Bowling for Kids’ Sake Fundation February 21, 2008

Fundraising for a certain cause can be difficult at times. A great amount of organization is involved along with coming up with an idea to raise donations to support intended charities. We often suggest ideas of bake sales and spagetti dinner, mostly all involving delicious treats or meals. These are the most common fundraising cenarios. One idea that is usually over looked is sporting activity such as bowling. Bowling has been around for years and it is most played by older males that are looking for a social activity with their fellow peers. Bowling can be also seen as an effortless sport, but it can become eventful when it involves raising money for a good cause.

An organization known as “Bowling for Kids’ Sake” is a fundation that is a charitable group that raises money for unfortunate children of Burlington County. This group is one of the oldest fudnations of the United States starting back in 1904. The organization bring together strangers and transforms them into life long friends. Each application has the decision to become a ‘big sister or brother’ in which they acquire a ‘little sister or brother’ that is in need of one on one mentoring. The social atmosphere of a bowling alley provide perfect atmosphere for people grow as an individual as well as a family.

For more information about this organization and how to sign up to participate, please visit the following website:

http://burlingtonbfks.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=255606&lis=1&kntae255606=92CAC6E4CF1E42E2A2C2BB5D76551A06

Pre-school Standards Proposal February 21, 2008

According to Nieer.org, an opportunity for change in prechools around the country has been sent to the the House last Tuesday, February 19.  The house could not come up with a majority of votes against or for the preschool standards bill.  If the bill was passed it would give the state authority to write accreditation standards for preschool programs.

Do our preschool programs need accrediation standards? Of course! Those employeed in most daycares are not certified teachers. They have no degree and minimal training if they are lucky. Many daycares host preschools within their walls to expand their services to an older group in order to ”prepare” children for kindergarten. However, are these “teachers” who are not certified really preparing children for kindergarten? If a person does not know how to handle children, how they learn best, and what they should be learning, they cannot support and amplify the cognitive development of the preschool age children.

These standards for preschool teachers are imporving even with programs such as the Early Childhood Education program at Rowan University which certifies and trains teachers for a pre-school through third grade degree. Because more of us are being trained in this area it might happen that the standards for pre-school will be improve without passing this bill through the House. Or is it the fear that this bill will be passed that is creating programs such as that at Rowan University?

Children, even at the pre-school level, desearve highly qualified teachers in each of their classrooms. This bill should be passed through.

Conference February 21, 2008

The University of Wisconsin-Stout will be holding their annual Early Childhood Education Conference on April 24 to 26. There will be individual sessions to allow participants to choose which topic they would like to attend.

 I encourage you to attend the conference if you are able. It is a great experience to network and show your commitment to the education of young children.

If you would like more information on the conference, such as registration, fees, and a schedule it can be found on their offical conference website.

 Another conference in Bellevue, Washington will be held on May 7-9 focussing on challenging thinking on issues such as diversity and family involvement in the the classroom.

Look here for more information on the Infant and Early Childhood Conference.  

Howard Gardner: Educational Theorist February 20, 2008

While reading for my Math and Science Integrated Curriculum course I learned that Howard Gardner Developed a theory on multiple intelligences. He created the following intelligences, Verbal/Linguistic, Logical/Mathematical, Visual/Spatial, Bodily/Kinesthetic and Musical. He believes that an individual has a dominant intelligence but they all work together and need to be present.As a teacher I would take into consideration every one of my students multiple intelligence. I would plan my lessons on the intelligences for my class. For my visual learners I would use images to help explain out my lessons. For my logical students I would give more problem solving activities for them to work on. I would focus my lessons on the benefiting needs of my students and their education. If most of my students learn better through a certain intelligence then my lessons would reflect on that.

Developmental Milestones: The 6-year old February 20, 2008

While researching Developmental Milestones for my Growth and Learning class I learned about the milestones that a 6-year old should be able to achieve. In motor development a 6-year old should be able to learn how to ride a bike and be able to move to a beat or rhythm. In language development a 6-year old should have developing reasoning skills, a shift in learning from observation and experience to move language and logic and they should also have difficulties in decision making. A child the age of 6 should also have social and emotional development. They begin to grow more independent, have friendships that are unstable and sometimes feel hurt when they are criticized. They may also feel the need to win and may change the rules to benefit them-selves.As a teacher to enhance my students education as 6-year olds, I would create a classroom that my students would benefit from. For movement development I would have a music center that the children could use during centers. They could play the tape/CD and listen to the command and then follow or repeat the beat or movement. This would show their ability to move to the beat. To help with their decision making skills I would allow them to make quite a few decisions them-selves throughout the day, which center they want to play at, lunch choice, etc. For the social and emotional development I would give them a sense of independence, including giving them work to do independently with guidance and routines to follow daily. My classroom would be beneficial for all of my students as much as possible.

Youtube, the new TV February 18, 2008

According to msn.com, the average school-aged child spends more than 27 hours per week in front of the television, playing video games and watching cartoons.

In addition to this rediculous amount of time children spend in front of the media, they are now being introduced to the use of the computer at progressively younger ages. Kindergarten students have a Computer Special in most elementary schools where they learn to use different programs ont he computer, pre-schools now have childsize computer with specialized keyboards with learning games on them, and more and more games are being sold in stores with CDs accompaning them to use on the computer. Television programs often include website addresses in their credits inviting children to play on games and look at different things online. More importantly children are being to use the website, youtube.com, to access video clips of shows that they either missed on television or simply to watch the same video their friends were talking about all day in school.

