demsandearlyed

[demsandearlyed]

To be completely honest, online school, in general, is a solitary endeavor.  Filled with long spans of reading and writing on your own.  Some can thrive and grow in this type of environment, most cannot.  Getting humans in a room together to challenge and discuss ideas is the only way to truly gain consensus.  Recently, I was on a long walk with my dog and decided to stop at a gas station for some water. A few patrons and the teller were discussing a recent horrible crime and what the punishment should be.  I gave my opinion on the lack of reform in our prison system.  We were able to share ideas in the same space, hear each other and impact each other ideas and thoughts.  

Simply communicating through blog posts that are generally written to a certain script, or rubric you might say, to get a good grade.  There isn’t much exchange or challenge to the status quo.  Which is the only way we can grow as a society and people. 

I appreciate you reading my rants, Peace and love. 

@demrs is my Instagram handle.  I’ll keep updating this blog as well. 

Demetri 

[demsandearlyed]

The best team dynamics that I have experienced were on my first film set.  This was probably just because of my naivety surrounding these types of dynamics. I was under the impression that we worked like a well-oiled machine.  On a film set, each department is responsible for the raw material that makes a certain portion of the film, sound, picture, logistics.  The team moved from location to location smoothly. We all set up and knew exactly what we needed to do.  When we ran into problems we all could communicate openly about how to solve them.  One of the main reasons we all melded so well was our commitment to the finished product. Robin Williams’ daughter was the lead in the film as well, which may have contributed to the allure of commitment.  Commitment to a goal and a craft is the best way to foster the “norming” process within a team.  This is and will always be the best team experience I have ever had.

This is the first online school community I have been a part of.  I can say that the authenticity factor dramatically decreases without face-to-face interaction in a classroom.  Many responses seem crafted to what everyone wants to hear. Or the “rubric”.  Very few and far between have I experienced actual connection in a group or collaborative sense.  Online school is more a solo exploration of what you can accomplish as an individual. So this is a strange question to pose as separating from a group that you have little interaction with is incredibly easy. 

Peace and love

Demetri      

[demsandearlyed]

Something I want to address is belief. How we construct the beliefs we have in life, dictates how productive and how much we trust ourselves. How we think about ourselves has a profound effect on how we view the world and subsequently communicate in it.  

I profoundly appreciate who I am. And this allows me to have the space to be wrong when I communicate and have that be another building block in my learning process. Much like how a blockchain adds data blocks to its network.

I also believe that everything is connected. No one will always perceive or act the same way in every single instance in time. You aren’t paying attention to the subtlety of life if you are.  We all have the capacity for intention. Self-reflection is something taught by your parents. Having a community of self-awareness produces self-aware citizens.

To answer the not-so-deep question presented in this assignment. I know my communication style is much more abrasive and aggressive than I perceive it to be.  Which was the exact result of others’ perceptions and evaluations.  

The deeper question I implore you to explore is.  Are your beliefs and perception even your own? Or are they a product of how society constructed those beliefs?  Do you hold yourself back with perception? Or is it up to internal interpretation? 

Peace and love

Demetri    

[demsandearlyed]

Code-switching is the method I use when interacting with different cultures or people. Which is the ability to mold one’s speech repertoire to match any given situation of interaction. (Ohair et al 2018)There is an amazing podcast on Spotify called Code-Switch. I encourage everyone reading this to go have a listen.  The Ted Talk that is above might give you a different perspective on what Code-Switching can be for different people.  Subtle behaviors can change the outcome of situations in drastic manners.  

For white people that are a part of the dominant culture in America, code-switching isn’t something at the forefront of anyone’s mind.  As a white cis-gendered male, I know firsthand that code-switching wasn’t even on my radar until I started studying human development. As the dominant culture, we have a long way to go in leaving bias behind and accepting diversity. Imagine having to edit your true self constantly to get what you want. 

If you are part of the dominant white culture in America. Challenge yourself to be aware of bias. Speak up for others that don’t. Protect the victims of oppression.   

Peace and Love

Demetri 

References 

O'Hair, D., Wiemann, M., Mullin, D. I., & Teven, J. (2018). Real communication: An introduction (4th. ed)

[demsandearlyed]

This is Obama’s speech from the DNC in 2008. Many have touted Obama as one of the great communicators of our time. 

Skim through the speech and notice how positive his message and body language is. He is relaxed which engages the audience and relaxes them into his message. 

He is very careful about his tone and uses inflections in a compelling manner.  Like a great musical piece is tone is dynamic. It crescendos in the middle to really excite the crowd. 

Truly inspirational communication skills. 

