My supports in daily life are...
At Work- My Trainer Mrs Dee. She is an awesome person that has taught me everything there is to know about running a childcare
center. She is my childcare mentor.
At Home- My Husband, my mother, and my aunt. They are there to support me everyday. I would not be able to do many things without
them. They are my rock.
My Church- Supports me spiritually. Without being grounded in my faith I would be able to accomplish anything.
It would be difficult to do the things I do and aspire to do without them. I believe that everyone in my life serves a purpose. They are a piece of my life puzzle. Without them, I wouldn't be complete.
Ashley Wilkins-Miller
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Sunday, September 29, 2013
My Connections to Play
“Play is the work of the child.” – Maria Montessori
“Play is the highest form of research.” – Albert Einstein
A couple more quotes...
“The playing adult steps sideward into another reality; the playing child advances forward to new stages of mastery.” – Erik H. Erikson
“Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.” – O. Fred Donaldson
“The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct.” – Carl Jung
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” – George Bernard Shaw
“Do not keep children to their studies by compulsion but by play.” – Plato
“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.” - Fred Rogers
The three toys I could not go without growing up
Describe how people supported play when you were younger and/or the role of play in your childhood.
My grandmother was the best cook I've ever seen, and I wanted to cook just like her. So, my mother bought me an easy baked oven. I loved that toy. I was also I tom boy. I enjoyed games and cars, so my mother bought me toys that helped me to grow freely. When I was younger, I was allowed to play outside all day until the street lights came on, and I took full advantage to that rule. I loved playing outside. I believe that is something that children are missing now. Outside play was where we researched, exercised, grew socially, and implemented our imagination. It was bliss......
I try to raise my children the same way, but society is growing up our children so fast. The lack of censorship on everything ( even cartoons, and the crime rate are some of the issues we face now.
Live, learn, and Educate,
Ashley Wilkins-Miller
“Play is the highest form of research.” – Albert Einstein
A couple more quotes...
“The playing adult steps sideward into another reality; the playing child advances forward to new stages of mastery.” – Erik H. Erikson
“Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.” – O. Fred Donaldson
“The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct.” – Carl Jung
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” – George Bernard Shaw
“Do not keep children to their studies by compulsion but by play.” – Plato
“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.” - Fred Rogers
The three toys I could not go without growing up
Describe how people supported play when you were younger and/or the role of play in your childhood.
My grandmother was the best cook I've ever seen, and I wanted to cook just like her. So, my mother bought me an easy baked oven. I loved that toy. I was also I tom boy. I enjoyed games and cars, so my mother bought me toys that helped me to grow freely. When I was younger, I was allowed to play outside all day until the street lights came on, and I took full advantage to that rule. I loved playing outside. I believe that is something that children are missing now. Outside play was where we researched, exercised, grew socially, and implemented our imagination. It was bliss......
I try to raise my children the same way, but society is growing up our children so fast. The lack of censorship on everything ( even cartoons, and the crime rate are some of the issues we face now.
Live, learn, and Educate,
Ashley Wilkins-Miller
Sunday, September 15, 2013
RELATIONSHIP REFLECTION
"A friend should be one in whose understanding and virtue we can equally confide, and whose opinion we can value at once for its justness and its sincerity."
Robert Hall
Relationships develop through social skills. I believe that creating relationships is an important piece of who we are. My circle is very small, but throughout my life I do not know where I would be without the people that are in my life. This week we discussed the importance of building relationships among educators and parents. In my discussion post I stated
"Family partnerships are essential to effective programs and practices within the early childhood field because when all components are placed together, it creates a well-rounded child. Parent and teacher relationships are vital to a child’s success within the program. Yes, there are isolated situations where children are successful regardless of their environment and family situations, but those are rare. A child needs support and encouragement in order to grow to their full potential. Research states that “A primary purpose of frequent communication between parent and program staff is to establish and implement shared goals for a child.” (Powell ,146).
Even though there is a need for parental and educator relationships, there are some programs that do not share this focus. Powell states that “At a deeper level, there is considerable variation between and within different types of early childhood programs in the quality of connections with parents. Head Start program standards and resources for forming partnerships with families typically are not found in child care programs, for example, and most of the field’s innovations in working with families have not been widely adopted.” (Powell , 141). Some child care facilities do not focus on involving the parents in their programs. Their curriculum is set and all they want is for the parents to receive the results of the activities. Some parents are more focused on convenience and affordability. Not on curriculum and quality child care.
