Time Well Spent

I must first say that am not sure if am happy or sad! I think it has come to a sweet bitter moment. I am happy that I have achieved my biggest educational goal and that it is over. Congratulations colleagues, we did it!! I must let you know how proud I am every one of you, and of myself of course. We embarked upon this journey not knowing for sure what it would be like but with a community of practice that shared a similar vision, I want to say with heartfelt gratitude, thank you! There is no way that I could have succeeded with all the challenges had it not been for your advice and suggestions and words of encouragement and your help. Your shared wisdom, full support and inspiration took me through some hurdles when I thought it was the end. I want you to know that I am truly grateful.

On another important note, I would like to take this time to thank my instructors. You took us seriously when we began, even when you realized that some of us needed a little more than others. You made yourselves available, some even beyond classroom time, and guided us through with challenges that we would not have approached ordinarily. You saw more than we thought we had in us and challenged us to discover our strengths and face our weaknesses, using them as opportunities to grow. Your positive encouragement and insightful feedback have helped me to become a better writer, sharpen my critical thinking and to realize that I can face the challenges of life and not be afraid of failure. Over the twenty two or so months, I had hiccups along the way, but it was during this class that I had the most personal challenges, almost everything that could happen in my family did. At times it was hard getting the assignments done. I could have been experiencing burnt out syndrome with all that I had to face. Dr. Johnna, thank you for your understanding and exercising patience and tolerance when you recognized what was taking place. I thank everyone from the bottom of my heart.

One very important insight that I have learned over this course, and in this class in particular; is that I need to have people around me that sees my vision and believe in me. Here in my class I have found a great community of practice who supported and informed me, having the same vision for social change and advocating for it in the early childhood field. The journey was long, but it was made easier because of the source of help and strength that we were for one another, today we are stronger and wiser and are armed with knowledge ad insights that gives us some degree of expertise in our specialized area of study. I hope that as we continue to grow in the field, we will become advocates and experts who will guide new professionals. Mentors that will guide others to get up, stand up, and speak up for families and children and whole communities to demand and benefit from quality education and services.

As I reflect on this life-changing journey, I see a different person in me, in terms of the knowledge and experience that I have gained, I realize that the expert I thought I was, is a far cry from who I have become. I realized that the course was not easy but challenging, forcing me to think and operate beyond my capability. I also realized that there were others like me, my colleagues were facing similar challenges, but with the help of the professors with their support and open line of communication, help was a click away whenever we needed it. I discovered a little more about who I am, apart from the caring, compassionate and nurturing individual that I am, I am an advocate who is determined to be an agent of change in the lives of young children, one child at a time.

Before I started this Master’s program, I was very conservative with how I felt about different issues in the field and the work place. Throughout the program I have learned that I have a voice to speak up on behalf of those who depend on me as a professional in the field. Each course led me deeper into understanding my calling as I read and researched, and interact with materials. I    discovered new goals in the early childhood field, becoming more focused on becoming an agent of social change.

My Walden experience is life changing and, my connections are lifelong. That is why I would like to stay connected with everyone, you will always be my support system. Please do stay in touch I may be reached at:

Smcfarlane59@gmail.com

678 830 9615

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

The international websites that appeal to me are; Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI), Children’s Defense Fund and, Division for Early Childhood (DEC).

ACEI is a charitable organization whose mission is; “to promote and support the optimal education, development, and well-being of children worldwide”. This organization was first started as the International Kindergarten Union (IKU) in 1892, and was established by educators who were worried about the training and professional preparation of kindergarten teachers. In 1931, the National Council of Primary Education joined with the IKU, hence the name change to the Association for Childhood Education (ACE). Then in 1946, the need for advancing childhood education throughout the world was realized, thus association for childhood education became the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI). (http://acei.org, 2014).

The association’s focus area for all children in the world includes; access to education, equity in educational settings, quality educational content, and the child's right to education.

ACEI’s main purpose is to promote international and intercultural understanding through much dialogue while showing respect to all people. The members of this organization have pledged to be agents of social change, addressing critical issues in society, in an efforts to ensure that children everywhere are protected, supported, and given the educational opportunities that may help them reach their full potential.

The second organization website that I chose is Save the Children Fund (SCF). As you open the website the most touching statement pops out at you, it reads; “Every child has the right to grow up happy and healthy. The SCF invests in childhood – every day, in times of crisis and for our future”. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. By transforming children's lives now, we change the course of their future and ours. Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with a staff of more than 14,000 people working in over 120 countries, including the United States. SCF says that their aim is to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives by improving their health, education and economic opportunities.

Career opportunities- One position that I found available, for which I feel am qualified is: Education Specialist, Head Start. The job requirements and skills are a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, 3 years’ experience supporting teaching staff, supervision skills, strong interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills.

