Please check out my inspirational quotes page for some new quotes inspired by my child development studies class!
26 Saturday Apr 2014
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in26 Saturday Apr 2014
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inPlease check out my inspirational quotes page for some new quotes inspired by my child development studies class!
12 Saturday Apr 2014
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in
Assessment Practices Reflection
As our understanding of children’s development grows and our classrooms change in order to incorporate this new knowledge, it would make sense for our assessment procedures to change as well.
Assessment, in my opinion, should be done for the pure benefit of the child and not the data collection of school boards and government bodies. Standardized multiple choice assessments are often used by governing bodies and I often question the validity of their capability to assess children’s true abilities and understandings. I also think that it is important to recognize that skills, abilities, and understandings go beyond basic literacy and numeracy outcomes that are often main focuses on these formal assessments. Assessment for learning instead of Assessment of learning is a much more effective tool in understanding the specific abilities of each child and what next steps are appropriate for that child. A variety of processes (i.e: reasoning, problem solving, making connections, drawing conclusions, managing and representing ideas) can be assessed throughout many subject areas where assessment for learning practices allow teachers and students to have a clear indication of what their purpose is, how they will be assessed, as well as student and teacher reflections to promote further growth. It also allows children to express their learning in a way that suits their learning style. For example, children can demonstrate their skills and understanding through language, art, music, or movement to name a few. I have personally found that since incorporating assessment for learning practices into my classrooms, my students are so much more aware of their skills and have become self motivated to continue further in a way that is engaging for them and appropriate to their present learning needs. Assessment for learning has a purpose in further learning where assessment of learning is just an end result.
I do understand that some formal assessments are necessary when concerns regarding a child’s development arise and as mentioned, I fully support any assessment that is for the benefit of the child. Since the results of these specialized assessments help us to better understand a child’s current level of development, they can be very useful in program planning and obtaining assistance from other professionals in the field that can support this child. Assessments in this area should be specific in its nature in order to avoid over testing and unnecessary stress for the child.
I also believe that assessments should be administered in a way that respects a child’s current level of development. In preparation for this assignment I spoke to a colleague who has administered a required basic skills test to young students for many years. The format of the exam is multiple-choice and has the children sitting for several periods of up to forty minutes each. Children cannot leave the exam, nor can they ask for help even if the content of the test is unknown to the child. She is unable to assist the children with this new vocabulary resulting in an incorrect response for many of her students. The incorrect response is not a reflection of the skill being assessed but the vocabulary that is not a part of the generation being tested. How is this effective assessment? Regardless of her positive approach and clear communication that this test is just one moment in time, she often has students crying, overwhelmed, stressed, and complaining of headaches.
Alberta students in grades three, six, and nine are required to take Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs) in June of each year (The Alberta Teacher’s Association, 2014). There has been much discussion regarding the value of these pieces as a part of the assessment process. The Alberta Teachers Association (ATA) understands the value of assessment when it is used for the purpose to better student learning. They do not believe that the PATs are of value to students and in fact have a negative effect such as student stress and unfair school rankings. The tests are multiple-choice, assess a limited range of skills, and results of the exams are not reported to schools until the fall of the following school year. Budget for these exams is three times the budget for curriculum planning and implementation, the more impactful means of learning for children. The ATA supports teachers in their use of assessments within the classroom that correlate with their students’ learning experiences, something these exams do not do (The Alberta Teacher’s Association, 2014).
Alberta Education is currently phasing out these assessments and replacing them with new assessments called Student Learner Assessments (SLA) (Alberta Education, 2014). These new assessments are in response to aligning assessment with the new Alberta curriculum that will focus on the development of student competencies. One major difference between these new assessment tools and the PATs is that the tests will be given in September so that teachers, students, and parents can have a picture of the students’ abilities early in the school year (Alberta Education, 2014).
As information regarding the SLAs is released, we will find out if any other changes to the format will be made and whether this type of testing remains to be a negative impact or benefit to our students.
References
The Alberta Teachers Association. (2014). Issues related to provincial achievement tests: what parents need to know. Retrieved from
Alberta Education. (2014). Student learning assessments. Retrieved from https://education.alberta.ca/admin/testing/student-learning-assessments.aspx
29 Saturday Mar 2014
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inChildhood Stressor: Racism
Upon reflection of this week’s blog assignment, I realized that my immediate family has been extremely fortunate in that we have not experienced childhood stressors that affected our lives in an overwhelmingly negative way. I took time to reflect on those people around me and had to go back to my childhood to remember an individual with whom I personally knew that was affected by a major stressor; racism.
