Time Well Spent

Being in this course has helped me realize the importance of a community and how much other people’s thoughts and ideas can inspire my own.  This course gave me and my colleagues the opportunity to build on challenges and collaborate with each other to help guide our projects toward success.  I have also learned from this course what I need to do in becoming a successful leader.  “Leaders who have confidence are more likely to be motivated to succeed, to be persistent when obstacles arise, and to welcome a challenge” (Northouse, 2010).  I have learned the best leaders need to be able to communicate clearly with the people around them.  A third thing I have learned from being in this course is “people thinking is influenced by the times in which they live, the places where they live, by political circumstances, by belief systems, and so on” (Laureate Education, 2011).  As a professional leader we want people to reflect on our thoughts and moves, but the truth of the matter is, everyone is diverse in their own way and a true leader understands that and allows open collaboration.  I have learned that even a great leader needs guidance to be successful.

One long-term goal of mine is to become a CEO of a nationwide franchised preschool program that keeps a 100 percent success rate for every child who comes within.  I have always been taught to go for what I know and believe in.  I want to thank each and every one of you (my colleagues and professor) for helping me throughout this course.  I could not have done it without your guidance, great thoughts, and excellent work.  I will never forget this great community of practice team and I wish you all the best of luck throughout your wonderful professional and personal lives.  Let’s continue to help education and our world as a whole grow strong by showing positive guidance, leadership, great self-esteem, building family engagement, and staying committed in what we believe in.   

  

References

Northouse, P. G. (2010), Leadership: Theory and practice (5^th ed.).  Thousand Oaks, CA:

            SAGE Publications, Inc.  Northouse, P.G., Chapters 9 & 10, Leadership: Theory and

            practice (5^th ed.).  Copyright 2010 by Sage Publications, Inc. Books.  Used with

            permission from Sage Publications via the Copyright Clearance Center.

 Laureate Education, Inc.  (2011).  Strategies for working with diverse children: Your

            Commitment to anti-bias work.

Job/Roles in the ECE Community: Internatioally

The first international organization I chose that is appealing to me was the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).  I love the fact they support the rights and health of all children.  “Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere” (UNICEF).  I commend organizations that put out exhausted efforts to ensure children are receiving the necessary treatment.  A job opportunity that interests me from UNICEF is the Education Specialist position.  This position requires advanced university degree in one or more of the disciplines relevant to Education, primary education, or social sciences fields relevant to international development assistance.  As far as work experience, eight years of progressively professional experience at national and international levels in fields relevant to Education programs.

A second international organization I chose that is appealing to me was the Academy for Educational Development (AED).  I love their mission which is “to improve lives in lasting ways by advancing integrated, locally driven solutions for human development” (AED, 2011).  Their organization like me believes in pushing everyone to the max so they reach their full potential.  Our world is a better place knowing that people extend their efforts to the max.  A career opportunity that grabbed my attention was an Administrative Assistant, Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Region.  The job functions of this position are as followed: 

• Perform a wide variety of assignments, which support the activities of the Region XII T/TA Coordinator, and other TTA Specialists on the project.
• Assist personnel to comply with internal corporate and OHS information system guidelines to ensure operational compatibility, security, and functional capabilities required to support program activities.
• Prepare program and fiscal planning information and required correspondence and reports
• Produce reports from HSES at the request of the Regional Office and T/TA Coordinator;
• Coordinate and Track Case Management Schedule and meeting notes
• Participate in Meetings and take notes as directed by the T/TA Coordinator

The skills needed for this position is:

• Demonstrated ability to analyze data and to present data in written report utilizing charts and graphs, as well as ability to analyze and interpret data, identify errors and prepare reports.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly, both orally and in writing to various audiences.
• Ability to work both independently and in a team environment.
• Demonstrated proficiency with using Microsoft Office Suite and internet applications required.
• Ability to problem solve and implement corrective action as appropriate.
• Work at the Regional Office (RO) at least once a month.  The number of days will be determined by the Regional Office
• Ability to organize and perform multiple tasks at the same time with high level of accuracy.

