting documents of this caliber takes, time, hard work, dedication, and collaboration, and shows an understanding, at least, of the importance of quality ECE, and the positive effects it can have upon education over all and improved societal reform.

Nine States were awarded "Race to the Top" grants.  They are:  California, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island and Washington State.
Congratulations!


References:
NPR & Dominguez, A. (2011, December 16). 9 States Win Early Education Grant : NPR. NPR. Retrieved      December 17, 2011, from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=143822676

Extra: Lessons Learned- More on Logging Quotes

Low Ropes Course, Glorieta Conference Center,
Glorieta, New Mexico

During a trip with my daughter's girl scout troop, I watched as the girls (12 and 13 year olds) participated in a challenging low-ropes-course activity meant to enhance group communication, cooperation, collaboration, and cohesiveness.  I watched as 7 excited and highly enthusiastic girls tried to cross a cable that meandered through the woods, attached to trees, and suspended 18" above the ground. The trick was accomplishing this without any one of them falling or stepping off of the cable.  The girls quickly learned to hold on to the trees for support, but with many of the trees 12 or more feet apart, no one person could cross the cable alone.  In order for any girl to help another, she too had to be on the cable.  (That put everyone in the same situation/the same boat so to speak).  Soon it became obvious that in order for every girl to get across the cable, spanning the distance between trees, without putting a single foot to ground, every girl would have to be on the cable, at the same time to lend a hand... an arm... a leg... a whole body... to other girls as they tried to cross.  Many lessons were learned that day, to say the least.  And at times the situation was intense, as the girls tried...  and failed...  repeatedly...   for over an hour to get everyone across the expanse without anyone stepping off the cable.  In order to quell my overwhelming instinct to "help" by "coaching" the proceedings, I turned to my pen and paper and wrote down everything the girls were saying to one another as they tried to "work the problem".  A period of pandemonium ensued as suggestions from everyone flew about, but fell by the wayside unheard and unrecognized by the others, which in turn resulted in more disorganized attempts to cross the cable which predictably ended in failure each time.  After every failed attempt one of the shyer girls in the group kept saying in her quiet voice "Let's make a plan..." Later she again said, "Let's make a plan..." and again "Let's make a plan..." and with resignation in her voice, "Okay....  We'll try this... a few more times... and then we'll make a plan."  It wasn't until all the girls were  sitting on the pine needle covered ground, exhausted and frustrated, looking at that !#?@ cable, that any of them heard the shy quiet girl say one more time, "Let's make a plan."  With that she was heard!   Communication, cooperation, collaboration, and cohesiveness  ensued.   As a group the needed, and long awaited, plan was formed.  Organized assistance and support, both physical and verbal; were given and accepted.  At long last, a group of 7 mentally and physically exhausted, but exceedingly proud girl scouts stood on the other side of a successfully traversed course. 

After successfully traversing the low ropes course
 we are listening carefully to instructions
 for the high ropes course.

   

We get it!  We all need to be on the same page!  Post high ropes course.  We made it!

  

Logging Quotes: A Meaningful Practice

What we, and others, say matters!

I learned from a writer-friend of mine the practice of writing down words of interest that we encounter through out our lives.  Even if she did not know what she would do with those words... if they caught her attention, she wrote them down.

I began this practice years ago when my first child began to talk.  By the tender age of two, she was down right articulate... precociously so.  Here's the story behind one such quotation, words spoken by my daughter at the age of 2+ years:   I'm one of those moms who say "bless you" when my children, or anyone else for that matter, sneezes.  So from the very first sneeze of her life, my daughter heard the words "bless you" immediately after....  One day while I was hanging clothes in the closet, my daughter who was sitting on my bed sneezed.  Of course it was not a dainty little "kerchoo".  It was one of those show-stopping, explosive sneezes from a two year old with a cold...  With her little messy hands out to her side, she looked at me and said, "Oh Mommy!!  I bless you-ed all over your bed!"