Peace and Love

Demetri 

[demsandearlyed]

The main consequence for learning about education systems outside of America is one realizes our programs are highly underfunded across all ages, our teachers are paid terribly, and the way we test for proficiency only resonates with a small percentage of the population. For many programs in America, the outcome of standardized testing dictates how much funding they receive. This creates a system where resources are continually going to programs that outperform others. And subsequently a vacuum of privilege. Programs that underperform on assessments should receive more funding than the programs that are doing well. In Europe for example, the whole education system is structured differently, with the university being a mandatory and free part of all people's education. Unlike the for-profit university education system, we have in America, which stagnates from a focus on greed and power, not education and mental well being.

To be completely and brutally honest. The more I learn about the education system in America, especially the extremely unregulated and underfunded world of early education, it makes me want to move out of society and recluse myself in the woods. America’s greed and lust for power have clouded the institutions that are here to help people. Schools, prisons, the justice system. These systems have all been knowingly corrupted since Grover Cleveland was president in 1897. Teachers and activists seem to be the only ones fighting for a better world, or at least learning about how that can be done. If the entirety of the Earth’s population doesn’t start looking at money, education, power, and love differently there is no hope for humanity or our planet. Kindness is punk these days. And it’s the one thing that unites all teachers all over the world.

(P.S. All art is original and created by me)

Peace and Love

Demetri

[demsandearlyed]

The center I work for is both nationally accredited by NAEYC and locally accredited by Early Achievers, in Washington state. Per the state licensing by the Department of Youth and Families in Washington, all early education teachers are required to complete a certain amount of training throughout any given school year. In light of this, every month our center closes two hours early to give teachers paid time to complete training. All of the time is tracked through a system called Merit which accrues stars hours depending on how long the training is. This is a direct way that teachers can get together and share and compare practice and theories. Some of the main topics recently have been, social justice in the classroom, what is developmentally appropriate when children are using art materials, and how to create calming movement activities in the classroom.

All teachers within the center I work must have an associates or bachelors degree to be a lead or assistant teacher in a classroom. Pay automatically increases to over twenty dollars an hour when teachers acquire a masters degree or higher. Teachers are highly encouraged to continue their education and are often given paid time in which to study. Without these amazing incentives and opportunities, I am not sure the drive would be there to both work and go to school full time.

Social equity doesn’t really exist at the center I work for, every child is from a family that is not financially struggling at all. African American attendance is less than %5. My goals are all centered around giving children a different perception of people of color through stories, puppetry, and interactions with my teaching team. Creating a socially equitable society takes systemic change that EVERYone needs to get on board with, not just teachers. Teachers need to call families to action to create an equitable future for everyone. It will truly take a village, a society, to both raise another generation, and to change perception to value compassion and celebrate differences.

Peace and Love

Demetri

[demsandearlyed]

Educators, parents, and researchers are well aware of the benefits of quality early education in terms of school readiness and achievement. But what about general mental and physical health?

The Harvard University Center on the Developing Child, really highlights the deep connection between mental and physical health in our early years and how that translates to healthy adult habits and mindsets later in life. In these incredibly uncertain times, societal change is the only answer to creating an equitable future for all people and children.

“More robust early childhood policies and programs must be part of this change because significant adversity in the lives of young children can disrupt the development of the brain and other biological systems.” (https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/inbrief-connecting-the-brain-to-the-rest-of-the-body/)

Human experience and the way our bodies and minds biologically adapt and react to said experiences shapes who we are. How we look at the society, other people, and ourselves. “All biological systems in the body interact with each other and adapt to the contexts in which a child is developing—for better or for worse.” (https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/inbrief-connecting-the-brain-to-the-rest-of-the-body/)

Collectively, America needs to let go of our deep relationship with individualism. The thought that my personal needs, thoughts, and actions are solely unique to me and matter more than anyone else’s. This is a complete fallacy. Human brains and bodies need the same exact things to grow into healthy adults. Nutritional food, sustainable living environment, quality education, and love. When families finally have everything they need to thrive not just survive, love will permeate in waves across the country.

