Sharing Web Resources!!!

The organization I chose to study is called the “Harlem Children’s Zone” or HCZ for short. The link to the website is www.hcz.org/home . The organization focuses on providing free educational services to children and families in the community of Harlem. The program offers services to pregnant mothers and cares for these children up to after high school.  The project first started in 1970 but had expansions in 1990s, under the leadership and vision of president, CEO Geoffrey Canada, working with only several blocks in the Harlem neighborhood. The project has been such a success that the block area of the project has been widened and offers services like Baby College, early childhood programs, elementary school, high school, and even college preparatory classes, and also community outreach services.

A current issue or trend that caught my attention, as it relates to change in demographics, is the ‘Promise Zones’ that President Obama wants to use to model these same efforts with five places in the U.S. that are dealing with poverty and helping children. These five areas will be San Antonio, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Southeastern Kentucky and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. I feel that with the success HCZ has had in the community of Harlem, these five areas will have a great success, as well. Building the community and helping assist children with better education will essentially lower poverty and allow for more productive members of society to be raised out of these communities. It will eventually help the area and people living there in the long run. Check out the following link: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/10/us/politics/obama-announces-promise-zones-in-5-stricken-areas.html?_r=0 for more information on the ‘Promise Zones.’

Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

Hello to All,

Contacting professionals has been an adventure for me. I didn’t know what direction to take on my own to establish contact with someone outside the United States, so I found it helpful to go to the resources provided on blackboard. I chose two contacts from Europe using one of the websites provided, but I wasn’t able to establish any communication with them. I pursued two more contacts from Europe, as well; I have emailed them a few days ago explaining who I am and my purpose for the contact. Unfortunately, I have not got any responses back. However, I will remain hopeful until the beginning of this upcoming week. If I don’t get responses, then I will most definitely choose the alternate assignment for part 1. Choosing an early childhood organization website was much easier for me. I decided to stick with early childhood organizations within the United States. I looked through the resources provided and picked two that stood out the most to me which were Society for Research in Child Development http://www.srcd.org/ or  Harlem Children's Zone http://www.hcz.org/. After exploring each website, Harlem Children’s Zone resonated with me the most. I feel personal connection because I represent that race/ethnicity and also professional connection because in my school district’s pre-k classes, we serve children that are considered ‘at risk’ (homeless, minority, or low-income). I can’t wait to begin my journey with this organization and with my personal contacts, whoever they will be. If anyone has been successful with establishing contacts, please share with me, so I can confirm mine.

Thanks in advance,

Tierra Jackson

My Supports

When I think about my daily supports in my life, the first would have to be my faith in God. God is the guide of my life and knowing that I can trust and believe in His word helps me to manage in life daily. I start off my morning with the support of God’s word by reading a Bible verse and committing to a daily devotional. This helps me face life in a positive, loving way and be ready to achieve any tasks that may come my way. Without this support, I would be lost, confusion, discouraged in any goal I was trying to reach and would be hopeless in this world we live in.

Another support would be the emotional, physical, and sometimes monetary support from family members. They help me by communicating with me during ups and downs that I encounter in my life. They have provided me at some time in my life a place to stay, positive conversations, and some monetary help when I needed certain things, along with emotional support. Without them I would feel that I was all alone. I wouldn’t have that shoulder I need to lean on for comfort in my time of need.

Another important support would be my technology devices, like my cell phone and laptop. These devices help me communicate with others, stay on schedule, and do important homework assignments. They help me also keep up with my social life and my friends, co-workers, and colleagues. Without technology, my life would be at a whack. I couldn’t communicate as quickly, stay on schedule, and just keep up with daily assignments and people that are in my social life.

 The support of my son Kingston helps keep me motivated to keep pushing forward in life. He has given me a reason and purpose to do my best, so he can have the best and not have to be faced with certain challenges. He is my joy and the reason I am a part of this class today. I don’t even want to imagine the support of his love being away from me. Without him I would be lost, confused, and looking for a certain something to fill the void and joy that only a child can bring.

