Thank you and Farewell, At least for now

First of all, I wish to express my deepest thanks. Dr. Teri, as my instructor, you critiqued my work in order for me to improve and make it better. You showed me how to take big pictures and narrow them down to smaller pieces; the pieces of the puzzle do not all fit together at once, it takes time. So, Dr. Teri, thank you for making me a better educator and advocate. To my colleagues, thank you for your continued support, some of you I just met in this course and others I have had throughout my Master's program. I have learned a lot from each of you and will take what I have learned with me beyond this course into my future career.

Secondly, as I look ahead I realize that a passion I always had in the past, but got away from, has been reignited and will be used as I continue on my journey. I am going to write; it was suggested that I write a curriculum based on my capstone project and I am going to do it. Beyond the curriculum for my capstone project, I wish to write a coordinating curriculum on math using the same concept. Additionally, I also want to try and write a children's book or book series.

Finally, as I look back on this course I realize I am not the same person I was when we started eight weeks ago. I now truly believe that I can make a difference and I have an existing community of practice to support me along the way. I think of the expression "Rome wasn't built in a day" and take a deep breath knowing that advocacy efforts are not completed over night and may take time, but the end result will make changes positively impacting the field for years to come. And as I mentioned above, issues are tackled little bit by little bit, so the big issue you wish to impact can be changed piece by piece.

I wish all of you the best as you continue on your path to accomplishing great things.

Jobs/Opportunities in the ECE field: Internationally

While continuing to pursue new knowledge and gain a better understanding of opportunities available outside of the classroom, we looked into international organizations this week.

 The first I looked into was the academy for educational development (AED). My reasoning was simple, I had never heard of it before. What I first found was that AED has been acquired and is now known as FHI 360. So I continued pursuit and found that in relation to education, there are currently two opportunities in the United States. The first is a research associate which requires a Master’s degree in international education and completion of research projects. The second is a director’s position which again asks for international education experience but also wants a minimum of 10 post-doctorate years of experience. So while these jobs are out of reach for me at this time and not necessarily of personal interest, it gave me an insight into the international piece of striving to improve education.

The second site I looked at was the UNICEF website. I looked into this website a little more since I have had minimal experience with this site in the past. What I found was that the job opportunities available are currently overseas and since they would require relocation which is not of interest to me I did not pursue the requirements for the positions. However, what I did find was a wealth of information I had forgotten existed through the UNICEF website. So it is now marked in my favorites list in order to revisit the website for information later.

The final website I looked at was the site for World Vision. I am familiar with the website and what World Vision strives to do since I was once a child sponsor. However, I had never looked at opportunities to work for World Vision before and when I did for this blog entry, I found there is a need for a grants officer for All Children Reading. I thought wow, children, reading (which connects to the literacy capstone project I have created), and World Vision, I have to check this out. Unfortunately, I do not have any experience in completing the tasks required for the position nor do I meet the requirements of the position. But knowing this organization is working on tasks such as this will make me stay more abreast of the global happenings through this organization.

The opportunities are available if we want them, or know of others who may be influential.

Jobs/roles in the ECE community: National level

As I thought about the roles I would like to have, I thought of national organizations I would like to join. The first, is the national association for the education of young children, NAEYC. I have accessed the website, www.naeyc.org, several times throughout my different courses and teaching career for information. While an excellent source for information for research purposes or help in the classroom, they also offer the opportunity to purchase resources and join the NAEYC. More specifically, however, is that there are job opportunities with the NAEYC which would all require a relocation to Washington, D.C. A need exists for a lawyer, a project manager, coordinators in different areas, and a human resources (HR) generalist. While I do not qualify at all for the lawyer position, if I had experience operating a team or being in charge of adults, there are coordinator positions with my masters degree for which I could apply. The HR position requires HR experience and experience working within an organization so I am not qualified for it at all. The NAEYC is an organization I would like to become actively involved with and one day maybe even work for as the desire of the organization is to further enhance the success of learning for young children.

As I have looked into and become more aware of the children's defense fund, www.childrensdefense.org,  through different courses, I browsed the website once more for this assignment. What I found was that while the national office location is in Washington, D.C. there are other offices located throughout the United States for more local, regional access. The positions available within the children's defense fund require administrative experience which I do not possess and all would require relocation to the office where the job is held. What I am finding is that the positions within organizations require more experience with adults and management then children. So it brings the question to mind how can one acquire experience with adults if like myself, we prefer working with children?