The third international organization I chose was the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).  This organization is about educating the economic and social comfort of people around the world.  “The OECD provides a forum in which governments can work together to share experiences and seek solutions to common problems” (OECD).  A career opportunity that interests me is Program Coordinator: Energy Training and Capacity Building.  Must possess excellent knowledge of written and spoken English as well as ability to draft correspondence and reports independently.  Fluency in other languages is an advantage.  Great experience to have is as followed:

·         Experience with organizing activities and events for international audiences both close to the workstation and abroad.

• Experience with sourcing and providing training and capacity building, familiarity with global energy issues, of energy policies of the IEA and outreach priorities of the Agency.  Must have familiarity with the development and institutional issues in emerging and developing economies.

• Experience of fund-raising and grants administration. Good knowledge of the OECD financial rules and regulations, particularly in respect to voluntary contributions or ability to acquire that knowledge quickly.

• Proven organizational and management abilities as demonstrated in past work (organizing workshops and seminars, coordinating teams, project management) and capacity to take a holistic approach to designing and running complex events.

• Familiarity with the OECD Events Management System or similar IT tool.

 

References

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

Academy for Educational Development. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.aed.org/en/index.htm

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, fromhttp://www.oecd.org/home/0,2987,en_2649_201185_1_1_1_1_1,00.html

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

One organization that is appealing to me is the National Education Association (NEA).  “They believe it is a common sense investment we cannot afford to pass up” (NEA).  They are devoted to refining early childhood education and I believe they can provide great insight and resources to helping my challenge of figuring out ways to bring aboard high-quality teachers within the preschool level so that these children are getting the necessary knowledge to move into grade school.  There are many job opportunities within the National Education Association.  “NEA’s 3 million members work at every level of education , from pre-school to university graduate programs and has affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the United States” (NEA).  I saw a Manager D position that looks of interest to me.  For this position, the minimum education is a bachelor’s as well as a minimum of 10 years professional lobbying and political action organizing experience.  Experience must include political campaign work, grassroots organizing, as well as project and crisis management.

Another organization that is attractive to me is the Division for Early Childhood (DEC).  I chose this organization because they are for helping develop young children who may possibly have developing interruptions and disabilities.  “DEC is an international membership organization for those who work with or on behalf of young children (0-8) with disabilities and other special needs and their families” (Division for Early Childhood).  A job that interests me within this organization is an Early Childhood Education Instructor (full time).  For this position it is required to have a bachelor’s or masters in child development or early childhood education with sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students.  The skills needed are having classroom responsibility, understanding of evaluating students, and understanding of curriculum knowledge, and student advising.

A third organization that is of interest to me is WestEd.  “A nonprofit research and development agency working at the national, state, and local levels, WestEd aims to improve education and other important outcomes for children, youth and adults” (WestEd, 2011).  Any organization that is about the improvement of education and enlightening the future of all, grasps my attention faithfully.  One job that I found of interest with in the WestEd organization is an Associate Program Director.  For this position I would need to possess the skills of writing proposals, manage work and have the technical skills that make the work better.  I must be able to motivate and manage project teams involved in research and consulting work on assessment methods and systems.  This would actually be a dream job for me being that they are looking for someone with tons of experience with this job being so complex.

References

National Education Association.  (n.d.).  Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/home/18163.htm

The Division for Early Childhood.  (n.d.).  Retrieved from http://www.dec-sped.org

WestEd.  (2011).  Retrieved from http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

           Communities of practice are formed by people who engage in a process of collective learning in a shared domain of human endeavor; a tribe learning to survive, a band of artists seeking new forms of expression, a group of engineers working on similar problems, a clique of pupils defining their identity in the school, a network of surgeons exploring novel techniques, a gathering of first-time managers helping each other cope (Wenger, 2006).  One organization that is appealing to me is Habitat for Humanity.  They believe in providing everyone in need a decent place to live and bring people together to build homes, communities and hope.  A job opportunity I would be interested in for Habitat would be a (Supervisor-Volunteer Mobilization).  For this position I would need to have great oral/written communication/presentation skills as well as organizational and planning skills.  This position is responsible for developing, and engaging in and managing aspects of departmental initiatives and projects that contribute to continuous improvement of the department’s goals and objectives. 

