Keep In Touch!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of my colleagues!  This has been a wonderful learning experience for me.  I feel that I have learn so much from these courses and my colleagues.  I wish everyone the best and hopefully we will meet again either in our specialization or at the commencement ceremony.  My personal email is: chantrelljones@yahoo.com.  I am also on facebook under chantrell jones.  Feel free to keep in touch!

Adjourning

Yes, high-performing groups are the hardest to leave because you learn so much from these groups.  Groups with the clearest established norms are easier to accomplish the given goals.  I feel that once the goals have been met, it is hard to break from such a productive environment.

I was in a work group at my previous job and this group was one of the hardest to leave.  This was my very first job, besides a summer job, that I obtained on my own and absolutely loved.  I worked at Sears in the women’s section.  This department was made up of high school girls from different schools. Everyone had good grades ( a requirement for employment) and were very similar but different in many ways.  I enjoyed working with this group a lot because I was a very quiet person growing up.  This job helped be to open up to other co-workers and customers.  I learned my sense of fashion style, what looks were appropriate for different occasions, how to interact with complete strangers, how to express myself; most importantly, how to be considerate of other people I worked with.  Many of the other groups/departments had a very high turn-over rate and many of the employee’s felt that they weren’t valued and the leadership had failed them.  In the women’s department, this was far from the case.  My manager was excellent at recognizing when something wasn’t right with her employees and she was very relatable.  I stayed at this job for over 6 years all throughout high school and early college. I eventually had to leave because I was expecting my first child and needed to obtain a better income.  I always wanted to come back part time or anything just to be around the environment which had become an extended family.  However, that dream eventually seemed out of touch because I had a family and realistically, could not live off of that salary.

I really haven’t experienced any closing rituals amongst groups except once.  This was when I took a certification course in Early Childhood.  I remember the last day of class, everyone brought in a dish to celebrate the end of our journey.  We ate, looked back on projects and shared experiences.  At the end, we all promised to keep in touch.  However, I never reached out to anyone and no one has reached out to me.  However, if I saw them now, I would probably find out how their career was going since leaving the course.  Many times, either the group’s goal is met or the group just disseminated.  In learning environments, the closing rituals are normally followed with a graduation ceremony.

I feel that my colleagues established here at Walden University will be hard to leave.  While I’m on break in between courses, I feel the need to keep checking the discussion board for more posts.  I absolutely love the environment and the experience here at Walden.  I have had great communications with all of my group colleagues and I value everyone’s input, suggestions, and experiences.  Therefore, parting will be difficult.  I have already begun to look ahead at continuing education in some way or another.  I’m not sure if I will attend the commencement ceremony in person or via the internet but I am trying to come in person to meet the people who have inspired me so much.  I also hope that everyone can keep in touch maybe through our blogs.  If anyone is in the Maryland or D.C area, maybe we could meet for lunch from time to time.  I think it would be awesome to continue networking and influencing each other on this quest for excellence in the education field.

Adjourning is essential to me because it signals closure and allows people to recognize the good and bad things that happened in order to improve group communication in other groups to come.  It also gives people the opportunity to “reflect on their accomplishments and failures as well as determine whether the group will disassemble or take on another project.”(O’Hair & Wiemann, 2009, p 235)

O'Hair, D. & Wiemann, M. p.235 (2009) Real communication an introduction.  Boson, MA  02116

Conflict Resolution

I feel that I will use the 3R’s more often in my personal life and my work life.  For example, I work closely with my best friend who is also my mother and business partner.  This can be difficult at times because we don’t always see eye to eye.  She has tons of experience so many times, she can make decisions about the center without communicating with me or even getting my opinion.  At times, this causes friction between us because I feel that although I don’t have as much experience as she does, I have a lot to offer.  I don’t always agree with her “plan” and we then go back to communicating and brainstorming together.  This leads to a solution we both have agreed on.  I can recall a disagreement when we were designing the center and choosing colors for the early learning center.  Instantly, my mother wanted all primary colors (red, blue, yellow ).  I wanted a softer look like pastel colors.  Every time I walk into a center or school, I see the same colors and after a while, It seems uninteresting.  I wanted to create a design that would have our center stand out.  However, my mother would not back down on the colors she wanted.  She argued that those colors are brighter which will allow the children to learn easier and create a more playful environment.  I argued that the pastel colors weren’t bright but would soothe the children which would also allow them to concentrate and feel comfortable away from their parents.  In retrospect, this does not seem to be such a big deal.  I could’ve just given in to her colors and vice versa.  However, this was the beginning of our partnership and we were both going through a power struggle.  The 3R’s could have helped both of us to respect each others opinions and come up with a solution much quicker than we did.  In the end, the compromise was that we selected both colors.  In the toddler rooms, my mother’s primary colors were chosen.  My pastel colors are being displayed in the nursery for the infant children. 

