Time Well Spent

As this final chapter in my Walden journey comes to a close I have enjoyed thinking back to previous courses.  My first deeply felt learning came very early on in my program.  It is that in order to make an impact and bring about change I must first begin my examining myself.  I remember taking courses about being anti-biased, culturally sensitive, etc. and thinking that I already was all of those things.  I was not.  While I work hard to treat everyone with respect I found interesting little tidbits in class would strike a nerve with me.  When we talked about privilege I was almost embarrassed about the fact that I am from a middle-class, white family because I learned that it afforded me many opportunities that others don’t have.  As I learned more and went through different courses I found out many new things about myself.  I’ve also embraced that the things I’m not overly proud of will not magically vanish overnight.  Being aware, though, allows me to be self-reflective and conscious of my own prior experiences and the diverse makeup of the groups I work with.

Another important thing that I learned in this program is that collaboration is incredibly important.  I used to feel that it was easier for me to “do my own thing” because group work can be difficult and messy.  Finding out that “storming” is a normal phase of group work helped me to feel better about working through hardships when working with others.  I have come to realize that teaching and working in isolation isn’t good for me or the students and families I work with.  While group work may be more difficult the benefits are vast.  Working with people from different backgrounds and with different skill sets can be so valuable.

The final thing I will share might seem a bit out of place, but it is something that was driven home in every course.  I have learned to support my ideas with resources, references, quotes, statistics, and studies.  Each course required critical reading of articles, sifting through research, looking up information, and writing succinctly.  I feel that I am well-equipped to write at a professional level but I have also learned to incorporate this skill into my daily work.  I am currently writing a grant to get bikes, ride-on equipment, helmets, and scooters for our Kindergartners.  While writing up the proposal I found myself automatically reading articles about the benefits of movement and including quotes and statistics about the link between physical activity and academic learning.  Supporting my ideas and keeping up-to-date on information has been ingrained in me!

Week 6: Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: International

There are many international organizations dedicated to the well-being of young children.  This week I was able to explore several of these organizations.  It was great to see what is being done to advocate for young children and further the work of early childhood professionals from an international standpoint.  Below are the three organizations that I chose to look at in a more in-depth way.

The United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is committed to creating intercultural communities and alleviating poverty.  On top of their work with these topics they are also committed to ideals of respect, gender equality, and, “attaining quality education for all and lifelong learning” (UNESCO, 2011, para. 3). 

Job opportunities for UNESCO are broken into different categories based on your level of education and the role that you are interested in.  I chose to look under the “young professional” category to see what was available.  UNESCO has a Young Professionals Program that provides opportunities for someone recently done with college who is looking to pursue a career in their organization.  To be qualified you must be under 30 years old, be fluent in English or French, and have a degree.  They also prefer their Young Professionals to be from a non- or under-represented nationality.  I would not say I fall under the last category but this still sounded like an interesting opportunity.  I appreciated that they saw the early years in ones career in a different light and saw the need for a special program.  One difficulty with joining this program would be that I do not speak any other languages and they deal closely with international members who speak many different languages.

The second organization I looked at was the International Step-by-Step Association.  “ISSA is a vibrant network that connects professionals and non-profit organizations working in the field of early childhood development” (International Step By Step Association, n.d., para. 1).  One goal of this organization that I especially appreciated was that they advocate for inclusive early childhood programs.

I was unable to find any paid job opportunities for this organization so I looked into the benefits of their membership.  Members of ISSA have access to the latest information on trends in early childhood.  They also have opportunities for members to receive funding for projects related to early childhood development.  The only requirements for this opportunity are an application and a yearly membership fee.

The third organization I chose was the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).  UNICEF believes, “that nurturing and caring for children are the cornerstones of human progress.  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” (UNICEF, n.d., para. 2).  In the realm of education, UNICEF is committed to gender equality, education for women, and innovation in the field.

