Final Blog Assignment

A Final Note of Thanks and Support:

As we reach the end of another journey together, I want to take this time to say thank-you to each and everyone of you, my distinguish colleagues.  I greatly appreciate the continued support and guidance you provided me each and every week, and I hope I was able to do the same for some of you too.  I also want to wish all of you continued success, as you venture on the path towards future success in the field of early childhood studies.  And without a doubt I truly feel that each and everyone of you are a major asset to this field, and will continue to do great things in the future.  And not only for this field, but also for the children and families we work with everyday.  Thank-you and once again good luck!! 
 

Stage 5: Adjourning

For this week's discussion assignment I talked about my experiences of becoming an acting Supervisor for the first time, and also the challenges I faced from becoming a leader of a very dysfunctional center.  A center that was right on the verge of being dismantled, due to numerous issues, and concerns, which in my opinion all really seemed to stem from a lack of leadership, guidance, and most importantly trust.  But in the end, I also talked about some of the greatest experiences I had, not only as a Supervisor, but also being part of a truly amazing team, that also became a very strong and united team.

And it is my experience with this group that I now look for the fifth stage of  Tuckman's Stages, that were developed by Bruce Wayne Tuckman in 1965, adjourning stage.  "In the "adjourning" stage the project is coming to an end and the team members are moving off into different directions.  This stage looks at the team from the perspective of the well-being of the team rather than from the perspective of managing a team through the original four stages of team growth" (Abudi, 2010). t

I definitely feel that this team, or group, has been the hardest one to say goodbye to that I ever had to in my life.  And I think that is because of what we went through together, all the challenges and obstacles we faced, making our team the united and dedicated front we became in the end.  I think when you go through a experience such as this, it makes all the accomplishments and rewards you receive in the end all that more special and appreciated.  And I also feel that groups that go through these kinds of experiences, grow very close, sharing a unique bond, that will definitely remain even after they have moved on or have gone their separate ways.  "Performing will keep in touch with each other as they have become a very close knit group and there will be sadness at separating and moving on to other projects independently" (Abudi, 2010).

It is also reflecting on these kinds of past experiences of groups and team development that I now imagine and consider how I will adjourn from you, my group of colleagues, as we near the end of our master's degree program.  I also feel this adjourning stage, will also be extremely difficult, especially since we have really become such an important part of each others life, both personally and professionally.  We have shared some of the same challenges and struggles, we have faced as we enter a new chapter in our lives, as student's with the same common goal, the goal of successfully completing our master's degree in early childhood studies.  And even though we might not ever physically meet in life, I know I can honestly say in the end, when it is time to finally say goodbye, I know it will be very difficult.  And that is because we shared so much of ourselves, both personally, and professionally, and we really have become an important part of each others lives, whether we believe it or not.  And I know I can honestly say that I have really learned a lot from each and everyone of you, especially when it comes to teamwork, and sharing one common goal.  The goal of trying to make a difference in the field of early childhood studies...

References:

Abudi, G. (2010). The five stages of team development: A case study. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html

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Conflict Strategies and Resolutions

                                                              
In beginning this assignment and reflecting on any recent, or for that matter any conflicts I have ever had at work, I can honestly say after all these years there is only one I can remember.  And this conflict, that did lead to a somewhat heated argument, occurred about four years ago, when I arrived here to my new site.  And I can honestly say that after being at one particular center, for so many years, almost ten years, and knowing everybody, this too was an adjustment, getting to know and work with new people.

This particular disagreement resulted from a very strong difference of opinions between myself and a fellow colleague that at the time had been stationed at my preschool center, but who technically wasn't part of my staff or my center.  And it was as if from the moment she arrived, there were immediate issues of conflict among her and my entire newly assigned staff.  "Conflict comes about from differences-in needs, values and motivations.  Sometimes through these differences we complement each other, but sometimes we will conflict.  Conflict is not a problem itself-it is what we do with it that counts" (http://www.crnhq.org/pages.php?pID=12#skill_3). 