The third organization that I found that touched my heart with the work that they are doing is The Children Defense Fund (CDF). Their mission of ‘No child left behind’, is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities. The CDF has a campaign going against child poverty: ‘Ending child poverty now’. It was alarming to me when I read a statement that said, “report shows that by investing an additional 2 percent of the federal budget into existing programs and policies that increase employment, make work pay, and ensure children’s basic needs are met, the nation could reduce child poverty by 60 percent and lift 6.6 million children out of poverty” (CDF, 2015). It is heartbreaking to learn that we are reported to have the second the second highest child poverty rate among 35 industrialized countries despite having the largest economy in the world. You can read more about this at: http://www.childrensdefense.org/#sthash.NGXijjHW.dpuf

References

http://www.acei.org/

http://www.childrensdefense.org/   http://www.childrensdefense.org/#sthash.NGXijjHW.dpuf

http://acei.org/global-action/worldwide-teacher-shortage-regional-and-global-implications#sthash.6ABqjHg1.dpuf.

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

Last time we blogged, we looked at State and local organizations, this week we are researching National and Federal employment opportunities. The three organizations that are of interest to me in the early childhood field are, National Child Care Association, Center for Child Care Workforce (CCW) and, National association for the education of young children (NAEYC). 

The National child care of Association (NCCA) is an organization with our nation’s children at heart; the NCCA supports policies that are beneficial to children and always seek to find out if policy or regulation is good for our children (National Child Care Association, n.d.). That is why I chose them, and the fact that they stand behind educators; “NCCA is committed to a high quality, skilled, and trained work force with the highest salaries and benefits based upon the free market place, demographics and competition”(National Child Care Association, n.d.). I really do believe that we are better off because of them.

The Center for Child Care Workforce (CCW) mission is to ensure that all children receive quality early care and education by promoting policy, research and making sure that the professionals and caregivers in early care and education are highly educated, receives appropriate salary and benefits and are heard in their workplace. They see to leadership and advocacy skills development so that there is respect and value to those in the work force (Center for Child Care Workforce, n.d.) I chose the CCW because I see it as an organization that stands for the welfare of children and the empowerment of early childhood professionals by building their leadership and other necessary skills.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is a professional membership organization whose major goal is to promote high-quality early education for all children, birth through age 8. They do this by connecting early childhood practice, policy, and research. They embrace a diverse and vibrant early childhood profession and support all who care for, educate, and work on behalf of young children ((NAEYC, n.d.). I chose them because I see where they bring about the needed change in the lives of children and families, and those who dedicate their lives to serving in the field.

Upon earning my degree I would like to pursue employment for jobs such as:

Director of an early childhood program

Family/ classroom counselor

Family and community liaison personnel

These jobs require at least a bachelor’s degree with skills ranging from: knowledge of early childhood field, leadership/ management skills, experience working with young children, experience working with diverse population, computer skills, excellent communication skills, knowledge of early childhood codes and regulations, and strong knowledge of code of ethics and behavioral standards.

References

Center for Child Care Workforce. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.ccw.org/

National Child Care Association. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.nccanet.org/

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.naeyc.org/

This week my blog assignment was to choose three organizations /communities of practice, either state or local, or in a state I would like to live. When I started teachers’ college I wanted to do early childhood education, by the time I was registered the EC program was discontinued. I wanted to connect with students in a life changing way so I chose Home Economics. A couple years after college, one of my professors informed me that I should apply to do the bachelors program in ECE at another college. I was excited but was turned down because I was not an early childhood teacher. A few years later I got the opportunity to attend an exchange program and was placed at Minneapolis Head start program for my field experience, I loved it and that is why I am here at Walden doing the Ms in ECS.

I am getting ready to move to Washington DC and is very excited about seeking employment in one of those organizations that supports EC. My choices are; Head start, NAEYC and Zero to three .I have learned a lot during this program, about various organizations that support early childhood. I have membership with a couple of them and will join others as I go along. I quickly came to trust and depend on the resources and information that I am able to get from the NAEYC of which I have the longest membership, a trustworthy community of practice. The websites for these organizations carry a wealth of resources, also information about professional development and training opportunities.

The first organization I choose is The Georgia Head Start Association, Inc. (GHSA, 2015) I believe in the work that the organization is doing to provide the kind of leadership that supports the delivery of, a high quality education and advocacy to children and families in the state of Georgia. Being a nonprofit organization, many families who would not otherwise benefit is able to receive the kind of quality services that is second to none. There are 31 Head Start and Early Head Start agencies across the state of Georgia, providing services to over 25,000 low-income preschool children birth through five-years-old and their families. Apart from its mission that is reflected in its work, I also trust its vision of being that positive voice for low income families all across Georgia (GHSA, 2007). There are no current job openings but I will continue to monitor the website for opportunities for employment in this great organization.

          The second organization that interests me is the NAEYC. I believe whole heartedly in the mission and vision statements, and I also believe in their values and beliefs. NAEYC is committed and determined to see that every young child is given the opportunities to reach his/her full potential. The organization promotes high-quality early learning, and they support all professionals care giver and educator that work with young children. The NAEYC website provides a link that can connect its readers to many valuable resources. There is a link that connects us with all the available positions for those of us who are seeking jobs to work for the NAEYC organization. I am excited because most of these positions are located at the headquarters in Washington DC. Positions available were; Communication specialists, Program Analysts, Early Childhood Education Specialists

Some of the required skills listed included; experience working in programs serving children, leadership skills, communication skills, experience in community organizing, and computer skills/ IT skills.

