Time Well Spent

    

As I come to the close of this chapter of my educational journey there are several things that I have learned that I will take with me. One of things that this program has taught me is to always know what your passions are. I recognize that passion is the foundation for our motivation. The second important thing I learned is advocacy. Through this course I have learned that advocacy does not have to be an extraordinary action. Being an advocate can begin in little ways and end up meeting larger goals. Last but not least, the key aspect of this course I will take away is that each of us are individually different and bring different strengths. It is vital to always keep in mind that the families that we work with are unique in their own way and this should be viewed as an asset and not a short coming. 

    

 My long term goal is to open my own day care and become a larger part of my immediate community by being an advocate for the families I work with. I want to make a difference in the lives of both children and their families. 

   

I truly enjoyed this course. Each of you has brought your own uniqueness and story and I can honestly say I truly enjoyed the differences we contribute. Additionally, it was a pleasure to have an instructor that was supportive and encouraging. I wish all of you the best in the future and hope that you reach all your goals. 

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

       One of the things I have learned throughout my early childhood education journey is to become more aware of international organizations. For example, the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) is a great organization for the community and advocates who come together for the best interest of children’s education.  The main focus of ACEI is to promote and advocate that all children should have access to high quality education. I didn’t notice any job vacancies on their website, however, there are grant opportunities for educational related opportunities that can promote and improve the classroom. Secondly, the Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and Development (CGECCD) is an organization that focuses on childhood policy and practice particularly for children who are disadvantage.  CGECCD has only one job posting at this time which is Consultancy, Sustainable Scale up of Early Childhood Development (ECD) programmes and the Role of Social Enterprise. Applicants should be able to provide a detailed report, examine social enterprise approaches to sustainability of ECD programs within the SD Agenda. Lastly, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is an organization that advocate for children to have high quality learning. One of the major functions I love about NAEYC is that it is a place for both families as well as educators to learn. There are many job opportunities at NAEYC. For example, there is a current position for an executive director. The qualifications  for this position includes fund raising ability, and a track record of working with government, large urban school districts, quasi-public agencies and other non- profit entities.

http://acei.org/

http://www.ecdgroup.com/

http://www.naeyc.org/

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

As professionals it is very important to get acquainted with different organizations that support and advocate for early childhood programs. There are so many organizations that support children and their families; however, there were three that caught my attention.

            The United States Education organization is a remarkable association for all professionals, parents, and the community as whole should take part in (http://www.ed.gov/). The organization is filled with updated information that informs the public on laws that may affect early childhood community. It is a great place to gain information on new funding as well as keeping informed of budget cuts. Current jobs available at United States Education are supervisory general attorney. Job duties include providing expert legal and policy advice to case resolution teams and giving advice on all aspects of program operations within the regional office. One of the main qualification is a five years of professional legal experience.

            Furthermore, organizations such as the National Head Start Organization appealed to me because it is a place where advocates who share the same desire to make a difference in the life of young children come together to advocate as a united front(http://www.nhsa.org/ ).  Lastly, the Food Research and Action Center is an institution that come together to lobby for children living in poverty to have more resources (http://frac.org/initiatives/). One of the things that appealed to me is, the organization not only provides information on legislation and resources that can benefit families, it is making efforts to implement strategies for eliminating childhood poverty. Job vacancies include anti-hunger VISTA members in Maryland and Virginia. The position is for a one year employment opportunity. You must have a bachelor degree to apply for this position. Duties consist of detail-oriented planning and implementing skills and the ability to travel around the state for meetings and events.

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

          

This week’s course assignments have affirmed to me how important it is to establish ongoing community practices in the early childhood field. Through my research I encountered many different organizations that I would want to collaborate with.  The first organization I would want to collaborate with is the Maryland Schools Division of Education (MSDE). Moreover, MSDE plays a major role in the early childhood education field. MSDE is responsible for all childcare licensing in the state of Maryland and they set the tone for the state requirements all childcare centers should uphold to. MSDE is also responsible for many grants and programs that both parents and administrators can utilize. It is a great way for professionals to stay inform with current information. The second organization that I found that would be useful is the Maryland Excel organization. The Maryland Excel is a voluntary organization set in place to improve and encourage quality improvement for both providers and families. It is important for me to create partnerships with organizations that encourage higher quality learning for children and provides information to parents on choosing the best care for their children. Lastly, the Maryland Rural Development Corporation is an organization that assists families in low income areas with resources to promote independence and a better quality of life. The knowledge of resources in the community that can benefit families is essential for professionals to be aware of.