After learning about the principles of nonviolent communication and the 3R’s, I feel that we could have come up with a broader range of solutions.  Had we both been respectful of each other’s opinion, reciprocated our ideas while even exploring other options, as well as being responsive to the children’s needs; we could have explored a wide range of ideas.  However, we are both satisfied with the outcome.  The children are learning and the overall goals have been met.  I just feel that we could have resolved things better with the knowledge I now have about conflict resolution.

Week 2 blog assignment

What do you think the characters’ relationships are based on the ways in which they are communicating?

I chose to watch a show called Gina D’s kids club.  I see a man with a puppet communicating with a child around age 12 on stage.  He seems to be asking her series of questions and she is responding.  The crowd is engaged in the topic.  I see some laughter and smiles from the audience which is filled with children.  The nature of their relationship seems friendly and kid structured.  The interviewer appears to be trying to relate to things children like.  He seems to be seeking some advice from the girl on stage.

What are they feeling and expressing based on the nonverbal behavior you are observing?

The seemed to be engaged in the topic they are communicating about.  The topic seems to be funny and interesting to children.  The audience is also very engaged and seems to be interested in the topic.  They all appear to agree on the opinions of the child being interviewed because I see laughter, head nods in suggesting that they agree, and hand claps.  The parents in the audience are also clapping after the child’s response.

Now, watch the show with the sound turned on.

What assumptions did you make about the characters and plot based on the ways in which you interpreted the communication you observed?

I assumed that they all agreed on the topic when in fact the interviewer and the child actually disagreed with the adult on the show.  I also assumed that the audience were happy and agreed with the topic.  Actually, the audience was laughing at the adult on stage with the puppet.  The puppeteer was entertaining the group and using the puppet to engage the audience filled with children.

Would your assumptions have been more correct if you had been watching a show you know well?

I think my assumptions would have been more accurate if I was watching one of my well known shows because I would have gone off of a previous plot.  Not only that, I would be able to predict the story line more closely because the plot of tv series normally is set for you.  The variance comes in with different episodes surrounding normally around events.  However, the character and their roles stay the same.

Write about your experience in your blog, including what you learned about communication from this experience and insights or “aha” moments you believe would be helpful to your colleagues.

I enjoyed this blog assignment.  I found it very interesting to see what my assumptions were and how closely they mirrored the actual events, story, or plot.  It also let me see how many times we can assume the wrong things and had this been on a more serious level, I would have assumed the wrong things.  I also would have missed a lot of important information that could be detrimental.  I also learned that some of the most well-known non-verbal gestures can have multiple meanings.  For example, just because someone is laughing does not mean they agree or having a great time.  It could just mean something is funny.  That was a true “aha” moment. lol

Who am I as a Communicator???

What is the one thing that surprised you the most? Why?

I was surprised to see that my communication anxiety and verbal aggressiveness were viewed by myself in the manner that it is viewed by my family members and coworker.  While the scores were different, they all fell within the same range on the scale.   I was a little taken back when I received the results of my listening aggressiveness scale.  While I was viewed by my mother the same as I view myself, my coworker saw me as more action oriented versus people oriented.  Therefore, this let me know that depending upon who I am listening to has an effect on my style of listening as well as situations.

What other insights about communication did you gain this week? Choose at least two to share with others through your blog and consider how each might inform your professional work and personal life.

I have learned that past experiences and one’s personal schema has an impact on the way we perceive others.  This may affect my professional work with children and families because I may unintentional categorize things unfairly based on my previous experiences.  This can also be good for my professional work because I can use my past experiences to help children and families avoid some situations by sharing my experiences with them.

I have also learned that everything isn’t what it appears to be.  I learned this from the discussion this week when I had to judge someone based on their appearance in a photo.  The assumptions I made about the lady life may have been completely off.  Therefore, I learned that while it is easy to judge and make assumptions of others, it is an unfair communication style that should be avoided.

Communication & Culture

Yes, I do find myself communicating on different levels with different groups of people.  For instance, when I am around my family and friends, I speak in what the text defines as low language.  In other words, I speak in slang and I speak from my point of view on almost every subject.  However, when I am around my colleagues and other professionals, I have to be “politically correct”.  Basically, I have to research and have documentation to back up my opinions and views.  In all groups, I try to practice the Platinum Rule.  I try hard to treat others the way I would want to be treated and I feel that it first starts by considering the other persons feelings over your own.