Finally, I looked into the United States department of education. For our country, I believe working with the national department of education could be rewarding, knowing that what you are doing is impacting the lives of children and families throughout the nation. The research analyst position requires a doctorate degree and although for the education requirement for the program specialist I thought I met, once previewing the questions to determine how qualified for the position a candidate is, I realized I did not meet the expectation of writing proposals and speeches. More information can be found at, www.ed.gov.

Of the three, the NAEYC would be the most likely organization I could become a part of to change the field of early childhood.

Exploring roles in the ECE community: Local and state levels

As I have thought about my program coming to an end and how much I want to help advocate for change, I thought about organizations that already exist to promote change. While on the national level, I would like to join organizations like NAEYC, we were asked to find some closer to home and I thought of one I was already a part of, one I found during a previous course, and one my mom was just a delegate for this summer at a national convention.

            The first is found at www.nieer.org. It is the national institute for early education research and strives to connect educators, politicians, and writers to promote positive successful change in early childhood. While a national institute, it is located here where I live in NJ at Rutgers University. Having such a vast array of resources through this site locally may give me an outlet to turn to for references to enhance my ability to advocate effectively for early childhood and children here in the state of New Jersey. Currently I did find out they are looking for data collectors. It is a position for graduate students who can be flexible. With the research source I have available to me through NIEER, it will allow me to connect with the next organization more effectively I believe.

            The second organization I found is advocates for children of New Jersey. This site allows for those who browse the site to make donations, sign up for monthly newsletters, become a part of “action alerts” allowing you to send letters directly to officials on issues, connect through social media, and spread the word through family and friends. Through this site, I can find out what issues are already being addressed here in New Jersey and what avenues I can use to advocate for the concerns and issues I have for early childhood. Currently at this time I was unable to find any current job opportunities but was able to find a list of positions with background information on those who hold the positions as well as a board of trustees list. While both of these would be useful to me and contacting current members of both to join my CoP to further enhance the reach of my goal, the one with members closest to me I believe is the last one I found.

            The New Jersey Educators Association, or NJEA, has members local to my community’s school district, has regional members, and members who represent the state. As I looked through the site, I found the NJEA is currently in need of a variety of positions to be filled. Although I would like to make a difference, the positions NJEA needs requires more public policy and advocacy experience as well as more experience working with professional development of fellow educators which I do not possess. However, I do know that the NJEA has delegates that attend a national convention and vote on issues affecting education nationally. My mom recently went this summer with a fellow teacher in our local district to represent at the convention held in Atlanta. The one downfall I have found about NJEA is unfortunately at present members must either be in college or work in a public school, so someone like myself who was employed at a private preschool is ineligible to join.

            All of these resources could enhance the advocacy opportunities I wish to pursue. In addition, connecting with members of each of these organizations as a part of my CoP will give me more support for the issues I hope to change.

References

www.acnj.org
www.nieer.org
www.njea.org

Looking Back

As I look back the one thing that I have not done yet, but desire to do in order to stay more abreast of early childhood happenings is join at least one professional organization. I want to use my knowledge and what I have learned to impact the early childhood field.

Thinking about learning and sharing within a community of educators as we have done for the last eight weeks leaves me thinking about a lot. First, as we learn and grow together we become more aware that we are not alone and when we work together we can accomplish so much more. Secondly, working together enhances the number of voices heard in regards to an issue. While one voice and one person can make a difference, if there is a larger group effort to achieve the same, the voices combined together will get more attention. Finally, one a negative note working together can sometimes lead to different personalities and opinions clashing. When this happens all parties involved lose.

We need to work together as educators, on similar issues, to work better together to impact the early childhood field.

My Hypothetical Family situation

As a current teacher, English speaking, and married to a wonderful man, we have just found out that the child we will have is going to be born with Down Syndrome. For those who may not know, it is a condition where a child is born with an extra copy of chromosome 21. While services are available, and treatment is available my child will be subject to other medical conditions a 'normal' child will not. Each child born with Down Syndrome exhibits different characteristics, both physically and cognitively. Thus from family members to community members to educators, all involved in my life will now need to be aware and understanding of the differences between them and my child. But don't count my child out on anything! As an educator, luckily my husband's job will allow for me to stay home and my child will be taken care of in our home by myself and whatever therapists he may need. My family and I, as well as my child, will need health services, support services, and early learning and development services to insure our child and family are receiving the best possible care. Without my income once our child is born, while we are currently able to afford for me to stay home, it will change our economic situation. I have also come to learn that in our area that not many know about Down Syndrome so I will now become an advocate in our area to raise the awareness of Down Syndrome and how although it can change the appearance and cognitive ability of my child it will not prevent my child from being an active member of society.