As a child, my extended family was a good example of reaching and caring for those around them. When I was still a toddler, my aunt and uncle fostered a young First Nations baby as health problems at birth prevented her from being with her mother on her family’s reserve. This young girl grew up with the rest of the family and although her legal name was different, she was and always will be considered a full family member. With the exception of a few visits when she was still a baby, contact between her and her biological mother diminished and her foster family, although unable to legally adopt her, raised her as their daughter.
As a child, I have no recollection of seeing my cousin in a different light from the rest of us other than that she wore hearing aids and we had to speak a little louder and ensure we had her attention when we spoke with her. I was shocked and unable to grasp the thought that she experienced racist comments and slurs constantly from the children at school. Her support system consisted of her family and the advice that comes with being part of a family. However, it proved to not be enough and when she turned sixteen, she asked her mom to help her find her biological mother. Her biological mother was tracked down and my cousin was then at a stage waiting for her mother to agree to meet her. It took some time. I cannot imagine the experience of constant mistreatment from peers and the struggle to find a positive self-identity when her connect to her biological mother was being held from her. Finally, full of nervous excitement, she was able to meet her mother and family. What followed not long after was her desire to be with them for it was here she believed that she could find a sense of belonging.
My cousin was met with more challenges as her peers on the reserve now discriminated against her for being raised in a white household. More intimidations and harassments resulted in her leaving the reserve, still searching for a place that would fully accept her for who she was.
In time, she connected with her biological family and community and has learned much about her people and culture through her experiences with them. She identifies with many of their beliefs and teachings and people must be patient giving her the time she needs before placing her trust in you. She currently does not live on the reserve but chooses to live in a large city where she can work, go to school, and raise her family. She is at a stage in her life where she feels blessed to have two moms with two families with whom she stays in contact.
Canadian history regarding the treatment and disregard for our First Nations people has been extremely negative and abusive affecting many young First Nations children and families in the process. Efforts to establish positive rapport, understandings, and appreciation are ongoing throughout the country. As an Alberta teacher, I am honored to bring this appreciation to all students through Alberta Education’s First Nations, Metis, and Inuit (FNMI) Education. The school where I currently work conscientiously brings attention and celebration to FNMI history and traditions through regular totem assemblies. Since beginning these assemblies, more and more of our students are proudly expressing their connections to our Indigenous People. Recently when my kindergarten students were learning a round dance to perform during an upcoming totem assembly, one of the students looked at one of our First Nations students and with big smiles said, “Hey, that’s you!” My First Nations student couldn’t have stood any taller if he tried.
Information regarding Alberta Education’s vision and support for FMNI education can be found at http://education.alberta.ca/admin/fnmi.aspx
15 Saturday Mar 2014
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inChildhood Anxiety
Much discussion among my colleagues the last few years has been our concern with the increase in young school aged children who are exhibiting symptoms of anxiety. Something I found very concerning through my research is that few children actually get a diagnosis and full support of the medical community even though it is the most common mental health issue among children (Piacentini & Roblek, 2002). Cutbacks in recent years have left our schools with fewer resources for assessments and although we have some counsellor time, it has also become very limited due to these cutbacks. Teachers are often left to assist these children through their early school years with little support. Training and support are necessary for those educators who work with children experiencing anxiety in order to understand how to promote and build an environment that supports healthy emotional and social development.
As I searched for information regarding this topic of mental health across the world, much of what I found was in the form of studies that were not specific to different areas of the world. Amaya & Campbell (2010), however, suggested that in some parts of the world, such as Columbia, where children are exposed to violence as a part of their daily community environment, the intensity and occurrence of childhood stress is higher.
Understanding that anxiety is a real issue faced by many of our children creates a need for me to understand the signs and symptoms of childhood anxiety as well as finding the means to advocate for these children.
References
Amaya, A &Campbell, M. (2010). Cross cultural comparison of anxiety symptoms in Columbian and Australian children. Electronic Journal of Research in Educational Psychology 8(2), 497-516. Retrieved from http://repositorio.ual.es/jspui/bitstream/10835/886/1/Art_21_435_eng.pdf
John Piacentini, J. & Roblek, T. (2002). Recognizing and treating childhood anxiety disorders. Western Journal of Medicine. 176(3), 149-151. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1071700/
07 Friday Mar 2014
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inSharing My Childbirth Experience
At 25 years old, I anxiously awaited the arrival of my first baby. I read as much as I could regarding the subject of pregnancy and delivery and did my very best to provide a healthy environment for my little one by taking my vitamins and making healthy food choices. I was adamant about a natural childbirth and felt that given the supports I had, that I was ready for this big event. My husband and I could not be more excited to meet this little person!