Three strategies I can use to help me communicate more effectively:

1.      I can practice the Platinum Rule, “Do to others as they themselves would like to be treated.”  This is a rule I try to practice at all times in order to understand the other persons point of view.

2.     Another strategy that can help me communicate more effectively is being aware of my assumptions.  “Another barrier to intercultural communication is to automatically assume that another person is different from you.  It can be just as detrimental to communication to assume someone is different from you as it is to assume that others are similar to you.”(Beebe, Beebe & Redmond, 2011) I think that when I am amongst my family and friends, I assume that we all share the same feelings which we don’t.

3.     Lastly, I feel that I can improve my communication by becoming other-oriented.  This can help “enhance the quality and effectiveness of your interpersonal communication.” .”(Beebe, Beebe & Redmond, 2011)

What is Communication?

For this assignment,  I feel that the President Barack Obama demonstrates competent communication skills.  I was watching the president speak on t.v. Thursday night during his congressional address and job proposal speech.  The president was very clear and precise about his plan and the reasoning behind it.  His behavior demonstrated that he understood what many Americans are facing now in this recession.  President Obama made me and the other people in my family who were watching him feel like this proposal would be the solution to all of the Americans economic problems.  He was effective at relaying this message because he spoke with authority and exhibited thorough knowledge about the issue.   Even if this is not the case, his communication skills demonstrated otherwise.

I would want to model my communication skills after him because he is a great communicator.  The president is able to win large crowds over by relating to their needs and demonstrating a sense of sincerity that is hard to imitate.  He is also able to communicate with a skill that unites diverse people.  Not many people can communicate one topic and make suggestions that opposing sides can agree on.

Professional Hopes and Goals

I hope that when I work with diverse backgrounds, I am able to use the material learned in this course to provide diverse family cultures with the support they might need.  I also hope that children from diverse backgrounds aren’t pressured to conform to societies views of whom they should be as they grow up to become adults.  In addition, I hope that all of the eight isms-racism, sexism, LGBT-ism, age-ism, religion-ism, classism, heterosexism, and ableism somehow come to an end so that diversity can be fully embraced in society.

One goal in relation to diversity, equity, and social justice for me is to consistently work on my knowledge and awareness of these topics.  I want to stay current on ways to promote diversity, equity, and social justice within my daycare so that children and families will feel that diversity is respected and appreciated in the early childhood setting.

I would also like to thank all of my colleagues and Dr. Ferrari for a great course!  I feel that I have learned a lot within these 8 weeks.  I also feel that this course has surpassed my expectations while being very rewarding.  Good luck to everyone in the future as we go on to our last class before everyone breaks off into their specific specialization.  I have met so many people who share a great deal of passion for the early childhood field which is awesome.  Again, thank you everyone for helping me on this journey and good luck on yours!

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

• What memory do you have of an incident when you experienced bias, prejudice, and/or oppression, or witnessed someone else as the target of bias, prejudice, and/or oppression? Keep in mind that one can encounter such incidents in real contexts, including online environments, as well as in fictional ones, such as movies, books, television shows, and the like.

I chose to discuss a memory when someone else was the target of bias and prejudice.  I was spending time with one of my family members who is a homosexual male.  I actually witnessed him in line at the store preparing to pay for his items.  When my cousin spoke to the sales lady and began to make small conversation, the sales lady frowned.  She then proceeded to treat him with disguise and was very snappy in her tone with him.  I observed how this made him feel and began to feel sympathetic towards his feelings.  Once he left the line, it was my turn to pay for my items.  The same sales lady greeted me and her attitude seemed lightened and friendlier.  She began to make small conversation with me and stated “no matter how much they want to be like us (women), they will never be.”  I was shocked and requested to speak to her manager.  The sales lady did not know we were together and couldn’t understand why I wanted to speak with her manager.  After all, she was very cordial with me.  Once the manager arrived, I informed her of the incident I witnessed and how I felt that this type of prejudice keeps our country in oppression.  I informed the manager that I was not trying to get her fired but I did suggest that the store give some type of formal training to make their employees aware of diversity, prejudice, bias, and isms.

• In what way(s) did the specific bias, prejudice and/or oppression in that incident diminish equity?

It diminished equity because my cousin was not treated with courtesy and respect that was equal to the service I received.  This type of treatment and comments diminishes the fairness and equal rights of homosexuals everywhere.  I am aware that many religious groups and individual feelings keep people from giving homosexuals equality.  However, as a human being equity should not be diminished because of personal reasons.  I feel that everyone deserves to be treated fairly and not be the target of prejudice and bias forms of hatred that is verbal and nonverbal.