My hope and goal, as is that of my husband, is in having a child with Down Syndrome coming in the next few months, we will not only raise awareness of Down Syndrome but of children with all different kinds of special needs in order to make our community more accepting of the differences among us in a positive manner.

* All information gathered was found from the National Down Syndrome Society retrieved from http://www.ndss.org/Down-Syndrome/Down-Syndrome-Facts/

Political Will to Improve Early Childhood Systems

This week, and last, I enjoyed learning more about the Kindergarten strand of the Early Childhood system since I prepare my students for Kindergarten. What I have learned over the last few years is that the Pre-Kindergarten I teach today is the Kindergarten from when I went to school. I enjoyed learning last week that the Kindergarten program here in my current state is changing to become more play oriented and self monitoring. However, unfortunately the low income status in my current location is still a barrier to overcome in regards to the partnerships and abilities of families and educators to work together for learning purposes.

On the other hand, within the strand I teach (Early care and education) my concern still remains to be the issue of salary and benefits when private sectors are compared to public sectors. If both sectors had educators compensated equally with money and benefits, such as insurance, then more high quality programs would be available for educators and children.

Parent, Family, and Community Engagement

The videos viewed this week gave the reminder that parents are a child's first teacher. When families and teachers can work together for the betterment of the children involved all will benefit. Through community involvement which provides services to families as well as additional means of support for teachers, tie all of those immediately involved with the children we teach together. On a professional level if families, communities, and teachers work together for the betterment of children, the learning opportunities a child experiences could be endless. On a personal level in my classroom I have always tried to keep lines of communication open and parents involved. As I am learning more about advocating for children, the reminders given through the testimonies this week, if I can get parents, families, and community members to be a part of my classroom, then I could get them 'on board' in support of an issue I am advocating for thus increasing the voices behind the issue. All parties benefit in multiple ways when we work together for the children in our lives.

Public Opinion

As I reflect on the multimedia presentation from this week and think of the 'current state of early childhood' my thought is people in the United States currently believe if they have no children or their children are grown, early childhood is not of importance to them. What I feel a lot of people do not realize is the importance of a person's life from birth to age 8. A child's future educational career, place in society, choice of job, etc. can all be impacted one way or another based on their early childhood. Therefore, as an advocate I need to work with other advocates, or on my own if I must, to raise awareness of how early childhood now will impact our society later.

If awareness can be raised and more people see the impact of the difference early childhood makes, more stakeholders will support early childhood, laws will change, and lives will be enriched.

What Resonates?

As I think about my why, I think about the children I teach. I love making a difference in the lives of children. I enjoy teaching children at the age of four because I consider it a 'border year' between preschool and Kindergarten. It could be a make or break year for some as I strive to insure each child is 'ready' for Kindergarten.

While I am not sure about an area or areas of advocacy just yet, I have looked at high quality preschool programs and their characteristics. For me personally, where I currently teach at a local daycare making an hourly wage with no health benefits, in my previous course, I focused on equal compensation between programs for educators. If we could provide funding for educators regardless of location to be compensated equally, the turnover would lessen, more educators could open more positions, thus more children would be reached and taught and the less children that would be lacking skills going into school.

 I hope as this is the last course I have before my capstone, that I can find an area or area(s) I truly want to focus on, increase my knowledge allowing me to be more effective in the classroom, and grow personally as well as professionally through the next eight weeks.

Profile of a Volunteer

As I thought about this week's topic I could not help but think about Mother Teresa. She is always a woman that is thought of positively and fondly because of her willingness to help others. I believe that Mother Teresa was truly selfless in that she wanted to help the poor and needy. She gave of her time, her resources, and of her whole self. The expression it is better to give than to receive comes to mind when I think of Mother Teresa because she always gave.

The expression holds true, I have always felt better giving than receiving.