            Another organization I would look to is the National Center for Children in Poverty [NCCP].  I love that they are one of the country’s top open policy center committed to supporting the economic security, condition, and goodness of America’s low-income families and children.  A great job opportunity that is of interest to me is a Project Coordinator.  This position will play a significant role in managing two new research and communications projects led by the Family Economic Security (FES) unit.  The responsibilities are managing day-to-day project operations, coordinate conference calls, meetings and trainings with project partners, and participate in developing focus group screening tools and protocols. 

            A third organization that is appealing to me is Care.  This is an organization out to supply people in the worst communities.  I like that they collaborate with different businesses and groups to more resourcefully assist people in need.  A job position that interests me from this organization is the director of development prospect management.  This position serves as the organizational expert on supporting and training major gift officers to effectively use the prospect management systems and tools at their disposal; interprets and monitors prospect management policies.  The qualifications for the job is to have an undergraduate degree plus 5 years experience working with a complex fund raising organization including the coordination of a prospect management system, directing activities toward prospect identification, and database coordination. 

Reference

Wenger, E. (2006).  Communities of practice: A brief introduction.  Retrieved from

            http://www.ewenger.com/theory/

A special thanks to my colleagues

This class has been a great learning source on communication and how important it is in our lives.  I have never thought about communication in-depth as much as we have in this course but I must say it was very valuable.  The amount of communication we will endure throughout not only our social lives but our professional lives will cause for us to be as effective as we can be to ensure our colleagues, students and their parents can understand our thoughts.  We will be collaborating a lot and this course has brought us several communication skills to help us in our future sessions.  Thanks for all who commented on my posts and allowed me to do the same.  We will help each other grow strong which will allow Education in general to be just as effective in the long run.

Teamwork and Communication

The group I felt was hardest to say good-bye to was my collaborating student-teaching group.  High-performing groups to me are hardest to leave because of hw well the communication is among the group.  We bonded so well together, establishing great communication in getting to know each other during our first group session.  I think we did a wonderful job forming our identity, establishing who the group leader would be and setting reachable goals.  As professional educators we understood how important group communication is because in this profession there will be tons of collaboration moments among other educators as well as board members and families.  For groups whose project or task come to an end, there is an adjourning stage (O’Hair & Wiemann, 2012, pp. 257).  The groups I have encountered with in my master’s program adjourned by simply saying thank you and good-bye as well as complimenting from great ideas.  A simple thank you goes a long way for people and establishes great partnership down the line.

Adjourning is an essential stage of teamwork because it establishes whether or not a team wants to reassemble.  The group members reflect on their accomplishments and failures as well as determine whether the group will disassemble or take on another project (O’Hair & Wiemann, 2012, pp. 258).  Depending on the distance between the group members will determine how they can adjourn.  A nice barbeque or sit down dinner would be nice to reflect on how well the group communicated, which can lead to bonding friendships and encores for the future.  If I feel the group was a disaster, this is the time period to let it be known that this team should not come together for another project.

                                                                         

Reference

O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012).  Real Communication.  New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.

             Chapter 9, "Communication in Groups" (pp. 251-279).

Dealing with Conflicts

In life we will some time or another engage in conflict with others.  The key is to manage the situation productively.  Conflict that is managed effectively is called productive conflict (O’Hair & Wiemann, 2012, pp.221).  It is perfectly fine to disagree with another person because we all have our own thought process so at times there will be some conflicts of issues.  At my current job one of the counselors seem to always bump heads with me.  We can never seem to agree with each other on any subject matter.   Something I have learned from this week that my co-worker and I can work on is to compromise with each other in conflictive situations.  With most compromises, both sides give up a little to gain a little (O’Hair & Wiemann, 2012, pp.241).  We have to be willing to trade some of our needs to gain interest from our counterpart.  Another great strategy to use is probing, asking questions that encourage specific and precise answers (O’Hair & Wiemann, 2012, pp.240).  In order for me to obtain information from another individual, I must ask for it.  Whenever we make requests for information, we are using the skill of Probing.  Probing can help parties explore the pros and cons of an issue, encouraging either side to consider both the positive and the negative aspects of it (O’Hair & Wiemann, 2012, pp.240).  This is how great feedback and constructive criticism can be properly used.