• What feelings did this incident bring up for you?

This incident made me feel inhumane.  I felt very emotional and saddened to witness that type of treatment.  I then started to think how the situation would have been heightened for my cousin if I shared the same feelings as the sales attendant.  This made me feel relieved to know I was with him.   After the incident was over, I asked my cousin how he felt about the comment and how she treated him.  My cousin appeared to be used to the treatment which made me feel even worst.  He stated that he is normally the target of rude comments and mockery when he goes about merging into society.  I did not know he had been the target of such comments all of the time.  He then stated to me that he appreciated me standing up for him because he became accustomed to the treatment and stopped fighting to be treated equally.

• What and/or who would have to change in order to turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity?

What would have to change in order to turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity is that the company enforces an immediate training for all of their employees on equity, prejudice, isms and bias.  I hold the company responsible for not empowering their employees by making them aware of diversity.  I feel that if we begin to hold companies accountable for giving formal training to their employees, we can reach the vast majority of society to teach and bring awareness to this issue.

• Describe at least one example of a microaggression which you detected this week or remember from another time. In what context did the microaggression happen? What did you think and feel when you observed the microaggression or when you found yourself as the target of a microaggression?

This week, I experienced a microaggression toward gender.  I was parking my minivan when the guy walking by asked me if I could “handle it”.  The space was really close but I managed to work my vehicle into the parking space.  Once I was finished, the man told me that he did not think I could park the vehicle.  I then asked him “why did he think I couldn’t park the van?”  He then replied, because I am a woman and most women can’t drive let alone park larger vehicles.  I feel that this was a subtle microaggression.   I was shocked that he was so matter of fact about the situation and didn't feel that his comment was inappropriate.  I also was very upset that he had stereotyped me and all women as not being able to drive and park.  

• In what ways did your observation experiences this week affect your perception of the effects of discrimination, prejudice, and/or stereotypes on people

This experience made me realize that discrimination, prejudice and stereotypes exist and are amongst any and all communities.  It made me feel angry, hurt, and upset that I was the subject of such stereotypes when society has liberated everyone years ago.  The experience has helped me to understand the depths of how everyone can be affected sometime in their lifetime by discriminations against gender and stereotypes that are embedded deep within people’s hearts.

Their definition of culture and diversity:

Their definition of culture and diversity:

 

Dawn (Native American, Female)= “Culture is defined by various ethnic backgrounds and the different ways of interacting amongst our family. I relate diversity with my family because we have so many different ethnicities in our family. Since the majority of my family is Native American, our culture can truly be seen through the stories told by my grandfather at each gathering.”

Kennith (African American, Male)= “Culture and diversity is defined by the different nationalities.  Different cultures enjoy different things.  I think that different cultures have their own way of doing things.  Diversity can be seen in the different genre of music people listen to, the different ways of preparing foods, and the different ways and types of holidays that people celebrate.”

Sherry (Caucasian, Female)= “Diversity and culture can be shown around us daily.  My opinion of culture and diversity is the different ethnic groups within our society.  Culture is how our family develops different traditions, how we celebrate the holidays that relate to our families, and through our religion.  Diversity is the form of developing one’s own style of going about our culture.”

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?

Culture and diversity has been defined in our course as surface culture which affects the outer layer of people such as ethnicity, sexuality, and economic status.  Deep culture can be seen through religion and personal interest.  Culture is also defined by family lifestyles and different ways of doing things within your own family.  The answers that I received from the people I’ve interviewed regarding culture and diversity was similar to the things I’ve learned in this course.  For example, I interviewed Dawn who is Native American in race, middle income in economic status, and a female.  Her idea of culture and diversity consisted of various ethnic backgrounds as well as individual family lifestyles.  Her family is made up of different ethnicities which she considers they reflect diversity.  In her opinion of culture, she feels that she is of the dominant culture because of her ethnicity.  Kenneth made a great point to relate culture to different genres of music and festivities.  Sherry’s idea of culture relates to religion which is what we have been studying in the course that would be considered deep culture.

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

When I interviewed Kenneth, he omitted family lifestyles as culture and diversity.  His idea of culture was defined by many surface cultures.  He felt that each ethnicity has their own way of doing things such as the different foods they choose to eat and the different communities they live in.  I felt that everyone I interviewed omitted the way people have been raised and taught to do things from birth as a form of culture. I do feel that everyone’s ideas of culture and diversity are on the right track with the definition’s given by our course.

