In the end.....

Our last blog was on the adjournment phase of collaborative groups and now here we are saying farewell to our group members.  These eight weeks have been such a positive learning experience.  I have truly learned how important communication is to become and effective leader and in general when working with others.

I wish all my colleagues much success in their future endeavors here at Walden and in life.  I hope to meet again with you all in the future.  

Adjourning

I  find it difficult to leave groups that I truly enjoy or when I feel like I have bonded with the other individuals. Most recently my friend asked me to participate in this group that was to perform at an undergraduate event. I was apprehensive at first just because I tend to be shy around people I do not know. I joined the group and we spent everyday together for three weeks preparing our performance, over the time we all grew fond of each other. Before I performance we all had feelings of sadness because we would not be together everyday afterwards so we made plans to spend time together.  We also formed a chat group where we could talk in.  After the performance we have gotten together several times for game nights and dinner.  We chat in our group everyday, and we truly have become a family, everyone is so supportive of one another.

Adjourning is essential to teams and groups because it allows everyone to converse about the task or vision that was completed and recap the situations they may have faced.  And in some cases there are lasting relationships built.  Adjournment is a celebration of what was achieved.

Conflict and Communication

Most recently at work we are facing a conflict between staff and management, as I am a part of the management team.  The issue is that we are not achieving the success we can potentially have because of quality and aesthetic problems, and the staff has their own opinions on these issues. One strategy we used in solving this issue is using some of the guidelines of nonviolent communication.  We needed to understand each side of of the issue in a clear and respectful manner.  With this in mind we had a staff meeting to have an open conversation about goals, plans and where we needed to go, allowing everyone to input on the conversation without bias. Another strategy that is helpful is situations like this is the 3 R's, being respectful, reciprocal, and responsive.  Each party needed to be respectful to one another and their positions and contributions to the program. Then be understanding and responsive to each others opinions, suggestions, and ideas. In the end the biggest ideal in solving conflict is to be clear in your own intentions and be respectful to the other party.

Communication cont.

When looking at my communication test results and what others assessed of my communication, what surprised me the most is how accurate that the results are.  When it comes to communication, one on one is what I prefer.  Public speaking and  or speaking in front of small groups often times causes me to have slight anxiety. I have taken public speaking classes before, which the class became very close and so the atmosphere turned into what I considered family like, therefore it became very easy for me.  Recently stepping into a management role has forced me to face this fear of public speaking again.  I have become comfortable speaking at staff meetings, which is a small group, speaking with parents has always been easy for me; but now I must present training's to my staff and staff from several other centers at once. When faced with this situation for the first time my anxiety was at an all time high, but by the second half of the presentation I was much more comfortable.  This week I have learned about perceptions and how important it is not to let my own schemas effect how I communicate with other individuals.  I also learned a lot about my self and how I view my communication skills. Taking in consideration what I have learned I will be able to better communicate with families and commit to working on my communication and anxiety.  

Cultural Diversity and Communication

When thinking on the question do I communicate differently with different groups or cultures, the answer to the question is yes. Communication among my friends and family is different from communication with my colleagues and families. This is because of the nature of the relationships that I have with those individuals.  It is the same when I speak with families of a different culture, when speaking with these families there are so many aspects to consider like traditions, customs, and even language barriers.  Communication is directly related to relationships and understanding individuals.  With my family and friends I am more relaxed, sometimes we communicate in code(something only we understand), and the freedom to say anything that comes to mind.  The keys to my communication with others is empathy, being open-minded, and always thinking about the relationship with the other person or persons.