MSDE have many job opportunities that early childhood professionals can apply for. One of the current employment opportunities is child care licensing specialist. A license specialist is the person who decides if child care centers and providers meet the regulations and requirements of state mandates and safety of children. Other employment opportunities include administrative specialist. Both job opportunities require at least 60 college credits and experience in management or teaching. There are many positions that are available in the early childhood field, the area of practice depends upon what a person choose based on experience and their passion.

http://marylandexcels.org/4542

http://marylandpublicschools.org/MSDE/divisions/child_care/

http://www.mrdc.net/

Communication Evolvement

I can truly look back and say that this course has truly enlightened me and brought new meaning to my communication with others. My journey throughout this course has raised my level of awareness and has motivated me to improve on my communication skills both personally and professionally. Furthermore, it was a pleasure working with such a supportive group and each of you has inspired me in someway. I thank you all for your opinions, suggestions, and perspectives. I wish everyone great success in the future and hope that you all can meet all your goals personally and professionally. Please remember that communication is an evolving cycle that continues throughout your lives and there is always room to improve on your interaction with others.

Team Development

When I sit back and reminisce about the groups that have participated in, in the past year I realized that somehow we have formed a bond and a mutual respect for one another. One particular group I was in was definitely hard to leave because the team was a supportive environment where everyone was able to demonstrate their strengths and was accepted for their weaknesses. Those who had weaknesses, was better informed and equipped once we said our good byes. I think when people are able to work cohesively and able to complete a task successfully, the goodbyes can be more emotional. Especially, since you have crossed obstacles and hurdles to complete a mission for a specific goal. One of the groups I was in had a luncheon for all the team members at a restaurant. This is a time to congratulate one another and thank each other for a job well done. Other groups I have been in, you complete the job and you move on to the next. In those instances the team did not work cohesively, it was more of get the job done and over with.

                 

I have met many people while taking my master degree. However, I have not formed a bond with any colleagues personally. At the end of my degree program I would definitely thank all my colleagues for the support and inspiration that they have provided me with through my journey. Although we may not know each other personally we all share a common bond through this journey and have been supportive as well as insightful. It’s important to have an adjournment because you are able to look back and recognize things you could have done better personally and as a team. It is a time to reflect and celebrate your accomplishments.

Conflict Resolution

 

Conflict is inevitable in our lives. No matter how well we get along with people, we are bound to have some sort of conflict in the relationship. One of things that my twelve year old daughter and I disagree with is chores. Basically, like a lot of children she doesn’t think she should have to do them. Therefore, we often go back and forth arguing about her doing them and why she needs to do them. Her argument to me is that I tell her too much to do at once, and it stresses her out and doesn’t motivate her to do chores. In order to eliminate my stress as a parent and her stress as a child, I decided to have a conversation with her on ways we could solve this issue.

 One of the things I learned about conflict resolution is that respect is always shown even to those who are younger than us. Meaning, just because I am the parent doesn’t mean I am always right. Dealing with issues in an objective way rather than pointing the finger is important in conflict resolution. Keeping this in mind, I decided to listen to my daughter express her needs to me. Having an open discussion allowed us both to see our perspectives and respect one another’s opinion. After listening to my daughter express how stress she gets when I tell her to do too much at once, we both agreed that if I wrote a list of things to do each day, she would be able to follow it and do her chores without feeling so stressed. As a result, of our compromise, I am happy to say my daughter has been doing her chores. She looks on the chore list everyday and checks off the chores when she is finished. In the end the conflict that frustrated both of us was able to get resolved because we both made efforts to respect each other and develop a solution that offered us both compromise.

What would you have done as a parent if you was face with this conflict with you own child?  What approach would you have taken?