Current UNICEF job opportunities include an advocacy specialist, partnership manager, and human resource manager.  I found the role of advocacy and policy specialist interesting so I looked into the requirements and job description.  The role would have a person communicating about issues related to issues that affect women and children in Africa.  An advanced degree in law or a social science is required as well as eight years of relevant work experience in the realm of advocacy and policy.  I do not have the qualifications for this position but it is still important to know what opportunities are out there.  If I wanted to do something like this in the future I would want to become involved in local and state-level advocacy and policy affairs to build up my background.  The nature of this position also requires much travel so I would need to be at a place in my life where I felt able to do that.

International Step By Step Association. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.issa.nl/index.html

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

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/

Week 4: Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

There are many national organizations dedicated to the well-being of young children and their families.  For my blog post this week I chose 3 that were most interesting to me.  From there, I researched different job openings within each organization.  Although I am currently working in an early childhood setting that I adore, getting information about possible openings and opportunities for the future is beneficial.

The first organization I chose was the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).  I see them as the largest and most influential group working for the education of young children on a national level.  NAEYC was also interesting to me because I love the articles that come from their magazine Young Children.  I was interested to see if there were openings for freelance writers to get articles into the magazine as that is something I think I would enjoy doing in conjunction with teaching. 

The openings for NAEYC currently available include proposal reviewers for the National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development expo, consulting editors for Young Children magazine, and website advisory panel members.  After looking into each I found the position of proposal reviewer to be most appealing.  The position only requires experience and expertise in the early childhood field.  It entails reading through proposals for presenters and writing reviews of them.  Then, with the help of other reviewers, you would be responsible for choosing a certain number of presenters to go to the expo or conference.

The second organization I chose was Zero to Three.  It is a national organization that works to aid infants, toddlers, and families.  I was interested in Zero to Three because their mission aligns with the importance of early care.  On their About Us page I learned that they believe, “early experiences set a course for a lifelong process of discovery about ourselves and the world around us. Simply put, early experiences matter” (Zero to Three, n.d., para. 2).  This is one of the foundational ideas that got me interested in early childhood during my undergraduate studies and it is still a driving force for me today.

Job openings for Zero to Three include graphic designer, project director, community coordinator, and program director.  Since these were pretty vague titles I had to look further into the descriptions of each.  I am not overly interested in any of the positions as all would take me to Washington, DC or Connecticut.  If I were to move for one of the positions I would be most apt to apply for the community coordinator position.  The job involves coordinating with community services within the Safe Babies project.

Finally, I chose the organization National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NAECTE).  This was not an organization I knew much about but I was interested to find more.  Their purpose is to promote professional growth for educators working in the field of early childhood.  My focus with my Master’s through Walden was educating adults so this seems like a good organization to look into.

The job openings for NAECTE include faculty and assistant professor positions at different settings.  The assistant professor in early childhood education was definitely of interest to me, despite the location.  When I was doing my undergraduate work I was very interested in one day teaching a course in early childhood at a local college.

The experience of looking into different positions has been very educational.  I have appreciated the opportunity to look beyond my comfort zone.  While I am currently happy with my location and position as a Kindergarten teacher it is great to know what else is out there.  I can see myself looking into other positions, like the ones I’ve researched, as I move further along in my career.  

National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators. (n.d.). Retrieved January 29, 2015 from http://www.naecte.org/

National Association for the Education of Young Children | NAEYC. (n.d.). Retrieved January 18, 2015, from http://www.naeyc.org/

Zero to Three (n.d.). Retrieved January 18, 2015, from http://www.zerotothree.org/

Week 1: Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

There are many state and local organizations and agencies that affect young children and families.  Some of these organizations were easy for me to list quickly while others took a bit of time to discover.  I appreciated the opportunity to explore these resources further.

One organization that comes to mind immediately is the YMCA.  I have worked with children in many different capacities at the YMCA from swim instructor to birthday party coordinator and everything in between.  Through my work with the YMCA, I have gotten a chance to see the amazing things they do for young children and their families.  Their mission is to, “put Christian principles into practice through programs that build a healthy spirit, mind and body for all” (Benton Harbor-St.Joseph YMCA). 

