Reflection

In this course I have learned a lot about communication from my colleagues and actual experiences. I have learned from my colleagues by reading about their experiences, thoughts and ideas which has given me insight on how they communicate. From everything I have learned in this course including the platinum rule I have been able to apply it with my cheerleaders and they understand what I mean. Overall, I appreciate everything my colleagues have shared.

Adjourn phase

The hardest good-bye for me was when I was working with the Head Start program and me and a few of my co-workers had built a very strong bond amongst each other and when it came to working with the children. I had a great relationship with these ladies and we trusted each other.  I had got a job offer within the school district here in Nashville.  I wouldn’t necessarily say that I had a closing ritual because I still keep in touch with my former colleagues, however they wish me the best of luck in all of my endeavors. I imagine that adjourning from the group of colleagues in my master’s program would be bittersweet. I say this because we have shared our thoughts and ideas amongst each other and once we complete the program we all will be going our separate ways. I believe that adjourning is an essential stage of teamwork because it allows the team to remember the great moments of building trust and working together to achieve a goal.

Conflicts

Today, I had an argument with the guy I have been dating on and off via text message. He has apologized and I have been so stubborn towards him that I pretty much brushed it off without considering his feelings. He listens to me but when it comes to him I listen but I get really defensive towards him and our issue escalates instead of being resolved. I really have to work on being mindful of the other person and their feelings. I am pretty sure he and I can come to a compromise about our issues to where we won't regret saying something to really hurt each other.

Who Am I As A Communicator

This week I completed surveys along with my friend and sister to see how I evaluated myself and how they evaluated me as a communicator, verbal aggressor, and my listening style.  I was surprised that the results of my survey of how I evaluated myself was very similar to how my sister and friend evaluated me. After discussing the surveys with my sister and friend I have learned that I am more of a "talker" than "listener" and that's something I know I have to work on.  I am good at listening but I can admit I have my moments depending on the situation. When it comes to verbal aggressions I am mindful of other people and I try not to engage in verbal aggressions where its attacking the person or their self concept. I found the surveys to be interesting and I am glad that I am able to know how other's view me.

Communicating Effectively

When I communicate with people from different groups and cultures I try to be mindful and courteous to everyone I communicate with. For example when I communicate with children or adults who may have a developmental delay or disability I try to make sure I talk to them in a way they can understand and not like they are just completely handicapped. When I communicate with people of different cultures that are still learning English, I mainly focus on listening so I can interpret what it is they need and I repeat what they said back to me just so they get that I understand and I assist them by any means. Based on what I have learned this week the strategies I could use to communicate effectively being mindful of other’s perspectives other than my own. Keep the platinum rule in mind when I communicate with others no matter the situation.  Making sure that I have patience for those who are struggling with communicating effectively because of their native language and cultural background.

Television Exercise

I am watching my favorite show on ABC Family Pretty Little Liars. I am watching an episode from the 1st season. In the beginning of the episode Aria is communicating with her family which seems to be going well because there is no tension and everyone is smiling.  Now that I am watching this scene with the volume my assumption is that everyone is happy, but what's really going on is that her parents are currently separated and they have been sneaking around so the kids wouldn't find out and now the family is having a discussion about actually making changes in the family meaning the parents getting back together and being a family again.

Communication

I believe that Lala Anthony is a person who demonstrates competent communication. She is a mother, an actress, a wife, and the face of her very own cosmetics line “Motives”.   When Lala is communicating with her family she is a very effective communicator regardless if she is right or wrong in a situation.  When watching her discuss giving back to others her face lights up and you can see the joy in her smile. She displays great body language and she is a great listener as well. When she discusses her product she communicates very well on how great it is and how she has heard great things from customers about the product. I would model her positive communication behavior when it comes to discussing my products (future children’s book author) and being an effective communicator in the field of early childhood. I believe that I am a great communicator  and I am very effective no matter the situation.

Professional Hopes and Goals

One hope that I have when I work with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that they are going through a non-stressful transition. I say this because I understand how hard it can be to live in a different country that is not your native home and conforming to the dominant culture can be difficult. I grew up in Okinawa Japan and I remember what life was like for my family when I was younger trying to adjust to the Japanese culture.

