Adjourning Stage

Adjourning: The process of "unforming" the group, that is, letting go of the group structure and moving on.

If a group has fulfilled its goals and objectives, it will move into the adjourning stage.
At this stage it is important to achieve closure for the group on a positive note. Group members may feel a sense of loss and their motivation may decline when the group's work comes to an end.

I think that the groups that made it hardest for me to leave were those that seem to put forth the most effort.  Not always were the group goals accomplished but the members put forth a great deal of effort so at the end of the experience it sometimes made it hard to leave the group.
I honestly must say that although I’ve had several classes with different colleagues here at Walden I’ve not built any close relationships.  For this reason I think that adjourning from this experience will be fairly easy.

Conflict Strategies

Throughout my adulthood I’ve always been in some type of management position.  I have had to deal with all sorts of conflict and have been challenged with finding solutions to conflict between others.  I recently had a situation where I had to terminate an employee of mine in my own personal owned business and she became very irate. It was very upsetting to me because although I have been writing her up for the past few months she acted as though the termination was a total surprise. I am not sure how I could have communicated any differently or handled the termination any differently but I will say that I feel that because of the way she reacted to be terminated made me act out of character as well. 

This weeks course work has helped me to look at different strategies to hopefully help me in the future when having to terminate employees.  One strategy I may try is the cooperative strategy.  When I sit down with an employee and am writing them up maybe we can come up with a solution together to the issues they are having and make them understand that if it continues that termination is the next resort.  The second strategy is understanding that although a person may get irate and upset me I must keep my cool and not become verbally aggressive and keep my focus on the facts and not the individual.

Who am I as a Communicator?

This assignment has really enlightened me because during the process of having a coworker and a family member complete the survey’s on how they feel I communicate we all scored within the the same categories for all three survey’s which tells me that I am able to understand how others feel about the way in which I communicate.

This assignment helps me to also realize that the way that others perceive your communication skills is also very important especially working with children and families.  It is very important to ensure that you maintain a good balance of respect and consideration for the viewpoints of others and to not be very aggressive and argumentative.

Communication and Culture

Yes, I think that I communicate differently with people from different groups and cultures.  In communicating with people from different groups and cultures I can honestly say that I base my communication style on who I’m talking to.  When I talk to friends and family I am able to speak without necessarily worrying about saying things that may offend someone or disrespect ones culture.  

The three strategies that I think would be useful in helping me communicate more effectively with the people and groups identified are:

1. To try and see things from their eyes and realize that everyone may not have the same type background and upbringing that I did.
2. Not judging others.  By listening and gaining understanding than I would get from a first impression.
3. Be aware of nonverbal communication.
   

Silent Communication

The show I watched was season 1 Episode of the sitcom Still Standing.  I had not only never watched this show I’ve never heard of it.  I was able to watch it on You Tube.  

The first seen was mother and daughter looks as though they were greeting each other in the morning.  The little girl then becomes  angry all of a sudden.   She then starts to look annoyed and when a man walks in she looks happy again.  They move over to the table and begin to start talking.  The mother and father seem to be amused while the little girl seems to be frustrated and using hand gestures to make her point.  She jumps up from the table and storms off as though she was upset.  When I listened to this part of the show I was pretty dead on the mom and daughter greeted each other in the kitchen and the daughter asked if she could get a belly ring when her mother says no she instantly got upset and shouting that it was unfair.  When dad walked in she thought she would win him over but he agreed with mom and that upset her so she go up and went to her room.

The second seen was the father walks into the sons room.  He walks over and leans in close to him while he was working on the computer.  They seem to be having a good conversation and dad then starts banging on the computer.  He gets up and they pull chairs together it appears that they are having a man talk they are smiling, shaking their heads and mouths are open.   When watching the show with words the father comes in and asks the son if he is going to blow up his school or do something crazy.  They then as I assumed started talking about girls.

This assignment has really enlightened me by helping me to see that body language can really tell a lot.  I was able to tell that the family was upset and what the men were talking about just by the way that they used body language.  The way that we use nonverbal communication can tell a story that we may not want told.  In my opinion it is very important that when using body language we are not giving the wrong impression of what’s being communicated.