While all YMCA branches operate similarly, I feel that my local YMCA is especially child and family focused.  They host many family events such as movie nights, game nights, and pool parties that are available at a very low cost to local residents.  Child care is provided on-site as well as for before and after school programs housed in many local schools.  All of the opportunities provided for families are at a reasonable cost but scholarships and financial assistance is also an option.

Currently my local YMCA has job openings for personal trainers, janitorial staff, and lifeguards.  As none of these openings speak to me I decided to think of positions there that I would be interested in should a vacancy present itself.  I would be very interested in planning summer programming for young children.  Summer camps through the YMCA are incredibly well run and I believe my Kindergarten teaching experience has given me a solid foundation in planning learning opportunities.  Coordinating the different before and after school programs would also be an interesting position.

The second organization that I explored was the Michigan Head Start Association.  “MHSA is the unified voice providing advocacy and leadership linking the Head Start community of parents, programs, and partners” (Michigan Head Start Association).  This organization focuses on education, advocacy, communication, and collaboration in the realm of Head Start. 

This organization was interesting to me because it works to unite the focus and mission of all Head Start programs in Southwest Michigan.  I love the idea of bringing programs together and working to support them in order to more effectively serve young children and their families.

Currently there are several job postings in this organization.  One that I found interesting was the position of Children’s Program Manager at a Head Start facility.  The job description noted that the person hired would be in charge of the day-to-day oversight of the early childhood programs.  I felt that I had many of the necessary job requirements including an ability to, “prioritize and complete tasks within a timely manner” (Michigan Head Start Association).

The final organization that I chose was one I had not previously heard about but found in my searching.  “Child Care Resource works with parents, child care providers, businesses and the community to improve access to quality child care and early education so that every child enjoys safe, nurturing and inspiring care” (Child Care Resources).  I love that their mission is all about making child care accessible for all children.  We know that early education and care is so important yet many families are unable to afford child care.

From the Child Care Resource website links to many interesting resources about helping families find child care as well as advocating for healthy lifestyles for young children.  I was especially interested in the Training section because it linked to places where educators could find professional development opportunities on the subject.

Benton Harbor-St. Joseph YMCA. (n.d.). Retrieved January 17, 2015, from http://www.bhsjymca.org/

Child Care Resources. (n.d.). Retrieved January 17, 2015, from http://www.ccr4kids.org/en-us/aboutus.aspx

Michigan Head Start Association. (n.d.). Retrieved January 17, 2015, from http://michheadstart.org/

6164 Professional Hopes and Goals

When I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds I hope that they feel important, valued, and well-cared for when they are in my classroom.  I love the quote above by Jimmy Carter.  It speaks to the idea that we are all different as our are values, hopes, and dreams.  When he compares it to a beautiful mosaic you can tell that he values these differences and sees them as important.  I want families to know that I am on their side and will do anything I can to make them feel welcome and valued in my classroom.

One goal that I have personally is to address issues rather than shy away from them.  When I think of past conflicts between children in my classroom I realize that there have been many missed opportunities to teach about diversity, equity, and social justice.  I tend to move past a conflict or the mean words of a child by telling them that what they said is not okay.  My goal would be to dive deeper and work through the conflict more thoroughly so that both the child who said something and the victim know why what they said is hurtful and not acceptable in our classroom.

I would like to say thank you to all of you for your help during this course.  The thoughtful posts, probing questions, and meaningful discussions allowed me to see things from many different perspectives.  I've enjoyed learning and growing with all of you during this course.  Good luck in your future coursework!

6164 Week 7 Blog

For the purpose of this assignment I am going to imagine that I have a family moving from Spain and enrolling their child in my Kindergarten class.  This has happened several times before, but without advanced notice I will say that I don’t feel I was as prepared or as culturally sensitive as I could have been.

I would want to first prepare myself by researching their country of origin and finding out as much information on the family as possible.  Being well-informed will lead to a better understanding of where the family is coming from culturally, linguistically, etc.