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

I feel that other people’s definition of culture and diversity has influenced me to look at culture differently than I use to view it.  I too would relate culture to ethnicity and other surface culture ideas.  However, I now feel that culture is much deeper than that.  Culture defines who we are individually because it’s our upbringing, rituals, likes, and dislikes.  The people I interviewed helped me to think about every aspect of my life as some form of culture and diversity relation.  Genres of music, the types of dance, and even the way I am raising my own children can be related to diversity and culture in some way or another.

MY FAMILY CULTURE

·         A description of the three items you would choose

1.       I would first take my Holy Bible.  I would never want my family to be away from the word of God.  In order for my family to survive such a traumatic event, we will definitely need to rely on our faith to help us through. 

2.      I would also take my family photo album.  The next best thing to having my entire family with me would be our memorbelum.  This is the album that holds all of my pictures from my childhood all the way through my adulthood.

3.      The last thing I would take is my children’s photo album.  This album was started when I first had my oldest child.  It contains my own children’s childhood. 

·         How you would explain to others what each of these items means to you

I would tell others about the purpose of the Holy Bible and why it is so dear to me.  I would also explain to them my religion and why I have a personal relationship with God.  I would tell them my personal life journey and how I discover God for myself.  I would then offer the plan of salvation to them.  I would also show both of my family photo albums to others and allow them to get to know my family through each story I share regarding the different photos in each of the albums.

·         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 devastated and distraught.  It would be extremely hard for me to give up my photo albums to someone who would probably throw them away because they don’t have any sentimental value to them.  I think I would probably cry the entire time.   Although I love my family and would hate to give up my family photos, I would have to choose my Holy Bible.  This would be the time that I would have to do a lot of soul searching, reading, and praying to remain strong.

·         Any insights you gained about yourself, your family culture, diversity, and/or cultural differences in general, as a result of this exercise

This exercise has been a real tear jerker.  I had to think about things that I never want to think about in order to complete the exercise.  This assignment has also helped me because you never think about emergency things and situations until you are forced to because it is too late.  This exercise also made me uncover raw emotions about my childhood which is healing for me.  I think that this exercise was good and very interesting.  I’m learning things about myself in the past, present, and future.

When I think of research......

First, I would like to thank everyone in this course for all of your words of encouragement, ideas, and help along the way.  I would also like to say thank you to the professor for your helpful insight and knowledge that helped me throughout this class.

I have learned that research is more than just reading and deciphering through literature reviews, articles, and books.  When I first started this class, I thought that it wouldn’t be different from constructing a well written research paper based off of the things you learned.  Looking back, I can see that my prior understanding of research was very vague.  With that being sad, I can honestly say that I have learned that in order to plan, design, and conduct great research, the researcher must first have an understanding of the concepts behind researching.  I have also learned that the passion for a researcher’s topic must take on its own planning and designing.  The hardest part of researching for me was the planning and designing.  I think once those obstacles are tackled, then conducting the research should go smoothly with the exceptions of a few small obstacles.  The challenges I met in my research simulation were narrowing the research question to reflect the independent and dependent variables I wanted to discover in the simulation.  For me, I knew what my goal of the study was but had a hard time narrowing them all down.  I met them by writing down all of my ideas, taking the advice of my instructor, and deciding on the factors that were of greatest importance to me. I feel that early childhood professionals are challenged to teach, learn, and uncover new discovering’s within the field to accomplish what is needed of us.  I have a more in depth respect for the early childhood professionals that have come before me as well as now because the job is never complete.  With some careers, professionals can retire after a certain amount of years.  For early childhood professionals, the passion for children and dedication to their success keeps them striving to advocate and research on behalf of children forever.   

Week 5-Research Around the World

Langu

• What are some of the current international research topics?

I chose to research early childhood in Australia.  This site is equivalent to the NAEYC as it informs people of the issues and trends related to the children in Australia.  Upon surfing the site, I saw that their current research topics aren’t too far from the issues that we in the U.S. are researching.  They are reforming their educational system because they have discovered that education and childcare go hand and hand. According to their most recent article, “we now have research-based evidence that care and learning are fundamentally entwined and a much better understanding of the importance of qualifications for early childhood teachers and other staff.  Australia’s early childhood education and care sector is at the beginning of a vital reform process.”(www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org) Language is another issue that is being researched in Australia.  “Language is important – it shapes the way we understand things; old terms are discarded and new terms open new possibilities. For example a change as subtle as ‘disabled’ to ‘people living with disabilities’ opens up huge potential and empowers people to look at themselves – and others – differently.”(www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org)

• What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website?

