Thank you!

I wanted to take a moment to thank Professor Puntil-Wilcek.  I had a trying semester personally and the additional understanding and support was immeasurable.  To my colleagues, I want to thank you for your collaboration with the research topic and observation posts throughout the quarter.  It helped to know that I was not the only person struggling with the same issues (with research and also in my work environment).  I started a new job at the beginning of the quarter and quickly learned (through the observations of this class) that teamwork and collaboration was pretty much non-existent.  I am happy to report that I will be working for a well known center starting at the beginning of the year.  I do have to contribute this class to the methods of professionalism I utilized when making my decision to switch my place of employment.  Thank you again for the vast amount of information I gained from the content itself  but also from my peers.  Good luck to everyone in their future studies and I hope you all have a great winter break!

Internship I Conclusion

I learned a great deal about the importance of art and music curriculum in our educational system.  I did not find any negatives but adversely found a vast amount of information on how the arts enhance a child's development.  All developmental domains have been effected in a positive way.  Children learn more about social skills and the differences between cultures and ideals through music and art.  Also, emotionally children are able to express themselves more freely if given the materials to draw or role play their conflicts.  “Research shows that music improves spatial-temporal (abstract) reasoning, improves cognitive development, enhances critical thinking skills, and increases social development” (Cornett, 2011).  I plan on advocating for art and music curriculum in Internship II and hope to make a difference in the lives of children and educators alike.  

References

Cornett, C. E. (2011). Creating meaning through literature and the arts: Arts integration for classroom teachers. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon/Pearson.

Blog Post 4

Whom you observed and interacted with in your setting during this module 

I observed the interactions that took place between my supervisor (Michelle) and her daycare parents.  She was very particular to be the only person to interact with the families.  I have not worked in this facility for very long and because of this assignment I asked Michelle if it would be a problem to communicate with family members.  She said that it would not be an issue.  She has been open to the idea but with direct supervision.  I get the feeling that she has had issues in the past between her staff and daycare parents.  I did ask her why interaction between the teachers and the families were prohibited and she gave a generic response that did not make much sense.  She stated that "she owns the business and feels that it would be more personal to be the first person and the last person they see each day".  Either way, the families seemed really warm and welcoming to Michelle discussing day to day issues such as feeding times, future scheduling for care, and sometimes behavioral concerns.  When I interacted with the parents we discussed surface topics such as the weather or how their weekend was.  I feel I am still in the process of building a foundation for the parents so we can communicate more often.  Michelle does provide daily activity sheets that lists diaper changes, nap times, the food they have eaten, what kind of day their children had in terms of behavior and any specific notes of what their accomplishments/likes/dislikes were.

Any special learning experiences you may have had or an experience that provided you with insight about children and families including advocacy effort

I ran my own licensed daycare for 6.5 years and I have learned (especially through this tough economy) is that families are stretched thin.  Not just in terms of financially, but in terms of their emotional and physical abilities as well.  Some parents are working two or three jobs and have no health insurance.  I found this very unfortunate and bothersome.  Also, with the prevalence of autism, I noticed that more families have to deal with the fact that extra time and attention are needed in order for the children to feel safe and secure.  When dealing with children who had behavioral issues, I always mentioned the arts and music as a way for the children to express themselves.  Some parents agreed and some were not even aware that the arts could even help their children behaviorally.  I tried to include the arts the best I could into my program and found that the children truly thrived and enjoyed learning through the arts. 

At least two insights gained from your observations of, and interactions and experiences with, children’s families regarding advocacy efforts and needs related to your area of interest within the field of early childhood

I learned that in order to communicate with families effectively, it is imperative to understand the family unit as a whole.  Understanding their resources, their family dynamic, and their children's needs are all important factors to consider.  A second insight I gained was the fact that families thrive if given the appropriate tools.  Working as a team to insure that the families are utilizing all the resources available in their community helps strengthen the relationship.  Also, once trust is established parents become more open and I found that they are the biggest contributors to advocacy because they are the most vested into their children's future. 

Blog 3

I work in a group daycare home where the owner implements a preschool curriculum.  The ratios are one teacher for every four children and I find this arrangement beneficial to the staff, parents, and children.  While observing Michelle, the owner, I noticed that she over extends herself often.  I am not sure if it is because she has a hard time asking for help or if she does not trust others with her business.  I believe it is a little bit of both.  Michelle is responsible for her staff of three teachers and a part time assistant (a high school student who is available after school).  She handles payroll, cleaning, and curriculum planning.  Michelle also maintains various records such as child information, receipts for expenses, and documentation that is needed for Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS).  There has been scheduling issues recently because Michelle has a difficult time communicating effectively with her staff.  I do believe its due to the numerous changes in staff she has endured recently along with not being able to let go of some responsibilities.

Needless to say, it was quite difficult to talk to her about additional advocacy plans that she has initiated in the past or her plans for the future.  Michelle did advise me that she attends regulation meetings quarterly that is held by the Department of Child and Family Services.  She represents all of the group daycare homes in her county.  Michelle provides valuable information about what changes  needed to be made in group daycare homes in regard to the safety, concern and health concerns of children in her care.  I am writing my paper on how to integrate arts and music into core content areas.  One big issue that I observed is the time involved.  Michelle simply does not have the time to plan lessons  and communicate with her staff on how to implement her curriculum effectively. 