Another thing that I would consider quite important is ensuring that I am able to say the child’s name correctly.  Sometimes names have special accents or can be hard to pronounce.  It would be important for me to know how to address the child properly so he/she felt welcome and valued.  My brother’s name is Nasser and it is commonly mispronounced.  He gets frustrated when people don’t even try to say his name the right way.  I also previously had a student from Spain who went by his middle name instead of his first name.  All are important things to know ahead of time.

The family’s language of origin would be something important to know as well.  Assuming that a family from Spain speaks Spanish could be a mistake, however well-intentioned.  I had a student from Spain a few years ago and it turns out he and his family spoke perfect English.  While they had lived in Spain for a few years they were there for the husbands work and had previously lived in the US.  Checking to learn real information instead of making assumptions would be important.  If the family did speak another language primarily I would be curious to know how much English they know.  If the answer is no or limited English, I would be looking for a translator to help bridge communication.  I might also learn a few words or phrases to help ease the child into the classroom and better communicate with parents.

Learning what holidays are celebrated by the family would be another step.  Our school calendar follows Christian holidays as far as days off go.  If the family practiced another religion I would want to know and be aware that they may miss days or celebrate alternatively.  It would also be imperative to know their religious practices if they had any effect on the child’s diet.  I have previously taught children who had religious beliefs that prohibited them from eating both beef and pork.

Finally, I would want to know about the culture of their country as well as their family culture.  It would be important to know the roles of family members and their views on education.  If one parent was the spokesperson more than another I would want to know that.  Views and values on education are important to understand when they are different from my own.  I have had families who have very high expectations of their Kindergartners and others who do not value the lessons taught in hands-on ways and would prefer worksheets.  These are all things that are important to know.

My hope would be that these preparations would give me a foundation on which to form a relationship with the family.  Even if the information I gathered was not all accurate, the family would see that I am trying and that I value them as a part of my classroom community.

6164 Week 6 Blog

During the summer I work as a receptionist at a summer rental property.  My job entails answering phones, responding to emails, and working with guests when they come to check in.  My boss is an amazing, kind, and funny woman.  That being said, she has many ideas about people that I would say are not “politically correct” and customer service is not her strong suit because of this.

Today my boss took a call from a woman with a very heavy Russian accent.  She apologized for her rough English to start the conversation.  When the woman spelled her name for her reservation I heard my boss comment to the woman that it was sort of a crazy last name.  Later she said, “You are very hard to understand, did you know that?”  The woman was embarrassed by her limited English to begin with and I’m sure the comment did not help.  After hanging up my boss commented that she hated calls from “those people” because she could never understand them.

This interaction made me feel very uncomfortable.  On one hand I wanted to say something to stand up for the woman on the phone.  On the other hand I was worried about upsetting my boss by bringing up something that she had done.  It was a very awkward situation and I ended up not saying anything.  While I did not encourage her behavior I also did not stop it, which is how things are allowed to continue.

The comments my boss made diminished the equity of the woman on the phone.  She was made to feel inferior because of her broken English.  To set the situation right my boss would have needed to be more culturally sensitive and respectful or the woman would have needed to say something to combat the behavior. 

6165 Week 6 Blog

The adjourning phase of group or team work is when everyone leaves to move on to other projects.  I have had a few groups that I was sad to leave but there have been others that I was more than happy to put an end to.  I think that high functioning groups are definitely more difficult to leave than ones where there is turmoil and conflict. 

This past school year I was part of an excellent team comprised of three Kindergarten teachers (one from each Elementary school in the district) and one building principal.  The goal of this group was to change the way that our schools place children into Kindergarten.  When teachers place children in all other grades a lot of thought is put into the decision.  In Kindergarten, however, we were just getting the luck of the draw.  One class may be riddled with behavior problems while another had extremely high achievers.  We set out to balance classes through a screening day, but our mission was to make it as welcoming and inviting as possible.  We did not want parents to see it as a test or something their child would pass or fail.  Instead, we wanted to welcome families in, spend time with children, and thoughtfully place them into classrooms based on their disposition, skills, needs, and previous schooling.