One goal I would like to set for the early childhood field in regards to the issue of diversity is that we continue to educate children and families issues of diversity, equity, and social justice and ways we can make a difference.

To my colleagues of EDUC-6164 I enjoyed working with you and I know that you will excel in the field of ECE!!

Welcoming Families From Around the World

In this week's blog assignment I will discuss a family that is moving to my community and they are not familiar with the culture in the community and they will have children attending the preschool I currently direct.

The family is from Poland.

Ways I will prepare myself to be culturally responsive includes:
Researching the Polish Culture
Gaining knowledge on the greeting style and customs
I would find out about their proficiency on the English language and make accommodations if needed.
Find resources that can accommodate their values and needs.
I would research their educational practices.

I hope that these preparations would benefit the family because I want to make sure that the transition is less stressful and comforting. I want to make sure these preparations benefit me because it will show the family that I am culturally diverse and non bias of people who are different from me, as well as show that I am an effective leader and I am passionate about making a difference in the lives of others.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

The Trayvon Martin case in Sanford Florida was an uproar when it came to getting justice for the murder and a fair trial against George Zimmerman.  Travyon Martin is a 17 year old African American male that was walking home from the store after buying candy and because he had on a black hoodie he was racially profiled as if he was going to be a threat since he was walking in a suburb neighborhood.  George Zimmerman who is in his mid 30's who is Caucasian and Hispanic. He is also the leader in the neighborhood watch in the area he lives in.  He spotted Trayvon walking home and he called 911 to let them know he was suspect of an African American wearing a black hoodie because it looked like he didn't belong in that area.  While Zimmerman was on the phone with the 911 dispatcher, he said he was going to follow him and the dispatcher told him not to follow him. Because Zimmerman didn't listen to the 911 dispatcher he did follow Trayvon and it turned for the worst.  Zimmerman and Martin ended up in a fight which left Martin dead, and Zimmerman claiming it was self defense.

To make a very long story short Trayvon Martin's family didn't feel like justice was served when Zimmerman was not charged for Trayvon Martin's murder. The jury were 5 white women and 1 hispanic woman and no African American women which made the jury selection seem unfair. The social media comments, and opinions went viral because of the injustice. There were a lot of people who supported Zimmerman because of the "Stand your ground Law" in Florida. There were lots of negative and racial comments made about Trayvon Martin, and basically saying that he deserved to die. Many African American people felt that racism was very alive and still existing because if it were a black person killing anyone they would be in prison for life and if it's a white person possibly the death penalty, whereas if a white person killed a black  person or a person of a different race the penalty is not that crucial. This case proved that there isn't any racial equality here in the U.S. for example Troy Davis and african american man who was on death row and falsely accused of killing a white police officer was still sentenced to death in 2011 after the jury said they don't believe he killed the police officer.  On July 20, 2012, James Holmes (white male) open fire and kills many people in a movie theatre and instead of him getting a life sentence in prison, he is trying to plead insanity.

Referring back to the Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman case I felt that justice wasn't served. I believe that whether or not George Zimmerman was convicted life for him inside a prison or outside would not be a great experience for him and everyday of his life he will constantly be reminded of the bad decision he made. However, the comments that were made on social media sites made me wonder about the world we live in and the example we are supposed to be setting for our children who will be our leaders of tomorrow.

I feel that in order for greater equity amongst the different races in our society I believe that not only just educating our children about right and wrong and focus on the whole child. I believe that our government and justice system could do a better job when it comes to providing justice for deserving people no matter their race.

