Assessment - What does that look like?

Here is a look at what some countries are doing!

German students take the Abitur. The Arbitur sounds similar to what we call the ACT or SAT.  This test asks open ended questions and decides whether or not they are admitted into a University.

The Eric Digest states that, “England and Wales have adopted what amounts to a national curriculum and a comprehensive assessment program. These new tests include open-ended exercises, oral exams, and realistic scenarios. England's long-standing Cities and Guilds vocational assessment program exemplifies what the United States now calls "authentic assessment."  The oral exams and realistic scenarios is where I feel that the United States seems to fall short when assessing the whole child.  These two portions of the exam that England’s and Whales have would be part of the holistic approach that we are trying to accomplish here in the US.  British schools seem to be in the same situation as the US.  The schools are arguing for a change because the schools are failing. http://www.ericdigests.org/1993/japan.htm 

 Singapore seems to have it going on with their schools -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ePNs6Hy2sk

The United States and the change!

This social studies teacher has a great way of assessing the whole child in his ninth grade classroom. Wow what an inspiration. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ePNs6Hy2sk

Stress children may face...

Children are resilient; however circumstances can change a person’s outlook on life.  Twelve years ago a good friend of mine had a son in the first grade.  He was a positive, sweet, fun child who was in advanced classes at his school.  After many tests, they received the news that the cause for his headaches was a diagnosis of a peanut brain tumor that had reached his spinal cord.  This meant that Chemotherapy was needed, and his life changed.  He remained in school but struggled from then on.  His appearance was affected, stunted growth, and some facial muscles were affected.  As the years continued, he began to develop a negative look on the world around him.   I recently ran into his mom and she discussed how his emotional state has never been so negative.  He is getting help but I think his journey has definitely changed who he may have been before this happened.  As human beings every one of us walks a different path in this life with different events happening.  I am a firm believer that we truly cannot understand what someone is going through unless you are that person.

            I have always been interested in studying the play of children.  I would love to learn more about children in a country where they are in the midst of war.  I wonder how their play reflects the events around them.  I found this image on the web page http://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/feb/06/iraq.topstories3

Children of war: the generation traumatized by violence in Iraq

Growing up in a war zone takes its toll as young play games of murder and mayhem

 

This website talks about the biological affects that the war has been having on these children.  From night tares to muteness are just a few of the biological effects that may occur in children from war zones. 

            This study of war and children has been very disturbing and eye opening.  I feel extremely lucky to be living where I do.  The stress that these families and children are facing seem overwhelming.  I cannot imagine trying to raise my children in a war environment.

Week 2 blog Mental Health of Mothers and Fathers and the impact it has on children

I started researching articles on parental mental health and the effects that it has on their children.  As I was researching this topic, I came across this article, EFFECTS OF FATHER AND MOTHER PARENTING ON CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH IN HIGH- AND LOW-CONFLICT DIVORCES by Irwin Sandler, Jonathan Miles, Jeffrey Cookston, and Sanford Braver.  I decided to discuss the mental health of a mother and a father after divorce and how that affects children. I chose this topic because I am a single mother of two children and I never thought I would be a single mom due to divorce.  I am always concerned about my children and found this article very interesting.  After reading, EFFECTS OF FATHER AND MOTHER PARENTING ON CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH IN HIGH- AND LOW-CONFLICT DIVORCES, I understand how important it is to keep conflict to a minimum and that I need to foster a good relationship with my children.  These two things are the most important when dealing with children and divorce.    http://www.public.asu.edu/~devra1/index_files/15_sandler%20miles%20cookston%20braver.pdf

Surprisingly I also found that divorce is looked at quit similar in the Middle East.  Many Middle East people are Islamic and therefore have laws that allow the woman to divorce their husband. I also found that the Jews faith does not allow the wife to divorce.  This website was a source for different religious thoughts about divorce that I found interesting.   http://www.islamicity.com/mosque/w_islam/divorce.htm

Week 1 Tisha Luthy

Week 1 blog

To be a mom was something I had dreamed about for years.  When the time came that I learned I was pregnant, I had never been happier.  I gave up caffeine, ate healthy foods, and exercised.  The day finally arrived to give birth to a beautiful little girl, who we didn’t know was a girl until she entered the world.  She arrived being five pounds.  I was not worried when I heard her weight.  I knew my mother had had small babies and I thought everything was fine.  When the next day the doctor came to visit and checked the baby’s weight again, she looked at me very accusingly and said, “I guess you smoked during your pregnancy.” Being 27 years old and a very quiet person I looked at her and said, “No why?” She continued to say that there had to be a reason the baby was so small at full term.  I told her I had never smoked and that I tried to do everything right.  I really felt like I was a failure.  I look back on this and feel that genetics had played a role in my daughter being born small (5pounds – not that small) However, the Doctor seemed to think only that teratogens were to blame.  As a 38 year old mother, I now believe I would have responded to the doctor in a different way.

Through my studies this week I have learned about skin to skin contact with mother/child.  South Africa uses this method and I have learned that this is a practice that has now been used for about 35 years.  It is called Kangaroo Mother Care.  They began using this for premature infants.  Being a mother that delivered in the states, the common practice is to wrap the children in a blanket right after birth.  The skin to skin contact does not happen.  After I have thought about this practice, I am trying to understand why this is not common practice for every mother giving birth.  It seems so natural to me.  I gave birth 13 and 10 years ago.  I feel that my children and I both missed out on such an important bonding moment.  I have found myself telling my pregnant friends about this practice.  We were all talking about this in the lunch room the other day and it was like a light bulb went off and we said this makes total sense.  I feel this has changed my thinking and I will promote this practice. 

I hope to see everyone again in the next course! What a wonderful collaboration of professionals in the ECE field! Thanks everyone!

 

Ideals

I-1.5

—To create and maintain safe and healthy settings that foster children’s social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development and that respect their dignity and their contributions.

This ideal stood out most to me when I was reading the NAEYC code of ethics statement of commitment.  I feel strongly about this ideal.  Young children deserve adults in their life that respect and listen to them. In turn this is what then fosters social, emotional, cognitive, and development.  I try to live by this in class every day and I believe this is why children love coming to school which is what I strive for.

I-2.7

—To share information about each child’s education and development with families and to help them understand and appreciate the current knowledge base of the early childhood profession.

This ideal is important to my profession because families are the most important part of a child’s life. With trends always changing in the early childhood field, this ideal reminded me that I have a responsibility to keep families informed about current issues and research that affects early childhood. With this knowledge, then families can understand their child’s education and their development.

I-4.3

—To work through education, research, and advocacy toward an environmentally safe world in which all children receive health care, food, and shelter; are nurtured; and live free from violence in their home and their communities.

This ideal reminds me of how every child needs to have a person that is behind them 100% when we are professionals in the early childhood education and we see a child that needs our intervention this code of ethic reminds me that we are to not turn our backs on a young child when they need us advocating for them. 

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

The Division for Early Childhood. (2000, August). Code of ethics. Retrieved May 26, 2010, from
http://www.dec-sped.org/