I do not feel though that everyone has to give as Mother Teresa did, any little amount of time you can donate to a cause is worth more than not giving at all. You could volunteer at a soup kitchen, donate to a clothing drive, go into a school and read to children in different classrooms, donate time with an organization like Habitat for Humanity.  Volunteer opportunities while contingent on time available and interests are not focused on ability because with the range of options each person who has the chance to give back through volunteering can.

One could even advocate through volunteer opportunities which shows that it doesn't matter the how you give, as long as you find a cause and support the why.

Using Social Media to Get Connected

As I thought about social media, I thought of Facebook, Twitter, and Skype. However, the first media method across the internet was email (so even though it may not be considered social media I group it here too). I use email and Facebook daily, most of the time more than once a day especially since I have both on my phone. Therefore, using email and Facebook as tools for effective advocacy would be ideal. I could reach those I have email addresses for through the email route and a post on Facebook may be seen from my page to those on my friends list, but could then be shared by my friends' and then their friends' pages and so on. This would spread the word faster than just connecting with those I know. The faster I can provide more knowledge of the issue and make contacts to support the cause it could hopefully mean the faster there is change. Change means making things better for children and their families. Change also means making the field of early childhood more recognized.

Advocacy Messages

Wow. As I looked over the site, www.adcouncil.org, I could not help but notice the number of advocacy messages out there right now.

The first I chose is "you don't have to be perfect to be a perfect parent." This message is in regard the large number of children in the foster care system, and those within the system waiting to be adopted. I have always said that a child's family can be our biggest supporter as educators and families can be our best partners. Additionally, I currently know of children who are in the foster care system waiting to be adopted by the families that take care of them so it is a matter that 'hits home' for me. Children, no matter their ages, need to know they are loved, cared for, and supported. Those children that get 'bounced around' from place to place do not have that stability and may not feel they are loved and supported thus leading to difficulties in the classroom. Through this campaign and the website, www.adoptuskids.org, more attention and awareness is given to foster care and adoption which will hopefully lead to more children being placed in loving caring supportive family environments.

The second I chose is "every beat matters." This campaign is to raise awareness of the significance of health care for children under the age of 5. When I read about this campaign, my heart broke. To know that a child becomes sick and dies before getting to experience life because there is not adequate health care or the family cannot afford adequate health care is alarming. I am definitely in support of what the campaign hopes to do by providing training for health care related issues to people within the community. It is the hope, of the campaign and now myself, that with more people within the communities trained on the health care related issues there will be less children losing life.

Finally I chose the campaign for parents to seek information from autismspeaks.org. The increased number of children being diagnosed with autism should encourage us all to become more aware of the signs because as with any disorder, the early we can detect and intervene to help the child on the autism spectrum the better off in the long run the child will become.

What I have learned a lot already through this course is how many significant advocacy efforts are already under way. I hope to become a part of the advocacy campaigns mentioned above, become a part of others not mentioned, create my own advocacy campaign, or a combination of all. Making a difference in the life of at least one child is why I got into this profession to begin with so if I could make a change that would impact lots of children that would be even better.

My Own Capacity

As I consider my own abilities I reflect on why it is I am in this profession. I have always wanted to make a difference in the life of a child so I became an early childhood teacher. When I first began teaching I did not, and am still not sure, I truly understand the capacity I have within my reach to make a difference. Thinking about topics and how I could make a difference I looked at my own personal situation. What I have found is there is not a set curriculum or skills to be acquired in Pre-Kindergarten in my current state. While there are teaching and learning standards, I do not believe all programs follow them or use them. I have learned this through the different programs I have worked in over the last six years. So one topic I am interested in is developing a set of standards and curriculum to follow for Pre-Kindergarten so that each child ,not just in the state of New Jersey but the nation, who attends a Pre-Kindergarten program enters Kindergarten on a level playing field. Additionally, if a child for whatever reason does not attend a Pre-Kindergarten program the set standards for skills children must have for Kindergarten should be made available to parents in order for families to equally prepare.

Another issue I have come across is how private centers would like, and sometimes require, teachers to have Bachelor's degrees but only want to pay an hourly rate. Insurance benefits and retirement have to be paid in large part, or in whole, by the employee. On the other hand, public systems have a minimum of a Bachelor's degree with certification requirement and pay a salary to teachers. In addition to salaries, public systems offer benefits and retirement paid for by the state.

