Time Well Spent

Needless to say I have discovered several heartfelt learning in this program. As I think back to the start of this program keeping in mind my undergraduate was in a different field. I found the benefits of play in the lives of children in the early childhood stages quite interesting. I honestly believe without gaining the knowledge and concept behind the importance of play I would have been one of those teachers trying to make learning machine out of young people. The next issue that was significant to me was the realization that in order to be beneficial to young children you have to concentrate on the entire family unit. Prior to this I would have only seek to help the child which would have been very counterproductive due to parent being the first teacher to their children. In order to get give the best to children you have to support everyone that is significant in their life. My final deep felt learning was how influential biases and isms are in this field and even more how to address my own so that they want prevent me from being an asset to the field.  

My long time goal or commitment to the field of early childhood is to support and empower every family with young children to be all that they can be and advocating for the equal education opportunity for all children in the world.  Children are our future it here in their lives that that gain the significant skill to be the future leader with need to carry the world. I am committed to giving them that opportunity.

Dr. Teri,

Thank you for your heartfelt understanding, consideration, and insight. I wish you all the best that life has to offer.

Colleagues,

Wow!! We made. Thank you for all the sharing, caring and support through the months and years which ever applies. Each and everyone of you provide so much and words cannot explain the gratitude I have for you guys and gals. (Smile) I pray that you all continue to grow and wish you the best in your future endeavors. God Bless each of YOU!!!!

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

 

The three international organizations or communities of practiced that appealed to me are UNICEF, Save the Children and United Nation Education.

These organizations are of interest to me due to the fact that they cater to helping and empowering individuals in some type of positive way. The UNICEF believes that nurturing and caring for children are the cornerstones of human progress (UNICEF, n.d.).  Save the Children is the leading independent organization creating lasting change in the lives of children in need in the United States and around the world (Save the Children, 2011). They help children and families help themselves. UNESCO’s purpose is to contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural discourse through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information ( UNESCO,2011).

The job opportunities that are available are as follow:  Senior Specialist Child Protection Systems at Save the Children in Haiti. The requirements for this job include:

·         BA in Social Sciences, Social Work or related areas.

·         Eight years of relevant work experience with progressively greater management and/or advisory responsibilities, in the planning, design and implementation of child protection and social protection systems at national policy, service provision and community levels.

·         Direct field experience in child protection and related institutional reform planning, management or evaluation, an advantage.

·         Relevant international NGO experience is an asset.

·         Demonstrates, applies and shares expert technical knowledge across the organization.

·         Demonstrated leadership skills and ability to manage and be a part of teams (multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary and inter-agency).

·         Demonstrated strong communication skills with ability to give effective presentations to groups and individuals.

·         Ability to build/contribute to effective partnerships.

·         Able to establish course of action for self and ensure that work is completed efficiently and effectively.

·         Ability to build capacity and coach—explain, demonstrate, provide feedback and reinforcement. Actively identifies area for learning, creates and takes advantage of learning opportunities, uses newly gained skill and knowledge appropriately on the job.

·         Demonstrates SC core values.

·         Fluency in French and English required. Creole a plus

References:

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.unicef.org/

Save the Children. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.8D6E/Official_Site.htm United Nations

Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (2011). Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/about-us/who-we-are/introducing-unesco/

 

 

 

 

 

Job/ roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

The first Community of Practice that appealed to me was the Children’s Defense Fund. This organization was first brought to my attention earlier in this program. They provided assistance to children living poverty in the U.S. and this was one of the organization that seemed to be of the most interest to me as well as one in which I can see myself either working with or for.

The next community of practice that was of interest to me was the Bread for the World.  It also targets children living in poverty specifically children who are experience hunger as a result of their poverty. Advocating for these children is one of their main objectives.

The final organization I explored was UNICEF.   UNICEF was created with this purpose in mind to work with others to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path. They believe that they can, together, advance the cause of humanity.