And for me this was something that was completely new to me, not conflict itself, but conflict in a department, that I had basically never had any problems or conflicts up until this point.  But I can honestly say that in the end, after going through one extremely difficult school year, I did learn a lot about about my new staff and colleagues, as well as a lot about myself, not only as a person, but also as a Supervisor, who values the importance of positive, and effective nonviolent communication skills.  "NVC involves both communication skills that foster compassionate relating and consciousness of the interdependence of our well being and using power with others to work together to meet the needs of all concerned" (http://www.cnvc.org/Training/NVC-Concepts).

In choosing two strategies that I have learned are relevant, especially as a result of my personal and professional experience, I would have to say they are compassion and compromise.  And I chose these two, because I feel they are the best strategies, and defense mechanisms, when dealing with difficult people, or situations, that have now led to conflicts.  And for me in my conflict at work they were definitely strategies and skills that I really feel helped me with my difficult situation, as well as re-enforced for me what it takes to really become a positive, and effective supervisor.  "They are skills that enable us to bypass personal differences and to open up to possibilities.  The skills of CR draw us close to other people, as we jointly search for fair solutions and balanced needs,  It involves a powerful shift from adversaries to co-operative partners, in this shift each person benefits" (http://www.crnhq.org/pages.php?pID=12#skill_3).


References:

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

The Center for Nonviolent Communication. (n.d.). The center for nonviolent communication. Retrieved from http://www.cnvc.org/


 

Communication Evaluations And Insights

For this weeks assignment of evaluating myself as a communicator and having others also evaluate me, I would definitely have to say that there were some surprises.  For the most part there were a lot of similarities in how I evaluated myself, as well as how the two other people I chose, in regards to the assessments on Communication Anxiety Inventory and Listening Styles Profile.  But for me personally I think the biggest surprise came from my own evaluation of the assessment on the Verbal Aggressiveness Scale.  And not only on how I evaluated myself, but also on how each of the two other people evaluated me.

I stated on this weeks application assignment that I was a little surprised to discover after my own self-evaluation that I actually scored in the second category of the significant level of the Verbal Aggressiveness Scale.  "With little provocation, you might cross the line from"argumentativeness", which attacks a person's position or statements, and verbal aggression, which involves personal attacks and can be hurtful to the listener" ( Rubin, 2009).  I think the reason it was such a surprise, is because I don't for one minute consider myself an aggressive person at all, especially when it comes to verbally attacking someone else's position or opinions.  But after reviewing the initial questions from the assessment, I realized that I must have scored this way, at the significant level, due to the kind of person I am.  And even though I am not usually an aggressive person I do know that I will definitely react in a certain manner, if I feel that either I or someone I care about, has been verbally attacked without any provocation.  

The other thing that also surprised be, in regards to this assessment of the Verbal Aggressiveness Scale, is that both of my two chosen evaluators, a colleague and co-worker, and my own sister, did not receive the same results that I did.  My colleague's results of the assessment scored me at the low level of the scale.  "You are respectful of the viewpoints and intelligence of others, and attempt to change their minds with gentle, inoffensive suggestions that do not attack their self-concept" (Rubin, 2009). And for my family member, my sister her evaluations results actually scored me at the moderate level.  "You maintain a good balance between respect and consideration for others' viewpoints, and the ability to argue fairly by attacking the facts of a position rather than the person holding that position" (Rubin, 2009).

So the fact that my scores of the assessments on the Verbal Aggressiveness Scale did differ from my own results, as well as the fact that I actually scored myself at a higher level then each of them really made me begin to wonder.  And also ask myself the question, "When it comes to self-evaluation, are we actually tougher and more critical of ourselves, then others who know us are?".  If I had to now answer this question based on the experience of this assignment, of evaluating ourselves, I would definitely have to say, "Yes".

