Thank You

Wow! I cannot believe another class has come and gone! What an experience it is been having all my classmates follow me on this journey. I want to thank all of you for your kind words and  positive opinions. I wish all of you the best of luck and hope to keep in touch!

Week 6 Blog Assignment

I believe that the hardest groups to leave are the ones you have been through the most with. I worked at a job for three years with a wonderful group of people who I attribute a lot of my professional success to. They weren’t only wonderful because we eventually grew so close, but it was a great experience because we learned so much from, one another, even when the lessons weren’t so easy to learn. At the end of our journey together, I was mostly saddened because I had so many memories that bonded us. We were like a family. I feel like I will feel similarly when I complete my Master’s program. Earning my Master’s Degree has been a goal of mine for a long time now and it was something that I contemplated on completing back and forth for some time. When I first started, I was immediately reassured that I made the right decision by the support from my fellow classmates. Now that I am a little closer to finishing, I can already tell how the adjourning stage of this journey will be. I sure know it is something that I never will forget.

Week 5

When thinking about conflict resolution, several work scenarios come to mind. I have a staff of 8 who rarely take me seriously due to my age. I have had to call several meetings where this has been addressed and most of the time things get resolved through communicaton. There really is something to be said for "talking it out".

Week 4 Blog Assignment

The thing that most surprised me this week based on our communication assessments was how I scored myself. I expected the differences in scores from my colleague and friend; however I was surprised to see my hidden communication anxieties come out in my score. I also learned that I am far more verbally aggressive in my mind than I am in person. Meaning, I do not actually say what is on my mind in confrontational situations. I do not know if this is a good or bad thing. I am mostly this way at work. I am most likely fearful of getting in trouble from my supervisor and am always cautious about maintaining a professional persona.

Week 3 Blog Assignment

Think about the cultural diversity you see in your colleagues at school, in your neighborhood, in your workplace, and also, possibly, within your family. Consider all the aspects that make up culture, including race, religion, political affiliation, sexual orientation, varying abilities, and so on.

 •Do you find yourself communicating differently with people from different groups and cultures?

                Fortunately, I have been raised in a multi-cultural environment. I also fortunately work in a very multi-cultural environment so I do not think that I communicate differently with diverse groups of people. Although after visiting my 90 year old grandmother in Ireland, who is losing her hearing, I suppose I communicate a lot louder with her than I would anyone else.

Based on what you have learned this week, share at least three strategies you could use to help you communicate more effectively with the people or groups you have identified.

One strategy I also use is to treat everyone the same when speaking to them. My boss will speak in a nice tone of voice with one employee and the next second she snaps on someone else. This doesn’t make her look too good because of the biases present. Another strategy to help better communication is get to know who you are communicating with if possible. This way you know what could be offensive. Lastly, always follow the platinum rule!

Week 2 Blog Assignment

For this week’s blog assignment, we were asked to watch a television show once with the sound off and again with the sound on. Since I am not an avid television viewer, it was fairly easy to find a show that I do not frequently watch. The show I chose to view is “Keeping up with the Kardashians”. This is a reality tv-show about a large glamorous family in Los Angeles. While watching the show with the televisions volume turned off, this is what I observed:

•What do you think the characters’ relationships are based on the ways in which they are communicating? Just by watching the family members communicate without any sound, I could definitely tell that the people on the show were family. There seemed to be a sense of closeness as well as some bickering going on.

 •What are they feeling and expressing based on the nonverbal behavior you are observing? I observed a lot of tension between some members of the family and lots of non-verbal facial expressions.

This is what I observed with the sound turned on:

 •What assumptions did you make about the characters and plot based on the ways in which you interpreted the communication you observed? I assumed that they were family members who were close and experienced lots of arguments on a regular basis.

 •Would your assumptions have been more correct if you had been watching a show you know well? I think my assumptions would have been the same. While I do not what this show on a regular basis, I know somewhat about the dynamic.

This was a very interesting assignment that I never would have thought to do on my own. What was particularly interesting is that I grasped what was happening fairly accurately without having the sound on. That just goes to show you how critical non-verbal communication is and how one can be affected by it.