Communication-Television

I watched a television show that I have wanted to see but never have, Once Upon a Time. I viewed the original episode on Netflix.  In the beginning of the episode there was an introduction using words that outlined the plot of the episode.  Then there was a male character who I assumed to be a prince because he was riding a horse and then approached what looked to be sleeping beauty surrounded by dwarfs, he had a look of worry on his face, they removed the top and he kissed the women. She awakened with a look of shock then happiness and then it showed the two of them getting married.  Their wedding was interrupted by a woman dressed in black, who was moving people out of the way with her power, her face was scowling at the man and women(prince and princess). The show then moves to present day where a woman walks in a restaurant and is having dinner with a man, they smile back and forth while talking then the man looks enraged and knocks over the table and runs out.  She has a serious expression and chases the man.  Once back at home a child comes to her door and by the looks they have an intense conversation. I assumed this child knew her, but she did not know him.  When I went back and watched the episode with the sound, indeed the two characters in the beginning where sleeping beauty and her prince.  The women is related to the child, he appears and reveals that he is the child she put up for adoption 10 years ago.  Watching the show without sound makes you realize communication that we do with our facial expressions, hand movements, and reactions to others.  The nature of this show having the written statements in the beginning gave me some idea of what to expect when the characters appeared on the screen, without this my assumptions may have been far from correct.

Communication

When thinking of someone who has competent communication, I picture Oprah Winfrey. When ever she does an interview she engages the interviewee as well as the audience.  She relates to the interviewee as they are conversing and shares personal experiences to create a more personal and intimate conversation.  As she listens she acknowledges what the person is saying and repeats back to them in her own words what they have expressed.  All of these behaviors make her an excellent communicator, and the fact that she has her own show where she strictly communicates with others one on one also exemplifies her excellence. Comparing my communication skills I can improve by modeling some of these very same behaviors.  I believe Oprah is a perfect role model for learning good communication skills.

 

When I think of research.............

As the end of the course approaches I think about my journey with research. In the beginning I was no stranger to research, but I have learned a lot over the semester.  Especially when it comes to research design and choosing a method of design.  It is important to ensure the validity of your research design, consider ethical issues, and recognize limitations in your research study. In the creation of my research study I encountered design problems in the beginning but adjusted the method that I was using.  In early childhood education research is a necessity to evaluate current methods, policies and procedures.  Research has been the sole way of developing new ideas for the field for years. For myself as an early childhood professional this course has changed the way I look at the field and things that I experience daily. I now think about to improve through research, through studying new methods and theories, staying current is a necessity.

Research Around the World

I took a look at Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) website. I discovered their are links to several websites in regard to research projects conducted in different parts of Africa.  Such as In Nigeria the federal government has joined with UNICEF to train those who work with children in centers on AIDS awareness and health in children. In Ghana they are focusing on creating quality early childhood centers.  As with most individuals I did not think there would be much early childhood research in African nations but this proves that the federal government of many African Nations are making similar efforts to create quality care for children in the early years as well as educating parents.

Reference:

http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php

Research that Benefits Children and Families

If I could do research that would impact families without the limitations of reality I would research only of the most deadly cancers for children, neuroblastoma.   In my research I would want to make extreme advances towards curing this cancer.  The impact of this for families would be huge.  The cancer usually presents itself in the late stage 4.  I would research ways to provide early detection so that current treatments would be more successful.  For families this would increase their child's chance of survival.  I can only imagine that families would be more hopeful with research information like this.

Resource:
http://solvingkidscancer.org/learn/facts

My Personal Research Journey

I have chosen equity in early childhood education as my research topic.  I chose this because as and early childhood administrator I have families from many different cultures and I would like to know how to better meet their needs and how I can guide my teachers in creating learning environments that are equitable.  Thus far in my research I seem to be finding a lot of helpful resources.  There are so many aspects that go into creating a equitable environment thus I for see that I may have trouble organizing my research.  Since I have chosen a topic that I feel will be beneficial to me currently in my career , I am looking forward to completing the research simulation not matter the bumps I may face along the way!

Professional Hopes and Goals

My hope for families of diverse cultures and backgrounds is that when they join our educational system that they feel welcome, and that their needs be met.  I want those of different cultures to be able to express their cultures in our classrooms for other children to learn from them. I want these families to feel like they are no different from anyone else. My professional goal is to continue to educate teachers and other individuals about diversity and creating equity in the classrooms. As this course comes to an end I want to thank my colleagues for sharing their experiences and knowledge with me. This has been one of the best courses I have taken here at Walden. Good Luck to you all in your future endeavors.