Evaluating My Communication Skills

After evaluating how I communicate with others and how others view me as a communicator I noticed there were some differences and similarities. For example, my supervisor viewed my listening style as action oriented. Conversely, my husband viewed my listening style as content oriented. On the other hand, when I completed the evaluation on my listening skills, it concluded that I am a people oriented person. One of the things that surprise me the most is that I am considered a people oriented person. Since I am more of an introvert, I never perceived myself as being people oriented. After reviewing the evaluations I was able to recognize that different relationships require us to communicate differently. Understanding that there are differences in the way people communicate is important on a personal and professional standpoint. Another important lesson I learn through this exercise is that communication is a never ending learning experience. Therefore, it is important to make goals whether personally or professionally to improve on the blemishes and strengths we have when communicating. We should always dissect and work towards improving our flaws and building on our strengths in order to communicate effectively.

Communicating Effectively

Everyone is different and therefore when I find myself communicating with people who are different from me I communicate according to the situation and the person. For example, if I am communicating with a child I may use language that the child may understand based on their age. If I am communicating with someone who doesn’t speak English I might use symbols or pictures to illustrate what I am saying.

One of the things that help me to communicate effectively with people who are different is to ask questions. Asking questions is very important when communicating with people of different groups. In order for me to understand a person perspective, it is important for me to ask questions to clarify and understand where the person’s perspective stems from.

Another important thing to do when communicating with groups that are different is to listen without judgment. Often times people are quick to judge when the other person doesn’t think the same way we do. Being open and not judging is an essential part of communicating effectively.

Lastly, being open to learning something new can create better communication with others. Being open is not only beneficial for me to learn from others but it also lets the other person feel comfortable enough to express their thoughts and ideas. If I am listening with an open mind then the other person will feel more open to share their perspective.

Analyzing Communication

The blog this week required me to watch an episode of a show I have never seen without the sound on and make assumptions based upon non verbal cues and the way the characters communicate. After watching the show with the sound off, I then watched the show with the sound on to evaluate whether or not my assumptions were correct.

I decided to watch an episode of a show called “Baby Daddy”. Based upon the way the characters are communicating, it appears that the characters consist of four friends. Three of the friends are roommates. There is a knock on the door and they open the door to find a baby. The look on their faces when they saw the baby was complete shock. There eyes bulged out and their mouths were open. There surprise look meant they did not know who this baby belonged too and they had no idea how to care for a baby. Their eye brows was raised, shoulders up and hand out as if to say what do we do with this baby. One of the guys tried holding the baby. He held the baby away from him like an object with his eyes looking confused and he appeared uncomfortable with the idea of holding a baby. It was clear without the sound that all three men had no idea how to take care of a baby. There is a knock on the door and there is a young lady who appears to be a friend. She clearly had experienced with babies because she automatically walked in and looked at the baby pleasantly while smiling. She then picked the baby up and hugged her to soothe her.

After watching the show with the sound on, I was surprised to see that my predictions were spot on. The only thing I was not able to figure out while watching the show with the sound off is who dropped the baby off. The baby was actually dropped off by one of the men ex-girlfriend. He had no idea he had a baby. The mother ran off and left the baby at the door.

This activity affirmed to me that communication is not only based on verbal cues. I was able to watch a show I have never seen without sound and was able to get the synopsis of the storyline. Although I didn’t fully get the whole story I think I was able to get the main idea without hearing the verbal cues. Taking part in an activity like this allowed me to appreciate that communication can be achieved with  non- verbal cues and has made me more aware of the non-verbal cues when I am communicating with others. 

Demonstrating Competent Communication

Although, I never depict myself to model a person, since I am big on being a unique individual. With that said, there are some individuals that are admirable to me and one of them is Oprah Winfrey. One of things that I enjoy about watching Oprah is she always displays effective communication. She demonstrates eloquence when she speaks, respect towards others and their views, and she gives a sense of comfort when she is conversing with others. Oprah has interviewed many individuals in her lifetime, from celebrities to pedophiles. Throughout all her interviews she remains respectable and at times she may not agree with the person; however she still allows them to tell their story. The behavior she exhibits as a communicator is something I would definitely implement into my own life personally and professionally. Sometimes when you are communicating with someone, you may not agree with their opinion but it is important to listen to the person’s views without bias, this something Oprah is able to do.