I have learned that other areas in the world are also standing up for the rights and their beliefs concerning early childhood issues.  I have also learned that many of the issues have been discovered through researched based experiments.  What I found most remarkable about the issues and researches is that although early childhood educators are all over the world, many of the same issues, concerns, and trends are found to hold true across the world.

• What other noteworthy information did you find on this website?

I found this website to include a ton of information related to the early childhood field.  The website had topics on inclusion, diversity, children’s rights, a Code of Ethics, journals, articles, and a magazine.  I think it is great to know that many topics can be found and addressed in some form here on their site. 

 Reference:

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org-earlychildhoodnews-earlychildhoodewsarchives%20.april/, 2011

Rage is important – it shapes the way we understand

things; old terms are discarded and new terms open new

possibilities. For example a change as subtle as ‘disabled’ to

‘people living with disabilities’ opens up huge potential and

Language is important – it shapes the way we understand

things; old terms are discarded and new terms open new

possibilities. For example a change as subtle as ‘disabled’ to

‘people living with disabilities’ opens up huge potential and

empowers people to look at themselves – and others – differently.

empowers people to look at themselves – and others – differently.

Option # 2

Wow, if I could make a major positive contribution to children and families through research, I would research healthcare and childhood illnesses.  I would seek out to find a cure for leukemia and children with rare cancer diseases. I feel that children are the strongest little people in the world and they handle illnesses with a very positive attitude.  Their strength is mind blowing to me as well as heartbreaking.  Each year 22000 children die from leukemia.  Leukemia, which makes up 25% of childhood cancer, affects the bone marrow and is curable with the right type of treatment. This disease is normally diagnosed in children ages 2 to 6 years old.  Even when a proper cure is diagnosed for the child, the maintenance of this disease last a lifetime. 

I would be making a positive contribution to the children and families affected by childhood leukemia and other childhood cancers with a cure.  This disease can help families spend less time in and out of hospitals and more time enjoying life together.  Most importantly, this will save the lives of children who die each year due to these types of diseases.

References:

http://www.chop.edu/service/oncology/cancers-explained/leukemia-diagnosis-and-treatment.html

My Personal Research Journey

My chosen topic for the simulation is: How has the “No Child Left behind Act” impacted the early childhood field since its implementation?  I chose this topic because I want to uncover the effects that this policy has had on the children that attend public schools.  I have heard many different comments, ideas, and suggestions surrounding this policy and felt it would be a great topic to research more about.  I am anticipating limited information available for this subject which is why I’ve chosen to learn about the ways the policy has impacted the early childhood field as a whole versus limiting my topic to one specific area or idea.  In doing so, I am hopeful that I will have a better chance at finding enough material to complete this research topic as well as, uncover the intent and effect that this policy has had on the early childhood field.

In constructing the research chart, I have found this chart to be helpful with organizing thoughts, new found words and its meaning. I feel that this chart is one I would like to keep on hand when performing any type of research study.  The chart gave me a chance to identify words and meanings, chose a specific topic to focus on, and reflect on the outcome.

I have found that really great resources can be found within the previously taken course material.  Therefore, if anyone is looking for resources some great resources, you can revisit some of your previously studied articles.  If anyone has any advice, resources, or insight that might help me with this course and the research process, please share with me.  If I can be of help to anyone, please let me know also.  I regularly check my e-mail.

Final Blog for the Course

The first thing I’ve learned from the international podcast is that poverty affects many children all around the world and there are many educators committed to helping children who are dealing with it.  This helped to contribute to my global understanding of poverty personally and professionally.  Often times, I have looked at poverty as an isolated issue when in fact countries around the world are suffering severely from poverty.  In some countries, what I view as poverty here in my state is nothing compared to the living conditions of other children around the world.

The second thing I’ve learned from the international podcast is how the many educators and advocates such as Susan Lyon and Delfena Mitchell have devoted their life to making change in the early education field.  This has helped me to truly understand the type of commitment that is needed to embrace the EC field.  These people have encouraged me to stay devoted to the EC field and know that I too have something that I can contribute to the field professionally and personally.

The third thing that these international blogs have taught me is that the level of issues and trends in the EC field vary from state to state, country to country.  However, many of the issues and trends are related and linked from one issue to the next.  Therefore, by addressing any of the issues, I can help to improve the level of impact on children and their families.

The one goal I have for international awareness is to stay current on the issues around the world.  I would like to improve things on a more global level as my career expands.  I feel that it is easy to stay within your comfort zone which for me is my surrounding area.  Now that I am aware of the issues that are happening around the world, I have to stay current with the issues and begin to advocate for change globally.