One thing that I loved about working on this group was their passion for the work we were doing.  Each member was strongly committed to doing what was best for children and families.  I also loved that our group was comprised of only 4 members as it was easier to make group decisions with a smaller number of participants.  When we got ready to leave the group I was quite sad to see that our time had come to an end.  I was proud of the work we had accomplished, though.  To end our sessions together we kicked off the screening that we had designed.  It was impactful to see all of our hard work in action!  We also decided to meet a few times each school year to tweak the program we created as well as to add components to make it even better.

In other groups the adjourning phase ended with a celebration of sorts.  Usually this was dinner out or a get together with the other group members.  During these events, group members always shared stories about our group work and looked back at where we started.  This was always powerful because sometimes in the midst of the work you lose track of just how much you did or changed.

When I think of adjourning from the group of colleagues I’ve worked with during my Master’s program it does sadden me a bit.  While I will be thrilled to no longer think of due dates for discussions, blog posts, and applications, I will miss the fellowship.  There have been many instances where I have heard a new idea from an assignment and directly applied it to an activity in my classroom.  Other times I have been challenged in my thinking by the assignments and the comments from classmates.

Adjourning is important because it allows the group to find some closure.  You get to look back at where you started and re-live the journey.  It allows the group a chance to celebrate successes and thank the other members for the parts they have played.

6165 Week 5 Blog

On my Kindergarten team there are two other teachers that I collaborate with on a daily basis.  I have found that I have trouble expressing my opposition to a new idea or plan they suggest.  My tendency is to come off as rude or defensive when my goal is actually just to share my opinion.  One thing that I plan to try is looking for a broader range of solutions.  Instead of just saying I do not like an idea or plan they come up with, I should be ready to suggest alternatives.  This might make turning their idea down go better as I will have provided alternate solutions.  The other tactic I will try is suggesting a compromise.  Perhaps we can try things the way they suggest for a specific period of time.  After that time we can get together and talk about what worked and what didn't work.

Has anyone else had trouble expressing their opinions in a group?  I find that there are things I am passionate about and when I share my views on them I sometimes come across too strong.  Is there a happy medium between sharing my views and keeping the peace with others?

6165 Week 4 Blog

This week I asked my boyfriend and my Mom to fill out the evaluations of me as a communicator.  Once they sent me the results and I completed my own assessment I looked back at the results.  I also chose to have a conversation with each of them to learn more about how they rated me and why. 

The thing that surprised me the most was that they almost never perceived my discomfort when talking to others.  There was one question that said, “I avoid talking to individuals I don’t know very well” and both my boyfriend and Mom said “Never” for this item.  While I do push myself to talk to others and engage strangers in conversation I do not find it easy or natural.  I was interested to find out that they think this is an area where I excel in communication.  Talking to new people definitely gives me anxiety but I push through it with the hopes that I will meet someone great or learn something new.

Another interesting thing I noticed was that both my boyfriend and Mom saw my impatience at times.  I am a fast talker and a fast thinker.  I do not need a very long time to get my ideas together and I tend to be a quick, witty person.  This sometimes leads me to get frustrated when communicating with others.  There was one statement that said, “I am impatient with people who ramble during conversations”.  This is definitely an area where I could use some practice in communication and patience.  Sometimes I jump ahead to what I think the other person is going to say and focus on my next statement to them. 

Since this course began I have become much more aware of my communication with others.  I have been making a conscious effort to be a better listener by practicing patience and listening to find out more information.  I have noticed that people respond really well to me remembering something they spoke about and bringing it up to ask about it.  Two examples happened this week.  One was when a softball friend told me he was taking his EMT test on Tuesday.  He conveyed his nervousness and his hope that he would pass.  I texted him on Tuesday to wish him luck and followed up on Wednesday to see how it went.  He was so happy to share the details of his experience.  The other situation took place when a friend told me she was preparing to make a themed meal with the two little girls she babysits.  The next day I checked in with her to ask what theme they chose and how it went.  In both situations the other person I was speaking with seemed genuinely excited that I had remembered a part of our conversation and decided to follow up with them.