Peace and love

Demetri

[demsandearlyed]

The organization that I have been subscribed to since being enrolled at Walden is the Center on the Developing Child.

https://developingchild.harvard.edu/

The Center on the Developing Child key concepts include brain architecture study. The experiences we have affect how our brains form. Which also provide the foundation for all higher and complex thought and brain function. The simple concept of serve and return, being present with children, making eye contact and affirming their feelings, thoughts and expressions. The very important connections between Executive Function and Self-Regulation.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7feenWkThR0edVH6AAfjrc?si=JaJlFPR2RHCAjK_KA0NHYA

This episode of The Brain Architects, which is a podcast presented by the Center on the Developing Child, centers around how covid-19 and other economic related issues are connected. In many disadvantaged communities, the access to health care is limited, poverty and stress are high due to the environment and lack of opportunity. This has had a direct effect on the number of African Americans and Latino communities being affected by the Coronavirus. The wage disparity between white and black communities hasn’t changed since 1978. For every dollar that white households make in America, African American households make 69 cents. Job opportunity also affects access to healthcare, which has had a direct effect on death rates from covid-19 in disadvantaged communities. Community segregation has led to disproportionately less opportunities for African Americans. How can we start to create communities of opportunities for African Americans and Latnos in America?

[demsandearlyed]

General Mental Health for Mother and Fathers

This topic is important to me because mental health should be a priority for all humans, especially when becoming a parent. The amount of information a parent passes on to their child is limitless, and when that information is clouded by fears, anxiety, trauma, or a psychological disorder a child cannot properly develop the social skills they need to succeed. As an early educator of children part of my goal is to provide another healthy and stable environment full of good relationships and learning opportunities.

But on a grander, more sociological scale. Mental health isn’t taken very seriously in the United States. Long work hours in harsh environments. Constantly bombarded with information and advertising. And a health system that doesn’t support the public without payment, which deters many from getting treatment, especially mental health treatment.

“The United States has a higher prevalence and lower treatment rate of serious mental illness than a number of other developed countries, according to a study published in a special edition on international health care in the May/June issue of the policy journal Health Affairs.” (Harvard Medical School. 2003, May 7)

Obviously one of the main reasons for this is Universal Healthcare. Which dramatically opens up access to communities facing poverty. Studies show that most people with serious mental illness have conditions that start as a young child or in adolescence, but they don’t get treatment until adulthood. (Harvard Medical School. 2003, May 7)

References

Harvard Medical School. (2003, May 7). Survey Finds U.S. Has High Rate Of Mental Illness, Low Rate Of Treatment Compared To Other Countries. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 17, 2020 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/05/030507080958.htm

[demsandearlyed]

Personal Birthing Experience

I don’t have any children and I can’t say I remember my own birth, so I am going to talk about my sister's birth. I was ten, I never stepped foot in the hospital. I stayed up till around 2am at my good friend’s house across the street watching movies and eating candy. I remember watching my Dad and step mom pull a small infant car seat out their car and head into the house. I fell asleep soon after and met my sister in the morning. Her name is Sophia.

Giving birth in Tanzania

In 2014 I spent three weeks in Arusha, Tanzania. It was an amazing experience to see how life is in Africa. So I decided to do some research on how births happen in Tanzania and what I found was interesting. “...Only 51% of women in Tanzania received skilled delivery care at available health facilities in 2010” (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5645928) Almost half of all births in Tanzania are home births! The numbers for antenatal care are much better, but still a staggering amount of women do not have access to proper prenatal care. This has a lot to do with planning and poverty. It is hard to plan when you are focused on getting by, and there are large regions where medical facilities are very scarce.

Sources

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5645928/

All artwork by me

[demsandearlyed]

2020 Resource List

NAEYC articles!

https://class.content.laureate.net/e4c50f3b013b48cd9e7dac380753570d.pdf

https://class.content.laureate.net/cbfc3304b2d0cf4f20cd935c442cc2dd.pdf

https://class.content.laureate.net/629ed2d4073928b6c38e3e3ef0850233.pdf

https://class.content.laureate.net/8c1643f6eeb3f150f5c268f4c95deab8.pdf

https://class.content.laureate.net/4108d4187ce38faa625e6b79cb54217c.pdf

https://class.content.laureate.net/5018c9e7abab0a558f21b756b3b82b44.pdf

https://class.content.laureate.net/e4c50f3b013b48cd9e7dac380753570d.pdf

Additional Resources…

https://class.content.laureate.net/1cee9e2e95393636371d878691f2e661.pdf

https://class.content.laureate.net/4434b07efb90f822e320c3bcc185f624.pdf

https://web-a-ebscohost-com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/plink?key=10.83.96.143_8000_1354509590&db=eue&AN=508122076&site=ehost-live&scope=site

https://class.content.laureate.net/f3882c466078fb50241c0e5d3141655a.pdf

https://worldforumfoundation.org/about-us/

https://acei.org/

Early Childhood Organizations

https://www.naeyc.org/

https://www.dec-sped.org/

https://www.zerotothree.org/

https://www.wested.org/

https://www.hepg.org/hel-home/topics/prek-3rd

https://fpg.unc.edu/

https://www.acf.hhs.gov/opre/hsrc

https://highscope.org/

https://www.childrensdefense.org/

https://www.cec.sped.org/

https://iwpr.org/

https://www.nccanet.org/default.aspx

http://nieer.org/

https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/projects/archived-projects/pre-k-now

https://www.erikson.edu/

Articles chosen by me!

https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/17/11/lasting-payoff-early-ed

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/02/early-learning/

http://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/2020/get-a-grip-on-fine-motor-development

Thanks!