Professional Hopes and Goals

One hope that I have when I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that I leave them with a sense of belonging and acceptance. It is important that when I work with children I  impact them in such a way that they are prideful of who they are in this world and willing to accept others for who they are. I want children to know that their differences are what makes them unique and exploring those who are different from them, can be a great learning experience.

One goal that I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice is to empower children to love who they are and to learn that no one person is better than the other. I would love to create a workshop for children where they can learn about themselves and share their differences with one another. Learning these lessons early in life is essential for our society to change in regards to issues of diversity.

I truly enjoyed this course, it left me feeling empowered, I learned so much about my own identity, and I have a greater respect for the differences we share in this society. I love learning about my colleague’s journey through self discovery, their childhoods, culture, and views on diversity. I Hope that everyone took something from this class that they can use personally and professionally.

Welcoming Families From Around the World

If I was working in a child care center and was told a child of a family from Russia would be emigrated into my program, in order to be culturally prepared for this family there are five ways that would help me to be more responsive to the needs of the child and their family. Being that the child is from Russia I would research the culture, religion, and traditions in Russia, as well as investigate how their school systems are set up. The second thing I would do is try to meet with the family to get more in depth back ground of the family’s culture and their beliefs. The third thing I would do is make sure that the family is involved with providing the classroom with things the child may be comfortable with from their own culture. The fourth thing I would do is encourage the child to embrace their own language and culture. Last but not least, I would allow myself to be open and honest towards the new child as well as the children who were in the center previously, by answering or addressing any questions or uncertainty the children may encounter about themselves and others

 As a professional it is important to research and learn about the children and families you work with, this would give professionals a better idea of the family’s country of origin. Letting families know that you have some knowledge of where they are from, will allow the family to have comfort in feeling accepted. Making efforts to meet with the family  prior to the child attending the program opens up dialect between the professional and the family so that they are able to express what they want for their child, questions from both sides could be answered, and you can go beyond the surface layers of the child and their family. Talking with a child and their family about things they could bring to the classroom that can represent who they are would allow the child to have things that they are familiarize with while exposing the other children to different cultures. Being open and honest with children when they are curious about the identity of themselves and others is important because this can lead to an opportunity to show that child that there are differences in themselves as well as others.

Boutte, G. (2008). Beyond the illusion of diversity: How early childhood teachers can promote social justice. Social Studies, 99(4), 165--173.https://class.waldenu.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/USW1/201340_04/MS_MECS/EDUC_6164/Week%207/Resources/Resources/embedded/Boutte2008.pdf

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

I recently watch an episode of the television show” Good Times”. Good Times is a television show that was created in the 1970’s about a black family living in Chicago’s impoverished area. The 1970’s is a time where blacks were seen as an inferior race and was targets of oppression, racial bias, and prejudices. Thus, most of the episodes had some lesson on society institution, the isms, marginalization, culture, privileges, and family culture.

            There were many episodes that focus on these issues but one episode that I recently watch was Thelma a character who is the family only daughter is going to college for theater and dance. Thelma is very passionate about her career in theater and has written a play about a strong woman in her quest for a better life. The director of the theater department has found interest in Thelma’s play and wants to do a production. The theater director is a white male who sends his assistant to review and edit the play with Thelma.  As they are editing the play, the assistant often mentions that the director will like to omit or edit certain parts of the play. Most of the things he was omitting or editing were things pertaining to the black culture for example; he wanted the character’s name to change because it sounded like a black name and his audience would not identify with that name.