Positive relationship are crucial in the development of a child. Children model the relationships that they see, so it is of the most importance that parents create a positive relationship with teacher. “The essential features of the environment that influence children’s development are their relationships with the important people in their lives – beginning with their parents and other family members, and extending outward to include child care providers, teachers, and coaches – within the places to which they are exposed – from playgrounds to libraries to schools to soccer leagues.” (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2004, p. 4).” (Edelman, 2004).
My own biases are critical to developing effective partnerships, because they will guide me in creating my relationships. Biases are defined as “ a tendency to believe that some people, ideas, etc., are better than others that usually results in treating some people unfairly: a strong interest in something or ability to do something” (http://www.merriam-webster.com). I believe that parents are a child’s first guide in creating and sustaining positive and effective partnerships. This is my bias, my belief, and because of this belief I will do all that it takes to develop effective partnerships.
The factors that I will explore further to be completely open to forming effective partnerships with every family is to be as open, caring, and compassionate as I can be. I want to be able to reach every family that enters my center. I will also research new and inventive ways to reach out and create community relationships as well.
Resources:
http://www.merriam-webster.com
Edelman, L. (2004). A relationship-based approach to early intervention. Resources and Connections, 3(2). Retrieved from http://olms.cte.jhu.edu/olms/data/resource/1144/A%20Relationship-based%20Approach%20to%20Early%20Intervention.pdf
Powell,D (nd).Relations Between Families and Early Childhood Programs. Retrieved from http://ecap.crc.illinois.edu/pubs/connecting/powell.pdf
National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. (2004). Young children develop in an environment of relationships. Waltham, Mass; Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University."
The most important people in my life are:
My Mother
My Husband
My two Children
My Aunt
My Best Friends
Relationships are about giving and taking. In order to maintain a relationship one must be compassionate, open minded, and wiling to at times sacrifice.
In relationships one can not go into a relationship with a closed mind, judgement, or predisposed notions.
Building relationships is what I've always been good at. I believe that if you are transparent and you are non-judgmental you can build any relationship. Open communication is key, and it is equally importance that one practices active learning skills as well.
Ashley Wilkins-Miller
Robert Hall
Relationships develop through social skills. I believe that creating relationships is an important piece of who we are. My circle is very small, but throughout my life I do not know where I would be without the people that are in my life. This week we discussed the importance of building relationships among educators and parents. In my discussion post I stated
"Family partnerships are essential to effective programs and practices within the early childhood field because when all components are placed together, it creates a well-rounded child. Parent and teacher relationships are vital to a child’s success within the program. Yes, there are isolated situations where children are successful regardless of their environment and family situations, but those are rare. A child needs support and encouragement in order to grow to their full potential. Research states that “A primary purpose of frequent communication between parent and program staff is to establish and implement shared goals for a child.” (Powell ,146).
Even though there is a need for parental and educator relationships, there are some programs that do not share this focus. Powell states that “At a deeper level, there is considerable variation between and within different types of early childhood programs in the quality of connections with parents. Head Start program standards and resources for forming partnerships with families typically are not found in child care programs, for example, and most of the field’s innovations in working with families have not been widely adopted.” (Powell , 141). Some child care facilities do not focus on involving the parents in their programs. Their curriculum is set and all they want is for the parents to receive the results of the activities. Some parents are more focused on convenience and affordability. Not on curriculum and quality child care.
Positive relationship are crucial in the development of a child. Children model the relationships that they see, so it is of the most importance that parents create a positive relationship with teacher. “The essential features of the environment that influence children’s development are their relationships with the important people in their lives – beginning with their parents and other family members, and extending outward to include child care providers, teachers, and coaches – within the places to which they are exposed – from playgrounds to libraries to schools to soccer leagues.” (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2004, p. 4).” (Edelman, 2004).
My own biases are critical to developing effective partnerships, because they will guide me in creating my relationships. Biases are defined as “ a tendency to believe that some people, ideas, etc., are better than others that usually results in treating some people unfairly: a strong interest in something or ability to do something” (http://www.merriam-webster.com). I believe that parents are a child’s first guide in creating and sustaining positive and effective partnerships. This is my bias, my belief, and because of this belief I will do all that it takes to develop effective partnerships.
The factors that I will explore further to be completely open to forming effective partnerships with every family is to be as open, caring, and compassionate as I can be. I want to be able to reach every family that enters my center. I will also research new and inventive ways to reach out and create community relationships as well.
