Sharing Web Resources

The newsletter I decided to receive was from an organization called Harlem Children's Zone. This organization is taking on the enormous issue of poverty that surrounds their community. This organization recognizes that poverty is not the only problem many of these families face. They also encounter crime, drugs, inadequate places to live and schools, and substandard health care. This organization strives to help children as they grow, and as they enter the career world. It is filled with many programs that include each age group, and results show enormous gains due to the passion behind their mission. While I have not received my first newsletter, I did observe the latest news on the website. One of the stories got my attention because it discusses something many of our children go through. Many children especially those in poverty stricken communities face many "adult like" issues and stressors at such a young age. Many times they are not given the chance to simply "be a kid."  One speaker identifies this community as not only a "food desert", but a "recreation desert". This story announces the opening of the Harlem Armory, which is a facility that exposes children to a variety of sports, clubs, and activities.  It is in this facility children are able to be a part of clubs and extracurricular activities seen in many suburb schools, and through these activities children grow socially, emotionally, and physically in motor skills. It simply given them the opportunity to "be a kid" regardless of the stressors outside the doors.
The main thing you see throughout this website is an array of programs designed to address the big issue of poverty in Harlem.  I was in complete awe of all the wonderful programs they have set in place that serve EVERY child. The mission this organization has is fantastic, but their passion for these children and determination to help them succeed is even greater.  Seeing all of the news conferences the President of Harlem Children's Zone has been a part of, and recognition they have received even from President Obama  displays their mission to so many outside their community. It also is a model in what I would hope to be more organization like Harlem Children's Zone around the country.

Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

 When I saw this assignment I originally was very nervous about finding someone I could discuss trends and issues in education outside the United States. Obviously, I was not thinking very well at the moment because I actually have a college friend and high school friend who both currently teach outside the United States. My high school friend Amy, currently teaches English in the Czech Republic under the Teacher Overseas program. Stephanie went through the Teacher Education program with me in college. She has since journeyed to teach Kindergarten for the International Christian Schools in Paramaribo, Suriname.
As a new teacher myself I was hesitate to ask them for help because I know how busy a teacher's life is in a familiar country. I can only imagine how busy it may be when you are also adjusting to a new life in another country.  It is in this assignment I have seen how helpful Facebook really can be! I was able to send a Facebook message to them at that very moment, and luckily they were frequent Facebook users because I instantly got a response. I am so excited to have both of these former colleagues on board for this assignment and they sound pretty excited too!


In Expanding my Resources I chose to begin viewing the newsletter and websites for Harlem's Children's Zone and Zero to Three. As I clicked on each of the links the Harlem website grabbed my attention because it appeared to have the same mission as my school system. They strive to help children beat the odds and end the cycle of poverty. In my school system we have an initiative called Cradle to Career. When viewing this site I found they have a very similar initiative called Cradle to College to Community. I look forward to learning more about this organization. I also chose to view Zero to Three because many of the resources I have viewed in previous classes have been published by this organization. These resources have been very helpful to me as a student and teacher. I hope to continue to learn more from this resource.

Interesting Facts from the Harlen Children's Zone

In the results section I found that of the 190 four year olds that entered the program 16.5% of the students were considered delayed or very delayed in school readiness. By the end of the school year, no students were considered delayed and the advanced classification went from 21% to 46%.

This organization provides programs for all children as they progress from infants/toddlers to college/employment.

Such a powerful reminder of the impact passionate professionals can have.

