My Collaborative Learning Community

     Building relationships and in some cases friendships is very important in any career field. Healthy relationships provide positive reinforcement. For example, I have a friend who is also a coworker of mine and every time I want to have a meltdown she always have some encouraging words to say. After I talk to her I feel better and I excel in my work. Positive feedback is very important with everything that we do. I have experienced that in this class with my colleagues. 

     I appreciate all of the positive feedback that I have been given throughout this program from the instructors and my colleagues. I tried my best to make sure that I returned the favor to some of my colleagues as well. Having a support system is very important in achieving your goals. I wish all of my colleagues well as they continue their professional path. Good luck and well wishes!!!!

Erica 

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Team Development

I have been involved in many group some professional and some personal. When the group ends it is always bittersweet. Adjourning a group means that it is time to reflect and celebrate. I am currently working together in a group now and we have until October 16 to make sure that all of our component areas are at 100%. I am so looking forward to the celebrating part and unfortunately I will not miss this group. We had some struggles, verbal exchanges, and bad body language. I do not like the fact that there is no trust in this group and everyone is out for themselves. There is nothing wrong with a little competition at work, but these people I work with have taken it to a whole new level.

The hardest group adjournment I was in was in undergrad. I really enjoyed working with my classmates and when it was time to end the group it was difficult for me. I had made some good relationships and we had very good communication with each other. We went out to dinner to celebrate and talk about the outcome of our project. Some of us promised to keep in touch and to communicate with each other outside the group. We exchanged phone numbers and email addresses. There is one person from that group that I still talk to and we have became best of friends. I was named her child's godmother and she is my child's godmother since she is the reason I met my child's father. We have been through some ups and downs, but we remain friends.

I imagine that I will adjourn this group of colleagues with clear communication. I have learned to communicate with my colleagues and I will miss the positive and support feedback I have received in the discussion questions and blogs. Some of my colleagues I have been grouped with since the beginning of the master's degree program. I truly wish all of them well and I am going to miss the interactions we have had during this course.

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Conflict?

Conflict is something I deal with on a daily basis. I have conflict with my supervisor, colleagues, and parents. There is not a dull day at my job when I do not have conflict. It is either because I disagree with something or someone has lied on me. I tell people all the time that it is like being in high school at my job. A bunch of unhappy women trying to hurt each other. I do not understand why, but I know that I do not like it and I am trying to get out of that place.

 An example of conflict in my professional life:
I had planned a trip to Chuck E Cheese for the end of school year celebration. I had submitted a requisition to our finance department for the number of children enrolled, staff, and parent volunteers. On the day of the trip there were some children who did not come to school, so we had extra money left over. With the extra money I took it upon myself to purchase food for the staff. As I was taking care of business another teacher decided to help me by passing out the cup of tokens to each class. She went up to the teachers and asked how many children do you have? All the teachers told her their correct number of children except 1. Because this teacher was dishonest and wanted to keep tokens for herself I had to purchase tokens out of my own money for the children who did not receive tokens. I was so upset and I wanted to kick the teacher behind, but I waited until we got back and I informed my supervisor who did not do a thing. I did not talk to this teacher for a week. I was trying to let it go, but I could not believe that this teacher would lie and steal from a child. The teacher finally came to me and we talked about it. I told her that I was more disappointed than upset. She is suppose to be a teacher, a leader, a educator. I told her what kind of example does she think that set for the children and parents who volunteered on this trip. They saw a whole other side and they were not pleased. The parents got together and gave me my money back and some even took their children out of our program. I should have did like the text said I should have discussed the issue with the teacher and arrived to a solution. This is what O'Hair and Wiemann calls a win-win situation. The fact that my supervisor did nothing also showed me that I was in this thing alone.


In my personal life I try not have any conflicts. Even though I have disagreements with my family and friends I try to avoid having conflicts by changing the subject. I try to turn the situation into something positive. I always make jokes or make light of the situation. I feel that my family deserve respect instead of arguing with them over something small. I chose alternatives instead of having a conflict.

Do anyone have any suggestions on what I should do about my job?

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We are different, We are the same

Communication

For this week blog we had to choose 2 people to evaluate us a communicator. When I first asked people to evaluate me I chose my sister and a colleague. After reading their scores I decided to pick to other people. I decided to pick my mother and another colleague to evaluate me as a communicator. The first colleague I picked was not fawn of me, so her scores were skewered. My sister and I really do not communicate well with each other, so her scores would not reflect me as a communicator. I decided to pick to new people who have seen me talk in one to one situations and talk in public with small and large groups. I found it interesting the my mother, colleague and I both scored in the same group for the listening style profile evaluation. All of us scored in group 1 which means I am people-oriented. I believe this to be true because in my position I have to build a relationship with the families I serve. In the verbal aggressiveness scale evaluation all 3 of us scored in the moderate level. I have a good level of respect for others when I communicate with them. The one that shocked me was the Communication Anxiety Inventory. My mother and I scored in the same level, but my colleague scored me differently. My colleague scored me in the low level. When I read to her what each level means and she said that she thinks I do well in group meetings and when I have to speak in public. She also stated that I do not look or act anxious at all. I was pleased to hear her say that and it gives me confidence to speak more in public. I usually shy away from speaking in public, but I try to do a good job if I have to.



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Communicating Differently

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

I find myself communicating differently all time even with people of the same culture. I work with people of the same culture and I communicate more professionally than they do every day. I try to make my families feel comfortable when I am talking to them. They try to make me come down to their level, but I remain professional at all times. I have parents who come in fussing and cussing and I never loose my composure. I do not fuss and cuss back, I always escort the parent to my office and allow them to finish venting. Once they finish I always ask them, do you feel better now that you have gotten all of that out of your system. They laugh and say yes. They always tell me you don't let nobody change you and I said no I do not. I have a very good relationship with all of parents and we are able to communicate well.