Resources:
http://www.merriam-webster.com
Edelman, L. (2004). A relationship-based approach to early intervention. Resources and Connections, 3(2). Retrieved from http://olms.cte.jhu.edu/olms/data/resource/1144/A%20Relationship-based%20Approach%20to%20Early%20Intervention.pdf
Powell,D (nd).Relations Between Families and Early Childhood Programs. Retrieved from http://ecap.crc.illinois.edu/pubs/connecting/powell.pdf
National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. (2004). Young children develop in an environment of relationships. Waltham, Mass; Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University."
The most important people in my life are:
My Mother
My Husband
My two Children
My Aunt
My Best Friends
Relationships are about giving and taking. In order to maintain a relationship one must be compassionate, open minded, and wiling to at times sacrifice.
In relationships one can not go into a relationship with a closed mind, judgement, or predisposed notions.
Building relationships is what I've always been good at. I believe that if you are transparent and you are non-judgmental you can build any relationship. Open communication is key, and it is equally importance that one practices active learning skills as well.
Ashley Wilkins-Miller
Sunday, August 25, 2013
Thank You!!!
I want to thank ALL of my peers for being so open and helpful throughout this course. I want to that also thank Dr. Dassa in help with making me mindful of my career, and how we can all make a difference in early childhood education. Thanks!
Ashley Wilkins-Miller
Ashley Wilkins-Miller
My Quote for Early Childcare Education
I believe that we as educators should always keep this in mind. We are the representation that our students should look to. Know that eyes are always watching you. Be the best you, not just for you, but for the children that look up to you.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Assessing Disabilites in the UK
NHS.UK (http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Childrenwithalearningdisability/Pages/Askingforastatement.aspx)explains the protocol of assessing a disability in children in the UK.
"If your child has a learning disability and is not making adequate progress at school, you can ask your local authority to assess them. In some cases the local authority will issue a statement of special educational needs, stating what should be done to meet these needs.
Watch a video about children with disability
The statement, which outlines what your child's special educational needs are and how they can be met, is reviewed every year. It can state, for example, how many hours of teaching support your child should get each week, or how often they should have speech and language therapy support.
Not every child with learning disabilities is assessed or receives a statement of special educational needs (often just called a statement) from the local authority. But if you feel your child's needs are not being met at mainstream school, you can ask for an assessment.
Based on your application and information from people involved in your child's education and care, the local authority will decide whether or not to assess your child or issue a statement. If it decides not to, it will explain why and suggest other ways to meet your child's needs.
You can challenge this decision if you want to. The authority can tell you how to do this and let you know of local arrangements to help you come to an agreement.
You can also go to the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability), an independent body that reviews the information and decides whether the authority's decision should change. You can get an information pack on challenging a decision not to assess from the Independent Parental Special Education Advice (IPSEA) website.
Applying for an assessment
You or your child's school or early years setting (such as a nursery) can apply for an assessment. The application has to be made to the special educational needs department of your local authority. You will be required to fill in forms about your child and why you think they need an assessment.
If you need support with this, contact either the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) at the school or nursery, or a local support group or a voluntary sector organisation such as Mencap. Your local Parent Partnership Service is available to provide impartial advice about special educational needs.
The authority will read your application and let you know within six weeks whether it will carry out an assessment.
The assessment
If the assessment goes ahead, the local authority will talk to a number of people about your child and his or her needs, including:
you and your child
their school or nursery
a doctor
an educational psychologist
social services, if they know your child
anyone else the authority believes can help
You can suggest other people or organisations the authority can talk to. You can tell the authority what support you feel your child should have, such as speech and language therapy or special training for their teachers.
The statement
'I was told to get a statement in place before my son started full-time education. Wise words! I had qualified headteachers check it over too'
Netbuddy parent tip
Once the authority has collected all the information it needs for the assessment, it will either:
write a statement of your child's needs and the support your child should have, or
decide not to give a statement
If a statement is issued, this will be reviewed every year throughout your child's education. It describes clearly the support that your child should have.
A parent's view
Monica Rivers' daughter Ayesha, six, received a statement in May 2008. It was the second time that Monica and her husband applied for it.
"It was time consuming and, to be honest, depressing doing the application," she says. "You have to break down every aspect of your child into a document. For me it brought back some of the difficult times and challenges I didn't want to revisit.
"We were refused the first time, but reapplied the next year. This time I met the woman at the special educational needs department of the local authority who was overseeing Ayesha's application. We went through the whole statement together, outlining what Ayesha needed.