The third that I chose is Zero to Three, which is a national, nonprofit organization that is concerned with the wellbeing of babies in the 0 -3 age range. The organization is a source where parents are able to gain knowledge and expertise in nurturing their children’s early development appropriately and confidently. The organization does not only support parents but is also for policy makers and other professional who seek knowledge in their efforts of nurturing early development. I choose this organization because they believe that if babies succeed, then this contributes to building stronger families, more productive communities, and an overall strong economy. Their mission, their focus is for all babies to have equal opportunity for a strong start from the beginning of life. For thirty years they have been doing a yearly national training institute to meet the needs of those working in early childhood education with infants and toddlers , early Intervention, mental health, early head start, child welfare, parent education, and pediatrics (Zero to Three, 2015).

With reference to job opportunities, there were limited available positions which were mostly outside of my interest.  Senior Policy Analyst, Communications Manager. Again required skills included, experience in serving children, leadership skills, communication skills, experience in community organizing, and computer skills/ IT skills.

References

GHSA,(2015).Georgia Head Start Association. Retrieved from www.georgiaheadstart.org/

NAEYC, (2015). The national association for the education of young children. Retrieved

     From www.naeyc.org

Zero to Three, (2015). Zero to Three. Retrieved from www.zerotothree.org

A heartfelt thank you and deep appreciation

I would like to pause at this moment and say a very special note of thanks to you Dr. Johnna, for the way you guided and encouraged us along this leg of the journey. Thank you for your wise counsel and expert advice as you gave your feedback and input each week, I appreciate every bit of your help. I wish all the very best in life for you. A special note of thanks to all of my colleagues, for your insights, encouragement and constant motivation as we took this journey, not knowing what was up ahead. You have supported and helped me expand my understanding and knowledge of critical areas in the Early Childhood field.

Communicating through our discussions and blogs have been really edifying and educational. It has been a great experience for me as we collaborated our ideas and have explored new endeavors. We have been a team working toward similar goals. This class will close a chapter in our studies toward our degree, many of us will be going on to completing our masters in various areas of specialization. I will be continuing in the area of Management, Administration and Leadership, I hope that I will be seeing some of the familiar names as I move forward. For those wonderful colleagues that will be in different areas, I wish you well and all the very best in all of your endeavors. Please feel free to stay in touch via this blog as I will be keeping it active, my email address is smcfarlane0416@gmail.com.

A very Merry Christmas and a wonderful and prosperous New Year when it comes

Adjourning, sweet and sad

Oh wow, this week’s assignment has caused me to reflect on different aspect of past times good and bad. I have reflected as far back as high school in looking at groups that I have been involved in over my adult life. I did not even remember how emotional some of these connections were, and how they have affected my life and impacted who I am today. Looking back at my group experiences, I believe that when the people in the group are focused on the common purpose, it makes for a harder adjournment. Sometimes it is not about the success of the group but the journey that was experienced, the connections, the challenges that we faced together and of course the outcome that most times results from the efforts of everyone.

I have been in many groups and have made many connections and formed different relationships, but it was my first year group in college, that was the hardest to leave. Going to teachers’ college was my first real experience of making connections with total strangers, people I never met before. (Stage1 Forming). It was amazing that we were almost all in the same position, new to everybody and new to everything. We had to get out of our shells and get to know each other, be bold and put ourselves “out there”. We realized that we had to connect and find our niche. (Stage 2.Storming). We became roommates, classmates, teammates and other kinds of group members, we began to work in formal and informal groups, making friendships. (Stage 3. Norming). We had to do the preliminary program to qualify for our areas of specialization. It was a rigorous and intense year in which we experienced all kinds of emotions and challenges together in our different focus groups. One of our teammates had a mental breakdown and had to go home, we were anxious and devastated. We had gotten to know each other well, we developed trust, respect and understanding of who each one of us were. (Stage 4. Performing). By the time we got to finals, we were not only students with common goals now, we had gone through many journeys, many triumphs, many trials, many struggles and many victories. Now the end of this phase was coming to a close, we would leave not knowing who was going to make it back. Each student left as soon as their finals were over so we did not have a closing ritual, we just cried each time one was leaving. It was an emotionally charged period and it was hopeful and sad. (Stage 5 Adjourning).This was the perfect experience of going through the five steps of team building, (Abudi, G., 2010). even though I was not aware of the name of this process I can identify with each step.

Even though we have not met face to face as colleagues, we have been journeying together in this program for over a year now. Some of us have been in every class together up to this point, and I now realize that we will be saying goodbye in a couple weeks, according to our specializations! I am going to miss those classmates because we have establish a bond, friendships even and I hope that we can stay in touch after this program ends, even for a while. Adjourning is crucial, necessary and needed to provide closure to this journey that we have been on together because we connected in ways that we do not even realize. We had a common vision and common goals in which we committed to working together, whatever it took and we acknowledged and respected each other as we journeyed for success. Now as we near the end, we are reflecting on the past year and I am thinking that it would be good for us to keep in touch. We may have connected for more reasons than this, and will probably be in a group of some kind in the future.  