My Supports

When I think about support I not only think of family, but also friends, co-workers, and technology devices. Support includes both the physical and emotional components.  My family and friends provide me with support by helping me take care of things such as moving into a new home, and a caring heart that keeps me motivated.  My co-workers provide me with support physically by helping me in certain tasks such as bulletin board decorating, and data analysis. They also provide me with a sense of emotional support that is not easily recognized, but rather something I feel as they provide feedback, encouraging words, and suggestions. It is a reminder that my co-workers recognize my goal as a teacher and are helping me to reach those goals. While it may sound funny, technology devices are a huge support in my life. With support being something that helps you each and every day I have come to realize that without computers, cell phones, educational videos, ect I would face many challenges both in the classroom and in my home. Meeting deadlines would me impossible for me without my cell phone reminder. Being without one of these support systems would really impact by ability to complete my daily tasks or remain strong and focused when things get tough.  This past weekend I ran the St. Jude half marathon (the children’s research hospital my brother attended before he lost his battle to cancer). As you can imagine this was a tough run for me both physically as well as emotionally.  Many of my supports were there physically to cheer me on as well in spirit through encouraging signs set up along the way. I think of how difficult this would have been without my supports cheering me on, hugging me as I crossed the finish line and even those that were there as I ran and cried through the hospital campus. I honestly do not think I would have made it across the finish line. Just as my supports helped me cross the finish line at the race, they also help me cross the finish line in many other goals I have set for myself, as well as daily responsibilities I have.

When thinking about a challenge where I would need the support of my family and friends I thought about my life without the ability to see. I love spending time in nature, reading, watching movies, and writing. I think not having the ability to see would really make these activities challenging. I would need my family to support me as I learned new ways to get around on a daily basis, such as them driving for me, learning to read Braille, and use other senses to learn about my environment.  I would also need their encouraging words as I worked through these challenges. I simply can not imagine having such a challenge and not having the support of my family, friends, and co-workers. I would not be able to enjoy many of the activities I currently enjoy without them helping me get around and encourage me as I began to read and journey life in a new way.

My Connections to Play

Quotes for Play

Creative play is like a spring that bubbles up deep within a child. Joan Almon

It is in play, and only in play, that the individual child or adult is able to be creative and to use the whole personality, and it is only in being creative that the individual discovers the self. D.W. Winncott

A partially wooded area filled with sticks, leaves, trees, and many other “hidden treasures” would be an excellent place to let your imagination soar. It is here that you can be anything. As the youngest and only girl of four children, finding someone to play ball with was never a problem. We would not always play the structured sports game, but create our own; make our own rules.

Support for play
Growing up in such a large family there was always someone to play with. My mother encouraged free play. She would often join in on the silly, creative forms of play our imagination desired. Whether it was thinking of the woods as a journey to finding treasure, playing princess (yes, my brothers played princess with me), or it was creating forts the size of our living room.  While I never thought about it then, these were all ways my parents supported play as a learning opportunity. It was a chance to develop our problem solving skills, cognitive, and motor skills.  One similarity I see between play when I was a child and play is the amount of enjoyment children get from it. However, the difference is the amount of play we see. While many of the same materials we used for play still exist, we often are not seeing them used. Imagination is quickly becoming an unknown concept. Video games, Internet, television, and other electronic equipment are taking away the very powerful learning opportunities free play provided.  While I do not feel all of these new, popular toys are bad, I do feel it is eliminating an outstanding opportunity to children to think on another level and use more cognitive thinking skills than these new toys are requiring. My hope is that as time goes on, the desire for electronic games would decrease and the desire to explore nature’s learning environment would increase. By embracing the imagination and creative play, we may find that the mastery of academic skills we are pushing will become quiet easier, for Almon (2002) does tell us that a link exists between play and learning.  We don’t often think about adults and play together, but play does have an impact on us as adults. Play provides the foundation on which we build all other knowledge and skills. It is one of the first learning opportunities we have to “think outside of the box”; something we all do as adults.

Relationship Reflection

The positive relationships I have are my steady ground in life. Each of them provides me with various types of support and guidance. I have heard so many mention their mother as their best friend, but both my mother and father fill that position. They provide positive guidance ans support in the many challenges I face being a teacher whether it is simply by listening to me "vent" about my day, or by coming over and helping me with whatever task I may have. I feel this relationship is built on love. The second relationship is with my significant other, John. This relationship was built from friendship, respect, and love. Through all the changes we have encountered since we met, I have had him as a rock in my life. He truly cares about my well-being and is extremely supportive of the many journeys I embark regardless of how challenging they may seem.