The second topic that I am interested in is how the arts help children's brain development.  Michelle has been in early childhood for over 22 years and just recently scientific research has been conducted to see the validity of teaching for the sole purpose of enhancing brain activity.  Michelle was honest in the fact that she was not familiar with any studies and the strategies of teaching for brain development.  Last but not least, my third topic question entails parent participation in the arts and how it can influence a child's success.  Michelle is a strong advocate of communicating with parents about the progress of their children.  As stated in my previous post, she provides daily sheets informing the parents of the food they ate, the activities they participated in and the mood that they were in that day.  Also, a section for additional notes is included for supplies that may be needed or for circumstances that were beyond the children's norm.  I learned that Michelle is committed to the children and families that she serves but I want to be able to earn her trust in order to help her with her day to day operations.  She is very creative and talented to see the individual learning styles of the children and it would be beneficial for her to get back to curriculum planning in order to enhance her daycare environment.

Blog 2

Whom I interacted and observed in my setting:   October 22, 2012.  I am doing my internship at a preschool/daycare that services 12 children currently.  Michelle, the owner, started the program 6 years ago and she currently holds her bachelor's in ECE.  When speaking to her about her career experiences, she communicated that she was a director at a facility for 15 years.  There are currently 3 infants, 3 (2 year olds), 5 (4 year olds), and one 5 year old in her educational setting. There are two other teachers that help Michelle provide care throughout the day.  Michelle is allowed to have up to 16 children, but it is stipulated that she has one teacher available for every 4 children.  I observed the students interacting with the teachers and their families during pick up and drop off times. 

I particularly took note of the musical and art curriculum that was implemented throughout the day.  I did not notice much music or dancing, but I did take note of art projects that are completed everyday for a half an hour.  Some of the art projects are child directed, and others are teacher driven.  Step by step directions were given for more complicated tasks and for simple tasks the children were able to freely use their imaginations. I asked Michelle if she ever integrated art and music with core subject areas such as math and literacy.  She said that she used to be able to create individualized and thoughtful curriculum, but her biggest constraint lately was finding the time.  Also, Michelle mentioned that the funding for projects became expensive after awhile.  On a brighter note, the parents seemed to enjoy taking home projects and finding out what their children did that day.  Michelle maintains a sheet for each child daily describing what they had eaten, what kind of mood they were in, and the favorite activities they participated in.  I found this program to be of high quality where the children remained interested and engaged. 

Last but not least, I asked Michelle if she involved parents in her curriculum, and she seemed a bit confused.  She then asked me what I meant by my question.  I rephrased it and asked her if she brought "homework" home for the children where the parents would have to help participate.  She did admit that she had not thought of that before.  The major enlightening fact of the observation is that Michelle was interested to hear any of my suggestions and said she would be willing to modify any of her curriculum materials in the future. 

Blog I

• Question:  Insights gained from your interviews regarding current advocacy efforts and needs in your area of interest within the field of early childhood. Answer:  The first professional I interviewed is a public first grade elementary school teacher named Mrs. Kumm.  She has been teaching children for the last 22 years.  The second professional I interviewed was Mrs. Bessette who is currently a diagnostician.  She was a special education teacher for 15 years prior to her current role.  Both professionals have discussed their concerns with inclusion.  Jamie believes that inclusion is the most ideal situation, where Mrs. Kumm would agree  only if she had more help with the children.  Currently, Mrs. Kumm is in charge of 28 students with a part time aide.  Four of the 28 children have IEP's.  Another issue that Mrs. Kumm discussed was parental involvement.  She feels that there needs to be more participation from families, especially parents who do not speak English and who share different cultural views.  Mrs. Bessette expressed concern in assessment strategies and "The No Child Left Behind Act".  She feels that there should not be a specific universal testing standard for all students.  Mrs. Bessette stated that the children's needs vary and the assessment tools should be individualized.  I told both professionals that I was thinking about advocating for music and art programs to be mandatory in our educational system.  Both interviewees agreed that developmentally, the arts help children express their feelings and benefit their perception of the world around them.

• Question:  How these interviews may have influenced your decision about which area of interest and topics to choose for your research paper.  Answer: I never really thought about how the arts would help children with special needs before until I spoke with Mrs. Bessette.  She stated that incorporating the arts into the students curriculum is one of their most popular intervention strategies.  Also, Mrs. Kumm stated that her son had communication issues when he was younger and that she took him to see an art therapist. This helped him sort out some of the conflicts he was feeling.  Mrs. Kumm even added that music helped her son  gain a sense of self and built up his self-confidence in profound ways. 

• Question:  Which area of interest you are thinking of focusing on for your paper as well as the related three specific topics?  Answer:  I was thinking of focusing my paper on the promotion of art and music programs in all educational environments.  I feel that too many schools have eliminated the programs from their curriculum and it is crucial to children's development.  Some specific topics related to my subject are a) funding, b) incorporating these components into core content areas, and c) parent participation.  I also want to discuss the benefits such as how music and art is utilized as an intervention strategy.  Also, I wanted to elaborate on how the arts help build a bridge between the home and school with families from different cultures. 

• Questions you have for your colleagues related to your area of interest and/or three topics.  Answer:  I want to know if other classmates have had issues with the elimination of the arts from their programs.  If they have, what was the main reason?  I also want to hear stories of how my colleagues have witnessed children nurturing and growing from the exposure to art and music.  Last, but not least if anyone has anything they would like to add that I might have missed in regard to my topic, that would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you!

Hi everyone!

Well, this is the first blog I have ever created.  I believe I set up the RSS Feed correctly too.  I need to continue to add URL's as the list becomes a little bit larger!  I am excited to embark on EDU 411...I anticipated this class 2.5 years ago and I can't believe its already here.  Looking forward to hearing your experiences throughout this quarter!