Sharing International Contacts-Part 3

From the podcast, I have been listening to episode 2 with Deevia Bhana and her work in South Africa.  She discusses sexuality and the growing epidemic of HIV/AIDS in Africa amongst the young people.  Ms. Bhana discusses the lack of research and education about HIV/AIDS and sex as it affects very young children.  She states that the Early Childhood years are a great time to provide children with information involving gender and sexuality.  Her theory is that educators and pediatricians should work together to help educate children.

At least three new ideas or insights you gained about issues related to international early childhood education that relates to your professional goals:

1.       On the very first page, the first new insight I learned is that 10.5 million children around the world die from preventable diseases. 

2.      I learned that UNESCO has come up with two effective strategies for handling the needs in the early childhood field.  Their strategy is phasing and partnership.  Phasing suggests that over time, the education sector will respond to the early childhood needs.  Partnership suggests that recruiting family support will help the early childhood field obtain recognition of their needs.

3.      The third insight I’ve learned is that “there are no universally agreed criteria for quantifying ECCE quality but useful factors to consider include pedagogy materials, personnel training, service setting and parental education and involvement. Learning materials should be quantitatively, culturally and developmentally adequate and focus on child-centered interaction.”

 (http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood

Sharing Web Sources-Week 6

I clicked on the link Early Head Start.  This link leads to another website called http://www.ehsnrc.org/ also known as the Early Head Start National Resource Center.   I research the section entitled what’s new.  In this area, I found information about a newly developed manual that is based off research concerning the quality of care for early learning programs.  I also found news about webinars on various child care topics.  I also discovered other research based programs that are working to help low-income families in different states.

  I followed the e-newsletter for March 2011.  This newsletter discussed the issues of poverty early on in a child’s life.  The new information I found out was” Economic models of child development focus on what money can buy. They view families with greater economic resources as being better able to purchase or produce important “inputs” into their young children’s development (e.g., nutritious meals; enriched home learning environments and child care settings outside the home; and safe and stimulating neighborhood environments), and higher-quality schools and post-secondary education for older children. The cost of the inputs and family income constraints are therefore the key considerations for understanding poverty’s effects on children.” (http://www.zerotothree.org/, 2010)

Yes this website continues to work on the issues of equity and issues within the early childcare field through research based programs and webinars.  What I like most about this website is that it understands and is committed to constantly finding ways to improve the early childcare field.  The additional insights I’ve learned about this blog assignment is that money or the lack thereof effects and determines the majority of people’s life from birth through adult hood.  Without early intervention for families and children who suffer from poverty, the world will continue to suffer from crime, mental health issues, and lack of nutrition.

Part 2-Getting to Know Your International Contacts

From the podcast, I have been listening to Delfena Mitchell this week.  Delfena Mitchell is the director of the Liberty Children’s Home in Belize City.  She discusses the issue of child abuse in her country.  In her unique program, she handles rebuilding the lives of children who have been abused physically, mentally, and emotionally.  This issue is one that is heartbreaking to me as an EC professional.  The issue of child abuse should never be overlooked or undermined which is why I applaud Delfena Mitchell’s strive toward equity and excellence in tackling this issue.

Globally, I have learned that the Children’s Global Initiative Program at Harvard University is working on planning, fundraising, and implementation of three areas that affect the Early Childhood field globally.  They are assessing quality in ECE programs in diversity around the world. They are assessing child development outcomes related to malaria in Zambia. The third thing they are doing globally is to improve effective early intervention in Chile. These issues ultimately affect equity and excellence because educators need to be able to determine which areas of their programs need improvement, how malaria disrupts a child development, and the benefits of improving early intervention for children.  I found some of these issues to affect certain areas of the world more than others.  However, these issues are the same issues being tackled here in the U.S. locally.

Additionally, I am learning that the issue of equity and excellence is not always in the form of educational standards around the globe.  I feel that each Early Childhood program in the various states and countries have many different but similar standards of equity and/or excellence that they are fighting to improve.  Healthcare, child development, education, support systems, and early intervention help are just some of the related issues that global educators are striving to achieve excellence in.  With each lesson, I am affirming my reason’s for becoming an Early Childhood educator which is to make a difference in each of these issues.

Sharing Web Resources-www.zerotothree.org

At www.zerotothree.com, all of the information is relevant to my current profession as a daycare owner/childcare provider.   What stand out the most for me is the early care and education section.  I feel that in order for me to provide quality care, I have to understand the parent’s needs, the children’s needs, and seek out ways to improve the quality of care that I offer.   This section discusses the need for fostering positive social, intellectual, and emotional support for all children including high risk children.