I would hope that my personal experiences with both of these issues would give me the opportunity to have an adequate footing to stand upon for these issues. My sincere love of children and priceless enjoyment over watching the 'light bulb moments' when they learn new things drives me to continue in this field. I want to grow as an effective educator to continue to influence the lives of the children I come in contact with but also I want to learn and grow in order to change the field of early childhood for generations to come.

My Role as an Advocate

Just like my motivation to become a teacher, my desire to become an advocate stems from my passion to make a difference in the lives of children I come in contact with on a daily basis. What I am learning about advocacy has allowed me to see that no matter how big or small the issue may be, there is always the possibility to make a difference. So it is important to acknowledge issues already addressed, changes already made, and current advocacy efforts in motion to be able to increase awareness and support of the issues at hand while not repeating the same exact issues that have already created change. While I believe being an educator has already put me in a leadership role of sorts, I also believe that anyone with the passion and desire to make a change to make a difference can become a leader within the community. Leaders must understand current problems within their community or state, research information on the topics, share the information with others within the community or state, and form a plan of action in which to address the proposed solution(s) to the problem to turn an issue into a change to make a difference. To move beyond the community to the state level, I believe one must know who the elected officials are, how best to contact them, and have some understanding of how the political system works.

As I identify issues I am passionate about and wish to use the issues to make changes within the field I would share my plans with my colleagues, my community, my family and friends in hopes of increasing the number of us working for the changes needed to make a difference in the field of early childhood. This is also the same advice I would give to anyone wishing to make a difference or a change in any area. If you are passionate about an issue, have a desire to create change and make a difference, do the research, make a proposed plan for solutions, contact others who may be interested in joining your cause, and then take your proposal to the legislators. I have learned that just one person can make a difference. If all of us strive for change, differences will be made and lives will be improved.

Personal Advocacy Reflection

As I think about items I read in the course text over the past couple of weeks, I am hoping that the situation I share is one of advocacy. I began working in the preschool I am now last year in January. This year around October or November I had a little girl come into my class. Through the first couple weeks she was there I learned that mom only  worked on the weekend and dad had just started working a full time job through the week. Mom shared with me that she was concerned her children would not have a Christmas. I happen to know someone who ‘adopts’ a family for Christmas and asked if a family had already been selected and was told no. So I shared the situation of the family of the little girl in my classroom. Her family was adopted for Christmas, the little girl in my class and her two brothers each received a new coat, two outfits, and two toys apiece using a list I asked for from the mom. The parent in my class was thrilled, I received pictures and the children were excited, and the individual I know was pleased the gifts went to a good home.

 If this is a small taste of what it is like to advocate for a cause then I look forward with great anticipation to finding a cause in the field to advocate for and making changes.

A New Course Begins

As we continue on this journey I am looking forward to this course. As the pursuit of my Masters degree draws to a close with the courses specific for advocacy, I hope my knowledge increases and my ability to be more effective improves. I hope that as we work over the next eight weeks we will learn from our course materials and each other. My wish is for us all to have continued success as we strive to make a difference in the lives of the children we teach and the families who support them.

Good Luck

As the course draws to a close I wish to express my deepest gratitude to my fellow colleagues and instructors. I have learned a lot from each one of you and have grown in my professional development and growth. While some of us will depart ways here as others continue on together for the remainder of our journey my hope is that each one of you acquire the knowledge and skills you are looking for and use them to promote change in our early childhood field. I would love to keep in contact as we embark on the remainder of our journey, so if there is anything I can do to support any of you please feel free to contact me via email at heidi.doughty@waldenu.edu . I wish each of you the best and good luck in all of your future endeavors.

Team Development

I have to be honest and say that right now, even though I have spent all week thinking about it, I cannot think of a group that was hard for me to leave. I learned something from each group I was a part of, based either on how much harder I had to work to make up for those that didn't or who I didn't think would work but yet they did. I gained different insights from a group project than those given by the teacher of the class as we often had to go beyond what we knew. Group experiences that I can recall were not positive experiences for me, except when I could be a part of a group of my choice in which case I was a part of a group I was friends with, so there was no good-bye stage.

For this Master's degree program, as each course closes, I have thanked each group of colleagues I have worked with and wished them all well. I believe that I will continue to do this as each course ends bringing each of us closer to completion. I think the adjourning stage of team development provides closure but unfortunately for me a lot of the groups I was a part of never fully made it through the five stages and members were just grateful to not have to work with each other any longer.