Reference

 Abudi, G. (2010). The five stages of team development: A case study. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html

Conflict Resolution

I am always quick to avoid conflicts because I know that some people take everything as a personal attack. They would get mad and totally defensive if there was a disagreement on any point or matter. Someone with a more assertive personality would almost always overcome the other by using strategies for the desired outcome. O’Hair and Wiemann (2012) states, “conflict cannot always be resolved, but every conflict does eventually have some outcome” (p.241).

The conflict that I would like to present is as follows; my family and I went out of town to spend thanksgiving with my dad and his family. On our way, I heard that my brother’s mom, who I also love was in the same area visiting my brother, and she heard that we were in town. She went ahead and made plans for us to stay at their house, without even discussing it with my dad or with us. We stayed with my dad and went to visit her on Friday and she was very quiet. I asked her what the matter was, and she replied that we were very selfish, and that she made all these arrangements, cooked and waited for us since Wednesday and we were just showing up on Friday afternoon.

I waited until she was through with her disappointments. I then told her that first of all, we did not come there to see her. I asked her if she or my brother had discussed this with my dad. I also asked her why when I spoke with her on Wednesday evening, didn't she let me know about the plans that she had made. I told her that Secondly, my husband pledged that he wasn't leaving the house until Friday and thirdly, how could we be selfish when we had already planned our visit in its entirety and I that I had no clue that she had plans for us. She mumbled something about her plans not being important because she was not a part of our family. I told her that we were all together now and that’s what should matter, that yesterday was already gone and we do not know what tomorrow will bring. I then asked if we could move on to enjoying the visit. She concluded that it was an all-round lack of communication but she was still disappointed. I told her that it was not a personal attack on her but that we just felt so relaxed after the eleven hours, hot chocolate and brownies and biscuits (sweet pastry, English cuisine), that we chose not to move. We then hugged and went into a friendly conversation, food and family fun.

I believe that I handled this personal conflict fairly, at first I was upset about MS Williams’ statements. I felt that she was attacking me for something that I knew nothing about or had no part in. However I compromised with her in the situation as I thought about her feelings and expectations.

The strategy that I have used is the act of Compromise. I believe that as early childhood professionals, we will have many opportunities in which to use this strategy. We guide the children by offering two choices to accomplish an outcome that we want them arrive at.  It is a winning strategy because everyone gets what they want. Another strategy that I could have used is the win –win situation, whereby both parties have a discussion and come to a favorable outcome with both are satisfied. (O’Hair & Wiemann, 2012).

Reference

O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication: An introduction. New York: Bedford/St.            Martin's.

Happy thanksgiving to everyone!

Communication

It was amazing to know that without realizing it, your verbal and nonverbal styles of communication tells not just how you communicate, but basically what type of person you are. Two unrelated people, a male and a female, a family member and an associate came out with the same result as I did. The number ranges were in the same level the three categories as listed below.

Communication anxiety: My score = 38. My husband score = 42. My associate score =32

Verbal aggressiveness: My score = 67, My husband score = 53.My associate score 59

Listening styles: Everyone scored group 1.

          I do believe that the scores are accurate because really feel comfortable with communicating in most situations. I intentionally try to place myself in the other’s position so that I am sure that I am hearing, listening, and observing the verbal and nonverbal cues. Doing this helps me to interpret the individual correctly, so that the message that is conveyed is received with the right perspective. I am always respectful to the individual, even if their idea is opposite to what I think. However, I do find a kind way to propose my thoughts about the matter.

The test results all fell in the same levels in each category, even though was associate was not as close to me as my husband, their scores were in the same range. When my associate and I talked about the results she told me that she admired my patience with almost everyone, that I looked for the good in everybody, I did not realize that I communicated that. My husband laughed when he handed me the paper, he remarked that he keep telling me that caring for people is my passion but I absorb a lot of their worries. I once volunteered at a home for the aged and he stopped me from going because I try to help everyone. I see that in these results.

If I gained anything from this week’s course work it is this, that we can judge someone so easily, based strictly on one meeting or just their physical appearance. When we form an opinion about someone we tend to communicate with them based on that opinion even if we did not know them at all. We often judge people based on the first impression that we get of them. Given the opportunity to get to know them, is almost always surprising, that they are probably the complete opposite of our perceptions. The way we communicate with a person bears somewhat on how we view them.

          I learned that my self-concept has to do with who I think I am, my thoughts, actions, abilities, values, goals and ideals. While my self-esteem is all about the whole attitude of my emotions, thoughts, abilities, skills, behavior and beliefs, depending on the situation or circumstance that is occurring. Self-efficacy is the ability to figure out, based on the self-concept and self-esteem, what kind of success we will have in this world that we live in (O’Hair and Wiemann, 2012).  As an early childhood professional, I have to know who I am because how I behave and the image I have of myself, will impact the children, whether negative or positive.