Week 1 Blog Assignment

For this week’s blog assignment, we were asked to think of someone who demonstrates competent communication within a particular context. I chose to think about the youth who come to my Youth Center. They range in age from 9 to 12 and they have some of the best communication skills I have ever encountered. They are always so honest with me as well as with one another. They are able to solve problems among one another before having to get a staff involved. I feel that as adults we have a tendency to become less honest because of the worry that comes with offending someone or hurting their feelings. It seems that children just want to be honest in communicating with others and this is very refreshing. Sometimes I do wish I could communicate as well as they do.

Week 8 Blog Assignment- Professional Hopes & Goals

One hope that I have when I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that I hope to make a life lasting impression on their lives by making them feel comfortable and wanted. Often times when people come to a new country, they feel shunned or unwanted. It is my hope that I can make them feel welcomed and allow them to see the true possibilities of being in our country. 

One goal that I would like to set for the early childhood field in relation to issues of diversity, equity and social justice is to give every child and family the same opportunity. After all, we are one world.

For this last blog assignment, I would like to take the time to thank Dr. Dartt and my fellow colleagues for making this course one of the most enjoyable ones I have taken so far. I have learned so much about myself as well as my peers and for that I am forever thankful. This has been such a great journey and I hope to have future courses with you all! Good luck and best wishes!

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

I can distinctly remember when I was ten years old and my family moved to Hawaii. It was definitely a different environment than what I was used to. I had spent my ten year prior in Germany where there are also a variety of cultures, however that acceptance of diversity is far greater. On my first day of school, I was ridiculed by my peers who were considered “locals”. The local kids had many names for my kind and I became known as “whitey”. While I knew what prejudice was, I had never experienced firsthand, and I certainly was never a victim of if before. I can remember feeling so miserable and pretending to be sick so I could stay home from school. I did not have any friends and I was criticized daily because of the color of my skin. Luckily my parents only wanted to stay a year and we moved back to Germany. Although at the time it seemed like an awful experience, I am grateful that I went through it. I see prejudice in such a different light and I have become more appreciative of cultural and ethnic diversity. While my experience was not as awful as what others have gone through, I can understand the importance of equity.

Week 4 Blog Assignment

It was coincidental that we were learning about microaggressions this week. We were discussing which staff were going to attend next week’s field trip and work and one of my employees mentioned that she did not want to go on the swimming pool field trip. She is an African American and one of our Latino staff responded with a microagression. She asked “why don’t you want to go, are you worried about your hair”? While everyone giggled with one another, I thought to myself how insulted I would feel if I were in the shoes of the gal who didn’t want to go to the pool. In thinking about microagressions, there were so many things that I learned about the environment I work in as well as myself. The fact is that we are constantly surrounded by these prejudices and we don’t even realize it some of the time.

Blog Assignment – Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

For this week’s assignment, I spoke to three different friends regarding culture and diversity. I asked them what their definitions of culture and diversity. All three of them had the same response for the definition of culture. They said they thought of culture as something that a person displays because of where they come from. As for diversity, they all had similar ideas but described diversity as a term in differences in how someone looks, where they come from, their language, place of birth, and their ethnicity. All three of my friends that I spoke with are different than me in some way. I asked an African American, one is in a wheelchair, and the other is Jewish. This was great because it gave me a different perspective from all angles and what is encouraging is that we all sort of see things similar.

I think all of my friends did a great job including the major differences in culture and diversity in relation to what I have studied so far in the course. For example, diversity can be something the physically seen whereas culture is something that is an action of display.

Week 2, Assignment 3

A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you. You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture.

The three items I would choose in this scenario are:

A photo album full of photos of my family and friends

My bodhran, which is an Irish drum that represents both my culture and my love of music. I would take this with me because I believe that music makes the world come together regardless of cultural difference.

I would lastly bring my Seattle Seahawks Pillow Pet. American football is a huge part of my culture and the pillow is extremely comfortable. I may end up in a country where there are no beds or pillows so this would come in handy.  

 I would discuss in detail why all of these items are dear to me. I would be able to discuss many aspects of my culture and teach others about it. I would be upset and angry if I had to give up two items upon my arrival since I already had to leave everything behind and only choose three items. I would probably be pretty stubborn and argue my way out of giving anything up. However, my photo album is something that is irreplaceable so giving up my drum and pillow would be a little easier. I can make those things, I can’t remake memories.

This exercise was interesting because I think it would be extremely difficult to only choose three things. I do think that the items I chose are practical, heart-felt and slightly superficial.