Reference

O’Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012).  Real Communication.  New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

            Chapter 8, “Managing Conflict in Relationships” (pp. 219-246).

Evaluation Comparison

I really enjoyed this week’s assignments because it gave us the opportunity to not only evaluate ourselves on our communication but also to allow other perspective’s from a friend, family, or colleague.  The two people I chose to evaluate me seemed to know me very well.  I honestly believed they were going to be all over the place, especially pertaining to my communication skills.  What I perceived of myself and what they perceived through evaluation went hand in hand.  I am a much laid back person who would rather listen than speak.  Not to say that I do not speak well because my verbal communication is pretty good to my knowledge, I just listen well.  I think what surprised me the most is how accurate both evaluations came to be.  I figured they would be all over the place with their viewpoints of me but I was wrong.  My fiancé told me she knew me more than I know myself and I had to give her the thumbs up because she was accurate.

           This week I was able to understand how moderate my verbal aggressiveness is pertaining to my communication.  We are all different in our own unique ways, especially when communicating with others.  I found that I am very respectful and considerate of other people’s viewpoints.  After taking the listening profile assessment I fell in group 1 which makes me a people-oriented individual.  I definitely agree with this because I do love to listen and I am very concerned with the emotions of others. 

Colleagues Cultural Diversity

Communicating with people who are different from you is something you likely do every day (Beebe, Beebe, & Redmond, 2011, pg. 86).  Even our family and friends are dissimilar in things we may know nothing about.  There are things I talk about with my friends that I do not speak about with say a family member.  Things we share amongst each other come about differently depending on the setting or group of people we are with.  Being motivated to establish positive relationships with others who are different from us is a key aspect of communicating in interculturally competent ways (Beebe, Beebe, & Redmond, 2011, pg. 107).  There are always going to be communicating differences, even amongst our friends and families.  On settings when I am just hanging out with the fellows, we communicate about sports, our relationship with the girlfriend or wife, and just silly things that we can all sit back and laugh about.

Three good strategies to help us communicate more effectively with people would be for starts to create an atmosphere of openness.  When speaking with an individual or in a group setting, avoid objects that create barriers such as desks or cubicle walls.  Try to sit in an open area, and elude loud places.  We should also find places where the conversation is doubtful to be disturbed.  Another great strategy is to be an active listener.  A great communicator never tries to dominate the conversation.  As communicators we should allow our listener to provide their thoughts and listen courteously.  A third good strategy could be to actively engage in conversation.  When we are communicating with someone else they can tell when our minds are in another stratosphere.  We must express honest concern for the subject matter and show complete attention.  The person or people we are communicating with need to know that we are involved in the discussion.  There needs to be good eye contact shown and good non-verbal signals such as shacking your head as if agreeing with the person or just showing great posture.     

Reference

Beebe, S. A., Beebe, S. J., & Redmond, M. V. (2011).  Interpersonal communication: Relating to

            others (6^th ed.).  Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.  Chapter 4, “Interpersonal Communication

and Diversity: Adapting to Others” (pp. 85-114)

Observing Communication through Television

The television show I chose to view was “Criminal Minds”.  I have had opportunities to watch this show but did not because I thought it was trying to be much like one of my favorite shows “Law & Order, Special Victims”.   From watching Criminal Minds with the sound turned off was very tough because having volume is important when it comes to really understanding things.  I listen very well so I can actually be doing something else without paying attention to the screen and understand what is going on.  The vibe I got from watching the characters on this episode pertaining to their relationship to communicating amongst on another was very good.  No one seemed snappy or rude or bigger than another person.  Based on the nonverbal behavior I observed, seems as if they have intense feelings on cracking the case.  Everyone seems to be about business, going off of the looks on their faces.       