Reference

O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication: An introduction. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's. 

The Different Ways We Communicate

A few weeks ago if I was asked the question “Do I find myself communicating differently with different people and groups”? I would probably say that I did not because I would not have given it much thought. Now that I have thought about it, I realize that I do communicate differently with different groups of people. It may be family versus relatives, family versus friend, my Island people versus people in this first world country in which I now live, it may be the clergy versus the congregation or superintendent versus my fellow colleagues. There are a number of things that I may take into consideration when I am communicating, such as; the setting, status or occasion.

When I am communicating with people who speak another language other than English, who are just functioning on a few English words, I patiently put the words together so that I can understand what they are saying. However, it is very stressful for me because I want to be sure that I hear the message without misinterpreting what they want to convey to me. It is the same way when I am speaking to someone who do not fully understand English, I find myself speaking slowly and loudly, which seems so ridiculous because the person is not deaf.

When communicating with fellow Islanders casually, may be family or friends, we get into our local patois (dialect) where we are comfortable, talking and gesticulating with ease and comfort, not caring about the fragments of British English, African and others which make up our dialect. It is a sweet, soothing and unpretentious atmosphere that frees the mind and relaxes the body, allowing me to bask in the ownership of one small part of who I am. On the other hand, communicating with people of this culture (American) is totally different, I have to put on the Standard English so that the listener can hear and understand the words that I am using, before they can begin to comprehend the message that I am passing on to them.

When communicating with Professionals, my mind get into an intellectual mode, where intelligence is in the forefront of my thoughts. It depends on what is the purpose of the communication, are we discussing programs or strategies, or are we talking about improving our skills. I have to speak like a learned individual, applying knowledge of the subject that we are discussing. It may be on the topic of diversity or quality education or even available funds for low income families. I have to speak about what I think is good and what needs to be improved or just the awesome opportunity of playing an important role(s) in the lives of young children and their families.

I will definitely conclude that our communication styles are different when we are communicating with different people, depending on the relationship we have or, the purpose for and messages we are trying to send. I have learned a lot this week about communication and being effective. Based on that I would use these three strategies in an effort to communicate more effectively.

Firstly, I will definitely apply the platinum rule in all of my communications with others, which says “Treat others as they themselves would like to be treated” (Beebe, Beebe, and Redmond, 2011).

Secondly, I will be more intentional in, putting myself in the shoes of others when communicating with them, to try and understand where they are coming from, how they are feeling and what it is that they are trying to communicate to you.

            Thirdly, I will seek out my own verbal and nonverbal communications styles/patterns and understand that they have different meanings based on the different cultures interpreting them. Therefore, I have to pay attention to the culture I am communicating with, in an effort to show respect and to not be judgmental of them.

Reference

Beebe, S. A., Beebe, S. J., & Redmond, M. V. (2011). Interpersonal communication: Relating to others (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon 

How we communicate

         This blog assignment was so much fun and so very enlightening. I had to watch online because we are in a no television period in my household. I watched an old episode of The Cosby show, it really took me back to my high school days, I enjoyed the memories. The family seemed very close, both parents appeared to work on their own interpretation, and don’t necessarily agree on decisions about issues. The younger children (girls) were involved more than the other two children characters. The father seemed angry at the middle girl about something that she did, so he demanded the phone number and called to confirm. At the end the girl seemed happy because she gestured a ‘Yes!’ with a forceful arm movement, dad clearly did not change his mind about his decision though.

For the remainder of the show the characters move from one scenario to another, dad seemed to always be controversial about something, he and the boy came in apparently excited about what they did. Mom and dad had some disagreement in the bedroom, he ended up on the coach. There is a lot of body language going on in this show, along with a lot of facial expressions. The comedy was family based and had a lot of conflicts going on.

After watching again with the sound on, I realized that there was no real disagreement or anger in this show. I was right about the family being very close, the children were loving to one another and were very respectful of their parents, and everyone was respectful of each other. The father was very loving and had fun guiding the children to truth and a good attitude. Mom was a school teacher and dad a doctor, they were both great parents who disciplined with love and wisdom. I based my interpretation of the scenarios strictly off observed body language and assumptions or judgments, I would say even my own schemas. The episode was fun, I went on to watch a few more of them and enjoyed it. Well, I realized that all the funny faces, popping eyes and stomping turned out to be affectionate passion built into the show.

My guess was way off about the bedroom scene of disagreement, it was funny because she wanted a sandwich and he suggested leftover chicken, she said no and before he left the door she wanted the chicken, what I thought was a quarrel was  the husband doing one of his ‘I know you Claire’ act. This exercise brings clarity to my understanding of what it means to truly observe with all our senses. . I now have a deeper understanding of the importance of having effective communication skills. We need the different types of skills so that we can really understand each other. Listening, non-verbal, verbal, hearing, observing, recognizing difference in tones and applying contexts, these help the communicator in understanding the messages being sent. We have to listen and pay attention to what someone is saying to us, body language and other non-verbal communications are important but are not the only channels. We have to hear what is being said or we may misinterpret and therefore misjudge what the other person is trying to tell us. This can lead to frustration and issues with relationships.