6164 Week 4 Blog

This week I found myself very aware of the interactions around me.  I was on the lookout for microaggressions in all settings.  What I found was that I actually had an interaction with a friend that could be seen as a form of microaggression.  My friend Janine moved here from Canada less than a year ago.  She and her husband always get teased about being Canadian.  While friends mean these things good-naturedly I started to realize that they could be hurtful.  The other day Janine was telling a story about a car trip she and her husband took.  She made the statement that she tried to get the “transporters” to honk at her on the highway.  I jokingly told her, “Here in the United States we call those semis, Canada.”  I did not think anything of this comment at the time, but later in the week it dawned on me that this was a form of microaggression.  Janine and her husband will always feel like outsiders if we keep joking like this.  Making a comment that exploits how they are different and making them feel as though they don’t belong in the US because of the things they say is just not okay.

Well-intentioned people say things that could be considered microaggressions quite often.  I am glad that this course has brought it to my attention.  I would never want someone to feel discriminated against by something that I said.  If my friend would have brought up this interaction before this course I would have thought she was overreacting.  After watching the video segment this week I realize how hurtful things like this can be.  While my comment was not meant harshly and was only one little thing (to me) it could be compounding from Janine’s point of view.

6165 Week 3 Blog

I think that there are always differences in communication depending on your audience.  When I go to church I act and speak differently than I do during dinner my family.  As such, I do think my communication is probably different when I communicate with people from different groups and cultures.  When I communicate with someone who is from a different political affiliation, for example, I may tread lightly on the topic of politics or avoid it altogether.  I would be careful as I would be worried I might offend the person I was communication with.

One thing I think I could work on when communicating with people from other cultures is not being afraid do have discussions.  Talking is learning.  The more I engage in conversation and ask questions, the more I know.  I think that shying away from talking about tough issues is what keeps them tough issues.  This is something I know I do and I would love to work on.  I would also like to branch out with my communication.  In a crowd I definitely gravitate towards people I know or people who are “like me” which means I have missed out on getting to know many different people from different backgrounds.  Finally, I need to take the time to listen.  I am a busy person (like everyone else) and I tend to be a bit loud.  This sometimes means that I talk over others or don’t give them time to get their ideas out because I am always on the go.  Slowing down and being more purposeful in my conversations will be good for me.

6164 Week 3 Blog

I contacted three different people this week to hear their perspectives on culture and diversity.  The first person I asked was my friend Monica.  She is a fellow educator in the early childhood field.  The second person I asked was my Mom.  She is always there for me and ready to help!  Finally, I asked my stepfather who is from Syria.  I thought he could provide both a male perspective and one from a different race.  Below are the definitions they gave me:

•      Monica:  “I like to think of culture as the environment that a group of individuals share; for example, my classroom.  The culture is made up of diversity among the group.  The culture is not only the differences, but how the individuals react to those differences.  The ideal culture is one where there is diversity but it is embraced.  It is the overall energy or feeling of the environment.   My definition of diversity is a collection of differences among a group of people; this could include interests, backgrounds, religions, cultures, music, and opinions. 
•     Mom:  “To me, culture is an atmosphere of traditions, mannerisms, beliefs, foods, and dress of a group of people.  Diversity is the collection of different cultures.  Diversity can include race, religion, sexual preference, age, etc.”
•     Stepfather:  “I see culture as where you are from, your customs, and your traditions.  I see diversity as being different.”

Some aspects of culture and diversity from this course that were included in their answers were the ideas that they include many things.  All of the definitions spoke of customs, traditions, and differences.  Some went more in-depth and realized that culture is made up of things like interests, opinions, age, and sexual preference. 

One thing that I noticed was omitted from all of the definitions was a deeper meaning of culture.  While my Mom and Monica touched on a few important things, I still felt that all of the definitions were pretty superficial. 

I think the snapshot I got of the definitions of culture and diversity is pretty typical.  Before the start of this course my definitions would have been very similar.  This assignment made me realize that I have grown in my own understanding of culture and diversity.  Instead of just seeing the outward things that are fun and exotic (food, dress, language) I realize that culture also entails the way a family interacts or parents, as well as what they value, and so much more.