In considering job opportunities in the above organization I thought it might be a great opportunity to explore positions with the entities. However I feel that I would benefit far more by having a hands on approach working directly with the people who are affected by poverty.   I don’t want to work behind the scene.  To serve in this type of work atmosphere I would need sufficient communication skills which may be a challenge when encountering people who are different than me. It will quite essential that I am able to obtain resources that will assist me in support the families culturally and so forth.  

References:

Bread for the world (2012). Retrieved September 27, 2012 from http://www.bread.org/.

Children’s defense fund (2012) Retrieved September 27, 2012 from http://www.childrensdefense.org/.

UNICEF: United States Fund. (2012). Retrieved September 27, 2012  from http://www.unicef.org.

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

The local or state organizations or communities of practice I chose are the Mississippi Early Childhood Education Association, Mississippi State University Early Childhood Institute and The State Early Childhood Council. I choose each of the organization because they support the vision that I have for the early childhood. These groups recognized the importance of providing children with the best quality education early in life. In addition, each organization understands that there are many factors that create barriers that prevent families from taking advantage of early childhood service however the above organization are working to alleviate any reason that families will not take advantage of services provided  to children of early childhood ages.

The job opportunities (currently available or not) that I am interested in is Early childhood educator in the Head Start Setting and/or various daycare and learning center atmospheres.

 The skills and experience that is required to competently fulfill the position are as follow:

Early Childhood Educator

Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Time Management — Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Active Learning — Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.   Bachelor’s Degree, and in some cases an Associate’s degree is accepted

Preschool/Head Start Teachers

Skills

Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Learning Strategies — Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

Instructing — Teaching others how to do something.

Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Service Orientation — Actively looking for ways to help people.

 

References:

 Education Administrators, Preschool and Childcare Center/Program. (n.d.). O*NET OnLine. Retrieved September 15, 2012, from http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/11-9031.00

 Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education. (n.d.). O*NET OnLine. Retrieved September 15, 2012, from http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/25-2011.00

 

 

 

Reflecting on Learning

As an early childhood professional it is my deepest hope that I can develop a strong partnership with families to provide a sturdy early childhood foundation for their children. To develop success it is important to know that it takes everyone. Therefore, one of the first things I intended to do is get to know the families. Letting them know that the environment is open and supportive as it is appropriate. I inspire to help children reach within themselves and strive to be the best that they can be with the support of their parents. Every child in any situation can learn. Knowing that children are impressionable at this time in their lives it is crucial to their success to provide them with respectful, safe and nurturing environment that truly supports them and their families. With that in mind it is my inspiration to provide the care and educationally services needed to generate more productive citizens in the community. I strongly feel that at this stage is where we as early childhood professional can make the biggest different in the lives of young children and their families.

I would like to take this time to graciously thank each of you for your contributions both on the blog and discussion boards. You have help to provide much insight into the field of early childhood for me. I really appreciated each of your comments as they were an inspiration to me. I wish each of you the best in your future endeavors and look forward to working with you all again.

Impacts on Early Emotional Development

The area of the world I chose was Haiti. I chose this area because since the 2010 earthquake the United States has being a very strong supporter of this country. In addition, during that time Haiti was covered on news very often I recalled being quite disturbed by the images I saw of families and children and they attempted to recover from that devastation. It took back to Hurricane Katrina but much more in-depth. Living in the Mississippi area I was not directly affected by Hurricane Katrina in the manner of having to regroup and find shelter but it did affect the whole world indirectly. As a result of that I related devastation of the earthquake in Haiti and Hurricane Katrina and their effect on the world as similar.

Many children in Haiti began life with great challenges like the lack of love, care, nurturing, health and safety that they need to survive and grow because their caregiver lack the basic surrounding to sustain this. Poverty prevents caregiver from providing the minimal basic need for children. In most cases their environment does not provide enough resources to support their needs with regards to health care, nutrition and learning. The children and their families are left to live in inadequate housing and shelter.