Competent communication

The person that I can think of is a recent Jamaican politician icon, the honorable Roger H.C. Clarke, late minister of government of Jamaica. He was my friend, mentor, a politician, an eloquent speaker, an effective anti-bias civil servant and a serious but easy going motivator. He was very eloquent in speech and had audience with royalty and commoners a like. The attitude that he had about him was that he was created to be humble and caring and an advocate for the young and those who are poor.

He had the ability to walk into a room and put everyone at ease, no matter how light or damning the communication was going to be. At times he was viscously criticized and even ridiculed but he would often turn it into appropriate humor, having everyone laughing and quickly relaxed. He stood tall in statue and powerful in speech, an active listener and gentle in mannerism. His daughter as does many, refer to him as a gentle giant as he never intimidate his opponent. He made sure his audience understood the message he was sending.

As Roger communicated, he made himself part of the context he presented, he would never stand behind an argument that he did not believe himself. That is the person he was and that is the kind of communicator that I would like to be. I will definitely model his communication capability, as I have seen how much impact he had on a people, the impact he had on me. He passed on recently and I want to carry the communication torch that he carried as his soul rest in peace.

Hope-Goals & Thanks

       Well I cannot believe that we have come this far together! I remember when I started that I was anxious and stressed just thinking about navigating through and getting everything right! I know that it is because of this awesome community of learners and instructors why I have come this far. I really want to say a big thank you to my instructor and the best colleagues ever. Thanks for your consistent support and encouragement, I could not have made it this far without you. I want to wish you all the very best in all your future courses, I sincerely hope that we successfully complete this journey together. 

      

The Hope that I have when I think about working with families and children who come from diverse backgrounds, is the opportunity that I have to give courage to each child and family and help them believe that they can achieve the best. Being optimistic about the changes that are happening to bring equity, justice and fairness to all children no matter their race, religion, and gender, social or economic status. I think that as an early childhood professional, creating a diverse classroom environment, getting the families involved is hope for each child to achieve their full potential.

      One goal that I have for the early childhood field is, to advocate for classrooms, families and communities to be educated about respecting and appreciating all forms of diversity. Where all families and students are treated fairly, and have equitable access to all available resources. I believe that as professionals we can make this happen and we can teach others to do likewise

Welcoming Families from Around the World

This week’s task is intriguing, we have to step out of our comfort zone and reach beyond the borders to unknown territories. We are about to get as diverse as we possibly can, and host a child from a country that we have no knowledge about. I have to create a plan that demonstrates how we will make this child, and his family, feel welcomed into our program. My new family will be coming in from Republic of Seychelles, which is an island in the western Indian Ocean.

I know nothing about this country or its people, therefore I will have to take steps and do a few things before they arrive, I would like the child to feel welcomed and a part of our program as soon as possible. The five things that I need to do are:

 !) Gather information about the island and its culture, traditions and practices. This I would do so that I can include posters and artifacts in the classroom so he will feel somewhat at home.

2) I would want to look into their education system to see what he will be familiar or unfamiliar with in our system so as to have some kind of continuance for the child.

`3) Find out all that I can about family: Important facts such as the child’s name, who the parents are and their names, where exactly they are from (city or rural) their hobbies if possible. This will help when we plan family night, some things that they are used to, can be incorporated in the activities and foods. We would definitely look forward to the family coming to the classroom to share some stories about their culture in Seychelles, and teaching us to make something that is special to them, like a craft or a dish in a planned activity

4)  I would do some self-reflection to see if I have any biases, stereotypes or prejudices with regards to his culture/heritage, and be aware of them in order to treat him with fairness and justice.

5. Finally, I would have a discussion with my class and their families about this new child that will be joining us. We would talk about how important it is to make him feel welcomed and belonged, and a real part of the group. We would locate the country that he is from on the world map, and talk about the things that are important to their age group, Items such as favorite foods, games they play, and see if there is any similarity to those we have. We would create a big welcome poster of all of us in the class and put it up so he and his family would feel welcomed.

My hope is that these preparations will help the family and their child feel comfortable and welcomed, and experience as smooth a transition as possible in this new environment. The child and family will feel cared for and they may start to develop trust and confidence in me early. This should also give me new experiences as a professional, as I continue on the journey to becoming an effective anti-bias teacher.

Early childhood class in Seychelles

                                            Primary school class in Seychelles

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

Bias, prejudice and oppression can be so subtle and can come from even those who are supposed to care and be protective of you. I can think of many stories that could fit, but I am going to share a personal experience. When I was in junior high I did the qualifying exam to enter a very good technical high school and I scored very high. I was so thrilled and excited as my best friend got in as well. It was summer vacation and many of us went away to visit relatives, I did as well. When it was time to go home I was told that I am staying. I was devastated and to make it worse, I was beginning a new school in the middle grade!