All in all I would definitely have to say that I really gained some important and relevant insights, especially when it comes to becoming an effective and positive communicator in this field of early childhood studies.  And I believe it is assignments such as this where we have to complete not only self-evaluations, but also have others to evaluate us, is very imperative to us discovering some important facts.  The kind of facts that will help us to not only identify our strengths, but also to help us to be more aware of our own weakenesses as well.  So hopefully one day we then will be able to take the necessary steps of becoming more confident and positive communicators, not only in our personal lives, but also in our professional careers as educators and teachers in the classroom.


References:

Rubin, R. B., Palmgreen, P., & Sypher, H. E. (Eds.) (2009). Communication research measures: A sourcebook. New York: Routledge.

Rubin, R. B., Rubin, A. M., Graham, E. E., Perse, E. M., & Seibold, D. R. (Eds.) (2009). Communication research measures II: A sourcebook. New York: Routledge.

 

 

Changes In Communication Based On Relationships

I would definitely have to say that depended upon the group I am with at the time, I do think that my style of communication reflects that group, and does change based on the group.  And I would think that for most people this is probably true, and that is because we communicate differently based on the kinds of relationships we share.  

In reflecting on my own relationships, both personally and professionally, I do think that my communication style changes depending on what group I might be with at that particular time.  For example, with my family I share more intimate and personal relationships, compared to my relationships at work with my co-workers and colleagues who which I share a some what lesser intimate relationship.  So it is because of this differences in relationships, that I do feel that our communication styles change based on the people or the groups of people we are associating with at that time.

But still no matter what group of people you are associating with, or what communication style you are using at the time, one thing should remain true.  And that truth is the importance of using positive and effective communication at all times.  The kind of communication that involves good listening skills, as well as a great amount of respect and consideration for another persons point of view, and personal perspective.  "Effective listening is challenging, in part, because people often are more focused on what they're saying than on what they're hearing in return" (O'Hair, 2011).

In reflecting on what I have learned these week, in regards to effective communication, there are three strategies that definitely stand out for me, both personally and professionally.  I also think these three strategies will help me to communicate more positively and effectively no matter who the people, or group of people I am communicating with at the time.  My first strategy would be to always be respectful and courteous when dealing with another persons perspective and cultural difference.  My second strategy would be to always no matter what have good listening skills.  And finally my third and final strategy would be to always follow the Platinum rule.  And that is because it is this rule that can help us to not only be more aware of another persons feelings, but also how to respond to those feelings through our own actions and behaviors.  "The goal, according to Bennett, is to attempt to think and feel what another person thinks and feels and to go beyond that by taking positive action toward others in response to your empathic feelings" (Beebe, 2011).


In conclusion I really feel like I have gained a greater understanding and perspective, in regards to positive and effective communication skills.  And also the importance of taking the time to be more aware of my own skills and how to be a more positive and effective communicator, no matter who I am communicating with or what relationship we share. 


References:


O'Hair, D., Friedrich, G. W., & Dixon, L. D. (2011). Strategic communication in business and the professions. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Beebe, S. A., Beebe, S. J., & Redmond, M. V. (2011). Interpersonal communication: Relating to others (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

 

Communication Skills And Styles

                                                        
 

For this Blog Assignment I chose to record an 80's comedy sitcom from the Nickelodeon Channel called, "The Roseanne Show".  I vaguely remember this 80's t.v. show, I think I may have watched it once or twice, but I really didn't remember anything about this show, except that the Starr of this show was comedian Roseanne Barr.

I have to say that watching this particular show this way, with the sound turned off, really helped open up a whole new perspective for me, especially in regards to communication skills and styles.  Almost from the moment the show begun I immediately thought that based on their facial expressions and over the top gestures, that they were obviously a very verbal, vociferous, and expressive group of individuals.  I also gathered that from the way that they interacted with each other, that they we're obviously portraying the roles of a family.  Based on some of their nonverbal behaviors throughout this episode, it would appear to me that they were feeling a bit anxious and nervous dealing with their present predicament. It's amazing how much you can really learn about a person or a group of people just by observing by a their actions, gestures, and body language, and especially when you don't have the distraction of sounds and language.