Practicing Awareness of Microagressions

When I was a teenager, I attended an FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) Camp in Black Mountain, North Carolina. This camp was amazing because I met girls from different parts of the U.S. and they were all of different cultural backgrounds. I experienced my first microagression and I didn’t even know it. A white girl that stayed in my dorm room asked me if I knew how to braid hair in corn rows, and when I told her no I didn’t she was upset and she mentioned that I should know how to braid hair in corn rows because that’s what my people do. When she made the comment, I didn’t think anything of it, I just ignored her and went on my way. Now, that I think about it, I feel like I should have been upset because she assumes that because I am an African American that I know how to braid hair. Her comment to me was very hurtful and I could have reacted in a way to where I could have said something to insult her culture but I didn’t. Being targeted of a microagression is a learning experience and I know what I should think before I speak so I wouldn’t offend anyone.  As an educator, I believe it’s important for me to educate not only just children and families, but my own family on the awareness of microagressions so these experiences don’t happen much.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

This week I asked my friends and family about their definition of culture and diversity. It's interesting to hear how the definitions are similar and different. Below I summarized their definitions.

      

 Their definition of culture

Culture:  Is the combination of things you value, things related to your identity, things that make you part of a group of people. It doesn’t have to be isolated.

        Their definition of diversity

Diversity: Accepting the uniqueness of others and embracing it.

   

 Then reflect on the answers you received and ask yourself:

        Which aspects of culture and diversity that I have studied in this course are included in the answers I received—and what are some examples?

The aspect of feeling accepted within a group and values are what’s included in the responses I got.

        Which aspects have been omitted—and what are some examples of such omission?

Religion, Traditions and Socioeconomic Status are some of the things that were omitted from the responses. These aspects play a major role in culture and diversity because it’s what people in different groups relate to and it’s something they value.

        In what ways has thinking about other people’s definitions of culture and diversity influenced my own thinking about these topics?

Listening to the definitions of others didn’t have much influence on me I pretty much learned that their views are somewhat similar to mine.

My Family Culture

Imagine the following:

A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you. You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture.

• A description of the three items you would choose
• The three I items I would choose would be my family portrait, my rings from my grandfather's sister, and my bible.
• How you would explain to others what each of these items means to you
• These items mean a lot to me because my family is how I became the person I am today and I will never forget that. My rings from my grandfather's sister are important to me because I never met her and it's great to have a piece of my family history that I hold to my heart. My bible means a lot to me because my family always taught me the importance of keeping my faith in God and knowledgeable of his word.
• Your feelings if, upon arrival, you were told that you could only keep one personal item and have to give up the other two items you brought with you
•  I would be really upset if I was told that I could keep only one item because all 3  items mean a lot to me.
• Any insights you gained about yourself, your family culture, diversity, and/or cultural differences in general, as a result of this exercise,
• As a result of this exercise I found it interesting. I will admit it is very challenging because I have a lot of things that are very important to me and only picking 3 items is a challenge. 

When I think of Research

When I think of Research I think of  what goes into the development of a research study. From choosing a topic of interest, formulating a research question and stating a hypothesis is just one of the many things that a researcher has to come up with in order to get the research study approved by the IRB and actually begin data collection.  I have gained many insights throughout this course about research as it relays to the field of early childhood. My insights include going in depth about qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research. 
 In this course my application assignments have really helped me break my research simulation project down to where I could aim my study in one area and focus on that area. I did face challenges in my simulation as to where I wanted to focus but I chose to focus on Professional Development, another challenge I had was determining what research design I would use to collect my data and how I would collect my data. I overcame my challenges by seeing which research design would best fit my study as well as which method would be best for me to collect data.

My perceptions as an Early Childhood professional from taking this course is to continue my research on studies that has impacted the field of early childhood.

Research Around the World

This week I am going to discuss research in Early Childhood around the world.  I am going to discuss my findings on Early Childhood research in Australia.  I went on the Australian website http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au  

I found many different articles on topics such as children's aggression, learning through play, and enriching everyday practice. As I was exploring the website I found a lot of useful information but I also found something that was a new insight is the Children's News Section. I found this section to be new insight because it discusses what's going with early childhood in Australia for example I was reading June 2013 I was reading about committing to advocate for young children in Australia. 

I believe that all of the information about early childhood in Australia is very noteworthy because it's interesting to see that a lot of the issues Australia face are very similar to the U.S. and other countries. 