            As Thelma’s play began to lose its depth and meaning, she began to feel marginalization, bias, prejudice and discrimination. As a result, she told the assistant that she didn’t mind making changes to her play but she was not going to compromise the play to fit into the norm of society. She states “compromising can sometimes mean to surrender” and that although the woman in the play is black, the play is not about being black, it is about a woman who happens to be black. This statement really rings in my ears that sometimes society forgets the underlining meaning of things and makes a person’s race, sexual orientation, gender, etc more of an issue rather than viewing things for what they truly are. One of the things that would have to change to turn incidents like this from happening, is society’s mind set would have to change. This view of what is considered to being the norm would have to change. The norms in society, results in issues of prejudice and oppression.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

Microaggression is considered to be subtle insults made towards someone’s race, gender, sexual orientation, and religion (Laureate, Inc). Microaggression sometimes occurs as an unintentional compliment. However, the person on the receiving end may interpret the compliment as offensive or insulting. I myself have experienced some form of microaggression. For example, I remember standing in line at the grocery store waiting my turn to pay for my items. There were three people ahead of me in line. The three people happen to be two white males and one white lady. As I stood in line patiently, I observed the cashier greeting each customer nicely and handing their change in their hands. As I approached the register, I noticed the cashier demeanor change and she did not greet me as she did her other customers. I paid for my items, and was due cash back. Instead of the cashier handing me my money in my hand she placed the money on the counter with my receipt and didn’t even give me a thank you. This experienced left me feeling furious and belittled. I thought the cashier’s behavior was so rude. Although she checked my items out and gave me back my change, she clearly had an issue with dealing with someone who was black. Although she didn’t say anything to me that was rude, her behavior implied she was behaving racially biased.

It saddens me that people continue to still experience discrimination and prejudices. It confirms to me that although as a society we have over come many obstacles in regards to discrimination and prejudices the reality is, it still occurs. Honestly, I don’t think that we as a society will totally be free of discrimination, prejudices, and stereotypes. As early childhood professionals it is our duty to at least make efforts to change the mindset of biases against others in the children we work with.

Laureate Education, Inc. (n.d). A Conversation About Child Development [Video webcast]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_2651039_1%26url%3D

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

I asked three different people what was their definition about culture and diversity. The first person I asked was my aunt Deanna. She described culture as an appreciation for good literature, music, art, and food. Aunt Deanna expressed that culture is a learned life where people learn to do things based on the life they have seen growing up. In other words, culture is a learned behavior pattern. Diversity to my aunt Deana means a wide range of people and different things. She goes on to say that diversity is not just about color it’s also about having difference of opinion and being able to understand another person’s point of view.

The second person I spoke to was my cousin Yvette. Yvette describes culture as a way certain races communicate, interact and take care of social or personal situations in a certain way. She describes diversity as a composition of various elements for example, culture, ethnicity, and race.

The third person I asked was my friend Randy. Randy describes culture as the way you dressed, act, religious beliefs, the foods you eat, and political views. She describes diversity as people who are of different race, ethnicity, nationality, and religion. Randy expressed that diversity is to understand and accept that people are different and do things differently depending upon their culture.

After examining the answers I received, it allowed me to learn that culture and diversity have different meanings for people. Most of the answers that were included touch on the surface layers of culture, the things that are notice most in someone’s culture. For example, my aunt Deanna described culture as good food, art, and music. These are characteristics that are most commonly used when describing culture. The answers I received did not include the core of culture. For instance, no one spoke about specific characteristics of their culture, like mannerisms or specific behavioral patterns. Prior to taking this course, if I was to ask myself what would be my definition of culture and diversity, my answers would likely only consists of the surface layers of culture and diversity. I feel fortunate to be able to find deeper meaning and understanding in culture and diversity.

My Family Culture

If there was a major catastrophe that has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of my country and I was told that my family and I had to evacuate to another country but I could only take three small items with me, the three items I would take is my mother’s ring, a picture of my mother, and my iPod with Spanish music. The reason for bringing a picture of my mother and her ring is because my mother is deceased and she represents a large part of my family culture. My mother is one of the main people in my life who taught me about my own culture. Having a picture and ring is a symbol that I could hold dear to me and it would give me comfort in the new country. The third object that I would bring is Spanish music. I am from Panama a Spanish speaking country and Spanish music represents part of my culture. Listening to Spanish music wherever I am, I would be able to reminisce about my own culture while still enjoying a part of who I am. If upon arrival to the new country I was told that I was only allowed to keep one of the items that I brought, the item I would choose is my mother’s ring. Although all three items mean a lot to me, I chose the ring because it a symbol of my culture and heritage that I can carry on me wherever I go.

