Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

I thought this assignment would be easy for me to contact 2 professionals in other parts of the world since my family is from Trinidad and Tobago and we have many teachers in the family. However, after almost two weeks of trying I have no successfully been able to reach out to anyone. Thus I have decided to do the alternative assignment where I will be working with the website, "  World Forum Foundation. “A foundation whose mission is to promote an on-going global exchange of ideas on the delivery of quality services for young children in diverse settings.” The reason I choose this website was because they take a look at a topic that I am very interested in, men in ECE. In my past experiences I have only encountered one male teacher in a Pre-K setting. I find they are more common in Kindergarten-Third grade but less prominent before that. I personally struggle with my thoughts on males Pre-K teacher's so I think it will be very interesting to learn more about this topic.

My Supports

Factors within my daily environment that are supportive to me include my family, friends, and coworkers, The reason these groups are so supportive to me is because when I’m feeling down or lost depending on the situation these people help lift me up. With support from different people I am able to get through some days that seem like they are never going to end. I am also able to share my successes with these people who help celebrate with me. It is nice to know that there are always different people in your life for different situations to provide a listening ear and supportive advice. The major benefits of these supports are the outlet it provides me with when I’m feeling sad, stressed out, overwhelmed, excited, and proud. If these people were no longer a part of my life I would feel so lost. In order to keep myself going everyday I rely on these people to keep my sprits up.

Example: I work a full time job on top of being a fulltime student. One week I have a large project due for school and work and I’m finding myself stressed out with all demands of the week. I relay on my coworkers to brainstorm with me to create and expedite our project for work in a timely and equal form. I rely on my family and friends to understand that my time is dedicated to two important projects and display understanding

Growing up I was an only child for the first 8 years of my life. I was the definition of a girly-girl. All I played with was Barbie dolls and probably had about 100 of them. All members of my family including parents, aunts, and cousins would play with me. The reason I loved Barbie dolls so much was because it allowed me to be creative and imaginative. I would always make up some new situation and have so much fun acting it out among the Barbie dolls. I think play is the same when it comes to imagination, but I have noticed I don’t see Barbie dolls being advertised or sold as much as when I was younger. I see more electronic forms of play these days. Play is a very important factor in growing up. It allows us to take our imagination to new levels and helps children to be creative and express their inner feelings. Now that I am older I don’t get to play with Barbie dolls any more but I do find it very important to escape reality once in a while and dive into the world of imagination and creativity. I usually do this by reading different fiction novels. Currently my favorite series is the Twilight saga.

Relationships are important to me because I need a strong support system behind me to help celebrate with me in times of joy, and help me cope in times of need. I have made a collage of the people in my life that are important to me and that I have strong relationships with. This collage has pictures of my mom, dad, brother, friends, and one of my past classes. In order to maintain positive relationships the lines of communication must remain open. If something is bothering me or I have a concern I always address it calmly and as soon as possible so anger doesn’t build up. A challenge to developing and maintaining relationships is not having an open mind. As discussed in this week’s video presentation bias’ can have a large impact on the way me think, act, and feel. It is important to be open minded when meeting new people and forming relationships. My picture with a past class represents a partnership. I made sure I tried to build a relationship with each of my children and their families in order for us to work together for the common goal of their child’s education and success. Past experiences with relationships and partnerships impact my work as an effective Early Childhood professional by learning from past experiences and using best practices to continue to build positive relationships and partnerships.

Childhood Quotes Continued...

Childhood Quotes

Assesments

Considering a commitment to viewing young children holistically (i.e., a commitment to “the whole child”), what, if anything, do you believe should be measured or assessed? Explain your reasoning.


I believe assessment are important. Assessments allow teachers and parents to see where children are academically, and socially. With the help of assessments it allows children to be placed in the correct classes and programs to help best suit their needs. I believe assessment are most important when it comes to class placement. Placement testing is the most accurate way of making sure students are placed in skill appropriate classes. However, I do believe all standardized testing should be a mix of multiple choice, true false, and essay. I know personally I was always better at essay questions opposed to multiple choice. I felt more confident in my answers


In what ways are school-age children assessed in other parts of the world? (Choose a country or region of the world for which you have a personal affinity.)


Both of my parents were born, raise, and educated in Trinidad and Tobago. I know testing is very important in this country because it determines which school you are able to attend. In the United States we are used to standardized tests such as the SAT or ACT to determine college choices. In Trinidad testing is used for all levels of education and is a big deal.



What additional ideas, comments, suggestions, examples, and/or concerns related to assessing young children would you like to share with your colleagues?


It's important to remember that not all children do well in a standardized testing environment. This is why in addition to testing observation and work samples are all important ways of making sure students are placed in appropriate classes.