Since then, I've continued the practice, if not as often as I should, of writing down quotes I find interesting. During the EDUC 6005 course I have kept a "log" of things I've read from my classmates, instructor, and resources.  They are just notes and quotes (quotes with citations) that I want to remember and that I think may be of future use as I develop my professional career.  I just copy and paste them onto a Word Document that I keep in a folder I call, "Notes and Quotes for Professional Development".

Know Your Craft! Choose to do it Well.

As teachers we encounter situations every day that require us to stop and ask ourselves:   What is the ethical course of action to take in this scenario?  For experienced teachers, most of these scenarios are second nature to assess and act upon.  However, with experience also comes the sense to know when to Stop…. Breathe…. and Think!  Over the years, teachers encounter countless numbers of scenarios that do not immediately have obvious solutions.  Be sensitive to and learn to identify these scenarios, and if at all possible consult your peers and self-reflect before taking action.

All of the points made in the “NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment” and the “DEC Code of Ethics” are essential to keep in mind throughout our work with children.  A few I have commented upon below:

• Appreciate childhood as a unique and valuable stage of the human life cycle:  Know and respect the differences between the nature of childhood and the nature of adulthood.  Understand that what we say and do as adults has a “magnified” impact on children by comparison to adults.  As teachers it is our duty to know and be sensitive to the unique characteristics of children and to continuously assess and evaluate our own behavior and interactions in regard to each child with whom we work. 

• Appreciate and support the bond between the child and family:  The relationship a child has with his/her family is critical!  …for better or for worse.  As teachers, we need to know, appreciate, and help the  fostering of healthy, strong, relationships between the child and his/her family.  To not do so, is hurtful to the child.

• Recognize that children are best understood and supported in the context of family, culture,* community, and society:  Do those home visits!  In many public schools this is an aspect of quality education that is sorely lacking.  Spending time with the child, in “their world” is quite illuminating, and will provide critical information about how best, we as teachers, can understand and support that child in school.

 • Respect diversity in children, families, and colleagues:  It is important to recognize diversity as the potential strength that it is; a deepening of the resources available to a community and society as a whole.  Diversity makes for a much healthier gene pool on many levels.

Reference:

NAEYC. (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. National Association for the Education of Young Children. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf

Casey Family Programs' Early Learning Symposium: Featuring a Presentation by Jack P. Shonkoff, M.D.

In our EDUC 6005 class, my colleagues and I recently viewed a resource where one of the presenters, Renatta Marie Cooper, M.A. talked about how she uses resources to enhance her understanding of early childhood studies and fortify her performance as an early childhood professional.  Renatta points out that as we read resources of interest, we should always take a look at the reference list at the end of the paper, and look up some of those references and the people who generated them.   I am currently working on the APP6 class assignment and  am focusing on works done by Dr.  Jack Shonkoff.  After reading the two articles (Shonkoff, J. P., 2006) and (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2004) I thought to myself...  Who exactly is Jack P. Shonkoff M.D.?  Because I like seeing a picture of the researchers I learn about, I decided to look Dr. Shonkoff up on the internet.  After only 3 minutes or so of browsing, I was rewarded by finding a wonderful presentation given by Dr. Shonkoff at the Early Learning Symposium, hosted by Casey Family Programs in Seattle, Washington.  I am thrilled to share with my colleagues this awesome source of information provided by Dr.  Jack P. Shonkoff. 
http://www.casey.org/Resources/Events/earlylearning/WA/default.htm

Echos in the Halls of Education

Friedrich Froebel: (1782-1852)

"The destiny of nations lies far more in the hands of women, the mothers, than in the possessors of power, or those of innovators who for the most part do not understand themselves. We must cultivate women, who are the educators of the human race, else the new generation cannot accomplish its task."

"The union of family and school life is the indispensable requisite of education."

Maria Montessori (1870-1952)

"The environment must be rich in motives which lend interest to activity and invite the child to conduct his own experiences.”

"It is the child who makes the man, and no man exists who was not made by the child he once was.”

"The child is both a hope and a promise for mankind.”