 I was placed in the ninth grade where everyone else came up through grades seven and eight and knew one another. I went through a friendless first two weeks being the only new student in the class. A teacher asked my name and when I told him, he said that I pronounced it incorrectly (it was not so nicely said), I had to insist on spelling it for him. When he found that he was wrong, he smirked and dismissed me. On the same day the math teacher asked me to work out a problem on the board which I did. When I was finished, she asked if I thought it was correct, I said yes then she asked again and I got scared. She then shouted for me to sit, stating that I had no sense or confidence in what I do. Right there I was embarrassed and felt belittled, my whole world was crushed in front of strangers who knew how to be cruel! Derman-Sparks and Edwards (2010) states, “When a teacher acts out of unexamined internalized privilege or internalized oppression, that teacher runs the risk of unintentionally undermining children’s development”.

My dilemma did not stop there, I lived with cousins who suddenly had to make room for me. They made sure that I knew how they felt about it. I struggled at home and school because I did not feel like I belonged, nothing was originally mine. I was often reminded at home of the different last name that I had which made it no easier for me to fit in. In my culture children were seen and not heard so I suffered inside.

I graduated high school a year earlier than many of my peers, because no one went to school to speak on my behalf. Other students who spent another year, (I found this out years later), were a year older than I was but they had representation. Others were in the choir and members of sport teams and other groups. This was a clear example of institutional privileges that I did not have because I was new to this group.

Equity was diminished because everything and everyone was new to me, I did not get a chance to even see the teachers styles or function. I knew nothing about the school, classmates or teachers, I was groping in darkness, navigating my way without a compass so to speak. I was not given a fair chance to show my true potential. Prejudice and bias can be very damaging to ones self-worth and self-esteem.     

For a while I felt like I did not belong, I felt that it was not a wise decision that my guardians made. I believe that they thought that it was the best thing they were doing for my benefit and so I did not complain. Derman-Sparks and Edwards (2010) puts it this way, “Those advantages encompasses a whole series of rights, expectations and experiences that function as the oil that can make daily life easier”. I would have had a better experience and an easier transition had I gone to the school of my choice, and stayed home with my grandparents where I knew I belonged.

In order to change these incidents into opportunities for greater equity, my guardians and teachers would have to gain knowledge about equity, isms and diversity and how they interface with culture. They would then be able to employ the practices to effect continuity and to positively impact the shaping of my social identity. 

Reference

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Practicing Awareness of Micro-aggressions

I am so excited about the new knowledge that I have gained from this week’s course resources, I am particularly intrigued about Micro-aggression. Dr Sue (Laureate Ed., 2011) stated that “Micro- aggressions are brief everyday indignities that are verbal, behavioral or environmental”. Even though they may be unintentionally communicated they can cause harm if the message contained within is insulting. Knowing empowers you to own your experiences, before this class I would not have even paid attention to the awkwardness of these events but now that I have a name for it I am wiser.

Yesterday I had a meeting with a minister and afterwards I had to get somewhere else which I told him. He asked where I was going to drive to get there, so I told him and immediately he went into redirecting me to another route. I tried nicely to tell him that I am comfortable with where I chose to drive but he insisted that his way is better and he stated his reasons. I agree that it may have been a shorter route but I do not like the highways which I told him but he laughed and said that was nothing. Right away he invalidated what was meaningful to me and disregarded my decision and concern to convince me that his idea was better.

When I realized that I was the target of a micro aggression, I was getting impatient and frustrated at first, I wanted to say something that was also micro aggressive back at him. However, I do not think that it was intentional on his part. Dr Sue (Laureate Ed., 2011) states that “invalidations happen day in and day out outside the level of awareness of the well-intentioned individual”. My friend likes to think that he has authority on most subjects and is the go-to person for solutions to everything. I took his advice and it didn't make a difference in saving time but I like peace so I didn't say anything else to him.

I always try to be neighborly in my dealings with others. In that I mean I try to treat everyone the way I would like to be treated. My experiences this week opened my eyes even more to the fact that discrimination, prejudice, and stereotypical behaviors are belittling and harmful to others.
References

Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Microaggressions in everyday life [Video file]. Retrieved      from https://class.waldenu.edu

Here are a few words from one of Bob Marley's songs "Get up stand up"(1979). I just thought it fitted well with this blog..what do you think?

"Get up stand up, stand up for your right,

Get up stand up, don’t give up the fight

We’re sick and tired of the isms schisms…

..you can fool some ppl some times

But you can’t fool all the ppl all of the time...."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u7DL4M0Hh8

Culture and Diversity

This week as we looked deeper into culture and diversity, I talked to three persons to see what their thinking was about the two.  The first person was Dahlia my twenty year old niece, who is in her second year at college. She says that to her, culture is a person’s way of life that is learned or adopted from his family as he develops. This she says included the way she dresses herself, her language and the types of food that she eats. She defines diversity as the vast variety of cultures, and ethnicities that has to do with the many different traditions and individual differences including gender, race, language and beliefs systems. She believes that your daily lifestyle demonstrate your cultural heritage, and that there is great diversity in any given culture.