"I had also started working at a charity within the learning disability community, so I was more aware of what was needed. This time we got it. Ayesha is in a mainstream school, and the statement says she should get 25 hours of extra support a week. She is really benefitting from it."
Ashley Wilkins-Miller
"If your child has a learning disability and is not making adequate progress at school, you can ask your local authority to assess them. In some cases the local authority will issue a statement of special educational needs, stating what should be done to meet these needs.
Watch a video about children with disability
The statement, which outlines what your child's special educational needs are and how they can be met, is reviewed every year. It can state, for example, how many hours of teaching support your child should get each week, or how often they should have speech and language therapy support.
Not every child with learning disabilities is assessed or receives a statement of special educational needs (often just called a statement) from the local authority. But if you feel your child's needs are not being met at mainstream school, you can ask for an assessment.
Based on your application and information from people involved in your child's education and care, the local authority will decide whether or not to assess your child or issue a statement. If it decides not to, it will explain why and suggest other ways to meet your child's needs.
You can challenge this decision if you want to. The authority can tell you how to do this and let you know of local arrangements to help you come to an agreement.
You can also go to the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability), an independent body that reviews the information and decides whether the authority's decision should change. You can get an information pack on challenging a decision not to assess from the Independent Parental Special Education Advice (IPSEA) website.
Applying for an assessment
You or your child's school or early years setting (such as a nursery) can apply for an assessment. The application has to be made to the special educational needs department of your local authority. You will be required to fill in forms about your child and why you think they need an assessment.
If you need support with this, contact either the special educational needs co-ordinator (SENCO) at the school or nursery, or a local support group or a voluntary sector organisation such as Mencap. Your local Parent Partnership Service is available to provide impartial advice about special educational needs.
The authority will read your application and let you know within six weeks whether it will carry out an assessment.
The assessment
If the assessment goes ahead, the local authority will talk to a number of people about your child and his or her needs, including:
you and your child
their school or nursery
a doctor
an educational psychologist
social services, if they know your child
anyone else the authority believes can help
You can suggest other people or organisations the authority can talk to. You can tell the authority what support you feel your child should have, such as speech and language therapy or special training for their teachers.
The statement
'I was told to get a statement in place before my son started full-time education. Wise words! I had qualified headteachers check it over too'
Netbuddy parent tip
Once the authority has collected all the information it needs for the assessment, it will either:
write a statement of your child's needs and the support your child should have, or
decide not to give a statement
If a statement is issued, this will be reviewed every year throughout your child's education. It describes clearly the support that your child should have.
A parent's view
Monica Rivers' daughter Ayesha, six, received a statement in May 2008. It was the second time that Monica and her husband applied for it.
"It was time consuming and, to be honest, depressing doing the application," she says. "You have to break down every aspect of your child into a document. For me it brought back some of the difficult times and challenges I didn't want to revisit.
"We were refused the first time, but reapplied the next year. This time I met the woman at the special educational needs department of the local authority who was overseeing Ayesha's application. We went through the whole statement together, outlining what Ayesha needed.
"I had also started working at a charity within the learning disability community, so I was more aware of what was needed. This time we got it. Ayesha is in a mainstream school, and the statement says she should get 25 hours of extra support a week. She is really benefitting from it."
Ashley Wilkins-Miller
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Consequences of Stress on Children's Development
This week we were required to talk about a stressor that affected us during our childhood. One of the main stressors that affected me during my childhood was disease. I lost both of my grandmothers, and my father to diseases. My paternal grandmother died to cancer (colon), my maternal grandmother died to diabetes, and my father to lung cancer. These were three of the most important people in my life. The consequences of these stressors caused me to become cold, and not allow people to get too close to me. I feared that like my father and grandmothers, they would leave me as well. I didn't want to feel, and I didn't want to love. Of course, I love my mother and my family, but I feared that they too would leave and I would be heart broken again.
We were also asked to Choose a region or country in the world that you would like to know more about and/or for which you have a special affinity. Find out, and describe, the kind of stressor(s) that impact the development of children in that region/country and what is being done to minimize the harm.
“In cases like Afghanistan with a combination of conflict and prolonged drought, the coping mechanisms of children have dwindled. They are malnourished; they suffer from a variety of illnesses. If they have a bout of measles, the fatality rates will be high.” – Deputy Director, UNICEF Supply Division, Shamsul Farooq, former Senior Programme Officer in the Humanitarian Response Unit. (http://www.unicef.org/immunization/index_why.html)
Another example of how diseases effect children.