"The land is where our roots are. The children must be taught to feel and live in harmony with the Earth.”

"The hands are the instruments of man’s intelligence."

Louise Derman-Sparks:

"My mother actually told me that instead of playing house I would play school and I would place my dolls in a row and I had an eisel and I would pretend to be the teacher."  I love this quote!  It shows that education for some people is something you just have to do.  Froebel said that through play you can see into a child's soul.  When a child chooses to be teacher while at play, as a small child, it is an inborn trait that must be lived. 

Sandra Escobido:

"We as professionals in the early childhood field have an opportunity to shape a child’s life for the better, and so that’s what makes me passionate about this field."

Personal Family Web

My Family 1967

Mom 1960

Mom:  During my early childhood, at least the parts I can remember, my mom put all of her time and effort into rearing my brothers and I, and keeping the home for my father.  Mom had a tumultuous childhood complicated by untimely deaths, absences due to the war and the affects of alcoholism in what Brofenbrenner would call the micro/mesosystem of her bioecological model.  When she became a mother she knew that she wanted her children to have exceedingly better childhoods than she did.  She turned to Dr. Benjamin Spock’s book (The 1957 revised version) entitled The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care”.  Creating a stable, healthy, and emotionally supportive environment was her goal.  She insisted that we have 3 square meals a day, consistent bedtimes, daily chores, regular trips to the doctor and the dentist, and at least some mother/child activities to do during the day.  She always said to me, “Be  brave”.

Dad:  Where my mother made life happen, life happened to my father.  My father’s interactions with my brothers and I, though acceptable, were minimal and almost always motivated by my mother’s desire for him to be connected to his children.

Mom posing in front of the pond c. 1975

Brothers:  For much of my childhood, my brothers were my pals. I remember summers full of self-created adventures on the farm.  We rode the horses, swam in the pond, inventing all kinds of water games.  We caught snakes, turtles, frogs, and lightening bugs.  During the winter my older brother would use the snow shovel to clean the snow from the ice on the pond.  Then we would grab the sled and our ice skates and spend the day skating, sledding and building snowmen to act as our audience.

Grandma K.:  What an interesting woman!  To me she was the ultimate grandma.  Grew up on the farm and was no stranger to hard work.  Her home was very simple, and old fashioned, but immaculate... so clean, so organized, and always smelled of something yummy to eat.  Grandma K. was a prolific gardener, an amazing cook, and an extremely talented seamstress.  I loved going to her house, up in the Allegheny Mountains of Northern Pennsylvania.  As a woman of industry, she taught me so many things simply by example.  I was fascinated by her constant movement, and observed her closely.  I remember her taking my brothers and I to the creek to fish and catch crawdads (crayfish).  She would also take us to the spring where fresh water came out from the ground.  She kept a small jar there, upside down on a tree branch, to use for catching the water and drinking it.  So good! We picked blueberries and currents with her, making pies and preserving the rest as jams and jellies.  Every Christmas she sent us a box of homemade, and elaborately decorated Christmas sugar cookies.  I think I learned to be self-sufficient and industrious, in part, from her. 