Unfortunately as a result of this many of these challenges place barriers on children before they can develop. Children that are provided with the essential needs of life in the early stages develop healthy. Children that do not will be susceptible diseases and illness that compromise their development in their thinking language emotional and social skills.

As I learn more of the living conditions in Haiti as an early childhood professional my heart really aches for the children and their families living in these conditions. However if I encounter children within my environment facing these types of challenges I am committed to assisting with as many resources that I can find to support the family unit and the children. Knowing that this is a critical period in children’s lives for growth and development not only educationally but for life this insight has really made me further want to explore additional sources to support and nurture families.  Hurricane Katrina did not leave the United States in this turmoil. It was event that even today we are still struggling to overcome. The children and families in Haiti live this every day and for traumatic event to come forward only sets them back even more. Considering all of this I want to find ways to help the children in Haiti I had no real idea of their conditions and at the same time I am really committed to giving children a chance despite their challenges and circumstance. If they are able to overcome these struggle and make it into an early childhood community they deserve that much.

Reference

UNICEF(2012).Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/index.html

The Sexualization of Early Childhood

My thought regarding the topic of the sexualization of early childhood is it is unfortunate that this is a topic that has to be addressed so early in a young person life. However I view it as a necessary evil. One of the points made in the article is that children have always been curious regarding sex and sexuality early and though it is subject that many of us are uncomfortable discussing it crucial to young children as parents and teacher to answer the question honestly and age appropriately (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009). Children today are persistent in obtaining response to their curiosity with that in mind that they will get answers to their question but it may be more information than they need at their age or the wrong information.  I feel that we should not shy away from responding to their questions to control how much information they are exposed to at one time or another.

One of the first examples that come to mind was a four year reenacting one Michael Jackson videos. Amazing enough the child never missed a beat and was on point when it was time to grab or hold on to his private area as commonly done by Michael in his videos and dance routines. The next example took place in an early childhood environment when a little girl and boy about five years old were having a discussion as little kids do. Then the little girl told the little boy he was gay. The little boy not understanding what the little girl was saying to him asked his mother as soon as she picked him up what was gay. I could see the discomfort on her face however her response was we will discuss we get home. The next day the parent met with the director of center regarding the incident. The final example that further illustrates the exposure of young children to a highly sexualized environment is some of the dance moves that little girls are required to do in dance class. I recalled my daughter feeling uncomfortable regarding a dance move that was somewhat I would say explicit in a sexual manner. Apart of her concern was I have stress respect for yourself in everything you do. We watch video together and I pointed out things with her on the video that I feel are not appropriate. Feeling that it was inappropriate she was not comfort doing that move in the dance routine. Long story short she participate in the routine in a child friendly way that was respectful to her after careful discussion.

The implication this may have on children’s healthy development is children may be confuse by what is acceptable and unacceptable in terms of sexualization. As an early childhood professional it is important to address children concerns and question regarding sex. However I strongly feel that this should be a team effort with the parents because if the teacher and the parent are on different accords regarding what is social acceptable among children with concerns of sexualization; the final outcome is could lead to deviant behavior for the child or children as they grow into adulthood. Open and honesty is the most important factor anyone can offer a child or children regarding this topic and avoid making children feel like this something that is nasty and bad. Teach them to be proud and respectful of every aspect of their body and their nothing inappropriate about their bodies, but inappropriate things that can be done to their bodies.

This week I realize the need to discuss good touches and bad touches with children early. Prior to explore the topic this week I would not have considered discussing this topic with an early childhood age child. I feel that in order to adequately inform children on sexualization this is an area that should be included. Unfortunately children are being exposed to sexual explicit material regardless of how we attempt to keep it away from them. With that thought in mind we must age appropriately inform them on of what is consider good touches and bad touches so that they want become a victim of a pedophile. Children are very innocent and though their behavior may imply sexualization many of them are not aware of what their behavior implies. Therefore as we address their curiosity with regard to the different version of sexualization we have also inform them of the good and bad touches reduce their probability of becoming a victim.

