6162 Week 4

This week I explored the Challenging Behaviors section on ZeroToThree.org. This section aids in my professional development because I am working at a childcare center for the summer until school starts back, I have a three year old at home, and in the future I want to own a child care center. Some of the challenging behaviors outlined are sleeping behaviors, aggression, and inconsolable crying. When I think of challenging behaviors, I think that children are testing to see their boundaries, how far they can push the adult, and figuring out their emotions. Zero To Three suggest that challenging behaviors are all apart of a child's social and emotional development. Most parents at the center where I work complain about their children not cooperating and simply not following directions. The website has a section on how to get children to cooperate, they break each behavior down into a section instead of grouping it together.  Zero To Three states, "Toddlers are realizing that they are separate individuals from their parents and caregivers. This means that they are driven to assert themselves, to communicate their likes and dislikes, and to act independently (as much as they can!). Toddlers are also developing the language skills that help them express their ideas, wants, and needs. Policy makers support early childhood education by maintaining a standard for health, nutrition, and the four developmental domains. Policy makers want to ensure that children are cared for holistically and this website has a section for each main topic that policy makers look for in quality education. 

Week 3 6162

I have received confirmation from one UNICEF contact that confirms that emails are being received and that I am contacting the right agency. I am awaiting responses that give more information about what the agency is doing in their specific part of the world with children and families. I in turn had to do the alternative assignment for this week which was explore http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/) and give feedback on what was learned through website exploration. This website addresses childhood poverty and policies that are currently in place to aid with the poverty level. One policy that I found to be interesting is the population reduction policy that calls for fertility to be controlled. This policy is shown to be effective where fertility levels are high and country wide poverty is present in high levels. While this policy may be effective, it is not the most effective which is why family planning and counseling should be in place. This website addresses poverty by way of the families and communities. Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre also allows for readers to see what research is being conducted nationally and internationally; the results may or may not be given. The website called childhood poverty a crisis because poverty can be passed down from generation to generation. Poverty during early childhood years can strip a child from opportunities that they may never be able to regain; such a s learning opportunities and experiences gained through discovery. The main key point that I agreed with most is that we must deepen our understanding of the main cause of childhood poverty and poverty cycles and increase knowledge of effective strategies to take them in different context. 

Sharing Resources

The website I chose was Zerotothree.org. The focus of this website is for newborns up to the age of three, they focus on making sure the foundations for learning are built strong. While zerotothree.org is meant to aid children's learning, the content is meant for professionals and parents that interact with the children on a daily basis and that deal with their learning outcomes. The baby brain map was the most interesting article that I found on the website. It is difficult to study the brain of an infant or toddler but x-rays and new age technology are allowing us more into the mind of our newborns, infants, and toddlers.

6162 Getting Ready

For part 1 of this assignment, I have chosen to reach out using the UNICEF website, I sent emails to representatives in China and Northern Africa. I sent my emails on Thursday and have yet to get a response, if I do not receive a response by Thursday of this week, I will move towards the alternate assignment. I look forward to their response because I think that it will be beneficial to establish contact with professionals abroad.

For part two I chose Zero to Three because I used that website quite a few times during previous classes. I find it to be beneficial if you are consistent, once you establish contact with a representative, keep it going.