Competent Communicators

Barack Obama the president of the United States and in my opinion an example of a great communicator. He has the ability to connect with his audience by being able to identify with average Americans. He delivers his speeches with confidence and self-belief. During his political debates he seems to be very comfortable with the audience. He took each question from the audience and gave a very personable response. I think this makes him a good communicator because he makes the listeners believe in his vision and inspires them.  Although he is highly ridiculed, Obama was successful in making the audience (people of America) believe in his message of change. 

He understands that it is not only enough to know your facts but it is also essential that you deliver them while holding the audience attention.  He also uses common sense and does not swear or tell jokes during his speeches or while answering questions.  He thinks about what he wants to say before speaking, and doesn't interrupt or start talking while someone else is still speaking to him.  I think that he respects the opinions of others by asking for their input and he repeats back what he heard in insure clarity of what he heard.  Overall he understands the importance of words.

I would model my communication skills like Mr. Obama because I would want my audience to feel that I can identity with them.  If I could be a positive influence and inspire others with the words I use I think that would be wonderful.

Professional Hopes and Goals & Word of Thanks

This course has helped me learn a lot about diversity, equity and social justice.  I have gained an understanding of how a person’s family culture, values and beliefs to include world views make up who they are as a person.  This is very important for EC educators because it will give the a foundation to establish relationships and better understand children and families.

The hope that I have when thinking about people working with children and families that come from diverse backgrounds is that they ensure they are well educated on the subject of diversity and that they strive to ensure all families are treated with equity, equality and respect.

The goal that I would like to set for the early childhood field as it relates to issue with diversity, equity, and social justices is for professionals to continue to strive to ensure all children regardless of the backgrounds are treated equally and given the same opportunities to learn and develop.

I would like to thank all my colleagues for the feedback and insights you have shared during this course.  My wish for you is to continue to keep the statement  "the passion comes from the vision" in mind as it relates to your work in the EC field.  

Welcoming Families From Around the World

The country I choose was:  Bangladesh

5 Ways I would prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards this family:

1. I would try to gain as much information about the family as possible thing such as their home language, family size and structure, socil economic status and wheter anyone has any type of special needs or disabilities.
2. I would learn as much about their native language as possible and learn some of their words that are used common and ways to greet them in their native language.
3. I would also try to establish some commonalities of experiences such as a hobby, or comman food choices.
4. I would become educated on their cultural beliefs as it relates to education and medical practices.
5. I would collaborate with the staff and other members of my team that they will come in contact with so that we all will have a basic understanding of how to make them feel welcome.

The ways in which I hope that this will benefit both me and the family is simply to help me better understand the cultural backgrounds of others and to eliminate all bias, prejudices and discrimination that may be present within me. I would strive to ensure that the child and his or her family felt respected and included in the environment.  

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

The memory that I have of experiencing bias, prejudice, and/or oppression is something that happened recently at my children's high school.  There was an English teacher who would use all types of racial slurs in the classroom in front of the children.  My son would come home telling me horror stories several times a week of how she referred to blacks as the “N” word and that how white people will always be superior to blacks.  When I called the school to complain I was told that I was the first parent to ever complain on this teacher and that they had no knowledge of her speaking to children in this manner.  Surprisingly about two weeks after I made this complaint the teacher was fired for showing a movie that was rated “R” in the classroom.  The complaint came from a white mother who had adopted two asian children.  It was ironic to me that my complaint as a black mother got pushed aside and when the white mother complained the teacher was fired and the story made national news.  The feelings that the incident brought up for me was anger.  I can’t understand why a person would treat children in this manner regardless of their race. 

We have learned through our studies that  prejudices are learned behaviors

and as children this behavior is not passed on to us or inherited.  In today’s society although we live our lives and profess to not be bias and display prejudice tendencies I believe that everyone has these traits within them.  I think that the only way to change this is for the people involved from the teacher to the administrators to change their world views.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

The term “microaggression” is defined as a “brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial slights and insults toward people of color”(Negate 2013).

This week the microaggression I was faced with was being asked “What are you”?  I was at a childcare conference and I went to the restroom during a break.  One of the other participants said to me “your hair is so long and pretty. What are you?”  It took everything in me not to ask what she was.  I calmly smiled and stated “I am black”.  She then stared asking all sorts of questions about my parents and grandparents race.  She stated that “there is no way you’re all black with hair like that”.  Although people ask me this question all of the time, I had no idea that this was a of microagrression which is a form of racism.  

