My Connections to Play

“Men do not quit playing because they grow old; they grow old because they quit playing.”
― Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr

“It is a happy talent to know how to play.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Life is more fun if you play games.”
― Roald Dahl, My Uncle Oswald

When I was younger people supported play by buying me toys that I enjoyed playing with. They also allowed me time to play outside and inside with my peers. They encouraged me to play with friends in school. They allowed me to play with peers my age outside of school time. They also played with me. Play today is different then when I was a child. My brothers and I spent a lot of time outdoors when we were younger. We played with other children in our neighborhood. We played kick ball, basketball, red light green light, red rover, tag, hide and seek, and many other games. We enjoyed spending most of our time outdoors. Today a lot of kids enjoy watching T.V., playing video games, games on cell phones, and computer games. I notice most children have I-pads, cell phones, and other electronic devices for them to play with. I don’t see may children outside playing as much as I did when I was younger. My hope for children is that they will develop a love for playing outside and using their imagination. I hope they will have limits placed on their technology devices to promote more physical play. Play is a major part of my life. I loved playing as a child. I work with children who I have to teach how to play with each other and it is such a joy. I also have a two year old who loves to play inside and outside. She has a wonderful imagination and creative mind. She enjoys playing outside and would prefer being outdoors than indoors.

    

Relationship Reflection

Relationships are important to me because I get support from people I have positive relationships with. The most important relationships I have in my life right now are with my two year old daughter, my fiancé, and my family. I love my daughter I enjoy watching her grow, learn, and teach me new things. My fiancé and I are expecting our first child together and we are excited. I love spending time with my fiancé, he is fun to be around, he is a provider, and he loves my daughter as his own. My family is extremely close. We talk every day, we enjoy spending time together, and helping each other when we are in need. We plan family gatherings, we eat together, we travel together, and we pray together. I have five close friends that have been my friends since middle and high school. I have some associations that I keep in touch with through social networks.

Some of my favorite Quotes about Children

Lady Bird Johnson, former U.S. first lady
"Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them."

English proverb
"The soul is healed by being with children."

Mignon McLaughlin, journalist and author "Only where children gather is there any real chance of fun."

David Vitter, U.S. senator
"I continue to believe that if children are given the necessary tools to succeed, they will succeed beyond their wildest dreams!"

Should Children be assessed?

What should be assessed: Children’s reading skills, basic math skills, and writing skills should be assessed. There should be levels a child should be on at the end of each grade level. These skills are what are needed in life and should be assessed. I don’t feel these should be given in high stakes testing but I feel should be assessed by teachers in a comfortable environment for the child. This is to ensue the child understand and has mastered the basics. I feel a before, midterm test, and end of year test should be given to children. This is to see what they know in the beginning of the year, what they need to learn in the remainder of the year, and what they have learned during the school year.  I feel in North Carolina children are introduced to high stakes testing at an early age and are tested too often in school. North Carolina uses standardized testing from 3^rd grade through 12^th grade. These test determines if the child is promoted the next grade or not. Therefore teachers are teaching children how to take the test to ensure they pass. Some children do not test well and do not do well in these testing environments. There is a lot of pressure to pass these test placed on the children. In my opinion this is nerve racking and stresses children out.

Testing in China

The Land of High-Stakes Testing

For 1,300 years, academic success and, therefore, social mobility in China were almost solely determined by a student's score on the keju, a hierarchical system of high-stakes exams administered at the end of high school. Scores on the keju determined who would be selected for China’s ruling class and placed high value on rote memorization of Confucian classics, ignoring physical labor, technology, and natural sciences.

The cultural priorities enforced by the keju's rigid and extremely narrow focus on the classics is blamed for China's failure to emerge as a military, industrial, or technological leader throughout history. Since the keju fell out of practice at the turn of the 20th century, China has adopted a similarly restrictive National College Entrance Exam, or gaokao. Like the keju, the gaokao affects the whole experience of students and teachers, from what is taught to how it is taught.

College admissions in China are based solely on gaokao scores, and a college degree is essential for most government jobs and to establish residency in many cities (only legal residents may take advantage of social services, like schools, within a city). Despite the high stakes attached to the gaokao, like the keju, it's cited for limiting innovation and creativity in the Chinese workforce. Studies also show that there is no guarantee that those with high gaokao scores have abilities that extend beyond test-taking. 

In his recent book Catching Up or Leading the Way: American Education in the Age of Globalization, Yong Zhao concludes that, "Unless China drastically reforms the college admission system to expand the criteria beyond test scores on a few subjects, it is unlikely that any effort to nurture more creative talents and

healthy children will bear fruit."

  Retrieved from:

http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol5/502-zhao-abstract.aspx

Early childhood and Poverty

As  a child  I experienced poverty when I lived with my mother. We never had the best of clothes or shoes. We lived in many different projects. My mother received government assistance to help take care of her children. We received medicaid, welfare, food stamps, and day care assistance. We coped with poverty by appreciating what we did have, playing with children in the neighborhood, and always having family gatherings.



