Thank You!

I just wanted to say a word of thanks to everyone...Creating this blog has been a new experience for me and your support and positive feedback has made this very rewarding! I look forward to continue getting to know and grow as a professional with you, thank you so much again!

Examining Codes of Ethics

Ideals from NAEYC and DEC Codes of Ethics

Both the NAEYC and DEC have Codes of Ethics that serve as guidelines for early childhood practices. Both codes of ethics are great resources for educators to have and to follow; the following three ideals are ones that especially stood out to me:

1. We shall demonstrate in our behavior and language respect and appreciation for the unique value and human potential of each child (DEC, Personal and Interpersonal Behavior).

This ideal is meaningful to me and significant to my professional life because it really captures the essence of being an early childhood educator. Everyone is unique and has different ways of doing things, learning things, and communicating things-and there is no exception for children! As a teacher, it is important to keep this in mind and realize that every child has something valuable to bring to the classroom and the learning/teaching experience. It is also important not to write a child off because they are not interested in or need modifications to one aspect of the classroom-they still have their own unique potential and as a teacher it is important to realize this and help guide it in the right direction instead of stifling it. This is something that we cannot just say we are in support of but must model and appreciate through our behavior-our actions and teaching.

2. To respect the dignity and preferences of each family and to make an effort to learn about its structure, culture, language, customs, and beliefs (NAEYC, I-2.5).  

This is another ideal that is both meaningful and significant to me as a professional. I chose this one because the relationships between the family, child, and teachers/school are ones that I feel very deeply about. It is important as an educator to respect not only the role of the family, but the family itself. Families are not cookie-cutter perfect, especially in today’s day and age; they come in many different forms and varieties. It is important not only for the educator to respect that but to teach respect for that and model this behavior for the students. This is something that I try to do in my classroom, I feel very strongly that it is important for my students to know that there are many different ways to live and that all ways, even if they are “different” need to be respected.

3.  To promote knowledge and understanding of young children and their needs. To work toward greater societal acknowledgement of children’s rights and greater societal responsibility for the well-being of all children (NAEYC, I-4.6).  

I chose this ideal because it really sums up my motivation behind my personal /professional goals and my passion. This ideal is the same vision that I hope to see and strive to make this happen in my community; early childhood is such an important time but it is not well-recognized as such. This ideal is one that will be constantly changing and growing as more research and education about young children’s needs and development emerges but overall the message will stay the same-as a society we need to understand and respect that young children have needs and rights and it takes a society to help make sure that they are met. As educators, this is especially important as we can not only advocate for young children and their families, but help educate parents and others about the importance of the early years and raise social awareness about the issues surrounding them. 

References:

The Division for Early Childhood (2000, August). Code of ethics. Retrieved from http://www.dec-sped.org/

NAEYC (2005, April). Code of ethical conduct and statement of commitment. Retrieved from
http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSETH05.pdf

Resources

COURSE RESOURCES:

Position Statements and Influential Practices

• NAEYC. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf
• NAEYC. (2003). Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf
• NAEYC. (2009, April). Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2010). Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller
• FPG Child Development Institute. (2006, September). Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved May 26, 2010, fromhttp://www.fpg.unc.edu/~images/pdfs/snapshots/snap33.pdf
  
  
• Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al.  (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42–53. 

Global Support for Children’s Rights and Well-Being

• Article: UNICEF (n.d.). Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf
   
• Websites:
• World Forum Foundation
  http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/about.php
  
  
• World Organization for Early Childhood Education
  http://www.omep.org.gu.se/English/about_OMEP/
  
  
• Association for Childhood Education International
  http://acei.org/about/ 

Selected Early Childhood Organizations

• National Association for the Education of Young Children
  http://www.naeyc.org/ 
• The Division for Early Childhood
  http://www.dec-sped.org/
• Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
  http://www.zerotothree.org/
• WESTED
  http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm
• Harvard Education Letter
  http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85
• FPG Child Development Institute
  http://www.fpg.unc.edu/main/about.cfm
• Administration for Children and Families Headstart’s National Research Conference
  http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/
• HighScope
  http://www.highscope.org/ 
• Children’s Defense Fund
  http://www.childrensdefense.org/
• Center for Child Care Workforce
  http://www.ccw.org/
• Council for Exceptional Children
  http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home
• Institute for Women’s Policy Research
  http://www.iwpr.org/index.cfm
• National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
  http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/
• National Child Care Association
  http://www.nccanet.org/
• National Institute for Early Education Research
  http://nieer.org/
• Pre[K]Now
  http://www.preknow.org/
• Voices for America’s Children
  http://www.voices.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=22807
• The Erikson Institute
  http://www.erikson.edu/
     