In this episode, the assumptions I made about the characters and plot based on the ways in which I interpreted the communication I observed are they actually communicated very well.  Eye contact was always made and body languages seem to be at a respectful stage as far as the investigation team represented themselves.  In the FBI, communication is valuable and non-verbal communication has to be used a lot in order to get the job done correctly without getting anyone hurt.  In this episode I viewed one of the agents nodding his head to another agent pointing in a direction for him to go in and the communication was picked up well.  This communication was perfectly executed because the guy was able to sneak around the side to grab the young boy before he shot anyone.  I believe my assumptions would have definitely been more correct if I had been watching a show I know well.  I say this because from past episode I would know the characters and understand how they communicate and what would possibly happen before it even happens.  I actually do that a lot when it comes to “Law & Order”, a show I watch pretty much every day.

          What I learned from this experience about communication is that we have to learn how to pick up on people’s actions by understanding non-verbal signs.  In the early childhood field children are going to come to us with mixed emotions and we have to understand what they are feeling because most of the times children will not speak about it, especially if the child is shy or do not speak much at all.  

A Great Communicator

A person who comes to mind when talking about great communication skills is my Aunt who is a professional early childhood teacher.  She always presents herself in a great manner and prides herself on being respectful and knowledgeable to make herself a better communicator.  She possess great confidence when speaking, head always held high and speaks with no stutter as well as with a strong voice.  It always seems as if she knows everything because her words are never blank.  I love that she always looks a person in the eyes when speaking, making sure that person is grasping every knowledgeable detail she has to offer.  I personally model every communication skill I can from her because she goes about her business in a professional manner.  It seems as if everyone looks up to her and she does not shy away from the center of attention.  She is the epitome of a great leader and who I would love to be like in the means of being a great leader and communicator to others.

Professional Hopes and Goals

When I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds I hope to gain as much knowledge about their background as I can to ensure they feel comfortable in my setting.  When people are comfortable they are more prone to express themselves in positive ways.  I hope I have the necessary tools to help guide them toward success as well as an understanding that I care about their needs and want to see them grow strong not only in the new culture they are surrounded by but also where they come from as well.

One goal I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice is to have patience, leadership qualities, and a positive attitude toward everyone I come into contact with professionally.  I expect to learn more about diversity, equity, and social justice and see within something that I have never seen to get a better understanding of the three.

           To everyone in the course, I wish you all the best of luck in your future journey.  Thanks to all the comments and posts as well as allowing me to gain knowledge of diversity, equity, social justice, and great scenarios.  This course has really opened my eyes to the world around and makes me look at how I present myself, making sure I show no signs of microaggressions.  You all have been such great support and guidance and I really appreciate the great comments.

Welcoming Families from around the world

The country of origin in which the child has come from is Nigeria.  One way I will be culturally responsive to the family is by committing to knowing the child well.  I am going to learn about the child’s culture, family, and what interest him or her.  A second way of being responsive is by building on the child’s life experiences.  I want to dig deep inside the child to see what he or she has been through so that I can understand what the child may like to do for fun or what may not be of any interest to the child.  A third way I will be culturally responsive to the child is by giving the child an opportunity to learn about my background.  A lot of times giving a person a chance to ask questions really opens that person up and makes them feel of importance.  A fourth way I would be responsive is by showing respect toward the child and their family origin.  A final way I will be culturally responsive is by understanding my own cultural identity, and its consequences.  I must rigorously examine my cultural behavior patterns and be myself, honest, caring, and my undivided attention.

I feel these preparations will benefit both me and the family because it will allow both parties to get in-depth with each other.  I love the saying “we learn something new every day” and this quote fits well in being culturally responsive with someone of a different country of origin.   We are all born, raised and surrounded in culture, and it is vital to learning.  Being culturally responsive notifies how we touch basis with one another, the way we obtain things from our source and lends a hand in outlining the thought development of families and individuals.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