Reference:

Levin, D. E., & Kilbourne, J. (2009). [Introduction]. So sexy so soon: The new sexualized childhood and what parents can do to protect their kids (pp. 1-8). New York: Ballantine Books. Retrieved from: http://dianeelevin.com/sosexysosoon/introduction.pdf

Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

As I think of the different “- isms”, I feel that racism and sexism are among the “-isms” I may endure. Stereotypically, many people view working with children in the early childhood field as being primarily a female profession. I feel that being in this field there is a strong possibility that I will be discriminated against due to my gender while in this profession. I also plan to work with children of all nationalities. With that in mind, I am positive that someone of a different racial group will visit my center and be biased towards myself and my institution because of my race. For instance, in the community I live in there are mostly Caucasian and African Americans. As a result, I plan to cater to both groups. In my opinion, the African American group would be more appreciative of the environment as opposed to Caucasians; based on my race. I could very well see Caucasian parents questioning my capabilities in terms of caring for their children. In contrast, the African American community would be generally accepting. Personally, I believe that this would cause undue strain on me mentally. I could envision myself being an emotional wreck because all I aim to do is help young children become successful adults with the help of their families, and I think that the color of my skin should not dictate my capability to serve them accordingly. As I endure this form of racism, I would hope that the parents I am servicing at the time would be very supportive and encouraging towards me as I work through any racial difficulties.

Observing Communication

The communication experience between a young child and an adult took place at the birthday party at the movie theater. There was this one little boy that was a guest and relative of the birthday boy.  The little boy that was a guest was a little younger than that of the birthday boy.  The host which was the mother of the birthday boy had her hands full with the normal birthday things. It seemed like the little boy that was the guest just could not find his place in this setting. Every time the host would invite the children to participate in parts of the party. This little boy would say I don’t want to do that. Then she would tell if did not want to participate it was okay but to allow everyone else the opportunity. He would then kind get quiet until the next activity would come. Finally, when it was time to get popcorn before the movie this little went on and on about not wanting any popcorn. This time the host ignored him (I thought) and prepared all the children popcorn including this child. The children got their popcorn right before they went into the movie. The host told the little boy to help her give the bigger children the popcorn. The little boy eagerly accepted and when everyone had gotten their popcorn there was one left over. He took it and set down and enjoyed the movie eating popcorn.

The situation taught me that the little boy was intimidated by being around bigger children. I really applauded the way the host address the little boy. She made him feel important in the environment by making him a helper. It wasn’t that the little didn’t want to be there he just did not know how to fit in with the birthday boy and all of his other friends because he was younger. It was weird to see that play out but what was more special was the way the host empowered the little boy in this situation. I feel that this was a definitely an example of speaking the language of children.  As in the video the hosts made the little boy feel listened to and seen.

I really like the way the host in my observation change the way the little boy felt about himself at the party. He went from being intimidate by the bigger kids to finding his way to fitting in with them. I feel that if I was in the situation I would have really gone out of my way to support the little fellow too. I have learned that it is really important to listen to children. They don’t have the capability of communicating like adults so it is important to really listen to them. They are expressing themselves to the best of their abilities.  I want to practice on listen more to children and paying close attention to what they say and not say to best support them in their circumstance.

Reference:

Laureate, 2011. Communicating with young children".   