6165 Week 2 Blog

The show that I chose to use for this example is called The Middle.  When I was watching with the sound turned off I thought there seemed to be quite a bit of conflict within the family.  The teenage girl in the show used very over-the-top hand gestures and appeared to be yelling.  There always seemed to be someone with a disappointed or upset look on their face.  From the interaction between the oldest male and female characters I would assume they are married.  They had physical contact in the form of hand holding, lived in the same house, and seemed to interact with the children together.

When I turned the sound on and watched the same part of the episode I realized there were some areas where I was right on and others that I missed the mark.  While the teenage girl does appear to be yelling (and she kind of is) she is being goofy and dramatic more than angry or upset.  The body language seemed the same and without the sound I was unable to tell the tone that she spoke with.  The oldest male and female characters were married so I was correct about that.  The assumption that everyone is always fighting was right and wrong.  While they do seem to argue quite a bit I missed the fact that often it is playful banter.  

The tone of the characters and the show led me to believe that they are a close-knit family who jokes around and argues despite my initial reaction that they were angry.

If I watched the show often I think my assumptions would have definitely been more accurate.  It was clear in just a few minutes that they were not angry people.  They are a large family with two working parents and the show seems to chronicle their life as a funny adventure of mishaps.

One thing I realized during this exercise is that while body language and facial expressions tell a lot, they don’t tell everything.  The tone with which one speaks also conveys a lot of our meaning during communication.  The same phrase could be said in a number of different tones and mean a number of different things.

6164 My Family Culture

The three things I would take with me if I had to evacuate to another country would be a bible, my Mom’s cookbook, and a photo album.  When I got to the other country with a different culture I think that the cookbook and photo album would be relatively easy to explain.  While they may not contain the same recipes or photos, I think every culture could understand having special foods and memories.  The bible might be more difficult to explain as other cultures practice different religions.  There are even places where my bringing or reading the bible might be a huge offense.

If, when I got there, I was told I could only keep one item I would be okay with that.  I actually had a difficult time thinking of three items that are that important to me.  If my family was coming with me I would be all set.  Material possessions might help me feel like I had a piece of home with me, but I’ve never felt that I needed things to feel whole.  If I couldn’t bring the photo album I would still have memories in my mind and heart.  If I couldn’t bring the cookbook, there are many meals that I have learned to cook without the recipe and my Mom could teach me more.  If I couldn’t bring the bible, I would pray and rely on verses that I know by heart.

From this exercise I realize that some things cross cultural divides while others may be harder to explain.  I also understood that while I had a hard time coming up with three possessions, the things I chose represent my family culture well.  We value faith, education, healthy meals, and spending time together as a family.

6265 Week 1 Blog

One person that I feel communicates very well is my friend Leah.  She is a great listener which you can tell by talking to her as well as watching her body language.  She always looks attentive and is able to repeat what she has heard to check for understanding. One thing I love about Leah is that she listens without looking for an opportunity to talk.  She is actually listening and not just formulating her response while I finish talking.  I would love to have her ability to sympathize but not feel the need to fix a problem or give advice.

When I think of Research...

This course seemed a bit intimidating at first.  I loved how things were broken down week by week, though.  The layout of the course made a big project seem very doable because it was presented in small steps.  One challenge that I encountered during this course was restating terms in my own words during our weekly charts.  It seems like such a silly, easy thing but once I have read a definition it is often hard for me to think of a new way to say the same thing.  I tackled this problem by trying to give concrete examples of the terms each week.  Not only did this help me to define terms without simply quoting a book definition, it also helped me to remember the terms more easily.

One way that my perception of an early childhood professional has been modified is that I have realized that all teachers are researchers.  We may not all have 12-page essays with research companions to show our work, but we all conduct research on some level.  Putting a child on a behavior sticker chart and keeping track of their progress is one way we do research.  If we notice the data is staying the same and there is no improvement we know to move on to the next technique.  Teachers are always trying new things and keeping track of their successes and failures to work towards reaching all learners.