   A good memory of an incident when bias or racism came into play was with my girlfriend.  She told me about a time when she was cheerleading back in high school and something that has never left her mind even until this day.  She explained it was only her and another girl the only African Americans on the squad, the rest of the girls were Caucasian.  After a cheerleading competition her team went out to eat at cracker barrel restaurant.  The restaurant was not all packed but she said they waited for about an hour before being seated with other big groups coming in around them.  No one thought anything of it so they waited patiently until finally being seated.  My girlfriend sat at the table with the other African American girl and two other Caucasian girls from the squad.  Everyone was waited except my girlfriend's table.  Again no one thought anything of it until one of the Caucasian girls from my girlfriend's table noticed everyone getting their food and their table has not even been seen.  New customers were coming in getting their order taken care of and it was getting ridiculous.  The girl who took notice went and told their coach who confronted the manager.  My girlfriend said she broke down in tears so frustrated at what was happening because she said she never encountered anything like this before.  The manager told them that he apologize and will take care of the waitress.
  This incident diminished equity by the waitress refusing to serve a table because of the color of two girl's skin.  Everyone should be treated the same no matter their race and it was just not right to pass on their table because of them being African American.  Every time I think of this incident I get a disgust feeling because I feel those days of being racist, prejudice and even bias should have never even began.  It is not right to treat people any kind of way.  I have a zero-tolerance of this kind of behavior and I am all for teaching our young generation the right ways of going about our society.  In order to change this incident into an opportunity for greater equity the world itself needs to be constructed upon.  It starts by properly educating the early childhood community to ensure they understand how to treat people with respect and value each other's culture and differences.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

One example of microaggression I detected this week is from Dr. Sue.  A lady asked him where he was born.  Dr. Sue replied that he was born in Portland, Oregon.  The lady responded by saying “No, no, no, where were you born?”  Dr. Sue, with a confused look on his face replied that he was born in Portland, Oregon, almost doubting himself.  The lady persisted then asking what country was Dr. Sue born in of course his reply being that he was born in the United States.  The lady then left with a confused look on her face, in my assumptions, not believing Dr. Sue could possibly be born and raised in the United States.  The type of microaggresssion in this case is microinvalidation.  This lady had no idea she was engaged in such an interaction of microaggression as most wrongdoers do not.  The microaggression happened when the lady re-asked Dr. Sue the question of where he was born after he had told her several times.  In this situation I felt like the lady was being stereotypical.

 
         This week I have learned the importance of how to approach people in a cultural way.  Most people who engage in microaggressions are not even aware of doing so.  This week has helped me realize how stereotyping can be very disturbing for people on the other side of the words.  I am a person who believes everyone should be treated the same and stereotyping has never been a part of me.  From learning about microaggressions has helped me to see perspectives from both ends of the deal and to think more in-depth from both situations. 

Perspectives of Diversity and Culture

The first person I asked their definition of culture and diversity is a teacher who works at the same facility as I do.  She is from Thailand and definitely has different cultural beliefs than myself.  She believes culture to be the existing appearance of a specific society’s established beliefs.  Basically peoples way of life and how they do things.  She explains diversity of knowing every person is distinctive, and identifying our individual dissimilarities.

The second person I asked a definition of culture and diversity is my Aunt who is also a teacher.  She believes culture is the features of a certain cluster of individuals, clarified through many things such as: Language, religion, habits, and etc.  Her definition of diversity is in a nutshell the inclusion of cultural and individual differences of others.

The third individual I asked to define culture and diversity was my good friend and old college professor.  He sees culture as a shared inheritance passed on from one generation to another and shared, composed of skills, beliefs, knowledge and products that are generally joint by tons of individuals and transferred to children.  His definition of diversity is the differences in racial and ethnic, socioeconomic, environmental, and educational backgrounds.  Diversity in his mind is basically the openness to differences among people, cultures and viewpoints.

From talking with my friends and relatives I was able to grasp a comparison of what I have learned in the course so far on culture and diversity.  The word culture refers to how particular groups of people live (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).  The idea of culture alone is commonly measured as many noticeable actions like the food people eat, music listened to, celebrations, holidays, dance, and even dress attire.  Each of the individuals I talked with basically defined culture in this term of thought.  Society is a structured group of people.  It involves individuals who hold a different and constant living style.  From what I have learned about diversity it is all about including other cultures and accepting the difference of other people.  Everyone is different in their own unique way.  “We must respect the dignity and preferences of each family and to make an effort to learn about its structure, culture, language, customs, and beliefs” (Gonzalez-Mena, 2008, pg. 12).

