My professional contacts

Establishing Professional Contacts

Hi Colleagues,
This week I emailed two early childhood professionals from the Caribbean Region.One is from Haiti and the other from Jamaica. I met both of them at the last Meeting of Caribbean Professionals in Saint Kitts and Nevis and I was very impressed with their presentations on their various programs on Early Childhood. I  am  interested in knowing how their programs have been doing. I have not yet gotten responses from either of them, but I hope that I will very early in the new week. If I do not, then I may be forced to do the alternative assignment. I have chosen to focus on and explore the Zero To Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families because it seems interesting and it is packed with information about the dynamic world of early childhood. Hope blogging will be fun over the next eight weeks.

MY SUPPORTS

   

Never forget the ones who made you stronger and always respect the ones who stood by you. (  Tabetha Brooks)

In my daily life I depend on the support of many people and things. Some of them are:

My Staff - I depend on the staff in my department to function effeciently so that our department can run smoothly. They show their support by keeping deadlines, going the extra mile to ensure that what needs to be done is done and excreta.  Without their cooperation and support I will be an unsuccessful department leader.

My family- They are my best supporters. I depend on them for all types of support, but especially emotional support. I feel comfortable sharing my inner most thoughts and know that their advice is always genuine     Cannot imagine my life without their support.

The internet- I depend on the support that I get from the internet providers. I am able to communicate with my colleagues at the various education centers across Guyana for stats and other needed information to get my job done, without ever leaning my office space. I can study on line, connect with friends and family and so much more. The internet helps to make life much more easier for me. Occasionally, when my internet is down  I feel frustrated because I am unable to get my work done.

My God- Faith is an important component of my life and therefore as a believing christian I depend on the support of my heavenly father for all that I need to get through the day. These needs may include: strength, wisdom to make the best decisions, patience and compassion, etc. I am assured of His support each day through prayers. Even when my day may not go as planned I still feel at peace. Without God's support I know that things will not go right

                                                                              

                                                                       

I have decided to select visual impairment as my challenge.

If I were to become visually impaired or blind I would be sad and frustrated. I would need the emotional support of my family and friends to get by. I would need to learn how to use the technology available for visually impaired persons to do my job effectively. I would also need the support of the community because at times they are not very sensitive to persons with this challenge. With the support of all mentioned I will be able to live a fulfilling life. Without the support of these persons and things, I believe life can become dull and uninteresting.

."My Connections to Play."


Some quotes that help express what play meant to me as a child are:

“The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct.” – Carl Jung

“Play is the work of the child.” – Maria Montessori

“Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.” – O. Fred Donaldson

“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.” – Mr. Rogers



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As a child, play had an integral role in my development. I have learnt how to be creative, imaginative and understand and relate well to my young students because of my play experiences.
During my early and middle childhood years my family lived close by the sea, so my parents took my siblings and I regularly to the beach. The bucket and spade represent my memories of my dad and I building digging and playing in the sand and counting the amount of spade full of sand it took to fill my bucket. My siblings and I would each try to out do each other in gathering shells and smooth rocks, some of which I took for my science corner at school.

Well, I was quite obsessed with barbie for most of my childhood. I thought that she was the most beautiful doll in the world. Actually I think she still is. I remember how happy I was when I finally got my own. She helped me build my imagination and also I used her to learn real life skills such as how to sew, braid hair, and a few others. These skills also helped with my fine muscle development.

Sometime around my later childhood, I was given a pack of Jacks. I practiced playing this game, which requires excellent coordination if the eyes and hands. When I went into high school I was very shy. However, I was able to use my excellent skills in Jacks playing to make friends. Everyone wanted me on their team. Some of those frienships I still value unto today.

I think the face of play is changing for this new generation. They see play as sitting before the television with a nintendo or going on line to video games as play. So if a six year old is asked if he plays, even though he does not engage in outdoor play, he is likely to answer yes. However, the consequences of engaging only in such play is evident. Many children are obese, have pent up emotions and struggle with self regulation, just to name a few. My hope for the children of this generation is
that they will experience the true joys of play. That they too will be able to develop their imagination, creativity, and excetra. Almost all aspects of their development depends on play. As an early childhood professional I will always advocate for play, because I know the benefits that are derived through play and each individual deserves those benefits in childhood and beyond.