[demsandearlyed]

Some quotes from influencial early childhood professionals I am grateful for. (Lettering done by me).

Lillian Katz

1.) “Each of us must come to care about every else’s children. we must recognize that the welfare of our children and grandchildren is intimately linked to the welfare of all other people’s children. After all, when one of our children needs lifesaving surgery, someone else’s child will preform it. If one of our children is threatened or harmed by violence someone else’s child will be responsible for the violent act. The good life for our own children can be secured only if a good life is also secured for all other people’s children.” -Lillian Katz.

2.) “Curriculum should help children make deeper and fuller understanding of their own experience” -Lillian Katz.

Marcy Whitebook

1.)“These truths about the early care and education workforce are not breaking news. We have known for two decades, since the release of the National Child Care Staffing Study in 1989, that limited education, lack of specialized early childhood training and poor compensation are inextricably linked to the poor to mediocre quality common to the majority of early care and education services across the nation. We have known, almost for that long, that the education level and pay of the workforce play a critical role in whether services can improve.” -Marcy Whitebook

All passion in early education stems from a need to help and nurture people to become the best person they can.

“I hate the waste, [in early education] it doesn’t allow children to grow up to their fullest potential” -Louise Derman-Sparks

“I see all early education, all education really, as a civil rights issue... A childhood that leaves you ready for optimal adult experience.” Renata M. Cooper

Thanks for reading!

Demetri

[demsandearlyed]

My Personal Childhood Web

Mother - My mom has always been my biggest fan, and supporter. She fed me the best food and cared so much about what I loved and wanted to do with my life. This has translated to me never seeing the end to what I could achieve or accomplish. My ability to tackle anything in front of me with grace is from her amazing prowess.

Father - My dad is a connoisseur of art, music, food, and film. He instilled a sense of wonder about the universe and what life means in me. Showed me that a great teacher uses the world and cues from the child to really creat an impactful teaching environment. To this day my opinions and views of so many things are shaped by my dads influence.

My Yai Yai - Yai Yai is Greek for grandmother. I didn’t realize till later but all my dad’s ideologies about human nature and what is good came from my Yai Yai. She had only made through the second grade, but her understanding of human nature and how to live a happy and fulfilling life were unmatched. She taught me to appreciate my family and the people that I depend on. To foster loyalty along with love in my closest relationships. She lived to 102 years old and only declined mentally the last six months. The wisest person I have ever met.

My biological Mother and Father - Although I only briefly knew them within the first four months of my life. The idea that I had a part of me that I had yet discovered was always there, and heavily impacted my development. I always knew from as long as I can remember that I was adopted, but my parents accepted me as theres, fully. I never once felt that they weren’t my parents. I finally met my biological mother and father in my twenties. Understanding where I came from closed a gap in my personal identity, the answers I got only solidified my beliefs that nurture and environment is much more powerful than nature.

My Godmother - Her children were much older than me, and her daughter was my unofficial nanny. So I spent a ton of time at their house. My godmother loved to laugh, play pranks, and really valued having fun. Her lightness taught me to not take life too seriously and always be able to laugh and see the good even in bad times.

There are so many times I draw similarities in all these infuential people in my life and how I think about the world. The thoughts I have now are very much so shaped by the way they taught me to think. And I really appreciate that the people who adopted me, did.

Thanks

Demetri

[demsandearlyed]

So here’s a current picture of myself!

A recent time that I really felt that I impacted a child. In the oldest class at my center I always draw certain things for the students during free play. One day I started drawing three dimensional hearts with a simple shading on one side. A few weeks later I was back floating in that class and one of the more talented artists in the class had drawn an almost exact copy of my design. I love being able to share my art and designs with children and have them expand their own artistic prowess.

I actually have a few images from my favorite children’s books tattooed on my left arm. My absolute favorite children’s book is called The Dot and The Line. It is a story of a simple that wants to impress a dot. So he spends a lot of time practicing differnent shapes and patterns he can create. It borrows famous artistic images and doesn’t hold back at all in the vocabulary departed. Ten out of ten would recommend!

Thanks!

Demetri