As far as the three people I talked to definition of culture and diversity nothing really changed of my thoughts and views because it is how I see the two as well.  Both definitions are so broad that many different things can be put into them that are correct.  Just looking at diversity, I believe it combines people from many circumstances that hold essential skills that simulate organizational competitiveness and growth within society.   

References

Gonzalez-Mena, J.  (2008).  Diversity in Early Care and Education (5^th ed., pp. 8-13).  Boston,

            MA:  McGraw Hill.

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards O. J.  (2010).  Anti-Bias Education for young children and

            Ourselves.  Chapter 5, “Learning About Culture, Language, & Fairness” (p. 55-60).

My Family Culture

If I had to choose 3 small items that represent my family culture it would start with grabbing my family picture book.  Before I was even born every family reunion, pictures would be snapped and added into the book, from funny and silly photos to generational pictures.  A second item I would bring would be my Ipad.  It has music, pictures, and tons of games I love.  This would definitely keep me entertained, especially being that I love music.  A third item I would choose is my old dusty Florida State Seminoles ball cap.  My Great-Grandmother gave it to me and I have always kept it around sitting on my desk in memory of her.  She use to keep me all the time and was such a special person in my life.

I am a person who sticks to myself a great bit so my mind wonders a lot.  From the present to the future and even the past have me thinking just how great life is and was even back in the good ole days.  These 3 items mean a lot to me and I have learned from my Great-Grandmother to always cherish what I have because everything is not promised.  Holding on to things gives us a chance to think back, for example, my hat.  I can remember this like it was yesterday.  I had just received my hat and my Great-Grandmother told me not to take it to school in which I did and got it taken up.  I had to wait a whole two weeks to get it back for being so hard headed.

If upon arrival, I were told that I could only keep one personal item and have to give up the other two, I would feel pretty upset because these items are mine and great memories of my life.  Having someone give an option of this magnitude is tough but it is life and things happen.  There is one thing for certain and that is they can retrieve the hard copy of items but can never take my memories away.

When I think of research

I want to first take the time to thank all of my colleagues for the wonderful advice and great information I have gained from you all.  This class has really helped us benefit to what research is all about and as we continue further into our future, we will be able to forward this information to others as well. 

Some insights I have gained about research from taking this course is that it is all about uncovering and enabling the emergence of new understandings, insights and knowledge (Mac Naughton, Rolfe, & Siraj-Blatchford, 2010, pg. 3).  Research is all about improving or developing new methods.  I have also learned that there can be challenges to researching.  When people research it is not as simple as they may think; it is somewhat misleading how the Internet shows it to be easy.  Research involves reading, understanding, and examining fresh material.  This emphasis on a challenging task is tough for some students and families to grasp.  I have gained some great knowledge on proper websites to view.  It is all about accuracy and objectivity.  With its rising openness, the Internet has become a dynamic source for research.  It is suitable to use and the information confined is lavish.  Yet, not all of information is exact or even reliable.

As far as my thoughts or ideas on the nature of doing research, nothing to me has really changed because I have been doing research for a while and understand how difficult it can be but also how valuable and important it is to find reliable sources.  Being able to assess the reliability of information is a significant ability used not only in school but work and day-to-day life.  Lessons I have learned about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood is that when it comes to gathering data it is important for researchers to really brainstorm and carefully develop a plan before beginning, especially when dealing with children.  Listening to children is always useful and their views are even more important than teachers and other adults (MacNaughton, Rolfe, & Siraj-Blatchford, 2010, pg. 240).  The significance to listening to a child and getting them to speak out is to basically not say much at all.  It is important to use small sayings that encourage and induce more exchange.  This is mainly vital at the start of the process for researchers in that they need children to grasp a point where it is easy to let out any thoughtful information needed.