I enjoyed this exercise because it allowed me to dig deep into myself and who I am. When I think of my family, I just know that these are the people that are dear to me and that I love with all my heart. However, this exercise taught me that my family has more meaning and that the simple things that we take for granted, like learning to tie our shoes, how we speak, how we dress all makes up our culture and is the true meaning of family culture.

When I Think of Research...

Prior to taking this course my connection with research was limited to either hearing about them or reading about them. This course has affirmed to me that research allows for a better understanding of the chosen topic, proves information to unknown questions, and it confirms ideas. I can honestly say I have a new found appreciation and respect for research.

Taking this course has taught me that research consists of many components. There were many things I found interesting about this course. For example, I learned that ethics is a very important part of research. It is important to obtain consent of all the participants involved, that participants have rights and deserve to be respected and their information must be kept confidential. Learning about the different designs was quite enlightening. This course has taught me that research is not just about numbers, there is a process for collecting data to make your research valid.

This course was challenging in some ways. For instance, putting together my first research simulation was not easy. My first research simulation lacked information and I didn’t quite understand how to complete it. However, I didn’t give up and by my second research simulation I was able to process my research simulation and it began to evolve.

After taking this course, it confirmed to me that research is an important part of early childhood education. Therefore, early childhood professionals should always refer back to research to gain more knowledge of the field.

It was a pleasure taking this course with my colleagues. Each one of you brought something enlightening to the table.

Mac Naughton, G., Rolfe, S.A., & Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2010). Doing early childhood research: International perspectives on theory and practice (2nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Research Around the World

Early childhood education programs are forever evolving and there are so many organizations that conduct research for the betterment of children. The European Early Childhood Research Associate (EECRA), is one of the largest research organizations in Europe that provide research professionals the opportunity to show case their research studies. This is a great opportunity for individuals, local government, and non profit organizations to come together and share thoughts and ideas in the early childhood field.

One of the things I found interesting with (EECRA) is researchers who become members have the opportunity to join forces with other professionals from different organizations to research specific subjects on early childhood. These particular members are known as Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and the purpose for these groups is to bring about information that can benefit children and families nationally. Currently, there are several topics being research. One of the topics that are currently being research is young people’s perspectives. The purpose of this research is to evaluate and explain children’s perspective. An important part of the study is to engage children’s perspective and participation in research. This is one of many research topics (SIGs) members take part in.

 The European Early Childhood Education Research Journal (EECERJ) is one of the most impressive research journals. Professionals in early childhood programs would find these journals helpful when dealing with children and their families. The journals provide updated research topics such as, Birth to Three and Outdoor Play and Learning. Both topics mentioned play an important role in early childhood and as a professional keeping inform of what’s happening in early childhood around the world is essential.

 Retrieved from http://www.eecera.org/

Research that Benefits Children and Families

Research as we know can benefit children and their families in many ways. As I continue to move forward with my research simulation, I have been reading up on studies that affect children and their families, particularly aggression. I found a very interesting research article about a study done on first graders in South Korea who exhibit depression, aggression, and suicidal ideations. The participants consisted of 707 first grade students and their mothers. The study was conducted in five schools in South Korea.

In the past ten years there has been a rise in suicidal rates amongst juveniles in South Korea.  Performing a study with children as young as age seven could provide information on whether or not early intervention programs will work,  how early the onset of these behaviors occur, and possible give some understanding as to why these behaviors are happening in children.

What I found interesting in this study is that children as young as seven years old are suffering from depression and aggression, leading to suicidal thoughts. Research such as this, leads me wanting to know if the environment plays a role in the on set of depression, aggression, and suicidal thoughts in adolescents.

Min, H. J., Duk-In Jon, Myung, H. J., Hong, N., Song, M. A., Young, S. K., . . . Hong, H. J. (2012). Depression, aggression, and suicidal ideation in first graders: A school-based cross-sectional study. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 53(8), 1145-52. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2012.05.004

http://search.proquest.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/pqcentral/docview/1115564488/13BD763F08A2D986F7B/22?accountid=14872