Uplifting Stories

This week I chose Option 2 and the topic I chose to discuss is teaching English as a Second Language.  I chose this because I personally have experience teaching ESL in the Early Childhood Environment and I didn't have a curriculum to follow so I had to be really creative when implementing english lessons for my students.  I would design a creative curriculum and test it out in Early Childhood classrooms for 3 months and keep track on the child's progress on their english.  The positive contribution my study would make to the field of early childhood is that teachers are better prepared to cater to children and families who are learning English as a second language.  The curriculum used to teach ESL will make english learning fun for children because every moment will be a learning experience for the child. Families will benefit because their child will be learning a new language and strengthen social skills as well as know two different languages. Overall, the positive impact for children and families having a great experience adjusting to a new country and learning english without feeling stressed out.

My Personal Research Journey

This week I am going to discuss the topic I chose for my class simulation which is on Professional Development.  I chose to focus on Professional Development because in the field of ECE I believe that this is one of the factors that goes into becoming a high qualified early childhood educator. I believe it's more than just having education and experience but the having the continuous professional growth to become a great leader in the classroom and providing the education children deserve is very rewarding. When I was working in the classroom environment I had opportunities for professional development and I liked the fact that I was able to learn new things and apply it to my daily work. What are your thoughts on Professional Development?

Jasmyn

Consequences

When it comes to learning about the international field of early childhood education as a professional you learn about how other countries embrace the importance of early care.  As a professional you learn about different international organizations, what they stand for, how various issues are being addressed, and contributions made towards their country.  Learning about the international early childhood field regarding personal development makes me appreciate having the opportunity to have a good education and become the woman I am today.  In other countries many children aren't able to receive an education due to circumstances such as funding, geographic location, and lack of resources. In the spirit of collegial relations I hope that international childhood education organizations can develop long lasting relationships with colleges in the U.S. so that the awareness of international early childhood education can continue to be acknowledged.

UNESCO’s “Early Childhood Care and Education

This week I chose to do the alternate blog posting because I still haven't heard from any of my international contacts. On the UNESCO's Early Childhood Care and Education website there is a lot of information but the one thing that stood out to me was the article on "Quality Inclusive Education in Colombia Initiative".  In Colombia, inclusive education is generally understood as giving special attention to children that are vulnerable to social exclusion, such as populations displaced by violence, indigenous people, working children, children with disabilities and people from rural areas (UNESCO.org).   Inclusion is very important especially in the field of education. As a professional I mainly want to work with all children including those with special needs. I believe that every child has the right to have high quality education and no child should be excluded because of a disability. The Colombian Government is addressing educational practices that are exclusionary in relation to economic, cultural and ethnic differences of the population, using inclusion as a mechanism to avoid any kind of discrimination (UNESCO.org). I feel the Colombian Government is off to a great start in addressing inclusion as well as understanding the importance of everyone's right to quality education.  If you want to read the story here is the link I used and tell me what you think.

http://www.ibe.unesco.org/en/global-news-archive/single-news/news/quality-inclusive-education-in-colombia-initiative/106.html

 

Sharing Web Resources

This week I am going to share my findings from the World Association of Early Childhood Educator (WAECE). I chose to follow the link on the WAECE to the Sesame Workshop website, which is a non-profit sector of Sesame Street.  This website provides a lot of information on what they are about and what they do for children all over the world. The website does have a e-newsletter and I have submitted my email for it but haven't received anything just yet, but I will be sure to keep you posted.  The mission for the Sesame Workshop is to use the educational power of media to help children everywhere to reach their highest potential (sesameworkshop.org).  I have been very familiar with Sesame Street because I always watched it growing up. Actually learning about the impact Sesame Street  makes all over the world, is something that is very new to me and I was excited to see the articles and information provided on Early Childhood Education around the globe.

 

Check out sesameworkshop.org!!!

Global Children's Initiative

This week I am going to discuss the Global Children's Initiative at Harvard University. I am already familiar with the Global Children's Initiative. I am very intrigued by the projects the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard have created to help children in other countries.  The Zambia Project is a project I am interested in because it's a collaborative project that includes the Zambian Ministry of Education, and the Examination Council of Zambia to measure the effects of ongoing anti-malaria initiative on children's development in Zambia.