I thought that the section on improving the lives of children in foster care was very interesting.  I have recently begun working with a child and her family from foster care.  This made me think about foster care in a new way.  I can already see that this child has some emotional issues that she and her family are tackling.  As her childcare provider, this newsletter is giving me some new approaches to helping her and her family.  It also makes me feel a little disturbed because apparently, the foster care system understands the need for addressing her and her families need early on.  However, as I speak with her grandmother/foster care mother, the family tells a different story.  They express that unfortunately they aren’t able to receive the intervention and support they need. What I am finding relief in as that at the zero to three web-site, the executive director has presented a challenge to policy makers to improve their services so that they reflect the need and support of foster care families.

The website emphasize on economists and politicians being in position to create policies that reflect children needs.  They also stress the ways the congress have already made steps toward improving the lives of children and families.  The web-site has several links on how the budget is split to help children as well as links to websites that can offer support directly to families.

This website has given me new insight on how everything affects children and their families.  The website and newsletters not only discuss the many issues and trends but ways that I can help to advocate for our youth.

I have chosen the alternative assignment for our international connection.  The podcast participant I would like to introduce is Mrs. Barbara Jones.  Mrs. Jones is the founder of Pine Grove’s School in Palmer’s Maine.  Mrs. Jones decided to open a Montessori school after studying and working at the University of Maryland. Mrs. Jones decided that the public school system was not her ideal setting for teaching.  She then travel to California in search of finding a school more like the one’s she had been studying in school.  When arriving at California, Mrs. Jones found an advertisement for a teacher needed at a Montessori school.  When she contacted the person on the advertisement, he confirmed that he had a vision that she was the person they had been searching for. 

One thing I’ve learned from the podcast is that nothing is out of reach or impossible unless you give up.  Mrs. Jones spoke about traveling from one side of the earth to the other side in search of alternative learning styles as well as standing up for quality early learning programs.  From the website, I am learning that early childhood issues and trends are a global concern for many educators.  On this website, there are monthly newsletters with information on what educators around the world are working to accomplish.  For the month of March and April, the focus of the newsletter is Africa.  The website has a link that discusses details of the educator’s trip to Africa.  What I have learned through the website and podcast is that we share many of the same issues such as poverty.  The result of poverty is children who are heavily burned by economical things that it interferes with their learning and development.  For example, on Bonnie’s blog, she discussed how many of the teachers in Africa have to teach hungry children which is hard to do.  The educators are also dealing with children who are being raised with one parent.  These are some of the issue’s that becomes an international problem for everyone if educators can’t find a way to help children through their circumstances.

Childhood Poverty in India from http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/

In India, about half of the children under age five are malnourished.  India has about 34% of their newborns enter into the world underweight.  India has the largest numbers of working children in the world, with nearly a third of children below 16 years old working.  India is working to make health and education better for their children.  Since 1990, the number of live births has risen as well as the enrollment of primary aged children.  What saddens me still is that gender inequalities are still prevalent in India.  This is limiting girl’s life expectancy in India.  From birth through motherhood, girls are not entering school as the males are.  They are also the highest in numbers for child labor. 

Sharing Web Sources

I chose www.zerotothree.org.   This is a national non-profit organization.  This organization gives newsletters and provides information on their website to support early childhood educators with updates for training.  They also provide support for early childhood policy makers and parents to promote the health and development of children.

This week news -letter and website is focusing on early language and literacy.  This caught my attention because in each of my courses, we have discussed the importance of language and literacy for the entire family.  We have also discussed incorporating the children’s home language into the early childhood classroom.  The webinar on early language literacy from the web-site, stated that around 8 months, children start to experiment with sound to communicate.  I have actually seen babies as young as 3 months start to observe adults mouths and attempt to babble and communicate.  Therefore, it is never too early to start developing a child’s language skills.  This webinar gave great tips for helping to develop a child’s language and literacy.  One of the first tips expressed in the webinar was to establish a positive teacher-child relationship.  I am finding out that in order to care for children, this is one of the most important steps of all and is normally mentioned in fostering healthy developments first.  Another tip that was shared through the webinar was creating individually appropriate and meaningful things through the use of books and toys.  The webinar was very useful and gave me a lot of ideas to implement in the classroom.

 If anyone is interested in listening to the webinar, you can go to www.zerotothree.org and follow the link at the middle of the page under the topic of early language literacy.