Creating Affirming Environments

The community I live in represent many ethnic groups therefore in order, to develop an anti bias environment.  My front door would say welcome with a mixed picture of each child that represents the many ethnicities in the community. Upon entering the setting I will place a sign in section for the child and their family along with a cubby for each child to place their belonging in. The walls and bulletin boards display bright beautiful color. I will create a bulletin board section that will allow each child to take turns sharing pictures of themselves and their families. . My staff will represent diversity ethnicity as well. It would also display various forms of families such as single parent, extended family biracial and so forth. The material I will include in the environment to introduce anti bias is different varieties of music, the library will include books from various area represent every form of diversity. It will also include stories, puzzle, games and dolls.   I would also establish an area for dramatic play that will focus on diversity by incorporating various clothing items from different cultures in addition to play food dishes and more.  Many of the residence in the area have porches as represented in Andriana’s care home with that in mind I would like to have environment that has walk up porch as you enter and exit the environment (Laureate, 2011). I also like the area that allowed children having separation anxieties time to adjust.  I choose to include each of these entities into my anti bias environment because I feel that through each representation each child and their family will see some of themselves in the environment as well as expose them to other differences regarding culture, race, social identities and so forth. In regards to the cubby area for the child it gives them feeling of acceptance to be able to place their belongings in a place of their own which one of the most important factors to me.

References:                                                                       
Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Laureate Education, Inc.( 2011). Welcome to anti-bias learning community.

What I Have Learned

The hope that I have when I think about working children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that the provider remembers that everyone is unique and respects their uniqueness instead of criticizing it. It is my hope that each individual is accepted and respected for their uniqueness.

One goal I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity and social justice to embrace these issues by expanding the areas so that children are allowed to explore more diversity in effort to make them realize life is not isolated it is versatile and it ok to be distinctive.

Wow we have been on an interesting journey in this course. For me it highlighted so many things about life for me. I indeed appreciate all of the feedback, I have gotten on my post both blog and discussion. Equally I have enjoyed the sharing you all have done on your individual post. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

Start Seeing Diversity Blog

Click to access my creative art work on seeing diversity.
http://kvonyajonesmoore.wix.com/seeing-diversity#!HOME/mainPage

Start Seeing Diversity Blog: "We Don't Say Those Words in Class!"

One of the times I recalled that a child was reprimanded after pointing out someone they saw as different actually took place a church.  A very huge man walked into church late one Sunday.  He had to be about 500 or 600 pound or better.  There was limited seating available based on the time the man got there. This one little boy blurted out “That’s a very fat man I wonder where he’s going to seat on the floor because we don’t have a chair that can hold him.”  Needless to say all of the children thought his comment was funny and laughed their little hearts out.   A lady in the church grabbed the little boy by the arm and told him that was very disrespectful. She went on to yell at him that she was going to tell his grandfather on him because that type of thing was not going to be tolerate at church. The strangest thing is I really don’t think the little boy meant it as joke he was inquiring as little children do about where the fat man could sit.  I think it blown out of proportion because of the man’s size and the other children perception of the child comment as joke.

Based on the lady’s reaction the little boy quickly learned a lesson in the way things could be misconstrued. Therefore it is important to be mindful of the way you say things especially at church.

An anti-bias educator might have responded to the little boy by saying that we are all alike just different (Derman-Spark &Edwards, 2010).  The educator could point  out that everyone needs a place sit even if you are overweight and to refer to the floor for a person to sit at when everyone else is sitting in chairs or pews is insensitive. Pointing out that referring to someone’s weight can cause a person to feel bad whether they are really skinny or fat.  Then explain that we all are different although we seem to be the same.  In addition to highlighting that our apparent differences are the things that make us unique and that there is no reason for a person to degrade our uniqueness. This would help the child to think about what he has done and realize that no one should intentionally or unintentionally cause a person to feel bad because of an apparent uniqueness.

 Reference:

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

"Start Seeing Diversity Video" Blog: Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation

Homophobia and heterosexism permeate the world of young children through the focus of traditional families. Many of the books center on the families with mother, father and children. There are illustrations that include extended and blended families and maybe interracial families but none that depict families with two fathers or two mothers.    In fact the most common way I have read about  single parent household in children books  are  one of the parent are shown as deceased as opposed to them indicating that the parents were not ever married. Honestly I have yet to see children book that displayed families with gay or lesbian families. The early childhood communities in the area I live in still places a high focus on things like boys not playing the girl dolls and little girl’s not rough housing as little boys.  In spite of the communities growing number of gay and lesbian families most of schools and early childhood center avoid responding to this family type in the area I live in.  .