I also need the basic supports that help me on a daily basis. These are food, shelter, and clothes for me and my son. We need food to nourish our bodies and keep us healthy. Shelter to protect us and keep us safe and warm or cool, depending on the weather in Texas. Clothes to protect our bodies and keep us warm/cool. Without these vital essentials, we would be helpless, hungry, and homeless. I don’t want to even imagine life without them.

My Connections to Play

 
       


"We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” – George Bernard Shaw




“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.” -  Fred Rogers

      

 

 

 

When I was younger, play was always encouraged and supported. I was often encouraged  to go play outside and engage in play with neighborhood friends and close cousins. We often used our imaginations and created games to play. Sitting in front of the t.v. was not much of an option once homework was done. I feel play today is not what it was for me when I was growing up. I feel play is less encouraged due to safety concerns and technology devices readily made available.  My hope is that children are allowed opportunities to play outside, with supervision, and allowed to be creative with their play.  Also to be able to use the imaginations to create  optimal play opportunities.  I feel play is essential for children to develop physically, socially, cognitively, and creatively.

 

Relationship Reflection

Relationships/partnerships are important to me because it creates a  connection with a person whom you share a unique experience. Relationships/ partnerships can vary in the length of time, some people last a lifetime and some are for a season. Some relationships/partnerships can be business related, spiritual, or out of love for a certain person or even animal. I share relationships/partnerships with a variety of individuals that have impacted my life in some way.

• One person is my mother. She has shown me the true meaning of an unconditional love. She has always been there for me, rather I wanted her to be or not. She has always gave her opinion about things in my life, and most of the time she was right. I love her for her support and unconditional love towards me and my son.
• Another person I have a relationship with is my son Kingston. He is the joy I needed in my world. Whenever I feel like life is giving me the most trouble, I can always look for him to put a smile on my face. I now reciprocate that same unconditional love to my child, the love of my life Kingston.
• Another meaningful relationship is the one I share with my sister. Whenever I need someone to listen, she lends an ear. I can come to her about anything and she offers positive advice.
• I also have a good relationship/partnership with my co-teachers and early childhood staff. They always say how I am a good, supportive, caring teacher. They offer me mentorship and advice, and help me in so many ways in my prek classrooms.

Challenges to obtaining and maintaining relationships include being a trust worthy person. You have to know you can trust that person. Also does that person provide you with positive support during your time of need. You should also strive for the relationship/partnership to be reciprocal. This means that both individuals should be getting something from the connection. Relationships/partnerships are not one sided and it shouldn't be a strain. As you establish new relationships/partnerships think does this person care for me whole heartedly, is it worth my time, do they listen, and can I trust them. If the answer is yes then it's worth making a connection with them.

Reflecting on Child Development

“Accept the children the way we accept trees—with gratitude, because they are a blessing—but do not have expectations or desires. You don’t expect trees to change, you love them as they are.” 
― Isabel Allende

I love this quote because it discusses the unconditional love we should have for children.


I would like to give a note of thanks to Mirla Aquino Fajardo  and Super Mami blog pages. Both blog pages shared some valuable information about child development. Keep up the good work and continued effort in the course.

Assessing Young Children

     Through my personal experience as an educator, I feel it is important to have assessments for children's cognitive, socioemotional, physical (gross and fine motor) development that are developmentally appropriate. I think if we start looking at assessments not as a test , but more as a measurement of glows or grows  for the child , we can help our youth develop more positively. We can develop planful activities to help strengthen their grows into glows.

    I chose to reflect on assessments in South Africa. From my research I find that assessments in school have been hard to come by because two reasons ,according to Amod & Heafield, "this is firstly due to the historical misuse of assessment instruments for the purpose of exclusionary practices and the perpetuation of an inequitable education system.  Secondly children in this country exist within extremely diverse socio-cultural and economic structures and this contributes towards significant emotional and developmental differences between young children." Amod & Heafield also state, "although there is still a place for the assessment of individual learners to determine the types of support structures that may be needed,  government expenditure on education is more suitably spent on upgrading facilities, reducing class sizes and improving teacher training. This will provide all learners with a better chance of reaching their full potential. "

Reference

 

Z. Amod, D. Heafield (2012). "Assessing Young Children in South Africa." Psychological Assessment in South Africa: Research and Applications.