Reflecting on Learning

My passionate hope for my future as an early childhood professional and the children and families who I will work is simple, as I have said in the beginning I want to be the voice for children and families who do not have a voice. It is also my hope to create a program where all the needs of every child and their family will be met.

To my colleagues it has been a pleasure to share with each you throughout this program. I have enjoyed sharing through the discussions and blog assignment. I learned so much throughout this program and from you all. I wish you all luck in the future.  I hope to keep in touch with you all. Good luck again to you all as some of you begin or continue your early childhood education career.

Tonetta Bogard- Marion

Impacts on Early Emotional Development

The area of the world I chose was Eastern and Southern Africa. The reason I chose the Eastern and Southern African is because children in these regions many children living with disabilities are denied their right to education. They are also more likely to drop out of school and have lower learning achievements than other children

The challenges that children in this region of the world are confronting  was a great failure of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), that it didn’t specify the need to include children with disabilities.

These experiences might have an effect on children’s emotional wellbeing and development by

African countries have failed to fulfill this obligation, and children with disabilities are left out of the education system.

My personal and professional reflection and insights I gained as an early childhood professiona; that it that children with disabilities in other countries as well as in the United States are not receiving the help they need.

Reference:

http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/bege_62637.html

The Sexualization of Early Childhood

After reading the article I was surprised and amazed how early sexualization is introduced to children.  What was amazing to me is that things that I didn’t even think of at the age of 8 children exposed to so much more than I ever dream of.

The example of sexualization is the extent that parents go to make their daughter look older for beauty contest. I once had the opportunity to be a judge for a beauty contest for children of age of year old to fourteen.  I sit there in amazement to the extent parents go to make their children look older and more sexual. Some of the children I noticed didn’t even want to be there and were so unhappy.

I think these messages confuse children and have negative impact on their development especially as it relates to children and sexualization.

I have always felt that children should be allowed to be children. I feel as a future early childhood educator we should provide an environment that allows children to be children. Children should be made to feel special.

Reference:

Levin, D.E., & Kilbourne, J. (2009). [Introduction]. So sexy so soon: So sexy so soon: The new

            Sexualized childhood and what parents can do to protect their kids (pp. 1-8). New York:

            Ballantine Books. Retrieved from: http://dianeelevin.com/sosecysosoon/introduction.pdf.

Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

The –ism that I expect for children and families probably will be racism. I work in a predominately African-American school system. I see other races slowly entering into the school system. The African-American children are not embracing the change. I have seen some of the African-American children tell the white children “Why don’t you go back to the private school you came from?  It is hard breaking to hear these types of comments coming from children.

I remember when I worked as a second grade assistant and we were discussing bullying. The children were talking what they had learned about bullying in character education.  Myrtle a little told us that she had been bullying sense she was in kindergarten because she was white. I sat there for a moment thinking I had always heard about and experience racism as an African-American, but to see it from someone else prospective  really made me reflect on how so many are affected by racism.

It is not only African-American children and families that are affected by racism. Racism is something many people are face with on a day to day basic. I want to teach children and their families that racism is wrong and everyone deserves to be treated fairly no matter the color of their skin.