Conflict Resolution

As I thought about this post, I thought about a parental conflict I had the third year I taught. The parents did not believe I was in the right profession as a teacher, believed I was singling their child out, and felt their child could do no wrong. As I reflected back, I realized that some of the nonviolent communication methods mentioned this week by Dr. Rosenberg may have helped. However, it lead me to question what do you do when you are speaking to someone who is not willing to budge or compromise at all and nothing you say or do changes the other person's stand? I like the idea of the 3 Rs and the nonviolent approach that Dr. Rosenberg described this week and I am going to attempt to implement them in the communications I have from here on whether in my personal life or in my professional life. What I have learned this week will change how I approach communication with others, however I am just not sure about others I communicate with who are not willing to compromise.

Communication Perception

As I began this week, I thought my communication skills would not surprise me. However, I was wrong. While myself, my mom, and a colleague rated my verbal aggressiveness and listening style in the same manner, each of us rated my anxiety about communication differently. I myself scored in the moderate range, while mom scored me in the mild range, and my co-worker scored me in the low range. I believe this could be because the only place my colleague sees me communicate is at work whereas my mom has seen me communicate in various places. It gives me comfort to know that my colleague has faith in my communication ability on a professional level. My mom, who has seen me in professional and personal situations, knows I will communicate and make my point when necessary. Through this exercise, I have learned that, especially based on the perceptions of others, that I may be more comfortable communicating than I give myself credit for at times. It has also made me more aware of areas in which I hope to improve.

Intercultural Communication

I have to admit that yes I communicate differently with people of other cultures, especially those who speak a different language. I often find myself speaking slower, drawing pictures with my hands to attempt to assist the other person I am speaking with to better understand. I know from past experience working with families whose primary language was Spanish , however, that they often understand us better than they can communicate with us. Using one of the resources this week, I would like to be more mindful and thus take more time to get to know the background of the family. I also like the idea of 'creating a third culture' which the common ground would be the child in my classroom giving us a 'bridge' between my culture and theirs. Finally, I would like to become more creatively flexible which may be easier said than done. As I continue on this educational journey and this course on communication, my goal is, as is in any other course I have taken, to learn more to become more effective both inside my classroom as well as outside my classroom.

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

Sound Off

As I completed this assignment I have to admit it was a struggle. I have the shows I like and watch and the shows that don't interest me. With the way my cable is set up I was unable to record a show but I have something called on demand which allows me to watch episodes of shows repeatedly. So I began to complete the task for this blog, watching an episode of Cougar Town.

As I was watching I could not get over that in almost every scene there were glasses of wine. As one who does not drink this caught my eye. Additionally, the facial expressions at times said serious, agitated, happy, no expression gave me a feeling of disinterest. As I proceeded to continue watching I realized that I was also reading lips and with the words I was catching, I figured out what was taking place in the episode. There was a house for sale and a couple interested in buying the house and the group reflected back to when the character Courtney Cox played first moved into the neighborhood. However, I was not completely correct in all aspects of the plot, I thought the girl stretching was getting ready to work out, so watching it a second time with the sound on filled in the blanks and corrected my interpretation mistakes.

I also watched, to compare for myself, a show, The Big Bang Theory, I am familar with without the sound. What I found in doing this is for someone unfamiliar with the show, it could be interpreted as a serious show. However, it is a comedy and I find it to be hilarious. For me the serious facial expressions combined with what is spoken makes it even funnier because the spoken language is not meant to be funny but to the audience it is.

What I learned from this is how important the verbal communication when combined with the nonverbal communication can be. When I watched the show I was unfamilar with had I not been able to read lips, I would have had a completely incorrect interpretation of the show. The same could be said for the show I have watched, if I did not know it was a comedy, the scenes and seriousness of facial expressions are misleading. Nonverbal communication alone can provide one interpretation while verbal communication can provide another, but when combined together with the use of listening skills a complete picture is created.

Competent Communication

As I thought about the question for this week, I could not help but think of my dad. He is in the education field in regard to transportation and food service. We have had many conversations over the years, especially since I have begun teaching about having to be 'politically correct.' My dad does a nice job at being 'politically correct,' professional, and effective when communicating with colleagues, families, board members, and community members. I have learned a lot from him about removing emotion and opinion when communicating on a professional level. However, it is not always something I am able to do.