My experience this week affects my perception of the effect of discrimination, prejudice, and stereotypes mostly from a standpoint of thinking about what I say before I say it.  So often we make comments to people without thinking them through.  Once its said it’s left up to the recipient of the message to determine whether there was an underlined message or not.

References

Heben Negate., 2013. 21 Racial Microaggressions You Hear On A Daily Basis

Retrieved from:  http://www.buzzfeed.com/hnigatu/racial-microagressions-you-hear-on-a-daily-basis July 23, 2014.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

Husband

Culture:is those qualities with-in a person that has been influenced from their entire up-bringing, its the influences around you that effect decisions and your interactions with society.

Diversity: all those components that makes us different such as: race, ethnicity, sex, age, social status, education, and other economical and career differences.

Co-Worker

Culture: Culture can be defined as our everyday aspect of life. It has many characteristics that define us as humans such as our race, gender, religion, language and more. Culture can teach us many things about a person and also provide us with patterns of a person’s  behavior.

Diversity: Diversity can be defined as a social identity, which defines who a person is. Each person is made uniquely different. My social identities would include me being a Christian, a mother, a wife, an educator, and a small business owner.

Sister

Culture: the aspects of life that are determined based on our family beliefs, childhood  and social status.

Diversity:  The differences people have as it relates to things such as age, gender, and race.

     I really enjoyed this weeks assignment and getting to hear how my friends, family and co workers defined culture and diversity.  Prior to beginning this course my definition of culture and diversity had just changed.  I like many people only looked at culture from the aspect of surface culture.  I now now that there is so much more to an individuals culture. 

     The people I spoke with primarily associated diversity to the differences in people with regards to gender, ethnicity, race, and religious beliefs. In today’s society these individual differences create diversity throughout our world. As my coworker stated “Each person is made uniquely different”.  This course has helped me gain a better understanding about the children and families I currently work with by reminding me that we all have different cultures and are very diverse. I have also learned that our social identities plays a huge role in diversity.

My Family Culture

If my family and I were forced to move to another county and only have the choice of taking along three small things I believe they would be our Bible, my son’s basketball, and my daughters poetry journal.  These three things mean the world to me and my family. First our Bible because without our Faith in God we have nothing anyway.  Second, my sons basket ball because this is something that he loves.  I watch him give his all everyday to make straight A’s in school and although he may not be a super star he gives his all on the court.  Lastly, my daughters poetry journal.  This journal always my daughter to express herself through her writings.  She is very quiet and to herself so it helps her to be able to tell how she’s feeling.  If upon, arrival we were told we could only keep one thing it would definitely be our Bible.  Our Faith is strong enough that we know and understand that God can do all things and he will provide us with the things we need.  

After I completed the first part of this assignment I decided to ask my family what three things they would take and they choose the exact three things.  I then asked them which one would they choose to keep and they all said the Bible.  This assignment made me realize how alike my family and I really are and it made me feel even better to know that we all choose the same items.  It tells me that we all know each other very well.

Research Around the World

In reviewing this website I came across several surprising facts and new ideas.  I was especially excited to learn that they have also conducted a study regarding children and the role play has on their development.  Another topic that I noticed they have studied was learning positive behaviors through educator-child relationships.  I also noticed other important research topics that are being explored such as: managing difficult behaviors, building communication with families, and young children as active learners. The topics lend to be very beneficial in gaining insight on how educators and parents can help children develop.

A new idea that I have learned from this site is ways on how to fight against e-bullying. In today’s society bulling has become an major problem.  Bullying has gone from accruing in home, school and other public places to being done via internet.  In the websites e-bullying newsletter teachers and parents are given very good information on how to stop e-bullying before it gets out of control.

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/early_childhood_news/early_childhood_news/march-media-release-fight-against-e-bullying-needs-to-start-early.html.

Research That Benefit Families

If I could choose one topic to research in the early childhood field and not worry about the current day restrictions it would be the topic of Autism.  In my current program we have a couple of children who has been diagnosed with autism.  The problem is it took their mothers 5 years to decide to get them tested for autism.  Although I am not a doctor I was able to recognize that the children had some type of autism and pleaded with the parents to talk to their pediatrician about it.  I am glad that they were finally diagnosed because we can now understand their needs better.  