"Pneumonia, diarrhoea, malaria, measles, HIV/AIDS and malnutrition are the primary killers of children in the developing world. These children die because they are poor, they do not have access to routine immunization or health services, their diets lack sufficient vitamin A and other essential micronutrients, and they live in circumstances that allow pathogens (disease-causing organisms) to thrive.
The possibility that children will become seriously ill or die depends largely on whether their immune systems can fight off infections. Malnutrition, combined with unsanitary or crowded conditions, makes them extremely vulnerable. Measles, for instance, rarely kills in industrial countries but can cause up to 40 per cent mortality among infected children in dire and overcrowded situations which may occur following earthquakes, floods or when populations are displaced by conflict.
A variety of pathogens – bacteria, viruses and parasites – are responsible for the major childhood diseases. Bacteria causes tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis and tuberculosis. Viruses cause polio and measles. A single-celled parasite causes malaria.
Measles, a viral respiratory infection, killed over 500,000 children in 2003, more than any other vaccine-preventable disease. The measles death toll in Africa is so high – every minute one child dies – that many mothers don't give children real names until they have survived the disease. Measles weakens the immune system and renders children very susceptible to fatal complications from diarrhoea, pneumonia and malnutrition. Those that survive may suffer blindness, deafness or brain damage.
Tetanus, referred to in the Old Testament as the “seventh-day death,” killed an estimated 200,000 newborns and 30,000 mothers in 2001. The tetanus bacteria are ubiquitous – they live in soil, in animal dung and in feces. Tetanus can infect newborns if the umbilical cord is cut with unsterile instruments or the incision treated with contaminated dressings.
In acute respiratory infections such as diphtheria or pertussis, bacteria can attack the lungs or bronchial tubes, causing chronic coughs, pneumonia and breathing difficulties. Pertussis – also known as whooping cough – kills about 300,000 children a year, while a third respiratory infection, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) pneumonia kills about 500,000.
“In cases like Afghanistan with a combination of conflict and prolonged drought, the coping mechanisms of children have dwindled. They are malnourished; they suffer from a variety of illnesses. If they have a bout of measles, the fatality rates will be high.” – Deputy Director, UNICEF Supply Division, Shamsul Farooq, former Senior Programme Officer in the Humanitarian Response Unit.
Polio, a viral infection of the nervous system, can cause crippling paralysis within hours. Significant progress has been made towards eradicating the disease, but it remains a serious threat to children in areas where the wild poliovirus still circulates. The number of cases worldwide dropped from 350,000 in 1988 to under 1,300 in 2004.
Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), prevalent mainly in developing countries, is estimated to cause approximately 3 million cases of serious disease and kills about 450,000 children every year. Most children die from pneumonia and a minority from meningitis. In developing countries about 40% of Hib meningitis cases are fatal, and 15-35% of children who survive are left with permanent disabilities. Despite gradual uptake of the Hib vaccine in developing countries, in 2001, only one in five children worldwide were immunized against Hib during the first year of life.
Rotavirus, a pervasive wheel-shaped virus, is a leading cause of severe diarrhoea in infants and young children, particularly in the developing world. Currently, there is no vaccine approved for the disease, which kills 600,000 children under five each year.
Hepatitis B virus infects many infants and children – more than 2 billion people have been infected with the virus at some point, and an estimated 350 million are lifelong carriers. However, most don't develop the clinical disease until several decades later when the virus can cause inflammation of the liver and lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer.
Yellow fever, a viral disease that occurs primarily in tropical and subtropical areas of Africa and South America, kills 30,000 each year. The virus is transmitted most often through the bite of the female Aedes aegypti mosquito. Once controlled fairly well by widespread vaccination and mosquito control, the disease is making a comeback and outbreaks are becoming more frequent.
The parasitic disease malaria is responsible for a staggering number of deaths - over one million a year - the majority children under five. A child dies every 30 seconds from malaria, many in just days after infection. Pregnant women infected with malaria can give birth to underweight babies who are then vulnerable to other diseases.
Today, 90 per cent of malaria cases occur in sub-Saharan Africa. Malaria, so named by the Romans because they believed it arose from bad (mala) air (aire) floating up from nearby swamps, is in fact caused by a single-celled parasite, Plasmodium, which is transmitted by the bite of the Anopheles mosquito. Though there is no vaccine for malaria, it can be controlled with mosquito nets and insect repellant, and is often treatable with antimalarial drugs."
Ashley Wilkins-Miller
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