School:  During my school years, I was too shy to have much in the way of relationships with anyone.  I remember a time when Mrs. Dick was my first grade teacher.  Some of the other children were at the front of the room showing their work to Mrs. Dick.  I wanted to show my work to her as well.  I was finally printing the letter “e” to a level where I could feel proud of it.  I remember feeling so nervous as I approached her.  When I shared my work with her she said, “Well, it’s about time!”.  That was certainly not the comment I was expecting.  I was crushed.  I remember slowly going back to my seat with my paper feeling weak, shaky, and scared.  As I sat down, and stared at the letter “e’s”  I had written, I felt so unimportant, and inadequate.  Needless to say, that put me off approaching my first grade teacher for any reason for the rest of the year.  Second grade was different.  I was still recovering from first grade, and was still painfully shy, but Mrs. Chevrolier was kind.  While turning in my work, I bumped a ceramic bluebird planter off of her desk.  It fell on the floor and broke.  She assured me that it was okay, and that she did not think badly of me.  What a relief!  Later Mrs. Chevrolier and the music teacher collaborated to put on the musical, “The Wizard of Oz”.  I was given the lead role of Dorothy.  In retrospect I believe I was given the role because I was so shy, and I’m sure Mrs. Chevrolier’s motivation was to give me a task that would help me address that issue.  Rehearsals began, and indeed I remember getting “lost” in story and the acting doing whatever was asked of me with gusto!  Unfortunately I was hospitalized with a severe case of pneumonia, and I was unable to see the musical through.  The part of Dorothy had to be given away to “the gym teacher’s daughter”.  I spent a long ten days in the hospital, with other sick children.  One day my mother came in to visit me bringing me a large envelope that had come in the mail.  It was from Mrs. Chevrolier and was full of handmade get-well cards from all of my classmates.  By contrast to Mrs. Dick, her small actions made me feel important, relevant, and cared about, which did wonders for my self-esteem.  Note:  Never ever underestimate the power of a teacher; especially during the early years of childhood.

Although my mother has been gone now for over 8 years, she still is influential in my life -mostly because she had a quote for almost every situation, and I often quote them to my girls.  "Be brave... One in the hand is worth two in the bush... That is a lazy man's load... No one appreciates a doormat..."

Although alive and well, my father has very little to do with my brothers and I limiting his interactions to  cards at Christmas and for birthdays.  To me he is an example of what not to do when forming tangible family relationships.  I have reason to believe that he has legitimate reasons for his inability to connect with people, but none the less it is unfortunate and has always had a profound affect upon the family.

A Time for Blueberries

My new favorite quote I have adopted from Classmate Katoba is:  “Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.”  Read on and you’ll see why!
— Emilie Buchwald

The edge of late summer….  The garden is ripening into various stages of “ready to be picked”  goodness.  Chores around the house are nearly complete…. Beds are made, the dishes washed, the floors are swept, and the last of the laundry is hanging on the line…. and a quiet satisfaction comes over my mother.  A satisfaction that says, to me as a young child, that at least for a moment, all is right with her world.  And with that moment of rightness she would look at me with a gleam in her eye,  and with her voice lowered, say, “let’s read”.  To my mother, reading in the middle of day, in this case the mid-afternoon, was an indulgence. “Let’s read, Blueberries for Sal, shall we?”  She would pour iced tea for the both of us, while I fetched Blueberries for Sal from the bottom shelf of the bookcase.  Then we would sit in the shade of the porch on the porch swing, condensation beading on our glasses of iced tea,Blueberries for Sal on my mother’s lap.  ”Shall we?” she would say again.  Nodding with eager affirmation I would criss cross my legs on the swing, oblivious to the cuts and bruises on my knees and shins, and move close to her.  Then together my mother and I would enter the pages of Blueberries for Sal.  She was Mother, I was Sal, and we were on a hillside in Maine, covered with blueberry bushes all wanting to be picked.   My mother picked her berries with efficiency, I picked my berries with fascination and wonder.  Looking carefully at each one, gently testing the softness between my fingers…. and then plop! into my mouth.

As the story progresses two more characters:  Mother Bear and Little Bear, we discover, are among the blueberry bushes.  ”Little Bear, eat lots of blueberries and grow big and fat.  We must store up food for the long, cold winter”.   Eventually Mother (Sal’s mother/my mother), is followed by baby bear, and Mother Bear is followed by  ME! …  Sal.  Oh I would giggle when the mothers of the story realized the mix-up.  My own mother would break from her reading and say, “Oh how silly is that” And I would say back to her, “How silly is that”, and snuggle closer to hear the end of the story.

Blueberries for Sal written by Robert McCloskey in 1948 will always for me be more than a beautiful story with a humorous twist.  It will always be the warmth, love, and safety I felt with my mother as a very young child.  How lucky I have been to recreate this scenario with my own daughters…. a multi-generational link…. A gift given to me… and later from me….that, for at least a moment, All is right with our world…..