Some of the challenges I encountered was coming up with a solid research question and variables to my design.  I have great thoughts rumbling through my mind but just could not put everything together in a correct way.  I met this challenge by simply asking for guidance from our wonderful professor.  I was actually heading down the wrong path but got immediate directory and was able to get my question somewhat close to where it needs to be.  I am continuing to work on it for this final project we have due but I know with hard work and dedication, I will beat this challenge. 

Resources

Mac Naughton, G., Rolfe, S.A., & Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2010).  Doing early childhood research:

International perspectives on theory and practice (2^nd ed.).  New York, NY:  McGraw-

Hill.  Chapter 1, “Research as a Tool” (pp. 3-9).

MacNaughton, G., Rolfe, S.A., & Siraj-Blatchford, I.  (2010).  Doing early childhood research:

            International perspectives on theory and practice.  (2^nd ed.).  New York, NY:

            McGraw-Hill.  Chapter 14, Interviewing young children, pg. 239-256.  Chapter 18, Direct

            observation, pg. 309-324.

Research Around the World

Hello everyone,

The link I have chosen comes from the early childhood Australia website which is equivalent to the U.S. based NAEYC which I believe is a great website for early childhood education.  Early childhood education is not just present in the U.S. but other nations as well and when everyone comes together to make education one huge success, the future becomes much brighter for our young children.

This Australian website gives some great international research topics.  One topic I explored, Belonging, Being, and Becoming is aimed to help specialists apply the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) which was permitted by the Council of Australia Governments (Early Childhood Australia, ECA).  There is still a lot of work to be made from this but it will deliver useful care to early childhood education like preschools, to implement the EYLF.  Another good topic I explored is School readiness and children’s transitions.  This provides excessive resources to support parents and educators in assisting children make the change from child care to preschool, and from preschool to above (ECA).  Parents and educators need assistance like this to ensure everyone is on the same page and striving toward the same goals in education.  The links and resources on school readiness and transitions are quality-assured by Early Childhood Australia (ECA).

From viewing this international website I found that the ECA has a number of quality-assured resources which deal with the issues of childhood obesity and child health.  These two related aspects of early childhood care and education have been the focus of attention throughout the world being that technology is steadily increasing and recess times are being taken away to try and build up education amongst early childhood.  Basically, poor eating habits, lack of understanding of or access to food/nutrition information, and lack of fitness and physical exercise are all factors which contribute to what is becoming known as the obesity epidemic (ECA).  The ECA website provides quality resources available that look at the issue of childhood obesity:

Start them right - a parent's guide for healthy eating for under fives

There's more to food than eating: Food foundation for children birth to eight years

Eat right, don't fight: A practical guide to feeding children from birth to the preschool years

Everyday learning in the kitchen

Early Childhood Australia's early childhood magazine, Every Child

Resource

Early Childhood Australia:  A voice for young children.  Retrieved from

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

Research that Benefits Children and Families--Uplifting Stories

When it comes to positive effects of research, even young children can contribute if appropriate methods are used (Whiting, 2009, pg. 32).  Children and families need to contribute to the research manner, especially when the outcomes could help or hurt everyone as a whole.  It is valuable to use study implements in which will ease their commitment to propose major influences to create an understanding which is exceptional to the likeness of desires.  Provided the research is well planned and appropriate, it is possible to involve children from a very young age as well as adults who may not be as knowledgeable (Whiting, 2009, pg. 35).  Recommendations of children and families can notify parts of the process, guaranteeing relevance of information materials, permission forms and techniques.  Of course there are difficulties dealing with participation of children and families when it comes to research, nevertheless with cautious preparation, these are manageable.  Children and families can benefit through the development of new skills and being able to express themselves (Whiting, 2009, pg. 33).  It is about going through things the correct way.  Families must understand there are manipulating procedures out that can bring a negative effect on research so it is vital to have precautions on what is going on and provide family assistance if needed.

Reference

Whiting, L. (2009).  Involving children in research.  Pediatric Nursing, 21(5), 32-36.  Retrieved

from http://web.a.ebscohost.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=5d9a2da8-554f-4cef-bf4e-0820878e4961%40sessionmgr4001&hid=4104