THANK YOU!!!!!

Communicating is an integral part of our daily lives. Being competent and effective is extremely vital in our interactions and conversations with our colleagues, friends, loved ones, children, families, and communities that we serve. Our online learning community has played a valuable part in providing me with the much need advice, perspective, and suggestions that have engaged my thinking and added insight contributing to my professional and personal achievements. And for this I would like to send an enormous thank you to each of the individuals that took part in this journey with me. I will continue to communicate through this blog. I would like for us all to maintain this support until we finally get the chance to share our experiences face to face. Until then, I wish you all success in your professional and educational endeavors. See you soon!

Sincerely,

Dionna L. Palmer

Adjourning

“It’s so hard to say good-bye to yesterday”…. BOYS II MEN

As I was studying the Five Stages of building a team, I ran across this wonderful video that broke down these stages  through one of my favorite movies: Remember the Titans”.

                “Adjourning is the stage of group development in which members reflect on their accomplishments and failures as well as determine whether the group will disassemble or take on another project” (O’Hair & Wiemann, 2012). I believe that highest performing groups are both the easiest and hardest to leave. When a group is high performing, there is a sense of accomplishment and success achieve within these groups making it easy to adjourn. The trust and commitment of each individual establishes a bond that supports meaning in their relationships making it hard to say good bye. When I have adjourned from a group, some of the rituals that took place were: closing ceremonies, presentations, and just a simple ending session. I imagine adjourning from my group of colleagues in my master’s program through our graduation ceremony. I imagine meeting and hugging each and every one of them, thanking them for making my online learning experience a wonderful one, as it has been. Adjourning is an essential stage of teamwork because it is signifies growth and learning experiences as a team and also serves a segue to more team projects.   

 

 

Reference: http://youtu.be/hEJaz3sinEs

 

Disagreements and Conflicts

In the field of early childhood care and education, teachers, parents, and administrators play an integral part in the holistic success of the children we service. But sometimes the influential individuals that are a part of this web of supporters do not agree. I was currently the mediator for a situation that happened between a teacher and a parent. To make a long story short, the child broke out with an unidentified rash, so the teacher approached the parent, questioning her about his condition. The teacher then proceeded to bring the child inside of the building, away from the other children. The parent was offended by her child being isolated. The parent went to the assistant director requesting that her child be taken out of that teachers’ classroom. When the incidence was bought to my attention, I took a minute to reflect on the situation. I wanted to think about the intentions of the teacher and the feelings of the parents. I took the opportunity to talk to both the teacher and the parent. And then we took the opportunity to meet together to dispel the friction and tension between the two that had developed. Two strategies that I have learned about is the Platinum Rule and Active Listening. The Platinum Rule allowed me to get them both involved in considering the perspectives of the other person. This broke the ice for them to begin talking about how their relationship was before this situation happened. Then, I was able to incorporate the process of active listening to successful get the two women to effectively communicate and eventually apologize for the confusion and give each other hugs. The parent actually bought lunch for the teachers the next day.

                The Pre-K Master Teacher that works alongside myself is an individual that I have sought input and advice on several instances. I consider her an extremely effective communicator. I asked her how she learned to be a more effective communicator as it relates to conflict resolution skills. Her response to me was, “I learned how to become an effective communicator by going through countless conflicts that I had to find resolutions to.” This statement was so profound. I completely agree that one way to become an effective communicator is to go through the process of communicating over and over again, finding ways to be a neutral entity, and compromising for the better good.

Communication Evaluation

 

                This week’s blog assignment included an evaluation that I conducted on myself and I had to choose two other individuals to evaluate my effectiveness in speaking, listening, and communication anxiety. The three assessments began by informing me that the best way for this assessment to be accurate was if I were to be honest. The test was pretty simple in strategy and technique. They contained 20-21 questions per assessment and ranged in degrees from always to never.