When planning a research project, I realized that there are many decisions to be made.  Every little aspect of a research project involves major thinking and many choices.  The nature of research is that each person is looking to find different information and goes about it in a different way.  I struggled a bit with this in the beginning because I tend to be a very black or white type of person.  It seems that there are no real “right or wrong” answers in research.  Your decisions shape your research and while some choices might be better than others there are no real cut and dry rules.  It caused me to do a lot of critical thinking!

I have gained many new insights from this course.  One invaluable lesson that I learned was how to read a research article.  Without the first week and the documents provided in this course I would have felt very overwhelmed.  I was so pleased to find that there are many aspects of a research article you can skip over.  Practicing the method of what to skip and what to read (and re-read) has helped me to become a better student and a more knowledgeable early childhood professional.

Research Around the World

I chose to explore the website for Early Childhood Australia.  When I looked into current issues I found many budget issues both on a small and a large scale.  Funding for early childhood years from the government came up in many places as well as funding for preschool.

Some interesting topics I found were re-thinking how they allocate money as parents pay more and more for early care, new standards for care are already showing positive outcomes in children’s lives, and an article about quality childcare being more important than cost.

My favorite find on the website was an article called “Fight Against e-bullying Needs to Start Early”.  This immediately caught my attention because social media is on the rise, but I was interested to hear what it had to say about the impact on our youngest learners.  Their stance is that as soon as children are introduced to technology, they should also be educated in proper online etiquette and the socio-emotional ramifications of their online behaviors.  While the article notes that cyber bullying is usually not prevalent in the early childhood years it is never too early to start educating young children.  I agree that this is becoming a bigger issue and needs to be addressed.  The article didn't give any practical applications or steps to go about educating young children, but I found the idea interesting.

One noteworthy observation I made while exploring the website is that there are many similar issues happening in Australia that we are also facing in the United States.  Allocation of government funding as well as adhering to best practices as early childhood educators are both heavily talked about on the site.

Research that Benefits Children and Families

There are many research topics that really interest me.  If I were able to conduct research in an area, I would want to learn more about the effectiveness of certain types of interventions.  I’d also be interested in conducting research and gathering data on retention in Kindergarten.  These are two topics that are close to my heart as a Kindergarten teacher.  Each year we have a handful of students who don’t respond to normal levels of instruction and intervention.  Teachers send home extra materials and projects, work one-on-one with these children, and add them to our reading interventionist’s caseload.  At the end of the year, however, there are still a few that are so behind that we worry about sending them on to first grade.  Still others lack maturity, social, or behavioral skills and have the academic piece.  Keeping children to do a second year of Kindergarten is not a decision we make lightly.  I always wonder if I’m doing the right thing, though.  Does a second year really help?  If they’re not getting something will an extra year of the same thing really make a difference?  I would be interested to track student growth and progress to compare children who were pushed to first grade and lacked skills versus those who were held to do another year of Kindergarten.

This research would benefit children, families, and teachers.  Teachers would have some guidance and insight into when Kindergarten retention in beneficial and when it is detrimental.  Families would be able to understand a recommendation to hold or pass along a child because there would be more information and research to back it up.  Children would benefit from quality care given by adults who have their best interest in mind, but also have the information to back up their decision. 

My Personal Research Journey

My topic for the simulation revolves around the influence of play on a child's academic development.  I am interested in finding out more about how we can link a child's learning goals to their play situations.  This also leads to me wondering about different forms of play as a link to a child's memory or to learn a certain skill.  I know that, for instance, my Kindergartners love music.  They are amazing at remembering information that is put to a song.  I also have seen that so many of their more "academic" learning goals can be learned through a first-hand experience or an inquiry-based situation.  This got me thinking about the connection between play and a child's academic development.

So far in this course I've noticed that there are many things I already knew but hadn't thought of or used in a long time.  I have appreciated the applicable nature of the course.  Often you learn about research (or some other topic) and it seems there is no connection to your work or real life experiences.  That has not been the case with this course and I have loved that.

I am interested in learning from colleagues as they go through this process.  We will be able to share both resources and also experiences.  Learning from one another through collaboration and shared information is going to be very beneficial to our overall success in the course.