After I re-watched the show I would have to say that a lot of the assumptions I made about the characters, as well as the plot of the show were pretty much right on target.  And and I definitely think that was largely due to the fact, that I was strictly concentrating only on the characters, body language, facial expressions, and non-verbal skills and gestures.  And I suppose if I had been watching a show I know very well, or watch regularly, I don't think I would have picked up on some of those same cues as fast, or maybe not even at all.  I think this assignment definitely proves to me, that when we take the time to be more aware of a person's communication skills and styles, as well as our own, we would definitely be a more positve and effective communicator.

 

A True Inspirational Mentor and Communicator

When I think of someone who demonstrates competent communication behaviors and skills, I immediately think of a person who has always been a strong role model, and mentor for me, both personally and professionally.  She is also the true definition of a person who constantly displays complete and effective competency in communication skills.

Mrs. Harris is a person that I met when I first was hired for Head-start, as a teacher more than 14 yrs. ago.  She has been a true source of inspiration for me, as a friend, a colleague, and now as a program manager for our agency.  And it was her who has constantly motivate me over the years, both personally, professionally, and especially academically.  She is also the person that instilled in me early on when I became a director, the importance of having good and effective communication skills with not only your staff, but also with the children and families of your center.  But of all her wonderful attributes, there is one qualities that I have always admired, and that is her constant display of outstanding and effective communication skills.  And it is these skills that she has used so many times to help motivate staff, teachers, as well as the parents and families throughout our agency.

Mrs. Harris is also a person that began her career as a parent volunteer, more than twenty years ago in our agency, but now through hard work, perseverance, and amazing abilities, she now works as a program manager under our executive director of our agency.  And I definitely feel that her vast experience as a parent, a teacher, a director, and now as a manager, together with her amazing and effective communication abilities as made her a true source of inspiration and motivation.  She has had such a powerful impact not only on myself, but also on so many other individuals within our agency, and after all isn't that what it's all about.  A person who can have such a powerful and lasting impression on others strictly based on their own amazing and effective abilities.  I definitely think so.

Professional Hopes and Goals

Once again we've reached that point, the end of our journey together, and as always it is again, Bittersweet.  And now as we reached this apparent end, it would not be complete without first taking the time to say thank-you.  Thank-you to Dr. Shephard, as well as to you, my distinguished and dedicated colleagues.  For some of you it has been a pleasure getting the opportunity to know you for the first time, and for the others we've once again reached the end of another rich-filled journey with many rewarding and positive experiences.  And as always I have once again gained many passion filled insights both, personally and professionally.  

And it is one of these powerful and professional insights that now leads me to only hope that when it comes to the diversity of children and families, we will all continue that quest for not only excellence, but also for that goal of universal respect.  The kind of respect that all children and families should receive, especially when it comes to the issues of diversity, equity, and the achievement of social justice.  And for me the best way to show this much deserved respect, especially as educators and teachers in the classroom, is by first taking that first initial step of getting to know all your children and families, which also includes their various beliefs and cultures. 

And now as I close this door, and get ready to open the next one, I have but one future goal to hope for when it comes our field of early childhood, and the issues of diversity, equity, and social justice.  And that goal would be for unity, as well as the hope that there would one day only be one equally, fair and just world.  A world where everyone is free to be who they are, belief in what they want, and most importantly never ever again be forced to have to sacrifice their own culture and identity, in order to be part of the popular or dominant culture.  We can only hope.......

Welcoming Families From Around the World

As a Supervisor of a Head-start Pre-school Center I have actually been faced with this very situation myself many times.  I have been very fortunate in the past to have children and families come to our center from various diverse countries from all around the world.  I have had children in our center that were from Africa, China, India, and even Brazil.  And in anticipation for these new arrivals, I have  always tried to take the necessary steps to be culturally responsive  to each of the families.  But if I had to choose one country that I  would be very interested in learning about, and also to be fortunate  enough to have a recently emigrated child and family from it would  

 most likely have to be Russia.