A child’s autism diagnosis affects every member of the family in different ways. Parents and caregivers must place their primary focus on helping the child with autism, which may put stress on their marriage, other children, work, finances, and personal relationships and responsibilities. Parents have to shift their resources of time and money towards providing treatment and interventions for their child, to the exclusion of other priorities. The needs of a child with autism complicates family relationships, especially with siblings.I think that by trying to find the causes of autism and maybe ways to help children and families cope with it better would be a great accomplishment for the early childhood field.

My Personal Research Journey

The topic I choose for my research paper is ways play promotes healthy child development.  I choose this topic because since I’ve been enrolled at Walden I have been introduced to several new websites and resources that have talked about the importance of play.  In my current early childhood program I want to be able to educate my staff and families on the importance of play.  

I believe that play is an essential component of early childhood development. I feel that it not only entertains children, but it also helps build their skills for the rest of their lives.  I believe that play is key to the development of children's intellectual, social and interpersonal skills and helps keep kids healthy.

I would appreciate any assistance that anyone can give me about this topic. Creditable resources and examples of how play has played a big role in your life or the lives of your children or children you work with.

Consequences to International Professional Connections

During this course I was not privileged to be able to connect with an EC professional from another country; however, I have gained a lot of insight on the international field of early childhood from websites and podcasts. Through the different websites I viewed I was able to learn a lot about early childhood and the educational systems in different countries.  In reading some of the information and listening to the different podcast I’ve gained lots of information that I wouldn’t mind implementing in my current program.  

Having the opportunity to learn about early childhood education in another areas of the world has helped me to realize that there are many places that are successful in their practices that I can study and learn more about.  I have committed my life to working with young children and their families and I am eager to learn as much as I can to help ensure they are getting the care and education they deserve.  By studying information from other countries I am able to gain insight on how some of the top educated countries are dealing with early childhood care and education.  

Another insightful part of my experience with the websites and podcast was simply understanding that as early childhood professionals we won’t always have all the answers. We all have different strengths, levels of expertise, and experiences that makes us different.  In the realm of early childhood I believe that this is very important because like us children are very different as well and this can help EC professionals understand the different needs each child may have.  

My goal is to continue to try and reach out to EC professionals from other countries so that I can gain knowledge and insight from them about the EC field in other areas of the world.  

Getting to Know Your International Contacts

The three insights I’ve gained about issues related to international early childhood education that relate to my professional goals are:

They also strive to promote Access and Equity

Many countries committed themselves to “expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children.”

The are striving to promote Quality

They believe that early childhood care and education programs should emphasize the child’s holistic development and extend beyond assisting the child’s transition to formal schooling. 

They also struggle with Investment and Financing

The greatest difficulty faced by countries in their efforts to expand and improve the quality of early childhood care and education is the mobilization of resources.

References

UNESCO’s “Early Childhood Care and Education” webpage Retrieved April 15, 2014 (http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/)

Sharing Web Resources

NAEYC provides many different programs to assist professionals who work to educate young children. They are a leading publisher of educational resources, which include books, videos and posters that can assist in the teaching of young children. NAEYC also publishes two scholarly journals to help early childhood professionals and parents stay informed about the latest research on educating children age 0-8. These journals are Young Children and Early Childhood Research Quarterly.

In 2007, NAEYC also developed Teaching Young Children, a magazine written for preschool teachers. The magazine provides useful, research-based ideas that teachers can use in their classrooms. Every year the NAEYC offers several conferences where participants can learn about and receive professional development in their field as well as focus on the improvements that have been made in the practices, policies and research.

NAEYC goes beyond publications, conferences and videos, and offers a program called “Supporting Teachers, Strengthening Families” that is designed to assist in the fight to prevent child abuse and promote healthy social and emotional development in young children. This program works by teaching the educators how to better communicate with the families of their students.






The following publications are released and sponsored by NAEYC:



Young Children

Young Children is a peer reviewed journal published bi-monthly by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. In this journal, issues are organized around topical clusters that devote special attention to issues in the field of early childhood education.

 





Teaching Young Children

Teaching Young Children is a magazine specifically designed for preschool teachers. It highlights current thinking on best practices in early childhood education, innovations in the field, research and its implications, and interesting ideas for and from preschool teachers. The articles and other features reinforce the accreditation criteria for the NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards on Relationships and Teaching and encourage effective teaching in the preschool years.

 
 
                                      
                                         Early Childhood Research Quarterly

Early Childhood Research Quarterly is a research journal that is published four times a year, and contains current research in early childhood