Personal Thanks

Personal Thanks:

Thank you to all my classmates in 6160 Early Childhood Development. I have been stretched and continue to grow through your comments and your insight. The discussion you put forth make the text more tangible and I feel like I have learned more than I ever expected in this class. Thank you.

When I think of child development…

When I think of child development…

All that is valuable in human society depends upon the opportunity for development accorded the individual.

~Albert Einstein

If education is always to be conceived along the same antiquated lines of a mere transmission of knowledge, there is little to be hoped from it in the bettering of man's future. For what is the use of transmitting knowledge if the individual's total development lags behind?

~Maria Montessori

Free the child's potential, and you will transform him into the world.

~Maria Montessori

Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed.

~Maria Montessori

The greatest sign of success for a teacher... is to be able to say, "The children are now working as if I did not exist."

~Maria Montessori

We cannot create observers by saying 'observe,' but by giving them the power and the means for this observation and these means are procured through education of the senses.

~Maria Montessori

We discovered that education is not something which the teacher does, but that it is a natural process which develops spontaneously in the human being.

~Maria Montessori

It is with children that we have the best chance of studying the development of logical knowledge, mathematical knowledge, physical knowledge, and so forth.

~Jean Piaget 

Testing for Intelligence?

I believe assessments should come from the teacher. For example if a teacher needs to teach gravity (science), the Roman Empire (history), and the three basics then a child should be assessed on that material taught and in a manner that obtains the most honest feedback. If a teacher can document that a child has met each of the lessons learning objective by either a test method, observation, report or other method then I feel like that should suffice. I think the teacher needs to have the responsibility on them for their children learning the material. I think this would cause teachers to get creative and teach material in many different manners.

Looking at how children are assessed in other countries was interesting. I really wanted to look more deeply into Italy’s method of assessment. As the birth country of the Reggio Emilia schools, I was interested in seeing the countries approach, as a whole, to testing.

I found a very interesting article that outlined the information I was looking for. The article stated that, “Most primary schools use a system of assessment based on teacher observation throughout the school year. Assessments are recorded on each child’s report card, which is designed to provide a detailed profile of the pupil’s academic ability and personality. The record card is passed to a pupil’s next school when he leaves. In the fifth year of primary school, pupils must usually obtain a primary school leaving certificate to progress to lower secondary school; those who are unsuccessful may need to repeat their final year” (primary school in Italy, 2011).

I personally feel like Italy has the right idea when it comes to assessments. On the education side as a whole, were young children are concerned, Italy has a model that I feel the US should look closely at.

Refereces:

Primary School in Italy. (2011) Just landed. Retrieved April 4, 2012 from http://www.justlanded.com/english/Italy/Italy-Guide/Education/Primary-school-in-Italy

Italy – Secondary education. (2012) Stateuniversity.com. Retrieved April 4, 2012 from http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/718/Italy-SECONDARY-EDUCATION.html

Consequences of Stress on Children’s Development

Environmental pollution

I have had asthma most of my life and the triggers that flare my asthma the most are environmental factors. Some are allergies to out door pollens, dust, or natural environment. The others are caused by environmental pollution. I grew up down wind of a pulp mill, an industrial port, and the Asarco Smelter. When air quality was moderate I had to limit my time outside and when it was severe I was unable to go outside at all. There have been times in my life when I could not understand the unfairness of how come friends and siblings could be outside and I couldn’t. My mom always tried to have special things for me to do inside like baking or crafts so that I would not feel to bad.   

I chose to look into China’s environmental pollution and the impact it has on the children of that country. China’s number one cause of death is cancer that is linked to pollution, hundreds and thousands of deaths alone are blamed on air pollution. Most cities in China are under a gray layer of air pollution and only 1% of the people of China breath air that is considered safe. “China is like a teenage smoker with emphysema. The costs of pollution have mounted well before it is ready to curtail economic development” (Kahn, 2007). Human health has been taking a toll and the number impacted are unknown because exact research on the subject is banned. “An internal, unpublicized report by the Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning in 2003 estimated that 300,000 people die each year from ambient air pollution, mostly of heart disease and lung cancer. An additional 110,000 deaths could be attributed to indoor air pollution caused by poorly ventilated coal and wood stoves or toxic fumes from shoddy construction materials. World Bank study done with SEPA, the national environmental agency, concluded that outdoor air pollution was already causing 350,000 to 400,000 premature deaths a year. Indoor pollution contributed to the deaths of an additional 300,000 people, while 60,000 died from diarrhea, bladder and stomach cancer and other diseases that can be caused by water-borne pollution” (Kahn, 2007).

I cannot imagine the impact that this level of pollution would have on children. However, aside form living with the pollution the amount of people impacted would surely have a different impact on children. Children would grow up knowing many who suffered cancer and other illnesses caused by pollution. The burden would be great.   

Kahn, Joseph & Yardley,Jim. (2007, August 26). As China roars, pollution reaches deadly extremes. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/26/world/asia/26china.html?pagewanted=all  

Child Development and Public Health

Access to Healthy Water:

Having assess to healthy water is meaningful to me because my oldest brother spent 3 years on and off in Nigeria, Africa building and designing a water purification system for small villages in the area. Through him I saw the hardship that not having access to clean healthy water has on people, families, and a village. These individuals walk for long distances to get much needed water and then are impacted because the water is not healthy. Water is not something, most Americans, need not worry on the safety of. I wish it could be like that for everyone world wind.

Clean water is essential for healthy living and a childhood without illness. “World wide, 1 out of every 5 deaths of children under 5 is due to a water-related disease.” “Half of the world’s hospital beds are filled with people suffering form water related disease” (The Water Project, 2011). Bacteria live in water naturally and are mostly harmless. It is the small percentage of bacteria that can cause disease in humans. “Infants and young children are especially susceptible to diseases because their immune systems are experiencing everything for the first time" (The Water Project, 2011). Clean water for all humanity is something that is worth working toward.   

This had already impacted my future work in some ways. The children, and their families, that attend my child care have signed up to participate in The Walk for Water through the not for profit organization World Vision. On the day of the event each family brings with them any size bucket they wish, they walk a trail to a local river (this is the same distance that people in Uganda walk to retrieve their water). They fill their buckets from the river and walk their water back to their “family bucket” (This bucket holds the amount of water that each Ugandan family would need for a day). This is a great way for not only adults to be involved but it also is very concrete for children to understand. Plus they get a wonderful outside day with their family and friends. 

The Water Project (2011) Improving health in Africa begins with water. Retrieved March 9, 2012 from http://thewaterproject.org/health.asp