Welcoming Families Around The World

The family enrolling in my center would be from Singapore.
To prepare for this family I would research some cultures and traditions of the people from Singapore. I would also makes sure the classroom reflects cultural diversity by placing diverse pictures, and books around the room. I would also look at our menu options in order to be prepared to offer the family a list of options that we can provide for their child.  I would inform the staff that we are having a family from Singapore joining the center, and prepare that child's teacher by sharing the information I would found about Singaporeans culture.  I would also ensure the classroom looks welcoming by making sure the colors around the room are bright.  By being proactive and preparing for this family I hope that the family will see that we value them as part of our center.  Also that we respect their culture and their beliefs enough to make changes in the menu and other areas to accommodate to their needs.  For the center and staff  I would hope that being prepared for a family shows the pride we take in the profession and how we want to meet the needs of children and families.

Personal Side of bias, prejudice, and oppresion

In my personal life I have experienced biases or prejudices. When I was in high school we had new coaches come to our school. One day I was in the hallway and the coach who was an African American female and told me it was good that i was on the cheerleading team, because I was the only black girl on the team. The statement really upset me because in someway she meant to be a good statement but for me it was why shouldn't I be on the team. Though I did not like the comment I continued to cheer on the team, and members of the team became my best friends. In this situation the coach could have taken the time to get to know me better personally and see that I was not the type of person who felt uncomfortable on the team but actually liked to be in a diverse crowd.

Microaggression

I can remember observing an occasion that classifies as a microaggression.  I witnessed a director speaking with a parent who was fluent in spanish and spoke very little English. The parent was speaking little a mix of English and Spanish, the director was saying I do not understand with clear frustration.  The parent had a look of defeat and confusion with trying to explain. The parent walked away from the conversation.  As I watched this situation I felt bad for the parent because she clearly felt degraded for not being able to speak English as well.  The director had power over her in this situation. This is a clear example of bias and discrimination. The director feels that because this is America the parent should be fluent in English.  Discrimination is very evident in our everyday life.

Perspective on Culture and Diversity

After asking several individuals in my life what is their definition of culture and diversity I learned that every one has their own opinion for each of these words.  I also learned that many people really do not know exactly how to separate the two.  One of my friends said that culture is traditions, beliefs and vales passed down generation to generation. Which is some of what we have been learning in this class.    Others see diversity just as differences among individuals, which is true but really their culture is what makes them different.  This assignment really helped me see how unaware others are of what culture and diversity are.  Though people have a general idea, when asked it makes you look at the things you see in your life as cultural or not.  My awareness for determining differences in others as well as knowing what part of my culture that I feel should be carried on to the next generation.

MY FAMILY CULTURE

1. Picture frame from my house that has several pictures that were taken over time with my family members in it.

2.  Representation of my sorority family

3. Bible

Family photos to represent memories of family events, an item of my sorority as a remembrance of my sisterhood family and my bible to represent my beliefs and faith of the family. I would not want to part with any of the items if someone told be I had to choose, they are all of equal importance to me.  But by studying diversity I have learned that taking away all material items from a family does not change or take away from your culture. Individuals make the family, the roles they play, the traditions that are built and the characteristics the family possesses.  The important aspect would be to keep all of these traditions, beliefs and characteristics no matter what country we would be sent to.

Final International Contacts Blog

With any experiences there is consequences; with this assignment the consequences where learning information about other countries but not having the time to do in depth research on some of the discoveries I made, knowing that in some countries early childhood education is almost non existent, and discovering programs that could be helpful in our country that we do not have.


My goal for the future is to stay informed as a country, though we in the United States need more development in the field of Early Childhood education.  Continue to support other countries by supporting organizations that are involved already in providing assistance to other countries.

