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!