                                                         

 

                                                            
And in preparation for the arrival of this child and her family, I would first learn all I can about the country of Russia, including the various customs and beliefs.  I would also include my staff in this research, especially the teachers, since they are the ones who will be working in the classroom with the child on a regular basis.  I will then take the take the necessary steps to help the teachers incorporate all the information and knowledge we have learned so we then can implement it into the weekly lesson plans.  And finally I will then meet with the parents and or family members prior to the child's first day, if possible.  So I can have the opportunity to talk to the family, get to know them, and if possible, find out about the child from their own perspective, as the parents.

In conclusion I will definitely hope all these prior preparations and planning steps will be successful, as well as beneficial, and not only to myself as Supervisor, but more importantly to the child and her family.  Especially since it is them who are arriving to a foreign country where they are no longer part of the dominant culture, but instead foreigners, who are now also subject to ridicule and discrimination.  But as educators and teachers it is our responsibility to help them assimilate to our country, which also includes respectively allowing them to not only continue their beliefs and customs, but also the opportunities to celebrate their own unique culture.

                                                              

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

I previously shared an experience I had as a victim of Microaggressions by an unknowingly, but very naive woman.  Of course this was not the only time I have experienced bias, or been a victim of another persons prejudices or discrimination's.  Unfortunately in the past I have also experienced discrimination from certain individuals that actually did in fact come from my own race.

I had one particular experience with an older Hispanic woman I met through my job at the time, almost  twenty years ago.  And I think this encounter with this woman, has remained with me so long because this was the first time I can remember that I had been so boldly offended by someone of not only my own gender, but also of my own race.   At the time I had been dating a Caucasian young man, and to my dismay she was one of those people that found our relationship to be very wrong, especially since I was an Hispanic woman.  In her eyes it was never acceptable to date or even marry someone who was not of the same nationality or race.  And besides her racial issues, she also had a big problem with people such as myself, who were of Hispanic or Spanish decent, and for whatever reason didn't know or speak their native language, which she found to be very offensive.  And right form the start, I really felt that I offended her, First by the way I looked, and secondly because even though I could fully comprehend Spanish, I still was not able to communicate it correctly or effectively.

So it was on this particular day. I was totally shocked by her boldness, when she proceeded to tell me that I should be ashamed of myself by being with someone like him, and denying my own race, as well as by being disrespectful to myself and to my family, by not also speaking Spanish.  Of course upon hearing this, as well as being very young at the time, you could only imagine how angry I was by hearing her discriminating words.  But always being taught to respect my elders, I actually maintained my composure, and our encounter thankfully never escalated nor turned violent.  But still being the person I am, I did take the time to try and educate her not only on my own personal background, but also on our very diverse and multicultural society.  A society that we should completely embrace, instead of reject and discriminate on strictly based on another persons differences.

So in conclusion I would definitely have to say that it is because of this particular experience, that I now realize just how imperative it is especially as educators to teach our children the importance of respecting another persons diversities.  "Early childhood educators care deeply about what happens to children.  Working to make the world that children live in a place where every one can flourish is an extension of that caring" (Sparks, 2010).  Especially since it is these unique and diverse differences that definitely make us the people we are, both inside and out.  And I'm also positive that this particular woman that offended me at the time wasn't just born that way, these were definitely traits she first learned at home, and then eventually grew into her own set of bias and stereo-typical prejudices.  "No one escapes learning stereotypes and misconceptions about various aspects of human diversity.  These lessons begin when we are very young, taught initially and most powerful by our family and then by the larger world around us" (Sparks, 2010).  But never the less as adults especially we need to be more aware of our own bias and prejudices, and realize that these kinds of comments and stereo-types can be extremely hurtful, as well as be very damaging to another person.

References:

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

In my Reflective Journal this week I wrote about an experience I had with a new co-worker many years ago.  At the time I guess I was a little thrown off by the experience with this woman, but of course I didn't know what I know now, especially in regards to Microaggressions.  But it has been because of this assignment now that I can see I was also a victim of a Microaggression.