I hope that through this course and the experiences my dad has shared that I can learn how to better communicate with others so that I may become an effective communicator as I advocate for the earlcy childhood field.

Professional Hopes and Goals

This course has taught me a lot that I thought I knew. It has definitely given me a new outlook and approach. My hope is to create a classroom that is always culturally diverse, not just one that becomes diverse because of a new child coming. Having different books in the library in different languages or portraying people from other cultures or having pictures and posters around the room displaying differences are simple changes I can make. I want to take it beyond that and learn specific things about the families I have in my classroom and include them daily. Additionally, I was thinking of taking a week at Christmas to learn about how different countries celebrate the holiday (I used to do this but for no reason I can think of haven’t in the last few years). Not only within my classroom, but my hope extends into the goal I have for early childhood.

            My goal for the early childhood field is that we become more open and understanding of the diversity around us and we embrace it. While we as educators may not come to be fluent in all languages we encounter, if we create open classrooms where all children feel safe, secure, loved, and accepted that will ‘speak’ to them and their families. If we learn about the different cultures in our classrooms and apply what we learn (not just tuck it away in a file) we will ‘show’ we are open to the differences.

There is more I could say but words are escaping me so as yet another course comes to a close I cannot believe how much I have learned, not just from the resources but from each of you as we have shared our thoughts and personal experiences. I cannot get over how much I thought I knew about diversity, but did not. Given the new insights I have gained, I hope to change my classroom and my approach. So thank you all for sharing this journey with me and teaching me through your experiences. I hope you can say that you have learned from me as well. Thank you and I wish each of you the best as you continue on your individual journeys.

Welcoming Families from around the World

Since I was once a child sponsor for a child from Haiti, I decided to research that country since I know very little about it other than what little information I obtained as a sponsor. Through the website, http://facts.randomhistory.com/haiti-facts.html, I obtained interesting facts about children and families in Haiti.

With these given facts, I realize that if a child from Haiti were to move to the United States and be a part of my classroom, I need to understand the child may be malnourished and could have been an orphan. They may also have never been in a school before. Additionally, in Haiti voodoo is practiced alongside Christianity which is something I am unfamilar with. French is an official language and most Haitians speak Creole. While there are many others I could mention, these here from the website above will allow me to attempt to prepare for the arrival of my new student(s).

So I will make sure there are books in my classroom in Creole and/or French alongside the English materials. Additionally I need to make sure the pictures and posters in my classroom are culturally diverse. I would hope to make picture cards with a picture, English word, and Creole or French word for common objects to make connections for both the children in my room and myself. My classroom environment is one that I always strive to make warm and welcoming which I hope would help any child feel safe, loved, and secure while at school. Finally, finding someone to translate materials for me so parent information can be sent home in all languages.

While these changes may seem to be easy and not too 'in-depth' I have found that first and foremost a child needs to feel safe and comfortable in their environment. Once this is established the parents will feel comfortable in bringing their child to school and even if there is a language barrier, facial expressions and body language in a positive manner is encouraging. My goal in learning more about any country would be to learn more about the background of a student in my classroom to accomodate when and where needed for language, family culture, religious beleifs, and abilities. While this 'simulation' has been done based on the notion that a family with at least one child has moved to the area, these are the same elements I have placed in my classroom all the time.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

The personal experience I have had with this topic some would probably consider minimal compared to others but for me as a child growing up, wearing glasses was not considered a 'cool' thing. I was constantly made fun of called names like "four eyes" by other children on my school bus, in my classroom, or at my school and it made me feel horrible. I can remember going home on numerous occassions crying about the things the other children had said to me at school. I did not feel like I 'fit in' with some of the other children because I wore glasses. Even once I got contacts the fact that I was smart, followed the rules, and did what I was asked without question got me made fun of too; other children, not all, but quite a few of them growing up always made me feel separated from the rest.

I hear of instances where similar experiences still happen to other children today. I am not sure exactly what could or should be done to prevent it because it seems like these experiences occur when someone is different. We as a society need to be more accepting, even if we don't always agree, with the differences among us and teach the children who may cross our path to do the same. Teaching the children of today to be more accepting of the differences among us will make for a better tomorrow.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

As I learned of microaggressions this week, the first thought that came to mind is the television show I watch with my boyfriend, The Big Bang Theory. There are numerous accounts of the character of Sheldon belittling Howard for not having a doctorate degree or Penny for not having a college education at all. This makes me feel that those who have doctorate degrees think less of those of us who may not have a doctorate (although I am hoping this is just on the show). Additionally, there are times that the character of Sheldon makes references to the cultural differences of Raj. This makes me think of how often in society we discredit a person because their cultural background is different. *Retrieved from watching the show which airs on CBS and in reruns on another station where I live.