                Comparing the three evaluations revealed that the Listening Styles, Communication Anxiety Inventory, and Verbal Aggressiveness Scale all ranked within the same category. For Listening Styles, I scored highest in Group 1 deeming my style to be people-oriented. In Communication Anxiety Inventory, my score ranged in the 21-33 categories, labeling my communication anxiety Low. Verbal Aggression scale ranked at a Moderate level with my scores averaging between 53-68.

                One thing that surprised me the most is how all three of our evaluations were similar. I believe that most of the time I cope with anxiety, avoid verbal aggressiveness, and listen effectively. It made me feel good that others think this way about me as well. It a very tedious task to supervise 18 adults and try to be consistent and calm even when everyone else is in an uproar.

                Two insights that I have learned this week have encouraged me to continue striving to become a competent communicator. The evaluations served as an instrumental tool in envisioning how well I am doing and also some improvements that I need to make. It was equally important to know how others evaluated my ability to communicate. Part of being an effective leader is the ability to listen, speak, and deal with anxiety, not only for you, but for all others as well, including children, families, colleagues, and teachers. I think that as professionals, these assessments should be done on a regular basis for each individual in the work place. Being a competent and effective communicator both professional and personally has the limitless possibility to overcome barriers in communication, dispel cultural myopia and bias schemas, and positively influence our interactions and engagements with everyone that we come in contact with.

               

 

 

Communication Strategies

Communicating across cultures can be a challenge. As I reflect on this week’s blog question, I can honestly say that I do not communicate differently with people from other cultures but, however, sometimes my communication skills are similar and differ between contexts. For example, in my professional occupation, I communicate utilizing a linguistic intelligence solely related to early childhood care and education, while in a relational context I may utilize a different language context from my speech repertoire such as euphemisms or slang, which is more relaxed and informal when I am around friends and family.

Strategies that I could use to help me communicate more effectively with various people or groups include:

(1). Practice active listening

(2). Avoid cultural assumptions

(3). Practice being patient

(4). Ask for clarification

(5). Check for understanding

(6). Develop cultural awareness

 

 

Communication Video: http://youtu.be/8-hGDlifwhg

Verbal and Nonverbal Cues

 

                For this week’s assignment, I chose to watch a football game. Being that I am not really in to sports, I figured that viewing this game with sound off for the first half, then on for the second half, would be both a challenge and good experience for me as I try to master the skill recognizing verbal and nonverbal cues. The characters’ relationships based on the ways in which they were communicating, were that of uniformity and cohesiveness. Because football players do not have time to talk while they are on the field, I believe they relied largely on instinct, eye contact, hand gestures and body movement.  As  I watched the second half with the sound on, I observed the teams relationship as being in tuned with one another. I believed that they utilized a deeper level of concentration that allowed them to use nonverbal cues on the field as their ears. I didn’t make any assumptions about the characters  or plot for which I interpreted from the communication that I observed. I am, however, impressed with the way the team members were able to perform at a high speed regardless of the roar crowd, the expectations of the coach, and the pressure to win the game. I believe that my impressions would have been the same if I had been watching a television show that I like, such as Law & Order: SVU.  I believe this is true being that some messages are subliminal causing viewers to pay closer attention to nonverbal cues such as gestures, body movement, environments, or tone of voice. I believe that this assignment was a great experience in creating an awareness and responsiveness to verbal and nonverbal cues. Being that communication is multifaceted, across a variety of contexts, it is essential to becoming effecting in interpreting what you see, hear, and listen to when working with children, families, and communities in the field of early childhood care and education.

Competent Communicator

 

            I believe that “attitude reflects leadership”. I also believe that good communication is the greatest asset that any organization, team, or group can have. The person that I believe demonstrates a competency in communicating would be the director at the early learning institution for which I service. I have been under his leadership for 4 years and the characteristic that I admire most about him is his consistency in behaviors. I have yet to witness him enter the center without speaking to each and every one of the employees, parents, and students. He exhibits great interpersonal skills that are effective when dealing with various situations. He honors the “open door” policy which makes it easy for anyone to come into his office to express concerns, offer suggestions, or just to listen to the gospel music that he plays each day. He maintains a mutual respect for management, staff members, and families that make our organization operate efficiently. His behavior, interactions, and attitude is always positive, even when it is dealing with disciplinary actions.