International Contacts Part 3

Still have not received any contact back from the professional contacts that I made. So I decided to explore the website http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/access-and-equity/. The section I chose to explore was the access and equity section due to the fact that we have been focusing on this in class.  I found the following information:

The 1990 Jomtien Declaration for Education for All stated that learning begins at birth. A decade later, the 2000 Dakar Framework for Action reaffirmed the importance of early childhood by including the development of early childhood care and education as the first of its six main goals.

Participating countries committed themselves to “expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children.” Governments were particularly urged to expand equitable access to quality early childhood services underscoring the importance of instituting policy in favour of the poor.

Countries often promote alternative services for poor children with limited or no access to mainstream early childhood services which can be cost-effective and pedagogically innovative, but often raise concerns about sustainability and quality.  In cases where the government has limited resources, a pro-poor policy can redistribute resources by reducing state support for the more privileged.

I also found that central governments must provide equitable resources even to those in poor living conditions.  A universal system would help eliminate that the poorer areas are receiving less funding and reduce and inequity that remains.

This situation is much like the United States.

Continuing to Explore National Black Child Development Institute

As I continue to explore I found a downloadable document that is published three times a year entitled Child Health Talk. Child Health Talk gives parents and providers information on children's health and well-being.  As well as the NBCDI's publications their is a section where the organizations they have partnered with provide information as well.  For example the Flamboyan Foundation provided a document that was a rubric on Classroom Family Engagement. The rubric provides teachers with three steps to help them build the necessary skills to create a classroom that engages the family.  Another section of the site lists upcoming events/ conferences that professionals can attend. I believe that all the information provided on the HBCDI is focused on creating equity for African American children.

Global Children's Initiative

I have yet to hear back from the professionals I contacted. So I chose to take the alternate assignment and  review the website http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/. 
The priorities of the initiative is in this area is to adapt the successful work the Center has conducted in the United States for a broader range of strategically selected audiences, in an effort to energize and reframe the global dialogue around investments in the earliest years of life. To this end, we plan to educate the leadership of key international agencies, publish and disseminate papers to establish a strong scientific framework for global work, and conduct systematic communications research to identify the most effective ways to translate the science of child development for global policymakers.The second priority is to generate and apply new knowledge that addresses the health and developmental needs of young children in a variety of settings.  In this effort, the Center is pleased to operate the Özyegin Family - AÇEV Global Early Childhood Research Fund, which supports cutting-edge research conducted by Harvard scholars and their collaborators across a variety of fields and disciplines related to early childhood development. With this fund, the Center and AÇEV seek to advance global understanding of the early childhood roots of disparities in learning, health and behavior to have an impact on policy and practice in countries around the world.

I specifically took a look at a program entitled "A Good Start" in Chile where the goal is to improve early childhood education through teacher professional development.   The program also focuses on health of children to improve school attendance. Not only is Chile the only country receiving aid the imitative is also active in other countries as well.

Sharing Web Resources 2

As I have been reviewing the National Black Institute Website  there is a recent statement that the organization posted in regards to President Obama's State of The Union address.  As an early childhood professional this was an important issue. The fact that the government is recognizing the importance of education from birth supports our efforts.

"NBCDI supports the idea that increased investments should go to programs in a mixed delivery system that provide highquality care and education – but substantial funding should also be available to help programs move up the quality 

ladder through both environmental improvements and professional development. Indeed, because teacher-child 

relationships make the most difference in child outcomes, funding should be directed towards increasing the quantity, 

quality, affordability, efficacy, flexibility and cultural relevance of professional development, training and higher 

education programs for new teachers and for the existing early childhood workforce, many of whom have worked 

heroically for years to care for children in their communities. 

As we work in a bipartisan way across the country to build and invest in an early childhood system that effectively and h the organizations 

successfully allows children to learn and parents to work, we encourage taking what we know works and building a 

foundation in which culturally competent staff across early childhood settings are engaging in strengths-based practice 

with high expectations in order to achieve positive outcomes for all of our children and invest in our country’s economic 

future."