My response to a parent of family member who  believes that early childhood centers should avoid the inclusion books depicting gay or lesbian individuals same sex partnered families is that it is unfair to children in the environment to never see or her a representation of their families in the environment. If the focus is to provide the best for children the best we can do for them is accept them. Meaning our personal opinion of their family setup is not in their best interest.  We have to consider that the families makeup be it a traditional, two fathers or two mothers are the choices of the parents and not that of the child and we cannot penalize the child for their parent’s decision. We that said it is important to make children of gay or lesbian parents included as that of students whose family represents the traditional family.

Team Building and Collaboration

I think there is some difficult in leaving high achieving groups because the bond seems to get greater when attempting to accomplished the goal at some time everyone needs some support. Are easier to collaborate with because the expectations are clearly established and everyone is aware of the significant of their part. Some of the most successful groups that I have been a part of have been some of the hardest to depart from. These are groups where we worked collaboratively to achieve a goal and were triumphant at doing so.  I think the reluctance to leave the group stems from the overall bonding that we did as a team. The closing rituals I experienced mostly were having dinner upon completing our task. Celebrating our victory after we reached a goal was an awesome way to make everyone apart of the team feel appreciated. Unfortunately through this group I want be able to have adjourning dinner. However I expect to adjourn from this program by conversation in forms of emails, blog and etc. I would like to continue interacting with my   colleagues in the future if for no other reason than to just see how they are doing. Adjourning is essential because even in the best of things it must come to an end. I also believe that adjournment will essentially serve as building blocks for the next time a group is formed.

Nonviolent Communication and Conflict Management

As I think about a disagreement I experience I have to focus on the occasional disagreements I have with my husband.  One disagreement we have is over cooking. As a wife, working fulltime, going to school and taking care of family sometimes get quite overwhelming for me. However my husband really wants a home cooked meal about four of five times out of the week, which really isn’t conducive for my schedule.  However the strategies I feel that will help me manage or resolve conflict more productive is Win / Win and the Going to the Balcony Approach. Each of these approaches offer remarkable results to conflict resolution that centers on listening.  These strategies might be effective because they offer compromise in matter that produces positive results for both parties. To put these approaches in force I listen to my husband points regarding the issues of us eating out so much.   I suggested that on Sunday I prepare at least three meats and that way I don’t have to try to prepare so many full course meals daily. Then all I would have to do daily is add a side dish which isn’t very time consuming. He agreed and this gave him more home cooked meals and did not compromise so much of my time in the kitchen. I feel that this disagreement benefit from the 3 R’s as well because we offered the components of the 3’s to this environment and produce a solutions that we both found rewarding.

References:

The Third Side. (n.d.). The third side. Retrieved from http://www.thirdside.org/

Conflict Resolution Network. (n.d.). CR kit. Retrieved from http://www.crnhq.org/pages.php?pID=12#skill_3.

Who Am I as a Communicator?

The evaluation process for me was quite enlightening I had one of my colleagues from work and my husband to evaluate my communication effectiveness. Strangely enough in regards to Communication Anxiety my husband and I both hit within the 34-46 score and my coworker placed me in the 21-33 range. The Verbal Aggressive Scale through the evaluation my coworker and I rated me in the 53-68 range however my husband rated me in the 69-85 range. I was surprise by that because I usually try to pick my words so that I want be insulting to others. I expected the numbers to be the same across the board. In terms of listening all three evaluations placed me in group 1 which is people oriented.  The insight I gained this week is that people oriented listening are sometime too trusting. I realize that I have call attention to myself to make sure that facts I need are not getting by me.  Although usually I can tell when someone is trying to pull a fast one on me. 