Poverty in India
India has about 400 million poor people living in their country.

Its problems are compounded by poor health services, child malnutrition and inadequate education and training. Almost half of pupils drop out of school by the age of 13 and only one in ten people have received any form of job training.

The perception of India as a fast-growing economy however has seen developed countries significantly reduce their aid. The United States has announced a 16 per cent reduction while Britain has announced it will end its £280 million per year aid programme.

Thomas Chandy of Save The Children said 200 million people had been lifted from poverty in the last two decades but the recent economic growth had left one third of the population untouched. "India's status has gone down despite the economic growth, inequality has widened which makes the poor poorer. In child mortality, infant mortality and maternal mortality, India seems to have the largest populations in all these categories. We would like to see focused interventions [because] the most difficult areas remain untouched," he said.

 This information and more can be found on the website below:

http://newindianexpress.com/nation/India-has-one-third-of-worlds-poorest-says-World-Bank/2013/04/24/article1559235.ece

Nutrition/malnutrition

Nutrition/Malnutrition

Nutrition is important to me because I have a child that I want to be healthy, I am currently pregnant with my 2^nd child and I have to make sure I am eating nutritious food so that she can be healthy, also I work with children who sometimes go without food.  It saddens me that some children must go without food. I plan to do missionary work in the future and Africa is a country I plan on going to. This information below will help me know where I should go to help and how I can help.

 

Hunger in Africa

http://www.consultancyafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1122:food-insecurity-and-malnutrition-in-africa-current-trends-causes-and-consequences&catid=61:hiv-aids-discussion-papers&Itemid=268

Despite the general worldwide reduction in food insecurity,(2) Africa’s food security and nutrition situation is growing worse. Africa has been experiencing several episodes of acute food insecurity causing an immense loss of life and livelihoods over the past decade.(3) African countries have collectively made the least progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goal of reducing hunger by half by 2015,(4) and currently close to one third of its population lives in chronic hunger.(5) In particular, the Sahel and Horn of Africa regions in West and East Africa are experiencing the worst food crises in recent years - 23 million people in 11 countries in the regions are affected by acute food insecurity and are facing malnutrition.(6) Factors that have contributed to this situation include exceptionally high population growth rates, political conflicts, climate changes and the endemic poverty in some regions.

The food security outlook in Africa is worrisome, as Africa’s population is expected to increase from 1.01 billion in 2009 to 2 billion in 2050 if current demographic conditions remain constant. Much of this growth will be concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where annual population growth rates are expected to range from between 1.6% to slightly more than 2.4% between 2010 and 2050.(7) How will Africa be able to cope with its food security challenge? This paper examines the scope, current trends and the vulnerabilities of Africa to the causes and consequences of food insecurity and malnutrition.

The Birth of my daughter Ni'yonna Serenity Gay

        

On August 4, 2010 I gave birth by emergency C-section to a 8lb 4oz baby girl at 1:05 pm at Rex hospital in Raleigh NC.  She was born 1 week and 3 days overdue. As a result she used the bathroom inside of me and she breathed it in causing her to have PPHN (Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn). My daughter was rushed to Wake Medical Hospital to the NICU where she spent 30 days. Rex did not have the machines she needed to stay alive so I was away from her for 3 days. I had my daughter on a Wednesday and my Dr. Released me on Friday so I could be with my daughter. Those were the longest and roughest 30 days of my life. I spent day and night at the hospital by her bedside. With the help God, my daughters father, my family, and, my close friends I was able to get through that difficult time. It made me stronger and appreciate life after our birth experience. She is now healthy and does not have any developmental delays. I chose my personal birth experience because it affected me as an individual and it really made my faith in God that much stronger.  Birth does impact child development however it does not determine the rest of your life. My daughter had to see a developmental specialist only because she was in the NICU however the specialist released my daughter from her care because she was so advanced. I feel if a baby is born unhealthy early intervention will help that child reach their best in development.

More Information on PPHN:
http://www.childrenscolorado.org/wellness/info/parents/20830.aspx

 Ni'yonna in the NICU week 1

 Ni'yonna in the NICU week 3

 Ni'yonna in the NICU week 3

 Ni'yonna Christmas 2010 (4months old)

 

 

Births in South Africa

 During the birth of a baby in South Africa a midwife, nurse, and/or doctor are present. There are birthing facilities, community health centers, and district hospitals where women can give birth. In rural areas, mothers may give birth in community health. District hospitals have high maternal mortality rates. In some areas pain medication is available for women giving birth. In the USA women can give birth at home and at a hospital as well as in South Africa. Pain medication is available at all hospitals in the USA but this is not the case in South Africa.

More information on giving birth in South Africa: http://www.midwiferytoday.com/international/SouthAfrica.asp