On the other hand, this week in my classroom I had a little girl tell a little boy that he could not go to the kitchen center because kitchen was for girls and blocks were for boys. I quickly explained to her that in our classroom, the centers are all open to both boys and girls. Boys can cook and girls can build towers is the quick example I gave her. However, she is only 3 and it is startling to think that if this is the thought they have this early, what thoughts will be expressed as the children grow up and become adults. We have a big job to do in educating not only the children we teach but the families that surround them if we want to make societal changes to prevent the microaggressions from taking place.

While I want to say I realize these things take place, it really made me question how often they happen without conscience realization? This week caused me to take a hard look at what takes place around me that is viewed as "okay" but can really be causing harm.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

As I approached this week, I wanted the answers I received to be random so I put as my status on Facebook that I needed definitions of culture and definitions of diversity. The answers I got were as different as those that gave them and yet each in its own way defined culture and diversity. What I realized through this assignment is that defining culture and diversity is not something people think a lot about. Those that answered for me were afraid there was a right or wrong answer, I explained in this particular assignment there were no right answers.

One answer I received was from my male cousin six years older than me. He defined culture as the way you were raised, the morals you have, and family stability. With this definition he brought up an interesting point. In some of the resources we have had so far, they have discussed how the family unit affects how one is perceived, but if as he put it the family is stable then why would it matter? Diversity he defined as the distinction of the way you were brought up. His definitions really made me think about how simple, yet difficult, it is to define culture and diversity.

Another answer I received was from a former colleague who I used to teach with in NC. She is roughly within a year or two of being the same age as I am. Her definition of culture is the way people around the world live from day to day and the celebrations they have. Her definition of diversity is things that make different cultures the same & different. Diversity is also the appreciation of different cultures.

How almost similar to the definitions we have heard through the panelists are these?

Finally my aunt who is in her 50s defined culture and diversity for me. Culture is the roots you came from. Example: Italian, Southern (Appalacian), African American, Irish, etc. Diversity is how adaptable you can be to situations and surroundings, etc. Example: Going from earning $50,000/yr to $30,000/yr. Going from living in a house to an apartment. Going from a large vehicle to a small vehicle. Diversity can also be various ways of doing things in different cultures. Example: In some cultures the man rules. What he says goes. Various ways people choose to worship, etc.

While we have learned in this course, or been reminded if we already knew, that culture is more than just the roots you came from, it’s my aunt’s definition. On the other hand, I like how she defined diversity as being adaptable.

All in all I think this week was productive, I gained insight into how those around me define culture and diversity. Without this assignment I do not know if I would have ever asked others in my life how they defined culture and diversity.

My family culture

As I thought about this assignment, my family culture, and the items I hold dear I actually spoke to my mom to ask what she thought. After listening to her suggestions, the three items I would take with me would be a lump of coal, a box of cornbread mix, and a country music cd. All of these items represent the southern lifestyle. My grandfather worked in the coal mines in West Virginia before moving his family to New Jersey. Not only does it represent where my family came from, but it could also be a source of heat for cooking or warmth. Cornbread, or any type of bread, was a staple on the dinner table no matter what dinner was growing up (in my grandparents’ house, not always in mine). Finally, country music is the genre I enjoy listening to, represents life in the south, and each song often tells a story or speaks to the heart of an important matter. If I got there and could only keep one item I would be additionally crushed but would either choose the coal for its many uses or the cornbread mix to insure I would have something to eat.

   I would not feel comfortable about moving to an unfamiliar territory, but just in the pretend sense I have a small inkling of how a child moving with his family to an unfamiliar area would feel. This exercise made me take a personal look at myself and my family and how much the southern lifestyle plays a role in the person I am. It also made me realize how often we as a society judge those around us based solely on what we see from the outside. Especially as educators teaching children about culture and diversity, but for all of us as a whole to improve the society in which we live, we must look beyond the cover of the book and read the story.