• A note of professional thanks and support to the Blogs of at least two colleagues

To all my colleagues,

I have tried to visit your blog’s and sometimes I’m not successful. I read your post although I don’t always comment. I take everything I’ve learned from all of you, and file it “things to review”. If I never get to meet you in person, it’s been a pleasure being in class and studying with you.

Thanks for all your encouragement, feedback, and those awesome comments. I will use this information throughout my teaching and learning experiences.

Qoutes

• At least one quote about children, or a visual/media piece with written commentary.

“When my children act out, I always threatened to find their parents.”

“When mom and dad don’t give you your way, call 1-800-Grandma.”

From me!

Childhood is the most beautiful of all life's seasons.  ~Author Unknown

We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.  ~Stacia Tauscher

We've had bad luck with our kids - they've all grown up.  ~Christopher Morley

 RETRIEVED FROM http://www.quotegarden.com/children.html

Testing for Intelligence US and China

Considering a commitment to viewing young children holistically (i.e., a commitment to “the whole child”) what, if anything, do you believe should be measured or assessed? Explain your reasoning.

Cognitive or brain development or we could call it measuring of the mind. Brain development “Recall that emotional regulation, theory of mind, and left-right coordination emerge in early childhood.’ The brain regulates the whole body. “The maturing corpus callosum connects the two hemispheres of the brain. The prefrontal cortex-the executive part of the brain-plans, monitors, and evaluates. These developments continue in middle childhood. We look now at advances in reaction time, attention, and automatization and at the ways to measure brain activity. These measurements include test of ability and achievement that indicate whether a child is developing as expected.” (Berger, 2009)

Children do things in early child hood, like wetting the bed, hiding stuff, and wanting to sleep with their parents. As they grow into middle childhood they revert back to these behaviors temporarily and parents don’t often look at it as anything other growing-up. This type of behavior could be a problem cause by some traumatic experience that the child is too afraid to talk about. Even though, it may be something as small as a bad dream or another child bulling them at school. “By the time they reach 5^th grade they have a better understanding of life. They develop what is called “selective attention, the ability to screen out distractions and focus on a given task.” They develop what is called metacognition, their own through processes which allow them to process information much faster. (DVD, 2). This is a cognitive development. Brain development is important from the first day of life until we die. I feel this is an important and should be measured in all stages of life.

In what ways are school-age children assessed in other parts of the world? (Choose a country or region of the world for which you have a personal affinity.)

China

“One of the problems existing in China’s ongoing educational system is its divorce

from the labor markets, and it is closely associated with the way to assess educational

outcomes in China. China probably has the longest history of tests and examination in

the world. Today, tests and examination are still the tools to assess educational

outcome in China, and the scores of various tests are still used in many places as the

sole determinant factors for promoting students into higher level of education or even

grades. Based on such a way in educational assessment, it is not surprised at what the

educational system supplies would not necessarily meet the demand of the labor

markets. Lack of a market-oriented system for educational outcomes seems a key for

the problem.”

“China’s skill assessment system is more characterized with the planned economy, and

remains little reformed during past over two decades. The ministry of education is the

main body responsible for assessment of formal educational outcomes and literacy.” (Zhang, 2004, revised)

What additional ideas, comments, suggestions, examples, and/or concerns related to assessing young children would you like to share with your colleagues?

Children should be assessed in all developmental and developing areas and stages of life. From infants to adults we develop and change, mentally, physically, and emotionally. As a child your life is controlled by your parents and guardians, the amount of care you receive both physically and mentally. If a child develops emotional problems as a child he/she is more likely to carry that problem with them through middle childhood, adolescence and adult hood, if not cared for properly.

References

Berger, K.S. (2009) The developing person-through childhood. (5^th ed) Worth Publisher. Bronx Community College. http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=6060781&Survey=1&47=10671176&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

The journey through lifespan. (2002). Middle childhood through early adulthood. (DVD 2) Worth Publisher, Copyright 2002.  

Zhang, J. (2004) Institute of population and Labor economics-Chinese academy of social services, Retrieved from http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EDUCATION/Resources/278200-1126210664195/1636971-1126210694253/China_Skills_Assessment.pdf December12, 2011

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

What is Sudden infant death syndrome?
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is marked by the sudden death of an infant that is unexpected by medical history, and remains unexplained after a thorough forensic autopsy and a detailed death scene investigation. An infant is at the highest risk for SIDS during sleep, which is why it is sometimes referred to by the terms cot death or crib death.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudden_infant_death_syndrome

The cause of SIDS is unknown, but characteristics associated with the syndrome have been identified. One of these characteristics is sleeping in the prone position.

Growing up as child I never had to experience a death of a child as far back as I can remember. As a matter of fact I don’t remember anyone passing. I first heard about SIDS as a teenager while in my health class during the pregnancy and childbirth segment. My understanding was that the baby was sleep on its stomach and could not lift its head and suffocated. Babies should be placed on their backs to prevent such deaths. As I grew older I started to hear this more often and it made me more aware when caring for infants in the early stages of life.