Communication and Culture

The three strategies I could use to help me communicate more effectively with people or groups are first and foremost relates to this week’s discussion two which relates to the Platinum Rule.  I feel that this rule is most important because it allows you to place yourself in the other person situation.  Therefore I want be quick to be judgmental of others because I am not familiar with their culture.

Next I feel that in order to better communicate with people it is important to familiarize myself with other cultures customs for general principle. Therefore, I want have to rush to research their background because I have learned that I will be coming in contact with someone from other cultures.  I will already have some knowledge of who I am communicating with. I always tell one of my coworker it is important to know a little bit about everything when possible. You never know when and where you will be when you need it.

The final strategy I have regarding communicating effective with people from other cultures is paying attention to nonverbal communication to support the environment. I have come to realize verbal communication is great but nonverbal cue offer insight and if the two do not coincide something is off and requires a little more focus.

References

Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2010). 50 strategies for communicating and working with diverse families. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.Retrieved from http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=6488765&Survey=1&47=6171917&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

Beebe, S. A., Beebe, S. J., & Redmond, M. V. (2011). Interpersonal communication: Relating to others (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. http://sylvan.live.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=6488765&Survey=1&47=6171917&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=1&bhcp=1

Communication Skills: Language, Nonverbal, Listening

The television show I watched is called Half and Half. As I observed the characters with the volume off I perceived their relationship to be professional coworkers in an office environment. They appeared to be people that did not mind making there point known.  They were engaged in conversation in the office and it was apparent that they were discussing something that one of the characters did not agree with. Then I observe one of the characters demeanor indicated that he did not really care to hear anything being said by the other people.  He turned his back to the guy that was talking to him.  As the lady character expressed her opinion she made her point by waving her hands and stormed out or the office.  This nonverbal communication indicated that she was angry or upset by their discussion.

The assumptions I made about the plot was that there was a disagreement and I perceive the disagreement to be work related.  However as I watched the show with the volume on I discovered that it was a disagreement over a personal manner.  The character Spencer was dating a lady by the named of Naomi and his coworker Mona dislikes her due to her cut throat nature in the industry.  The other character Adam was creating controversy because he knew that Spencer was hiding that information from Mona. Which is the reason Spencer had his back to Adam when he was talking. He really did not want to hear what he was saying. My assumption would have been much better if it was a show that I normally watched because I would be more familiar with the characters.  I did not know what to expect from this show.  My assumptions were that they had some problems within the corporation and the reality was the whole encounter was personal.

The insights I gained from this assignment is that body language or nonverbal communication is powerful.  In this incident I immediately picked up on the disagreement I missed on what the disagreement was about. It verified for me how important it is to pay attention to verbal and the nonverbal communication.  The nonverbal communication is important in that it helps to express your feeling but verbal helps to put everything in perspective. If I had gone on the nonverbal communication alone I would have been misled.  This experience made really realized the importance of listening and paying attention to nonverbal clues.

What Is Communication?

The person I feel that is a competent communicator is one of my retired coworkers.  He retired from the police department after twenty years of service. He doesn’t do a lot of public speaking now. However one of the assets that he possessed that makes him a competent communicator is that he is able to command a room in a public speaking setting.  As he speaks people are engaged and seem to be extremely interested in what he has to say. Every time I have heard him speak I was able to take something positive from the environment.  Strangely enough it does not matter about the topic of discussions as he speaks seemingly everyone listens. Many people have echoed my same feeling in the law enforcement community as well as those that were not a part of this environment.  He makes his presentation plain and easy to follow without being extremely long winded. Additionally, he appears very confident by his demeanor.  Another asset he possesses is he stays on topic I have never witness him deviating from the topic unless question from the audience lead him in that direction.

I would love to acquire some of his communication skills. I feel that it is great to complete a speaking task that allows the group to feel fulfilled and not lacking regardless of the topic. Those are great characteristics of a competent communicator.