During a conversation with this woman she commented on my last name and how unique it was, and how she had never heard it before.  She then proceeded to ask me if my last name was Italian, or Greek, which to me was a very odd question because I never thought of my name but anything then what it was, Spanish.  When I told her no, it was a Spanish name, her reply then was, "Oh then your husband must be Hispanic". to which I then replied, "Yes he is, but I don't go by my married name, I go by by my maiden name".  At this point she looked very confused, and by then I was more than aware of what this nice, but very naive woman was confused about, and that was because it wasn't the first time I had an experience like this with this kind of reaction.

I have had many people over the years, especially when I was younger, ask me about my nationality, especially when they heard my Spanish last name, or even when they saw my parents, or my siblings.  I suppose I have always stood out a little, and maybe to others looked a little different from most of my immediate family.  So I guess in the eyes of this woman, maybe I didn't look like her so-called stereo-type of what a Spanish, Hispanic, or Mexican woman should look like, but instead I am fair skinned, light haired, with colored eyes.  My response then to her then was, "In case your wondering if I am Hispanic I am, and for what it matters, my great grandparents came from Spain and they both had blond hair, very fair skin, with colored eyes, and from what my grandfather has always told me, I am the grandchild who has always looked just like my great grandmother".

So in conclusion I would definitely have to say that it was because of this assignment this week that my perception on the effects of discrimination, prejudices, and stereotypes have greatly changed.  And even though I truly feel this nice, but naive woman, was unaware of her own biases and prejudices, especially in regards to her ideas of what Hispanic women, or for that matter, Hispanic people are suppose to look like, I still think she was very wrong.   And more importantly it is because of this experience that I will take what I have learned and make a conscious effort to be aware of my own biases, and never try to do that to another person what this woman did to me.  And even though she might not have been aware of her actions, that still doesn't mean that comments or other peoples negative perceptions such as this cannot cause damage.  And speaking from personal experiences of my own, I can honestly say that these kinds of experiences can and does have a great effect on a persons self-esteem, as well as have a negative impact on their life.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

For this weeks assignment I chose three different individuals to talk to about Culture and Diversity.  All three of these people come from different and diverse backgrounds, which also contain their own unique set of beliefs, customs, and ideals, and how they all relate to their own culture.

The three people I chose to talk to about Culture and Diversity were all teachers that I work with here at Head-start.

Lucy: Definition of Culture

Response:  Culture means to me where I come from, and what my parents taught me.  Celebrating certain Holidays, eating certain foods.  And to me when celebrating Holidays it's also very important to me to remember my morals and values.  I often look at it as a chain, what may parents taught me, and then what I will in turn teach my own children.  My hopes are for this family chain to continue to go on for many more future generations.

Definition of Diversity:

Response: Diversity means the race I come from.  I was born here in the U.S, but I was raised in Mexico.  Even though I did learn to speak English, i was still able to also keep my home language of Spanish.  I was raise as a catholic all my life, but I grew up and got married I chose to change my religion, and that was something that my family did not agree with at all, and that was because to them being Catholic is about of our Culture just as much as being Mexican Americans.

Teresa:  Definition of culture: 

Response:  To me my culture is everything I do, everything I believe in, and everything that is important to me in my life.  And it has been my culture that I base my life on, as well as how I live my everyday life.

Definition of Diversity:

Response:  To me Diversity means my ethnicity, and my cultural heritage and background.  I am a Hispanic, Spanish speaking woman, who has very strong beliefs and convictions when it comes to my religious and Catholic beliefs.

Claudia:  Definition of Culture:

Response:  When I think of Culture, I immediately think of my family and how I was raised, my upbringing.  To me personally I think it is my culture that defines who I am, and why I an the way I am.  And it is also my upbringing and my family's culture and beliefs that I got all my values and customs that I follow in my life.