The second person I interviewed was Glen, who is a tile specialist, roots poet says that acknowledging diversity would be that practice that embraces the widest cross section of people in the society. He says that it is the knowledge that all people has a right to belong. He defines Culture as those practices individual to us that defines how we live.

The third person that I interviewed was Liz: She is a young working adult from Nigeria who says that, culture is what is used to define a particular people and their practices, a way of life maybe. She describes diversity as anything that separates two types of people from each other. She went on to say that it is the differences that people represent that creates a rich diverse population.

The responses that I received from the people I interviewed reflects the some of the basic idea about culture and diversity. However, as discussed by Janet Gonzales (Laureate Ed, 2011) Culture is much more than what we see in our heritage and daily lifestyles of different people. Culture is said to go very deep, much deeper than what we see on the surface, it is more than language, religion, class, race, gender and lifestyles.

This week’s activity gave me new insights into the thinking of many parents. It allow me to look closer into the fact that the families are from various cultures, and therefore creates a diverse environment in which we are learning together. This says to me that as early childhood professionals, we should involve the families as much as possible in our classroom planning. This is in an effort to totally include the whole child and their culture. It is wise to embrace the diversity that is now such a huge part of our society.

Reference

Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Culture and diversity [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

My Family Culture

If I had to leave my home and country because of a disaster, and had to take up residence in a strange place that I knew nothing about, the comforting thing is that my family is with me. Deciding to take three small items would be a challenge but at least all was not totally lost. Each family member gets the privilege to take   one change of clothes and three small personal items.

          

  The first item that I would take with me is my grandmother’s picture which reminds me of her strength and that I have that very strength. My second item would be my cell phone as all the contact information of relatives and friends are stored in that little device which is so easy to carry, even if phone service is not readily available at this place I may be able to write letters. This leads me to my third item which would be my personal computer (mini iPad), this will afford me contact via skype, social media or one of the many over the internet connections, and at the same time I would be able to write and record my experiences. Also on my PC, I have videos of family memories and special occasions that would be at my fingertip, some even without internet service such as my pictures. 

                         As I described the items and reasons for choosing them, I can envision fond memories of my family, relatives and friends and I just believe that the meanings may just come flowing out to you.

            If on arrival I learned that I could only keep one of the items, I would keep the picture of my grandma because she represents strength and courage. I feel that because my family will be with me in this on this journey, we would be able to cope and help one another get through the starting over period. We would have lost the old connections (for now) but building new memories would begin a new chapter in our lives to take the place of the old ones. We know that together we can do anything because the bond is strong.

             In my family and among friends and even strangers, I am referred to as mother Teresa because of my kind and caring disposition. I realize that I do put others first and really do care a whole lot about the welfare of those who are not able to look out for themselves. I realize that I am a survivor who can stand up to much more than I know.

When I Think of Research

          I must say that this was a tough class in some aspects. This is not my first experience doing research but it has been the most challenging. However, I have learned and understood more about research in this class than I have in previous times. I have learned now that research is more complicated than I thought previously. I have found a new level of appreciation for the people who dedicate themselves and years of their lives to doing research. I have come to realize that when you set out to find answers, it involves much more than just collecting data and documenting it. There is much more involved in order to make sure that your research stand up to the test of validity and is done according to approved standards. I have also come to terms with the fact that I will not be going off on some big research projects, but will be armed with some necessary tools to better understand findings.

        
   I can see from doing this class that like researchers, I must demonstrate professional disposition /attributes such as planning, crucial decision making skills, knowledge of appropriate practices and policies in the field. Also important is the need to know about different cultures and their practices as it relates to child development. As much as I like the qualitative research design I do believe that the combination of the two (mixed method) is more useful in gaining more insight and information for better results.

          
  My most challenging moment was when at the end of week three I realized that I still did not have a workable question for the simulation. Doing a research really is harder than it appears because having just a question is ok and it may be a legitimate question. However, the practicality and the time frame for the research to be done are the constraints that had to be considered. All these factors were almost overwhelming, every week there was a new concept and definitions that had their own meanings in the research context. I dealt with these challenges in the most practical way that I could find, I reread everything from the previous week because I realized that it was truly building research competency. I understood that each week is built on what I learned the previous week

The whole field is multifaceted therefore one has to incorporate a wide variety of perspectives when dealing with issues in this field. In dealing with concerns one has to look at language, culture, diversity, family background, poverty, politics and policies, concerns of stakeholders and such elements. In the end the early childhood professional has to be prepared to meet the needs of the whole child which include the social, physical, and cognitive and the emotional needs.

          
  I must say that this class allowed me to think deeply about questions and how they drive research. It taught me about asking clear coherent and precise questions, so that the reader will know exactly what the researcher tend to prove. I want to take this opportunity to thank all my colleagues for their support and huge encouragements during this class. Without you guys it would have been hardly possible. I want to congratulate you and wish you all the very best in your present and future engagements. Dr. Kien, I want to say a big thank you for your invaluable guidance and support, I am looking forward to the next course. For those of us continuing the journey September second, I look forward to seeing you in class , if any of you are graduating I wish you all the best, know that you have inspired me to keep on going.