Examining Codes of Ethics

Every piece of these two documents is of great value and applicable to my profession! Although it was difficult to choose a few , below are three ideals that are particularly meaningful to me. 

1.To be familiar with the knowledge base of early

childhood care and education and to stay informed

through continuing education and training.
Teachers must be life-long learners.  It is crucial to remain current on best practices in order to continually meet the needs of all children in our classrooms.  The teaching profession is ever changing and the paradigm shifts often.  I MUST make it a priority to  remain up to date on current  research in order to implement best teaching practices in my classroom.    

2.To ensure that each child’s culture, language,

ethnicity, and family structure are recognized and

valued in the program.
  Diversity should be celebrated!  U.S. classrooms are the most diverse in the world.  As a teacher of Enlish Language Developmet,  I must foster safe and inviting learning environments in which students can feel comfortable actively engaging. so that they can learn.   In order to do so,  I must  lead by example to teach patience, tolerence and respect towards all. 

3.To establish and maintain relationships of

respect, trust, confidentiality, collaboration, and

cooperation with co-workers.
  As Hillary Rodham Clinton said "It takes a village to raise a child."  Through collaboration with collegues,  we learn from each other and grow in professional knowledge as we work together towards a common goal of doing what is best for all studentss.  I know that if we do not trust and respect one another, we will not be able to effectively collaborate.

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

Course Resources

I added a gadget and created a running list of course resources under my profile information.Below are my additional resources.
Here is one of my personal favorites.  She puts "songs in the hearts of children."
http://www.drjean.org/
I particularly like the research section on the National Kindergarten Alliance website.
http://www.nkateach.org/
Last but not least.....National Education Association website.
http://www.nea.org/


Week 5 Course Resources
Video Program: “The Resources for Early Childhood”
Five early childhood professionals discuss their preferred and trusted resources.

Postition 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://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/courses/53029/CRS-CW-4477713/educ6005_readings/naeyc_dap_position_statement.pdf
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, from http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~images/pdfs/snapshots/snap33.pdf

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
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/

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 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

Inspirational Quotes and Words of Wisdom

"The highest stake of all is our ability to help children realize their full potential."
  ~~Samuel J. Meisels

“The way we teach teachers should be congruent in many basic aspects—but not all—with the way we want them to teach children”  Dr. Lilian Katz

"I had a built in passion that it was important to make a real contribution to the world;to fix all the injustices in the world.  I wanted to do that as a teacher."  
 Louise Derman-Sparks
Professor Emeritus

My Personal Childhood Web

“And will you succeed? Yes! You will indeed!(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed)” Dr. Suess

    I hope that the Dr. Suess quote will ring true for me!  Creating my blog page has proven to be more difficult than I anticipated.  I am not the most technologically savvy student. Speaking of quotes...the quote in my header is one that I refer to if I am having a particularly challenging day.   It reminds me of a moment I had last year while attending my own childrens' school fall festival.  I had requested the evening off from my second job to attend the event.  This is always a moral dilema for me as I believe in "family first" but as a single mom I truly need every penny from both of my jobs to make ends meet.  Because it was an extremely social event for my children I decided to take the evening off.  Of course, as soon as we hit the front gates, all three were greeted by friends and off they went.  I strategically sat myself close to the entrance where I could watch my little men and lady but still maintain a decent amount of distance so that they didn't know I was watching.  Lost in thought and letting my own wheels drive me crazy, I was suddenly knocked back into reality when I heard "Ms. Whitman?!!!!"   As I looked up I expected to see one of my Kinder students who perhaps was attending the festival with a cousin or friend. Instead, I saw a child that I recognized but wasn't quite sure where I had seen her before.  I stood up to greet her and I quickly realized it was one of my former students from a previous district that I had worked in. I had been her 2nd grade teacher.  She was now in 8th grade and had moved into my neighborhood.We exchanged hugs and before I could say anything she proceeded to say "Thank you, Ms. Whitman!".  I was puzzled.  She went on to tell her friends that I was her hero and she loved me because I taught her to read when she didn't think she could. Silly, giddy junior high girl! Her mom had passed away when she was in first grade and her dad struggled with single parenthood and she had very little support and guidance at home.   It wasn't until she said, "My dad always says I'm stupid, but I don't cry anymore. I know I'm smart because you always told us readers are leaders and I can read!"  I had to hold back my tears. It was a bittersweet moment for me. It crushed me to know that someone so important to her had told her she was stupid, especially since she began receiving special education services the year she was my student and also made me feel a sense of pride that I had made such a tremendous impact in her little life.  This served as a powereful reminder to me that although we may not have alot of material possessions I have my children and they have me.  I am successful because I have had a postitive impact on not only my own children but also  in the lives of others  where postitive experiences are few and far between. I am glad I did not go to work that night. :)