Definition of Diversity:

Response:  I guess if I was to define Diversity, at least for me it would have to be my heritage and my ethnic background.  So besides being a person who is Hispanic.   I am also a person is of Italian decent.  Growing up as a child, I came from two very diverse backgrounds.  My mother's family is from Italy, and most of my father's family is from Mexico.  I have always appreciated both my heritages, as well as the beliefs and values, and especially the languages I have received from both my family's cultures.  I consider myself very lucky to now be able to pass those down to all three of my young sons.

In reviewing all three of the answers and definitions I received from all three of my participants, I definitely see a lot of similarities, as well as differences in what we have learned in regards to culture and diversity.  But I would have to say that one important similarity that definitely stands out for me in regards to cultural and diversity is that each one's cultural plays an important role in who they are today.  And even though all of their culture's are very diverse, and based on their own unique beliefs and environments, they are still similar in dedication and importance.

In conclusion I would have to say after talking to all three of these individuals about their various cultures and very diverse backgrounds, I have definitely gained a stronger perspective on Cultural and Diversity.  And that is because it has caused be to really reflect on my own definitions of these two very important terms, and helped to re-affirm at least for me, what I have always believed and appreciated in regards to Cultural and Diversity.  And that is that we as a society, especially in the Early Childhood field, we need to always remember the importance of Cultural and Diversity for every person, especially when dealing with children.  And that is because as educators and teachers in the field we will come across children of many colors, beliefs, and origins, and it is our responsibility to first respect those things, then learn as much as we can about them, and finally incorporate them into our everyday classrooms for each and everyone of the children.

My Family Culture

It's never easy to have to imagine a major catastrophe that could impact your life, as well as your immediate family's life so drastically.  But I think it is assignments like this one that really help remind us what is really important in our lives, especially when it comes to our family and our family's beliefs and cultures.

So with this in mind the three items I would take with to another country would all be related to my family and our family's cultures.  Since I would definitely want both of my children to know about their family's history and our culture, the first item would be a photo album that my Grandmother gave me a long time ago, that has all kinds of photos and mementos of family members from both her family, and my Grandfather's family that goes back many generations ago.  It has always been something very special to me, something that always made me feel very connected to all my family and especially to my culture.

The second Items I would take with me is both my children's baby books.  It would be extremely important for me to be able to have both my son and my daughter's baby books, so I would be able to share all those special moments from both their births and first couple years of each of their life's with them.  I also think it's important for them to also have those precious mementos so they can hopefully one day be able share them with their own children.

And finally the third item I would take with me is my family's bible, Especially since it is our Bible that represents for us, our family's Catholic background.  A family faith that is a huge part of not only our family's customs, but also our beliefs as Catholics.  And I believe it is this bible that will also enable me to be able to continue to teach, as well as share with my children and the rest of my family all our religious faiths and beliefs in our culture.  And it is these three things that I would definitely have to stress to the emergency government just how important these items are to me and my family, because they are things that represent our family's beliefs and customs that come only from our culture.  And I also believe in order to preserve , as well as continue to instill those same value and beliefs to my own children, it is essential that I bring these items with me to a new country.

I would be distraught if once I arrived to this foreign country and I was told I would be able to only keep one item with me, but I know it definitely would have to be my children's baby books.  And the reason for that is because I think it's more important that I have those special mementos of each of their life's to be able to visually share with them and that they can also have to hopefully share with their own children one day.  And even though the two other items are just as equally important, I think that they are things that I can still share with them myself.  Through oral communication and by also sharing with them all about our family's history, and most importantly about the beliefs and customs that have resulted from this very special family culture.

In conclusion I really feel like I gained a lot of important insights, both personally and professionally.  Through this assignment it really has allowed me to think about my family, as well as all our beliefs and customs that we have gained through our own family culture.  And even those my beliefs and my culture has always been a huge factor in my life, I now see the extreme importance of preserving it for future generations.  In order for future generation, including my own children, to be able to really learn about our family's beliefs and traditions, past and present, so they can one day continue to share all that we hold sacred in our family's culture.