Since there was no main cause for death it bought the awareness of people up and the facts still remain unknown. There are fact state that death occurred in babies between one month and one year. In 2006 there were as many as 1,161 deaths reported by CDC. The majority of these deaths occurring between two and four months of age. Ninety percent occurred before age six months. More boys than girls and Native American and African American babies range among the top percentage.

The low birth weight babies and mother who lack prenatal care, smoked or did drugs were at higher risk than other babies whose parents seek early care and did not smoke or use drugs. SIDS is not caused by lack of immunization or neglect/abuse. There is no cause, and that is what scares new parents most. If there were signs of warning doctors could probable predict and prevent this from occurring.  
The risk associated with SIDS, are associated with baby sleeping on their stomach or side. Studies from doctors believe that certain brain irregularities which interfere with certain neurotransmitters in the brain while baby is sleeping. Researchers have also looked at generic traits and the health of the parents as other fact that could contribute to SIDS.

Learn more about SIDS:  

http://www.parenting.com/category/conditions/about-sids

Infant Mortality in International Perspective 

I infant mortality rates for the world, for developed and developing countries, and by continent, with some selected countries that highlight the range of levels. At 57, the world's infant mortality rate has never been lower; however, differences across the world are substantial. Africa's rate (88) is ten times higher than the average rate (8) for the developed countries. Within Africa the highest levels of infant mortality in the world are experienced, with rates as high as 157 in Sierra Leone. On average the rate for Asia (56) is somewhat lower than for Africa, but some Asian countries such as Afghanistan have rates (150) as high as anywhere in the world. On the other hand, Hong Kong's rate (3.2) is very low, illustrating that the most variation in infant mortality level occurs in Asia. Both Europe and North America (the United States and Canada) have low levels of infant mortality, with average rates well under 10. However, European variation is not inconsequential; rates in at least some parts of Eastern Europe are nearly 10 times higher than in northern European countries such as Iceland and Sweden.
Overall, income and education, both at the societal and individual levels, are closely associated with infant mortality. While the relationship between infant mortality and level of socioeconomic development is not perfect, the infant mortality rate is commonly used more than any other measure as a general indicator of socioeconomic wellbeing and of general medical and public health

Read more: Mortality, Infant - world, body, life, cause, rate, time, human, Infant Mortality in International Perspective, Causes of Infant Deaths
 http://www.deathreference.com/Me-Nu/Mortality-Infant.html#ixzz1dWQDRTFr

Births

The most wonderful feeling in the world,

The Birth of My Grandchildren.

I was able to be in the delivery room with my daughter-in-law during the birth of both my grandchildren Adonis and Amari. Adonis is now four and Amari is six weeks.

When Adonis (4) was about to be born I had a couple of false runs to the hospital. My son called me and said come on Ma, it’s time. I arrived at the hospital and the doctor was there, she said, “we have a ways to go”. I went back home got undressed and it seem like to minutes, of course it was a little longer than that, probably an hour. My son called again, “come on Ma, it time”. By the time I returned to the hospital, it was time. I walked in the room and all I could say was “that’s too much information” lol.

If you have ever been there you know exactly what I’m talking about, if you haven’t let you imagination run wild. There was the crown of my grandsons head. I was amazed at was I was seeing. I participated as much as I was l allowed; I just stood there and watched the process as my eyes filled with tears, tears of joy. I was there for the birth of my children…lol, but the view wasn’t that good. I’ll talk about those experiences later in class.

My next amazing experience happened about six weeks ago. My granddaughter Amari was born, I need to say I have another grandson name Terrance; unfortunately I wasn’t there when he was born, and Terrance is now seven.

I got the call at work, on my voice mail, that Amari was about to be born, and that they were at the hospital and to come on. They already knew that I wanted to be there for the birth of my first grand-daughter. I left work that day and picked my daughter up from school and headed straight to the hospital. It was raining so hard I didn’t think I was going to make it. By the time I reached the hospital nothing had happened, thank God, I would have been a little upset. I arrived about 6 pm and other family was there as well. We all sat around for hours, the doctor kept checking about every hour or so, nothing. The doctor said she would be a while. I did not want to leave.

 I finally went home changed clothes and made it back to the hospital, still nothing. I stayed at the hospital all night. I know I fell off to sleep for about an hour or so, woke up it was about twelve, then three, then about five-thirty the night doctor was checking, this was hours after they had induces her labor. The doctor said it’s time. Her mom, I, and my son all took position. My son grabbed a leg, I grab a leg, and her mom held her hand. About three good pushes, here comes the head. Then plop, plop, there was Amari. I or we were at the hospital twelve hours waiting on Amari. Another experience I would not trade for the world. I was exhausted and called off work the next day.

Having a little trouble with pictures-I'll post some later.

The worlds heaviest baby.

I was pretty amazed at this story when i read it a while ago. I just wanted to revisit and share with someone that may not have seen this story. It was pretty amazign to see how much bigger this baby was compared to an adverage new born her in the United states and anywhere in the world. So far he's the biggest. I would not want to have to feed him.
Take a look.
http://www.worldamazingrecords.com/2009/09/worlds-heaviest-baby-born-by-indonesian.html