The organizations is also establishing new chapters in other states,highlighting the new chapter in Jackson Mississippi.

Resource:http://www.nbcdi.org/sites/default/files/uploads/NBCDI%20Statement%20on%20High%20Quality%20ECE%20for%20All.pdf

Getting to know your professional contacts part1

 I have not received anything back from the contacts I made so I  decided to research Mongolia, just because I was curious. Over the years the economy has become more stable bit for the people of this country the divide has grown between those who benefit from the economy and those who are living in poverty.  The malnutrition rate is growing as families are unable to afford healthcare. One of the other concerns is the government is not doing anything to support those who are living in poverty.  Children are taking on more roles at home by watching out for their siblings instead of getting the proper education. From what I have read though the amount of children living in poverty is decreasing if their was government programs to help  there would be more progress in Mongolia.

Sharing Web Resources

As the we all know hurricane Sandy was devastating for so many individuals, but did any one think about how children are being affected in this aftermath.  Something I found interesting on  http://nbcdi.org was a an blog on helping African American families cope with crisis. The book is entitled Helping Children Cope with Crisis.
"Helping Children Cope with Crisis is an activity book for African American families that was developed by the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), in collaboration with other organizations serving the African American community."

I find this information very helpful to families.  Especially for African American families because we have a tendency to not address things and assume the children will be ok. Children are very resilient but having a resource like this can help them cope.

Resource:

http://nbcdi.org/blog/2012/11/02/helping-children-cope-with-crisis/

Establishing Professional Contacts

In effort to establish professional contacts I have contacted Mrs. Eva-Hammes-Di Bernardo in Germany and Rev Charles Arko-Nunoo of Ghana. I am awaiting responses from both.  

For the  Second part:
I have chosen to explore the website of the National Black Child Development Organization.  I have requested to receive there newsletter and am awaiting information from them.  Thus far I have found it interesting the the organization developed a program entitled Parent Empowerment Program(PEP). PEP was designed to give parents the tools to be their child's first teacher and is geared towards lower income African Americans but of course it can be used in a broad spectrum of parents.  I look forward to sharing more as I continue to explore the site.

When I Think Of Research.....

When I look back over this course I have gained insights on completing research, designing research, methods of research and a variety of terms related to research. When it comes to completing research the design and topic and specifics must be well thought out and planned in order to create a valid research project.  In the beginning I did not anticipate any difficulties in doing research but as I proceeded throughout the class it did become more difficult. As an early childhood professional I understand how important research is to the field, research is the reason our field is advancing and will continue to grow.

Research Around the World

The website I explored was http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php.  There where several topics on early childhood to explore. I specifically took a look at the study on Parents’ and Other Caregivers’ Perception of Early Childhood Development Needs and Quality: A Study of the PLAN-Assisted Programmes in Bawjiase, Ghana. This stood out to me because I wanted to know the out comes of the study. Which it was found that parents did understand the need for quality care and exactly what their children needed. There ideas did not stray from what recent research stated children needed to know. Just interesting to me because education is different across the world and some areas tend to be more advanced than others.

Resource:

http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/documents/major_projects/Etse%20-%20MP%20Final%20-%20UVic%20LP.pdf

Research that benefits Children and Families

If I could imagine a research project that will positively affect children and their families I would conduct research on how effective the current methods used to help children cope with abuse are. The outcome I expect that we can determine the best practices and create standards in which professionals can use.

Research Simulation

The topic of interest for me is children who live in poverty. I chose this topic becuase recently I have encountered a child with clearly defined developmental concerns and he is from a low income family. The reactions that the family has to these issues is not a common one. So I wonder if there environment plays a key part of their reactions. I want to research how poverty effects social development duri g early childhood years. Poverty is one of the largest issues affecting our country as well as many other nations. To my fellow colleagues I welcome any thoughts, comments or ideas concerning the topic.