It takes Courage!

It takes courage to walk into a classroom full of young faces and believe you can make a difference....it takes courage to allow a child to be a child and experience things through his or her perspective....it takes courage to work with a child that is somehow special and believe you are touching their life....it takes courage to understand the culture of another and acclimate them into the classroom....it takes courage to take the first step towards academic growth....it takes courage to start a blog and it takes even more courage to continue when you are not sure anyone is reading....all of you my friends have courage and I am privileged to have shared with all of you during this time.  As Dr. Seuss would say..."Oh the places you'll go!"

Code of Ethics

Below I have provided brief definition to three codes of ethics -

Ethical Responsibilities to Colleagues   In a caring, cooperative workplace, human dignity is respected, professional satisfaction is promoted, and positive relationships are developed and sustained.  Based upon our core values, our primary responsibility to colleagues is to establish and maintain settings and relationships that support productive work and meet professional needs.

Professional Development and Preparation   Professional development is viewed and valued as an ongoing process guided by high standards and competencies for professional performance and practice… We shall be responsible for maintaining the appropriate national, state, or other credential or licensure requirements for the services we provide while maintaining our competence in practice and research by ongoing participation in professional development and education activities.

Responsive Family Centered Practices ensure that families receive individualized, meaningful, and relevant services responsive to their beliefs, values, customs, languages, and culture.  We are committed to enhancing the quality of children’s and families’ lives by promoting family well-being and participation in typical life activities.

 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/

The below code of ethics are particularly meaningful to me as they cover areas that are dear to me.  Not only do they speak to the type of Center I work in, but they speak to the kind of person I am and what I value; professional growth through education and family as part of the learning community. 

Ethical Responsibilities to Colleagues & Professional Development and Preparation – These two ideas although somewhat similar resonate with me.   As an administrator, I feel strongly about this particular code of professionalism.  I spend much time and resources coaching educators on my classroom teams not only so that they provide for the needs of the children in our program, but that they also provide for their own needs in the professional arena.  I have become an advocate for my staff so that they can better themselves, encouraging and providing avenues in higher education.  In addition, Early Childhood Education teachers do not get fair wages for the significant work that they do, nor are they treated with the respect they deserve, often times not considered teachers at all.  I along with my educators, seek out resources and classes that will further enhance their knowledge of all aspects of ECE.   I am also actively involved in providing higher wages for teachers.  At this time I along with a panel of colleagues am examining various ideas and methods that might perhaps bring higher compensation to the teachers within our organization. 

For me these two ideas are so important and closer to home, important for my particular Center since we are in the Accreditation process; we have raised the bar and continue to do so especially in terms of providing a loving, nurturing, safe, child centered environment.  To be true to my teaching teams and true to my Center, we must focus on their growth and development.   

Responsive Family Centered Practices – This code of ethics as stated in DEC again speaks to me because of the Center I have tried to establish this past year.  Children and their families is a single unit, and the success of the child happens when his or her family dynamic is present and celebrated in their school environment.  My program is diverse and I strive to incorporate my many families into our program every day.  We assist families with resources; financial and developmental.  We invite the “whole” family to be a part of our classrooms; sharing food, music, customs even stories.  We also invite extended families to join in all our Center celebrations. 

 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/

Code of Ethis

The below code of ethics are particularly meaningful to me as they cover areas that are dear to me.  Not only do they speak to the type of Center I work in, but they speak to the kind of person I am and what I value; professional growth through education and family as part of the learning community. 

Ethical Responsibilities to Colleagues & Professional Development and Preparation – These two ideas although somewhat similar resonate with me.   As an administrator, I feel strongly about this particular code of professionalism.  I spend much time and resources coaching educators on my classroom teams not only so that they provide for the needs of the children in our program, but that they also provide for their own needs in the professional arena.  I have become an advocate for my staff so that they can better themselves, encouraging and providing avenues in higher education.  In addition, Early Childhood Education teachers do not get fair wages for the significant work that they do, nor are they treated with the respect they deserve, often times not considered teachers at all.  I along with my educators, seek out resources and classes that will further enhance their knowledge of all aspects of ECE.   I am also actively involved in providing higher wages for teachers.  At this time I along with a panel of colleagues am examining various ideas and methods that might perhaps bring higher compensation to the teachers within our organization. 

For me these two ideas are so important and closer to home, important for my particular Center since we are in the Accreditation process; we have raised the bar and continue to do so especially in terms of providing a loving, nurturing, safe, child centered environment.  To be true to my teaching teams and true to my Center, we must focus on their growth and development.   

Responsive Family Centered Practices – This code of ethics as stated in DEC again speaks to me because of the Center I have tried to establish this past year.  Children and their families is a single unit, and the success of the child happens when his or her family dynamic is present and celebrated in their school environment.  My program is diverse and I strive to incorporate my many families into our program every day.  We assist families with resources; financial and developmental.  We invite the “whole” family to be a part of our classrooms; sharing food, music, customs even stories.  We also invite extended families to join in all our Center celebrations. 

 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/

Additional Resource- Journals

The List below included professional journals I reviewed during this week's course work -

Selected Professional Journals Available in the Walden Library

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

Resources

The list below includes resources from current course work as well as resources I use daily for my work; both lists are incredibly useful.

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, fromhttp://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.

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

 

World Forum Foundation 

http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/wf/about.php

This link connects you to the mission statement of this organization. Make sure to watch the video on this webpage  

World Organization for Early Childhood Education 

http://www.omep.org.gu.se/English/about_OMEP/

Read about OMEP’s mission.  

Association for Childhood Education International

http://acei.org/about/ 

Click on “Mission/Vision” and “Guiding Principles and Beliefs” and read these statements

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/

Resources that I turn to -

Pelo, A. (2007).  The Language of Art; Inquiry-Based Studio Practices in Early Childhood Settings. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.

Galinsky, E. (2010).  Making In the Mind: The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs.  New York, NY:  Harper Collins Publishers. 

http://www.marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE/divisions/child_care/child_care.htm

(Licensing, accreditation, professional development)

http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/early_education/subject_matter/language_arts/literature/

(Information on literature and extension activities)

http://www.ecetrainers.com/

(Information on Marge Carter and Deb Curtis (Reflective Practices)

http://www.nasponline.org/about_sp/index.aspx

(Information on various topics; special needs, cultural diversity, safety)