            I model my own communication behaviors after his because of his actions are no different than his words. He does expect his employees to do something that he would not do. He serves as a role model by setting standards and expectations that are verbal, written, and performed. I am truly impressed by his ability to maintain his professionalism in any given situation. I have never witnessed him allowing his personal emotions or opinions cloud his professional judgment and what’s best for our organization. I hope to be as great of a leader and competent and effective communicator as he is through both his verbal and non-verbal mannerisms.

Professional Hopes and Goals

When I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds, one hope that I have is to create a learning environment that innovates children and families to become unique individuals beyond the differences of their physical characteristics by creating a respect, awareness,  and attitude that enhances responsiveness, positive self-esteem, and anti-bias social identities.  I believe that it is essential that we impart in the minds and attitudes of children and families with the ability and capacity to embrace our similarities and differences as a part of our natural beings before there is the opportunity to experience the micro aggressions that plague their minds, emotions, and outcomes.

One goal that I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice is that we continue to maintain a proactive approach that dispels these issues/trends in the early learning environment.

I would like to thank my colleagues and instructor for their thoughts, expertise and experiences that has provided me with enlightenment and insight as we continue our professional and educational journey through the field of early childhood care and education and Walden U. Thank you.

Welcoming Famillies from Around the World

The new family coming to my social service agency is from Nepal. The family consists of a mother, father, their three children and the mother’s mother. In order to prepare myself and my organization for their welcoming, there are several cultural responsive attitudes that I will incorporate to make their emigration a smooth transitions.

 

(1). Foster more understanding of the family and how they operate, feel, and the ways in which they live their life.

 

(2). Build collaborative relationships with other agencies and institutions that serve emigrant families and their communities.

 

(3). Effectively communicate culturally sensitive choices and their consequences and be aware of many possibilities and respond appropriately.

 

(4). Establish personalized contact with individuals and their families by developing and utilizing vocabulary of greetings and key phrases in the families’ primary language and cultivating caring, engaging relationships with the family. I will also make the environment friendly to their native country through resources, décor, and materials.

 

(5). Educate my staff as well as the other families and individuals that will communicate, interact, and engage with my new family from Nepal.

I hope that these preparations will benefit the families is ways that foster and nurture cultural responsiveness, provides a comfortable transition, and serves as a resource in become self-sufficient.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

The first incidence that I experienced with able-ism was when I got my first job working at McDonalds. I was 17 years old and I worked the front cash register.  One day a young man approached the front counter to place an order.  But he stood there at the counter and didn’t say anything. So in an aggravated manner, I asked him how I could help him. So he took a napkin and wrote on it, “I’m deaf”. I was speechless. I immediately changed my tone and attitude with him, which I shouldn’t have had in the first place. Until this very day I cannot begin to explain the disappointment that I felt within myself. I felt horrible after I read what he had written on that napkin. There were so many question flowing through my mind, but one important one was “how did he feel?” Looking at him I was unable to tell that he had a challenge with hearing. This is the very reason why we should not judge individuals because of their outer appearance. 

This specific bias diminishes equity by lessening the opportunities for individuals of able-ism to receive non-bias services. It was unfair for me to be inconsiderate of him taking his time to place his order. I felt compelled to apologize to him although that wasn’t enough.  My customer service that day was horrible and I probably should have been fired.  I believe that attitude determines your aptitude. Greater equity for equity would have been provided if I would have had patient without assumptions.  From that day forward, I tried to display the best possible customer service that I could. I kept a positive attitude and patience allowing the customer to take their time because I never wanted to experience that incident again.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