Another project that interests me is the "Un Buen Comienzo" which means "A good start". Which is a collaborative project in Santiago, Chile. This project focuses on improving early childhood development through teacher professional development as well as language development for children ages 4 to 6.

Applying the Science of Early Childhood in Brazil is another project within the Global Children's Initiative. The Nucleo Ciencia Pela Infancio is a collaboration between the Center, the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard University, Fundação Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal, the Faculty of Medicine at the University of São Paulo, and Insper. This project represents a unique opportunity for the Center to work with Brazilian scholars, policymakers, and civil society leaders to adapt the Center’s programmatic model for the local context in order to catalyze more effective policies and programs that will, ultimately, foster a more prosperous, sustainable, and equitable society (developingchild.harvard.edu).

Overall, I find all of these projects to be an amazing start to addressing global issues regarding early childhood.

Children's Rights International Network

This week I chose to focus on the Child Right's International Network (www.crin.org). This website is a global website that discusses the issues of children all over the world. As an early childhood educator I find it very important to have knowledge from a global aspect on what is going on when it comes to the care for children in other countries.  I find this website very resourceful because it provides information on other organizations that are helping children and families within their country. When looking at this website it provides the latest news on what's going on around the world about children whether it's abuse, education or murder. One thing that did stand out to me is the discrimination issue going on in Greece in regards to Roma School Children. This discrimination issue is denying children's right to education and the European courts have ruled in this case to stop segregation in the schools against Roma Children.  If you want to check out this website and this information here is the website http://www.crin.org/resources/infodetail.asp?id=31050

Poverty in Mongolia

Poverty is an issue that many people face all over the world. It makes you think what is really being done to eliminate poverty.  In this post I will discuss poverty in Mongolia.  After reading about Mongolia and how the children and families are not only suffering from poverty, but I am very concerned about the health and education related issues.  In Mongolia, the children are underweight, and both children and families are suffering from nutrient deficiency. Issues like this makes me worry because there isn't much being done to help children and families in Mongolia. Due to the lack of support for families living in poverty in Mongolia, children have increased work loads and have to look after younger siblings. This causes children to never enter school and others to drop out.  The concern for children and families living in poverty in Mongolia should be a top priority.  When reading about children and families living in Poverty globally and locally makes you grateful for what you have and at the same time inspires you to lend a hand making a difference no matter how big or small it is. Below I will attach the article I read in regards to Mongolia so you can read about this issue.

http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/index.php?action=countryo#12

Sharing Web Resources

Learning about International organizations that relate to Early Childhood Education is very interesting. I say this because I like researching international organizations and learning about their concerns for early childhood and what are some things they are doing to make an impact and difference in their native countries. I researched the World Association of Early Childhood Educators (WAECE). This organization aims to, " Allow every child under six years of age to exercise their right to early education, to fully develop capabilities and social responsibility according to Art. 7 of the United Nations Declaration on Children's Rights. Exchange experiences, foster contacts and collaboration and information among all early childhood educators (crin.org)."  

I found an article on the WAECE website that really caught my attention and I will copy and paste a link for you to read it yourselves and you can tell me what you think.  The article is called, "The World Association of Early Childhood Educators (WAECE-WAECE) shows its complete disagreement with the "sampling" to children 5 years.  This article discusses how in Madrid the children ages 5 are getting assessments in public and subsidized schools. The WAECE believes such assessments will undermine children's own natural maturation and label schools good/bad and segregate the schools. From reading this article I see that the WAECE displays a serious amount of concern and they are doing everything they can to get this issue resolved.

Here is the link for the article, read it and tell me what you think.

 http://translate.google.com/translate?client=tmpg&hl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.waece.org%2Findex.php&langpair=es|en


 

Establishing Resources and Professional Contacts

In the field of Early Childhood, it's very important to establish professional relationships with Early Childhood Educators, Advocates and etc. As well as expanding resources in regards to Early Childhood.  This week was interesting for me because I was able to connect with Professor Atmore who is a representative for the Centre of Early Childhood Development in South Africa. For my first initial connection with someone overseas was a great start for me. I am looking forward to seeing what other organizations I connect with as well what I will learn from them throughout this course.