These relationships remain positive and strong because I feel each of us takes the time to "maintain" them.  A positive relationship is not a one way street, but requires both sides to remain positive and strong. While each of these relationships provide me with many things, I also try my best to show how much I care, and support them as well.  I feel this often is a challenge and can lead to many failed partnerships/relationships. We must ensure that we take the time to keep these relationships strong.

I find that these relationships directly correlate with my ability to be an effective educator. These relationships provide me with support in developing ideas and activities that can be effective teaching strategies with my students.It is these relationships that motivate me and often remind me of my passion for working with children ( especially when times are hard).  Knowing how important relationships are, I strive to develop positive relationships with parents and children that can help me be more effective and provide the best for my students.

Quotes on Education

I close my eyes And I can visualize Things that may never be. Unless, of course, I take my dreams ... And turn them into reality. Sometime in the future, Someone may ask me, "Who taught you your values, Your skills, your determination?" And I will reply, "The same person who opened Locked doors without the key, Portals in my imagination, Windows in my mind, Holes in my seriousness. "A teacher taught me." Michelle Kao This quote sits in a picture frame in my classroom at my desk. I remind myself every day to strive to be that teacher. "Much education today is monumentally ineffective. All too often we are giving young people cut flowers when we should be teaching them to grow their own plants." -- John Gardner "It is not what is poured into a student that counts but what is planted." -Linda Conway I find this photo very fitting as well for how I currently feel towards education. While it may be hard to read, the students were each asked to write a singular noun in the plural form, then use it in a sentence, and draw a picture. Watching this child work on his assignment was exciting. He selected his word and then asked if he could go to our math center to get our connecting cubes. Of course I said yes out of curiosity as how this related to the assignment. I watched him count out connecting cubes, write a story problem and addition sentence ( our math lesson from the week).  With this in mind, I feel a true learning experience is not simply going through the motions of each lesson and answering questions correctly, but applying what you already know and integrating different subjects and topics together through your exploration of learning.  It is that small yet big learning moment, that motivates me.

The world of testing

Each day as a teacher we are committed to teaching the “whole child.” However, hidden within all of that, teachers, administrators, and even the students become stressed about the testing. In Tennessee’s case this is called the TCAP (Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program). Take a step into a 3^rd-8^th grade classroom around the end of March. There is a very different feeling that lingers in the air. Teachers are often reviewing previous skills as refreshers in mass quantities. While these scores have always been very important, as of this year these scores play a factor in the evaluations of the teacher each year. The scores are directly correlated with how well the teacher taught the material. I feel that if we are committed to teach the “whole child” then this should also be applied to the assessment types we use on our children. The form of testing we are currently using does not promote teaching the whole child. While the TCAP is not the form of testing used for students below 3^rd grade, the lower grades also have a form of assessment used. Many of my students struggle to read words they have never been exposed to which in turn impacts their answers. This is not an accurate way to assess if they know the content. They may have known the answer, but the new word confused them.

            I do think it is important to monitor where your students are in their learning because we can use that information to meet the students’ needs. However, the use of scores to impact teacher evaluations and student’s grades does not follow our mission to meet the whole child. These tests put a great deal of stress on the children, and are asking quiet a lot of a small 7 year- old. I do not know many people who are able to sit in front of a book completely quiet and on task for multiple hours.

            China took part in a new standardized test in 2010 called the Program of International Students Assessment. This test showed that students in China are doing best in Reading, Writing, and Math. While this is the first year with this form of test, there is also a form of test in China that many students prepare for even at a young age. This test known as the gaokao is a multi-day assessment used to determine if a student enters college. A principal in a school in China even mentions that the gaokao is all about straight forward, memorized answers. Creativity, deep, different answers get you no where in this test, whereas the memorized answers get you into the good universities. After the PISA test many principals in China are realizing a need for educational reform to stray away from the memorized answers.  After reading about the educational testing in China, I consider the pressure many of these students must be under. To think that one test is the only thing that determines if they go to college would truly stress me out throughout school. What if you were not a good test taking? What if you learned from oral assessments better?

Resource: Chinese Top in Test, but Educators call for Reform  http://www.npr.org/2010/12/29/132416889/chinese-top-in-tests-but-still-have-lots-to-learn