The whole nation is aware of what happened to Trayvon Martin. Regardless of the verdict, I believe that it is well agreed upon that there were micoaggressions present in that situation. There were several stereotypes recognized by George Zimmerman that resulted in the fatality of this young man. Trayvon was stereotyped by his appearance, race, and clothing. While this is still a very sensitive subject for some, I will move forward in my context of micro aggression. I must admit that I feel a certain type of way. Reflecting on my own personal life, I have a nine year old son maturing in this day and age. As research suggests, by the time a black male reaches the 4^th grade, there is already a jail cell waiting for him. Luckily, my son was promoted from the 3^rd to the 5^th grade! But this is not to say that he does not fall under this jurisdiction. I remember hearing as a child that being born black and male is already two strikes against you. This is a major micro aggression for African American males. This predetermined prediction lessens the likelihood of them becoming successful adults considering the ‘odds’ that are already against them. I refuse to raise my son with a sense of hopelessness. He will not be a statistic in a society that utilizes micro aggressions as the norm.

 I remember when President Barak Obama ran for his first term for candidacy. There was much controversy concerning his ethnicity rather than his abilities and capacity to run this country. In my opinion, it is unfortunate that as one nation we still are unable to grow beyond the lines of micro aggressions.

My perception of the effects of discrimination, prejudice, and stereotypes of people has made me cautious and conscious of the society that we live in. While we have come a long way from the isms that once ran our nation, we still have a long way to go.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture... Interviewing others

My first interview was held with the Director of Education at the local early learning facility. Mrs. Hobart’s says that “culture is the way we do things around here. Families have culture, schools, and organizations have culture and also communities. Diversity means differences. When we have diversity we have people who come to a situation with lots of different perspectives and experiences.”

Mrs. Lango is a current teacher at ELLRC. Mrs. Lango’s definition of diversity is to embrace any and all things that are similar and different from how she was raised, her beliefs and what she currently knows. She believes that diversity is observed in every facet of our lives. The society that we live in is extremely diverse and we must learn to coexist within our society that is a mixing bowl called acceptance. She states “culture is how you were raised and often times people cannot distinguish between what culture is and what is race and the two should not be confused. Your culture is developed through norms and tradition and should not be characterized by your ethnicity.”

Taurean is an uprising 7^th grader attending middle school in his community. Taurean’s definition of culture is seeing the different kinds of kids and teachers that go to his school. He says that some are from different cultures like Chinese, African American, and Caucasian. His definition of diversity includes the children that have challenges.

In reflection, completing this assignment was interesting. I wanted to interview individuals that may have had different perspectives and definitions of culture and diversity. Rather than choose from specific characteristics I randomly selected individuals that were in various occupations but keeping one thing in common and that is their exposure, impact and interactions with diversity and culture. Their aspects of culture relating to norms, traditions, and rearing styles were similar in being the foundation of their existence and way of living.

Omissions such as differences in age, gender, and class were omitted. I believe that this was due mostly impart to each of their position of interconnectedness with these differences and also having an awareness and respect for these aspects. The realm of culture and diversity are multifaceted and unconsciously recognizing the similarities between their cultures and others.

Thinking about other peoples’ definition of culture and definition has expanded my thoughts regarding this topic. Although certain characteristics make us uniquely different, there are several aspects that make us similar. We all have specific inheritances from our ancestors that cultivate our behaviors and beliefs which we pass down from generation to generation. These traits are ingrained in our genetic DNA and code our mental models and responses to the world.

My Family Culture

My Family Culture

 

Religion is critical to my cultural existence. We revere the Holy Bible as a sacred and priceless symbol of our belief and sacrifice to a higher deity. Worship, prayer, praise are a part of our daily practice. We have a family church that my uncle founded in 1995. We have relied on our faith and belief to guide us through trials and tribulations and also as an important attribute in how we raise the children in our family.

Fellowship is in my culture is essential. There is nothing that my family loves more than to get together and eat. My aunt cooks for our entire family every Sunday after church. We meet at my grandmother’s house, where five generations were raised, and enjoy delicious cooking, conversations, games, and music.

This chest that my great great grandparents had crafted for our family. Inside of the chest are many items that my family has kept from generation after generation. My great great grandmother knitted a quilted for her first born child. And since then my great grandparents, grandparents, and mother have added items to this chest. I myself have added a treasure box from my son to this chest. Inside of my memory box includes his first haircut, walking shoes, first tooth, umbilical cord and hospital band, and his first picture. The items in this chest have great sentimental value.