Blog Assignment: When I Think of Research...

Now as we come to the end of our journey together, I want to take the time to say first thank-you to you Dr. Dartt, and to you all my fellow colleagues.  I really feel that I have learned a lot from all of you, as well as gained some important insights, both professionally and personally.  And with these new insights and information I have gained, that I will now take with me as I continue on with my goal and pursuit of completing my Master's Degree in Early Childhood Studies.  Thank-you!

I think the most important insight I have gained in regards to research by completing this course, is the importance of planning and development at the beginning of your research.  I never realized just how much planning and development goes into the start of any research study.  It also gave me a new appreciation for the study of research and development, especially in regards to the field of early childhood studies.  And that is because without this field of research and development, and the professionals who dedicate their life to it, I don't think we would have made the progress we have in this field of early childhood studies.

With any type of research or study comes the chance or potential risks and challenges of ethical obstacles or issues.  And in my experience with my own research study, I did face some difficulties when first beginning the study, such as choosing a topic and then  finally deciding on what type of method of design to choose for the research.  But I think what helped me the most in facing these challenges were the readings and examples in the book, as well as the weekly application assignments.  Through these examples and assignments I was able to get a better understanding to help me decide on a topic that was close to my heart, as well as choose the type of method of my design for my research study to help me with my topic of children, and their experiences and understandings with the subject of death.  

In the end I can honestly say that my perception of an early childhood professional has definitely been modified as the result of this class, and that is because now I not only have a greater understanding of the world of research, I also can see just how vital and necessary it is to our field of early childhood studies.

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RESEARCH AROUND THE WORLD

For this week's Blog Assignment I chose the link to the Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVC) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

 http://www.cyc.uvic.ca/index.php#

Once on the website I chose to view the link for the School of Child and Youth Care from the University of Victoria, Human and Social Development.

http://www.cyc.uvic.ca/

 

Making a difference in the lives of children, youth, families and communities

Once on the website, I was very impressed with the many Early Childhood programs that they had for students and faculty from all different kinds of diverse backgrounds, with one common interest, to make a difference in the lives of children, youth, families, and community.  And this was very apparent from the minute I began to read the Organization's  Mission statement and values.


Mission statement and values:

The School of Child and Youth Care provides education, training, professional development and research for the care and support of children, youth, families and their communities. The work of the School of Child and Youth Care is grounded in the principles of inclusion, social justice and ethical practice.
In order to achieve this mission the school has 3 major goals:

• To provide university level education in child and youth care through the delivery of an inclusi

  Values

• Focus on strengths – build on assets and resources to form positive professional identities and skills for ethical, collaborative practice.
• Self awareness – promote reflection and articulation of self location to ensure respectful, accountable practice across cultures and social groups.
• Inclusion – foster respect for and encouragement of diversity.
• Collaborative practice – promote family-centred practice, community capacity building, and partnerships across sectors to achieve developmental goals for children and youth.
• Social justice – advocate for de-colonizing policies, practices, and relationships that recognize historical injustices and promote equitable opportunities for holistic development.
• Accountability – draw upon established evidence of effective practices and innovate promising practices that are accountable to the children and families served.
• Knowledge construction – contribute to understandings about development across cultures and contexts and ways to improve opportunities for well-being.
• Pluralistic and social justice perspectives - critically attend to diversity, inclusion, cultural attunement and advocacy within practice.
• Ecological perspective - draw upon ecological perspectives to inform practice.

In conclusion I would have to say that I found this website to be very impressive, as well as filled with vital and important information and research for people in the Early childhood field.  I feel that I gained a lot both professionally and personally, and I also feel that this website provided some valuable and resourceful facts and information.  But even more importantly I really feel that by exploring this particular website I was really able to gain some valuable tools and insights into the new and exciting world of the international early childhood field.





References:  Retrieved from:

 http://www.cyc.uvic.ca/index.php#