When I Think of Research...

Since taking this course, I have gained and immense amount of knowledge regarding research. While I was extremely overwhelmed when learning of the content in this course, I am extremely pleased with the outcome and with all I have learned and am still learning.

I have a completely changed idea regarding the nature of research. While the term research seems tedious and exhausting, I have learned that it is indeed complex however, worth putting in the work and the effort.

I have learned detailed descriptions of research designs and planning and implementation. I have learned to always keep ethical issues as a priority of what to avoid.  

Throughout the duration of this course, I struggled with my applications and getting my content to meet the criteria of our professor.

As a result of this course, I have a lot more respect for research in the early childhood field. It was not until this course that I realized the amount of work and effort that goes into research studies.

I want to take the time to thank all of my peers for supporting me throughout this course. I was very overwhelming for me and the support, comments and feedback has been a great help! I look forward to working with you all again.

Final Blog Assignment- Issues & Trends

Three consequences of learning about the international early childhood field are knowing about the struggles in other countries as well as worrying about our own struggles, avoiding a specific profession due to knowledge of issues and trends in a specific field, and not wanting to develop professionally based on fear of inadequacies in the field.

One goal for the field of international awareness is to be able to globally advocate for every child and not just our own nation.

On a final note, I just want to thank all of my colleagues for making this course such an enjoyable learning experience. I look forward to working with you all in the near future!

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 3

In speaking with my professional contact in Ireland, I was able to receive great responses to many of the questions listed in this week’s assignment. Like in the United States, Ireland is focusing on affordable quality childcare for every family. They are also focusing on professional development in hopes that with will contribute to quality programming.

It is interesting to see, that although we are in different countries, many places struggle with the same things that we struggle with in the United States. It is also reassuring to see that there are early childhood activists all over the globe. I believe that together, we really can make a difference!

Sharing Web Resources

This week, I decided to explore, in detail, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). While I have been on this site many times, I have never taken the opportunity to truly explore it and understand it. I was first introduced to NAEYC when I began my professional career as a government employee. On military bases, child development centers are required to be accredited through the NAEYC. The NAEYC's mission is to serve and act on behalf of the needs, rights and well-being of all young children with primary focus on the provision of educational and developmental services and resources. Their website provides early childhood professionals and advocates with tons of information pertaining to issues and trends in the early childhood field. Not only in this site a news-worthy site, it is full of information pertaining to profession development as well as accreditation.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts –Part 2

One thing I discussed with my contacts in Ireland this week is the rise of early childhood education. In the past, it was less popular to place your child in an early childhood education type setting. With the economy the way it is in Ireland, working mothers and fathers are becoming more prominent and the need for quality childcare is a necessity. However, the cost for quality childcare is something that is nearly unaffordable for most families. I thought this was interesting because we also struggle with this in the United States. Ireland as a counrty is very focused on Early Childhood Education and providing the best programs for their young children. They take an approach contisting of play and creative expression rather than testing.

Research Around the World

I chose to research the European Early Childhood Education Research Association for this week’s blog assignment. The EECERA is an independent, self-governing, international association which promotes and disseminates multi-disciplinary research on early childhood and its applications to policy and practice. This was a particularly interesting assignment for me this week because it coincides with my issues and trends class that I am also taking. Early childhood is not just a hot topic in America; it is being talked about everywhere, to include Europe. I am particularly interested in studying European early childhood education because I grew up in Europe and I have family that lives there. On this particular site, there was an article discussing child and researchers and what the best practices are. This was coincidental because that was a part of this week’s discussion. There were several other research topics that are listed on this site. They range from technological topics to political topics. I really liked how several research topics related to linguistics and how speaking in multiple languages benefits a child. The thing I liked most about this site is that involves all European countries and not just one. It is interesting to see different countries come together and share their insights and challenges.  

European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA)

http://www.eecera.org/

Sharing Web Resources

The great thing about early childhood sites is that they are all relevant to us in some way. Although I do not specifically work with children who are considered “early childhood”, the information I am reading about is helpful because I may one day work with younger children and I can attribute several qualities that the youth I work with now have obtained from their early childhood years. In reading our course resources for this week, I gained a new found respect for those who do not necessarily work in the early childhood field. There are several economists, politicians and neuroscientists who support early childhood and its importance. It is interesting to see that all over the world, early childhood education is being a popular thing to be concerned about. While I am sure that everyone who is in the field of early childhood education thinks that it is a top priority, it is encouraging to see that others think it is a top priority as well, including those in Washington D.C.

Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories

Option 2:

When my sister was nine, she fell off the monkey bars at school and broke her neck. She became a quadriplegic. Having the ability to research how this traumatic event affected her not just physically, but emotionally as well would be priceless. While she went on to do great things (she is now a clinical psychologist), I always wonder how things could have been different for her. Conducting a study of that nature could potentially bring peace to thousands of young children who also experienced traumatic events and injuries.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 1

For this assignment, I chose to contact two professionals in Ireland. While I have yet to hear back from anyone, I did talk to my cousin, who is an Early Childhood Educator in Ireland. Early Childhood Education in Ireland is very different than the United States. While the hopeful outcomes are the same, the approaches are quite different. Since Ireland joined the EU, their economy is not the same as it once was. Jobs are scarce and poverty is on the rise. While Ireland is a much smaller country than the United States, the early childhood field often faces the same issues. One of Ireland’s biggest issues is the cost of childcare. Just like the United States, families in Ireland are being forced to choose between quality childcare and saving money.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!

My Personal Research Journey

I chose to research about children who grow up in single-parent homes and how that affects their education and how they excel in school. My progress is slowly coming together; I would definitely say research is not my strong subject. I am glad this is a required course because it is opening my eyes to so many things that are going to be a huge asset during my professional career. Is anyone having better luck compiling all of their information? Is anyone else struggling? Although we are only in week two I am already beginning to worry about what my final grade in the class will be. I am hoping all of my classmates have better insights for me. Good luck guys!

Sharing Web Resources

The web site that I chose to research and contact is www.earlychildhoodireland.ie. Early Childhood Ireland supports and represents the people who play a role in the development, delivery and oversight of early childhood care and education in Ireland, and prioritizes the interests of children. Early Childhood Ireland provides professional support and training for early childhood care and education providers, contributes to research and public policy development, promotes quality, accessible childcare for all children, and explores and evaluates innovative and creative child-centered approaches to childcare. On issue discussed in Early Childhood Ireland’s newsletter was raising the cost of childcare. Their argument for raising the cost of care is so they can have better trained and educated pre-school teachers or caregivers. The cost of childcare seems to be a hot issue globally. Are parents willing to pay more for quality care? This is a question that is still unanswered. The reality of it is, at some point, cost plays in effect one way or another.  

Establishing Professional Contacts

One site I chose to visit was www.earlychildhoodireland.ie. This is an organization that supports and represents the people who play a role in the development, delivery and oversight of early childhood care and education in Ireland, and prioritises the interests of children. I have yet to hear a response but am hopeful that I will soon.
The second organization I chose to contact was OMEP Irish National Committee. I also have yet to hear a response but am hopeful.
I chose to look into Ireland because, that is where my family lives. I have considered moving there as well and am interested in their outlook on Early Childhood Education. My cousin also works in a childcare facility so it might be easy to get loads of good information. I also wanted to contact organizations in Europe because I grew up in Germany and I have always been interested in the European way of life and how their child development programs differ from those in the United States.

My Supports

As a young career professional and graduate student, there are several factors that act as a support for me. Since I spend most of my time at work, my co-workers and staff are a huge support in my life. We have a very positive work dynamic which makes my job easy and enjoyable. Another huge support in my life are the kids I work with. They are all aware of the educational journey I am on and they are always eager to know how I am doing. My fiance is probably my greatest support system. He appreciates my career and understands my hectic work schedule. My local fitness center supports me as well. It is where I go every evening to relieve stress and keeps me sane. Lastly, my colleagues who are on the education journey with me also support me in ways that may be unknown or less obvious. I always look forward to logging into class and reading what my classmates have posted. They have provided me with a very positive experience so far. The main characteristic that all my supports have in common is that they all support me and my goals in one way or another. These factors help keep me focused and grounded and really make me appreciate life. I cannot imagine not having these supports in my life because they are all things that I look forward to and make me so happy. I certainly would not be the person I am today without them.