If I had to explain to others what each of these items means to me, I think I would want them to receive the full experience by joining me for church on Sunday, then to Sunday dinner. After Sunday dinner we would take a look through the chest as I explain the significance of each item inside of it.

Reflecting over these items has given me a deeper since of culture intimacy and value.  If I could only take one item, and leave the other two behind, I would take the Holy Bible. Nothing in this world holds more authority or influence on my life than my spirituality. I have relied on my beliefs in religion to guide me through various occurrences. My new insights of my family are that we are strong and united. My family has served as my support system during the differing situations in my life and has shaped me into the individual, mother, and educator that I am today due to the nature of our family culture.

When I Think of Research.....

As a professional in the field of education, I have always felt a connection to research and the importance that it bares on exploring and explaining why situations occur and the strategic process it takes to conduct credible experiments. But until this course, the research that I have been required to do, do nothing more but rub the surface of delving into the research approach with no expectations of becoming competent.

My ideas about the nature of doing research have heightened. This course as taken me step by step in through the research process, causing me to think critically by developing my sense of inquisition, learning essential terms according to my own perceptions, and reflecting through real life experiences and future application.

The lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research play a crucial role in my comprehension of research and building my competencies as an upcoming leader in the field of early childhood care and education. It is from the pioneers of research that we have made many great achievements from which we formulate conclusions.  But none of these great strides would have been made if it were not for the methodical investigation of phenomenon. Learning about the design process provided great insight. This design served as a “road map” in the process of research. It set a starting point and directions in lieu of reaching the final destination.

The challenge that I encountered resulted from taking my research topic and making it feasible. There are so many topics in the early childhood field that are of interest to me, so narrowing it down to one topic and the further down into three sub-topics was difficult. In my opinion, this field is multifaceted and many of the issues/trends are interconnected by the relevance to children, families, and communities. I faced my topic was too broad and the more research I conducted on the topic, the more other topics began to emerge from it. I found the research simulations and growth charts valuable in keeping me focused and on track with one specific topic.

My perception as an early childhood professional has been modified to maintain discipline and investigation as a result of this course. Conceptualizing research has added a keen sense of corroboration, awareness, and responsiveness. I will take my new found knowledge about  the research process and implement it in my professional, educational, and professional journey because it will be a consistent part of my advocacy as an educator in this field.

Early Childhood Australia

 

Early Childhood Australia (ECA), a non-profit and non-governmental organization, serves as the “voice” for young children. Established in 1938, Early Childhood Australia’s mission, as activist in early childhood from age birth through eight, is to make certain that issues/trends that impact healthy developmental well-beings of young learners are combated with proactive measures that aim to safeguard international research topics such as endowment, children’s rights, and fairness. Some of the values of ECA include collaboration and diversity and social inclusion of children.

Exploring the ECA website, I downloaded the ECA Code of Ethics. These set of principles outlined the essential  moral values respected and adhered to by the members of their organization. Delving further, I took a look into the territorial branches that support policies, investments, and issues on a local and national level.

The resources integrated in this website were more so intriguing rather than surprising. The ECA website lists a plethora of resources such as catalogues, journals/magazines, books, curriculum, and language and literacy. These resources address issues such as children’s behavior, strategies and techniques on teaching math and science, and best practice in inclusive/additional needs learning environments. The ECA has it very own magazine title Every Child which focuses on the field of early childhood through interesting articles, pictures, and book reviews. Research in Practice explores innovative avenues in addressing issue/trends that develop in early childhood care and education.

Researching the ECA website was extremely informative. I found it interesting in reading through the resources available free through the website and how it is identical to our National Association for the Education of Young Children NAEYC). One topic that I found noteworthy on the ECA website was the ECA Mental Health Initiative as and interactive and informative way to educate individuals on mental health and how it affects children, families, and early care and education.

References:

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/