Do we need our children accessing the internet to find videos on youtube?  Do they need more hours infront of media? Or is youtube helping our children become more cultured and worldly.

Youtube has supported this channel to reunite missing children with their families. Other videos teach Saftey, School Presention or Tallent shows are also often presented on youtube.  Some teachers use the site to teach lessons such as this alphabet lesson.

 There are many uses for youtube.com for children, but should they be spending even more time infront of the media?

Does the way children are dressed affect their individuality? February 18, 2008

Research shows that children’s early years is a crucial period of intelletual and cognitive development including their sense of individuality. Can a child feel a sense of individuality when they look across the room and see a mirror image of themselves in their twin sibbling, dressed in the exact same outfit?

In the two-year-old daycare class, where I am a assisstant teacher, there are two sets of  twins: a set of fraternal female twins and a set of identical male twins. The parents of the female twins send their children in identical outfits daily. The fraternal girls have opposite hair and eye colors, significantly different heights, and noticably different personalities. The only thing that links them as twins is their birthdate. Most people identifiy twins based on physical similarities and these girls have none. It makes sense then that their parents dress them identically. Is this for attention? Or is this simply to prevent the girls from fighting over clothing? The girls share the clothes interchangably. The parents of the male twins, however often send the children in similar shirts but never the exact same shirt. The boys are often very possessive of their things. For example, if the wrong shirt is placed the wrong child they will become upset. They both have a strong will to choose what they want and it shows through their clothing.

So then, does the clothing create these children’s personalities, or do their personalities create their clothing style? Do children who have the choice of choosing their own clothing have a better sense of individuality?

“After the age of three or so, children can express their own opinion on the matter,” Pamela Prindle Fierro states in her article addressing this issue on About.com. Why cant children under the age of three have an opinion on the issue? Children know what they like, and what they do not like. Allowing children to choose if they would like to dress like their twin or sibbling only promotes their individuality.  However, I personally do not feel that dressing children alike hinders their individuality as long as they are nurtured as seperate individauls.

Seperation Anxiety February 16, 2008

Seperation anxiety is hard for parents and their children. It can be especially difficult for the parents who spend day after day with their children, the ones who never put there children in daycare. I’ve seen it. Sometimes the parents get to the point where they cry because their children cry thinking that their parents won’t be back. One thing parents need to do is trust the people their giveing their child too. Like I said in an earlier blog, find out information about the preschool and the staff from others. In order for children to grow and develop healthy emotional attachment, children need to learn to overcome their separation anxiety and parents need to help them. Let them know you will be back for them. Know that your child is in an safe environment with trustworthy caring teachers. In my preschool with dealt with a lot of children being upset when their parents leave, we reasure them that mommy and daddy will be back and explain to them that we’re going to have fun and play and make friends. Truthfully not long, most times after about 5 to 10 minutes the child is completely fine and moves on with activity. They see that their classmates are fine and having fun. Remember children watch your actions, so when they mommy or daddy upset then they become upset as well. Other advice we give to our parents and not to be pushy or mean but staying the class or watching outside the door only makes thing worse for yourself and the child. Don’t feel guilty be happy for child and know that it is good for them socialy and physicaly.

What Grade Would You Like To Teach February 16, 2008

What grade would you like to teach? I Tonya would love to teach Kindergarten.

Why do you want to teach that grade? I would love to teach Kindergarten children because they are so cute and fun to be around. When I was a Senior in High School I took an Independent Study course where I spent two periods of my day at our elementry school in a kindergarten class. I came to love the children. The things they said and did amazed me. They want to learn and love to do anything for you like “teachers pet” I work in a preschool with 3 and 4 yr. olds I love them in all but I would like to have 5 and 6 yr. olds. I love to be creative and they can be creative with me. I would love to be part of their development. I believe that kindergarten is one of the biggest steps in education. For some children it is the first step. They thrive to learn and I would like to give them the ability to learn. I love listening to conversations between children, their so funny and make me laugh. Some things children say may not be good and I hide my laugh but it’s so darn cute. Although I do tell them not to sasy those words, there not nice words.

http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=7591973

Many things will surprise you, Young children say things and have no clue if it’s good or bad and you can correct them without them giveing a fit because they don’t know the meaning. Sure sometimes teaching a bunch of 5 and 6 yr. olds can be a little overwhelming and stressful but what grade and class can’t be. There is so much I love about young children, I could go on and on and on. But I’m sure anyone who reads this blog feels the same way I do.

Also while searching the internet I found a website I think will be useful for students who are education majors and want to teach kindergarten. I think this website gives a little insite of what to expect when teaching young children (kindergarten).

http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/kindergarten/index.html if you have trouble getting the website to come up then try ask.com and type in “What are Kindergarten Kids like?” then click on “Kindergarten: Main Menu” You should find it towards the top of the page.

For My Fellow Bloggers and Education People February 16, 2008

Here are some websites that will be very useful for anyone who wishes to teach young children or is teaching. These are great pages to get worksheets and ideas for teaching. I have visited sites alot and believe I have printed out everything that can be printed.

1) AtoZteacherstuff.com

2)Brainpopjr.com

3)Dltk.com

4)First-School.ws

Also to buy teacher supplies or classroom supplies a good website with discounts would be

1)DiscountSchoolSupply.com