Professional Hopes & Goals

The biggest hope I have for children and families that come from diverse backgrounds is that as they enter the environment that are able to make smooth transition and gain a quick feeling of acceptance.  Imagining children feeling inadequate because they are different is heartbreaking to me.

The goal I would like to set for the early childhood field in terms of diversity, equity and social justice is not to it as treat diversity an obstacle.  Embrace the differences with chance and opportunity just as if it was tradition or customary.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank each of you for sharing in our assignments. Each assignment offered me inspiration and understanding.   I have view my next class and I see that unfortunately I will not be in that class with many of you.  I am truly sad because several of us started out together and have been on this journey together up until this point. Anyway I wish you all well and know that my prayers are with you.

Welcoming Families From Around the World

My family country of origins is Greece.

The first thing I would due to prepare for them is research the family culture.  I would concern myself with determining who is the power figure in the family.  I would need to know if it is appropriate to communicate with the mother or the father.

Then I would learn their meeting etiquette the way they are accustoms to greeting people with they meet for the first time. Upon their arrival I would greet them with a smile, firm handshake while maintaining eye contact as they are accustom too.

As a welcoming tool I would prepare refreshment such as cakes and fruit for their arrival.  They are accustomed to offering refreshment to guest at major events.

Then I would look into their religious practices.  I would try to obtain some type religious symbol for them such as the sign of the cross or a bible whichevers appropriate.  Most of their religious practices are centered on the sign of the cross.

Next I would try to obtain some cultural related toys or objects for the children to have. Children in Greece usually play with rattles and yo-yo’s.

Going out of town in your own country can be culturally shocking. Therefore, I hope that preparing these accommodations to a new family in the United States it would give them a sense of belonging and providing them with an excellent perception of the U.S.  It is a proven fact that you only get one chance to make a good first impression.  Through this experience I am able to factor in a little bit of their culture in to mine creating atmosphere love and acceptance.

References:

Kwintessential (n.d). Retrieved from http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/greece-country-profile.html

Sutton,S.(n.d.) Greece. Retrieved from: http://www.everyculture.com/Ge-It/Greece.html

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

It is truly unfortunate that I often get to observe instances of bias, prejudice, and oppression.  The memory that I would like to share took place where I work. We were in the process of undergoing an administration change.  This process is when a new police chief takes over.  This usually means that the whole department is going to be adjusted.  This particular administration was headed by Caucasians. There had be a lot of talk about uniform patrol going to twelve hour shift and deleting the eight hour shift we were accustom to.  These decisions are made by the chief of police with the approval of the mayor and city council.  No officer wanted to make this transition. However it was dynasty it was going to happen.  This entailed longer hours and longer hours provided more stress to an already dangerously stressful job. They divided the shift up into four shifts of men and women officers. Strangely when the 12 hour shift went into effect all the Caucasian female officers were given new job assignment and they did not have to endure the long gruesome twelve hours shift work.  After losing several officer and encountering multiple careless situations and casualties we were able to return to the 8 hour shift.

This incident destroyed the moral in the police department for the African American female and the male officers. Seniority plays a major role in the police department and these young ladies were lower on the totem pole the most of the officers.  The equity was diminished in that the chief had no consideration for the African American female officers because like the Caucasian female officers many of them were single parents and had small children.

My feeling of this situation was disappointment.  Yet I then began to really realize that prejudice and bias are real. I was in denial for many years but as I grew I got a good lesson in racism, sexism, prejudice, bias and oppression. I remember riding in my patrol car once I discovered the way that incident went down shaking my head wondering if this would ever past.  I survived that situation however I know it this job the next bias, prejudice or oppression situation is right around the corner.

 In that situation if the chief was trying to do the right thing by all the officers it would have allowed everyone to apply for the open positions. Then it would have made the placement based on qualification as oppose to gender and race. This would have provided everyone with the opportunity to seek the position and to see how they measured up. Instead this diminished the moral of the qualified officers and caused a slow boil. The worst thing in the world is a lot of upset Police!!!