Selected Professional Journals

• YC Young Children
• Childhood
• Journal of Child & Family Studies
• Child Study Journal
• Multicultural Education
• Early Childhood Education Journal
• Journal of Early Childhood Research
• International Journal of Early Childhood
• Early Childhood Research Quarterly
• Developmental Psychology
• Social Studies
• Maternal & Child Health Journal
• International Journal of Early Years Education

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PERSONAL SELECTED RESOURCES:

Websites

• First Five (California)

        http://www.ccfc.ca.gov

Provides information, data, and links to resources for school readiness and health topics.

• California Department of Education: 

        http://www.cde.ca.gov/index.asp
 Provides current information about California schools kindergarten-high school as well as
 criteria and curriculum for the state, data and budget information.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

          http://www.cdc.gov/
 Information on health and safety topics, includes categories for different life span age
groups as well as emergency preparedness and injury/violence prevention.

• Fruit & Veggies: More Matter

           http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/?page_id=102
Information geared towards parents and teachers about the importance of health and nutrition (mainly focusing on fruits and vegetables) as well as recipes and ideas to involve children. 

• Early Childhood

          http://www.earlychildhood.com/
Information for parents and teachers, provides links to news articles and other resources. 

• Co-Teaching Connection

            http://marilynfriend.com/
 Resources for working with special education and collaborative teaching, provides links
to a variety of resources. 

• Child Development Institute

           http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/
Provides articles on a variety of topics in the child development field.

Books:

• Allen, Eileen K. and Glynnis Edwards Cowdery. (2008). The Exceptional Child. Wadsworth Publishing.
• Feeney, Stephanie and Eva Moravcik, Sherry Nolte, and Doris Christensen. (2010).  Who Am I in the Lives of Children? An Introduction to Early Childhood Education. New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.

Inspirational Professionals

Learning more about professionals in the early childhood field has been motivating and inspirational. I have learned new ideas, techniques, and history. Here are some quotes that I found to capture the essence of working in the early childhood field in addition to being particularly inspiring:

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“High hopes made Head Start possible…we need to recapture the hope, to believe once more that it is possible to set the next generation of American children and families on a course toward a better life.”  –Edward Zigler

(I like this quote because I believe that all educators should have "high hopes" for their students and their programs...without this motivation, nothing can be achieved!)

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“We all know how devastating poverty is, but if we help children, they can overcome poverty and move upward and onward.” – Edward Zigler

(I chose this because all children have potential to succeed. It is important as educators to recognize this and help them realize their own potential and unique abilities.)

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“…teachers need to demonstrate through their actions that collaboration is not about working with best friends or, necessarily, with like-minded people. Collaboration is about trust and respect. It's about working together to create better outcomes for all students.” –Marilyn Friend

(I liked this quote because it is a reminder that one of the main goals working in this field is about creating a positive environment and better outcomes for children, not whether or not we like who we are working with!)

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“…and it’s in early childhood education that I was really able to see what a unique opportunity we have in working with children. We as professionals in the early childhood field have an opportunity to shape a child’s life for the better, and that’s what makes me so passionate about this field.” –Sandy Escobido

(I chose this quote because it is a reminder of how powerful working with young children really is. Although it may often get overlooked, we really are impacting children's lives-this is important to keep in mind and capitalize upon.)

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“Every day, I go to work and look forward to it because I know the services that I’m providing for children, it’s to their benefit. It’s not anything that going to benefit me.” -Raymond Hernandez

(This quote is one of the favorites out of the one I chose because it rings true to my own passion-what I do in my career is not to better myself, it is to better the lives of the children I work with!)