Relationship Reflection Relationships are important to me because they help to validate me and motivate me grow and achieve my goals. I am also given the opportunity to express what I feel with those significant others. Caring for others motivates me to work as hard as I do. They push me to overcome obstacles and take on challenges that can sometimes feel overwhelming. My Family/i>.

My relationship with my family is very important to me. They have inspired me to be the the person that I am today. The values that are upheld are passed on to the younger generation both implicitly and explicitly. These include values of integrity, education, respect, etc. Today I hold these values very dear and I plan to pass them on to my children. Sister/Sister My sister Esther is one of the warmest persons you will ever meet. Her calm personality helps to cushion my feisty over the top own. We relate easily to each other.She is my best friend. We are just three years apart so we are able to talk about almost anything. My Friends Though I could not find a photo of the us altogether I must include them in this reflection. They are warm and loving and they help to keep me grounded. Most of them are Christians so we encourage each other to keep the faith in God alive and to make decisions that are most beneficial to us. Keeping partnerships going requires open communication and trust. I think that without these qualities they will not last.

THANK YOU!! To all my colleagues whom I was privileged to connect with during this course, thank you. Your comments and posts were inspiring and motivating.The knowledge and I wish you all the best as you continue along this academic journey.

The Child Is A Rich Mine The child is a rich mine abounding with precious gems. This mine is to be explored for its potentials. The precious stones are to be drawn from the darkness of the soil where they are buried and hidden. They should be brought out to light. In the open, polish, cut and shape them into exquisite pieces. Until they are polished and shaped then they can benefit the human society. Children are like diamonds. Raw diamonds are dull. They have no lustre. They do reflect light. But when it is cut and shaped into many facets and polished, it sparkles and becomes highly priced. Shaped and polished diamond makes a lot of difference. A child that is well-educated and trained becomes a brilliant star in the firmament of humanity and becomes a guide to the wayfarers who are in darkness. ALLURA TOLOUEI

ASSESSMENTS The early school years are an important phase in children's education, as they lay the foundation for their learning.It is also the time when they are most inquisitive – what they asks and how their questions are answered will be crucial to their development later on in life. During these formative years,it is important that we build their confidence and desire to learn, and expose them to different aspects of learning, in both academic and non-academic areas, so that they will have a well rounded early education. It is also important that we give children broad exposure to a range of activities so that he can discover his talents and interests. Assessment is an important aspect of teaching and learning. It should be used to support the holistic development of our pupils.When children are just beginning school, a key focus should be on building their confidence and desire to learn. Thus, assessment should focus more on providing information on the learning progress of each child.Teachers should use a range of assessment tools, including written and performance tasks to enable them to provide feedback to pupils on their mastery of concepts and skills as well as their strengths and areas for improvement.Holistic Assessments allow schools to move beyond tests and examinations and use assessment to provide useful information that supports your child’s learning and holistic development. I believe that we should formative assessment should be used to monitor student performance and move away from the traditional forms of assessment which do not cater for the different types of intelligence of children. More alternative forms of assessment usually assess a wider range of intelligence of students. These include role plays and dramatizations, displays on specific themes, etc.I believe that assessment should involve quality interactions, careful listening and reflective responses.When this is done it will be more meaningful to the students. ASSESSMENTS IN GUYANA In Guyana, the traditional paper and pencil tests are mainly used to assess students progress. These tests are administered at different grades beginning at grade two. One can imagine the stress that is experienced by such young children and their parents as they prepare for the National Grade Six Assessment Exams. These exams are set by the state and are used to measure how schools and districts are performing when compared to the national standards and benchmarks. At the primary level, children are also required to write the national exams at grades four and six.The results of the grade six exams is used to determine which high school the child will attend. ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON ASSESSMENT 'Formative assessment describes all those processes by which teachers and learners use information about student’s achievement to improve their achievements. So it’s about using information to adapt your teaching, to adapt the work of your pupils to put the learning back on track … to make sure the learning is proceeding in the right direction and to support that learning. Assessment for learning shifts the emphasis to enable a better balance between summative and formative assessment - from making judgement to engaging in ongoing activities that can be used to support the next stages of learning. Formative assessment provides teachers with information with which to modify or change the teaching and learning activities in which students are engaged.The teacher is then more able to tune into the learner’s progress, picking up on emerging understandings and difficulties.Formative assessment focuses on how a young person is learning as they undertake the task.