Nesting was at its’ peak at 2 a.m. the morning I went into labour. As I finally settled into bed, the first signs of labour began. Then, with my water breaking early, we headed off to spend the majority of labour at the local hospital. Labour was fairly intense and 13 hours later I began pushing. After much effort and almost an hour at this stage of labour, my doctor made the decision to perform a caesarean section as the baby was not moving down the birth canal. Unfortunately, the anaesthesiologist was not answering his page which meant that I would be taking an ambulance ride to the nearest city hospital. I remember looking up and seeing the doctor, my husband, several nurses, and three EMTs. The room was buzzing with activity! Three hours later, after an intense ambulance trip and repeated admittance procedures at the city hospital, I delivered a beautiful, plump 9lb 1oz baby girl via caesarean section.
I am still learning how birthing experiences influence child development. Both of my children were delivered in fairly dramatic situations that required the intervention of modern medicine and at this time we do not believe there were any long term effects from stress they may have experienced at that time. My children are currently 17 and 20 years old.
Had I experienced this same situation at another time in history or in a part of the world without the benefit and access to modern medicine, the outcome of my first birthing experience could have turned out much differently. Many women throughout our world would not have had the positive outcome that I experienced had they experienced the same circumstances. According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2014), 99% of maternal deaths occur in developing countries where women, especially the poor, have a lack of access to medical care. These deaths are due to complications that develop during the pregnancy or at time of delivery. The majority of these deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia (WHO, 2014).
I am thankful every day for God’s gracious gift of the safe delivery of both of my beautiful children: Jessica and Nathan.
References
World Health Organization. (2014). Maternal mortality. Retrieved from
21 Friday Feb 2014
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inThe NAEYC code of ethics statement outlines many ideals that have meaning and significance to my current work. The following are ideals that when brought together encourage educators and parents to work together to provide a developmentally appropriate environment that honours the skills and needs of each child. This is a goal that I have passion and drive to achieve every day.
1-1:2 To base program practices upon current knowledge and research in the field of early childhood education, child development, and related disciplines, as well as on particular knowledge of each child.
Taking my master’s program in the field of early childhood speaks directly to keeping me well informed and up to date with best practices and research. Through my experience as an educator and my new experiences as a student in the field, I hope to continuously improve my practices in this area in order to provide appropriate programming for each student in my class.
1-1:3 To recognize and respect the unique qualities, abilities, and potential of each child.
Every single child is a blessing and important part of our classroom community and every year I am appreciative of the challenges, lessons, and contributions that they bring to our classroom. For it is through each unique and specially created child, that I become a better teacher; understanding a little bit more about my students, myself, and the joys and hardships of this world. I am truly blessed to serve each of God’s little lights and in return, witness the gifts He has bestowed upon them.
1-2:2 To develop relationships of mutual trust and create partnerships with the families we serve.
During the first set of interviews each fall, I often meet many parents who enter their child’s school environment while holding on to their own school experiences as a child. Sometimes their experiences have left them with a sense of unease and lack of trust with the school system. It is important to establish a friendly and honest relationship that ensures all parents feel completely welcomed to both the classroom and school as well as valuable and contributing members to their child’s educational journey and school environment. The establishment of this honest and open relationship allows parents to put some of their trust back into the school system and move forward in a way that best serves their child.
08 Saturday Feb 2014
30 Thursday Jan 2014
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inPlease check out my new Inspirational Quotes page at the top of my blog!
18 Saturday Jan 2014
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inThis is a drawing my son drew when he was about 5 years old. His daddy, an artist, spent time with him showing him “drawing tricks” and he was learning to write with Mommy in kindergarten. I ended up framing it as bringing these two passions together was very special for us. Drawing and writing about these emotions was something he would do over and over again so I decided to frame his next piece of art. Turned out that this was the last one he did as he moved on to drawing others things.
17 Friday Jan 2014
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inChoosing a favourite children’s book was not the easy task that one might think. Books have so many different purposes and feelings that I have favourites for different occasions and times of the year. However, the one that fills my heart is a First Little Golden Book called “It’s Bedtime”. It is a very simple story about the routine of getting ready for bed. My daughter, who is currently 20 years old, loved this book when she was a toddler. We would read it over and over and quote the book as we got ready for bed. There are times, even now, when I ask my students to clean up that some of the words return to me in the same reading voice I used with my daughter. “Time to stop playing and start cleaning up”.