Although I am speaking honestly, and I do not intend to offend anyone, the challenge I chose to imagine was what my life would be like if I had a child or children. Clearly, I am in the business of children and youth and there is nothing that I find more satisfying than impacting the life of a child. However, not having children of my own is a choice I have made for several reasons. While many view having a child as a blessing (and I'm sure it is), I cannot help but think about all of the challenges that come along with raising a child. The financial stresses, choosing between childcare or putting my career on hold, and finding time for school and other things are just a few of the worries that come to mind. Where I am at now in my life, I would need a much different support system. Of course my fiance would still be included in my list of supports, however, I feel like everything else would change. I would find support in other things, but would these things make me as happy as I am now? Having my own children is not something that is completely off my list, but I think waiting is the best option for me. I can also imagine that when you have a child of your own, all of the other worries disappear and you just make things work.

My Connections to Play

The true object of all human life is play.

~G. K. Chesterton

You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.

~Plato

The above photos are what kept me going as a child. While I appeared to be somewhat of a tomboy, and I did absolutley love playing sports, I loved Barbies with a passion. Even as an adult I enjoy playing Barbies with my nieces. Music was another past time that I had as a child as well as during my teenage years and now into adulthood. I was in the school band for as long as I can remember, and today, I still share my love of music with the people who surround me. I attribute so much of my social skills, academic skills and imaginary skills to the above hobbies.
As a child, play was the number one priority for me. In turn, school became a priority because I knew that in order to go outside and play, I needed to have all of my schoolwork completed. My parents were always very supportive of my play, as were my two older sisters. They were even nice enough to play along with me from time to time regardless of the six year age difference. My parents always really encouraged me to be well-rounded. I didn't only play sports or I didn't only play music. I was on sports teams, I was in the band, and I acted in the school plays. I truly believe that these things are what set me up for success during my teenage years and into adulthood.

Play today seems to have changed quite a bit compared to what is was when I was a child. It doesn't seem as simple. When I was a child, I could play by myself with little or no objects and be completely satisfied. Or a few friends and I could get a game going that we made up on the spot and play it for hours and hours. I did grow up in a time where technology was booming and the era of the nintendo was popular. I think I even had the very first gameboy that came out, although I also remember only have one or two games for it and really only using it on long car trips or plane rides. I never found myself particularly interested in technology. In today's society, I struggle to get kids to play. Recess is no longer a favorite subject among youth and they just want to play video games and watch TV. I hope that I enourage the youth I work with to play and I hope I display the positive outcomes of play.

Based on the outcomes of my life so far, I will argue that the role of play is critical not only during childhood but throughout one's life. Even as an adult, I enjoy play. Perhaps not in the same setting as I did as a child, but very similar. I play on intramural sports teams, I am active in my community, and I am physically active. Participating in these activities help me stay focuesed in work and at school and really satisfy my social interaction needs.

Relationship Reflection

  Relationships have proven to be a critical part of my life, as they have shaped who I am today and who I will continue to be throughout my life. The relationships that I have encountered throughout the duration of my life, both good and bad, are the reason I am here in my career as well as my educational journey. I currently have several positive relationships that foster my health well-being. First and foremost, Reilly (my fiance) is the most significant of my relationships. We have been together for 5 years and have made it through some pretty big accomplishments together. We met while we were in college and have started our professional careers together and supported one another through the good times and the bad. Our relationship has been a factor in where I am at professionally today and where I will continue to go. The second most important relationship in my life today is the relationship I have with the youth that I work with. I work a lot, and I have a tendency to let my work consume my life, but it is in good reason I do so. I cannot put into words the satisfaction that comes from my job. Being able to witness on a daily basis the contribution that I make towards youth becoming better citizens is rewarding on so many levels. The trust that these children have placed in me and the relationship that we have is priceless. As a result of our positive relationship, I have been able to build better partnerships with parents. The parents are able to see how happy their children are and have become more open to the idea of parent involvement. The third relationship that is important in my current life is the relationship between my staff and I. I have a wonderful staff who is dedicated to advocating for youth and they make my job much easier for me. They are innovative and always make sure that they are serving the children before themselves. These relationships listed are important mainly because this is was occurs in my everyday life. I'm either at home with Reilly, or at work with my staff and kiddos. While I often get teased about how much time I devote to my career and how all I talk about are the kids at work, I wouldn't want it any other way. The fact that I'm making a positive difference in the lives of these children is reason enough for me to continue on my career path. Having a supportive partner makes things even easier.