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.

Three strategies that I feel that can help me communicate more effectively are:

• Give them the impression that I am enthusiastic about talking to them. People want to feel that you would rather be talking to them than anyone else. This will make people feel better about themselves.
• Listen attentively to everything they say. I try not to focus on what I am going to say, but what the person is saying who I am talking to. This shows them that I am interested in what they have to say. 
• Give them the right amount of eye contact. Eye contact communicates to the other person that you are not only interested in them and what they have to say, but that you are also trustworthy. People will communicate better with you if they know that they can trust you. 

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Communication Skills and Styles

This assignment was a little difficult for me because I watch a lot of television and a lot of different television shows. The television show that I chose to watch was Master Chef. I do not watch this show often and so I thought it would be a good choice. When the show first came on I had the television muted. The contestants on the show walked out with smiles on their faces and the judges were standing at the front with smiles on their faces, so I took from those facial expressions that everyone was happy. As the show went own the judges were talking to the contestants and the contestants were smiling and looking at each other. From the body language and facial expression I believe that the judges told them something good. There were 4 contestants (2 ladies and 2 men). The ladies started laughing and they were putting on the same red colored apron. The men did not look so happy and they were putting on the same blue colored apron. I am going to assume that the judges separated them into groups and that the women were happy to be paired on the same team and that the men were not happy about being paired with each other. Each group was given a crate and when they opened the crate the facial expression of the woman were of concern and the facial expression of the men was happy. I am assuming that the women were not happy and that they were concerned about the items they had to use for the challenge in the crate. The show went to commercial break after a contestant on the show looked like he cut himself, his nonverbal behavior expressed that he was in pain and he might need medical attention. After the commercial break I turned the sound back on. My assumptions were correct the contestant did cut his hand and the medical team came to check him out and patch him up. I was also right about the contestants feelings about the contents in the crate. The women were confused about what to cook and the men were happy about what was in their box. The men were not happy about being paired together, but they were going to make it work to make to the final 3 competition. This show is very interesting I think I am hooked now, LOL! It was easy to read the nonverbal behavior on this show because they were very expressive on this show. They did not hold back their feelings at all. The contestants goal is to make it to the finals and become the master chef.
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"My Brother The Communicator"

My brother demonstrates competent communication within his career. A company my brother previously worked for funded the program I currently work for and I got to see him action quite a few times. I saw how he communicated in meetings and when he presented at training's. I did not know my brother could capture people attention so well. He is funny and he knows his stuff. I have seen him be serious in meetings and make sure he get his point across respectfully and professionally. He amazes me and I did not know I would look up to my brother the way I do. He gave a workshop on home visits for my company. I did not know that he would be so interesting. He had the audience attention and he was really fun. He engaged the audience through activities and the information that he was sharing. He made jokes and he made some crucial points about the importance of home visits in Head Start. I really enjoyed my brother's workshop and I was amazed at the end he had a line of people waiting to talk to him. When I presented my first workshop, I contacted my brother on pointers how to communicate when I present. He told me to be clear in my speech and listen as well as talk. He told me the key to a successful workshop is to make sure that I listen to any comments or questions that my audience may have and be respectful when responding. He also told me to watch the audience and make sure they are engaged, if not he said tell a joke to wake everyone up or do an exercise that will get people up and moving around. He told me that the information that I am presenting is very important, but know one likes to sit and be lectured to for hours. I took my brother advice, I did an icebreaker, I told jokes, I had an activity to get everyone moving around, and I made sure I answered every question to the best of my ability. When my workshop was over I got good reviews and positive feedback. I love my brother and I believe his method of communication is effective and I would love to follow in his footsteps!

"My brother and my daughter"

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Professional Hopes and Goals

One hope that I have when thinking about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that they feel appreciated and accepted. I know a major issue some families and children have is feeling accepted. These families will not want to participate in programs if they do not feel accepted or appreciated. For example, the agency I previously worked for is a Afrocentric early childhood program and we had families who were not of African decent to enroll and quickly leave because they did not feel accepted. The curriculum was based around African heritage and teaching the children terms and language in Swahili. The other families wanted to know why their heritage couldn't be celebrated as well. I agree because if we are going to enroll families from diverse backgrounds, then the curriculum needs to change and the program needs to change. 

One goal that I have for early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice is to make all programs diverse including the staff. I believe that it is important to have a diverse staff who are bilingual. I believe that this would make families feel a little less uncomfortable. If someone was there who could communicate with the family in their home language. It is difficult to enroll a family who only speaks Spanish and the person doing the enrolling does not know how to speak a tap of Spanish.

I wanted to thank all of my colleagues for responding to my blog post and discussion post. I really appreciate all of the feedback and the feedback was always positive. I enjoyed being in this class with each and every one of you and I wish you well in your endeavors. Good luck!

 http://www.waldenu.edu

Welcoming Families from Around the World

For this assignment, imagine the following scenario:

You are working in an early childhood setting of your choice—a hospital, a child care center, a social service agency. You receive word that the child of a family who has recently emigrated from a country you know nothing about will join your group soon. You want to prepare yourself to welcome the child and her family. Luckily, you are enrolled in a course about diversity and have learned that in order to support families who have immigrated you need to know more than surface facts about their country of origin.

I am a teacher for a early childhood program and the family is coming from the country Australia. 

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

1. Recognize any bias or stereotypes. 
2. Do my best to sensitive to terminology 
3. Become more informed about the history and culture of Australia.
4. Treat the family and student as an individual
5. I would prepare my classroom with pictures of Australia to welcome the family and acknowledge their country.

I would hope that the family would appreciate the efforts I took to learn about their country and to highlight their country in my classroom. It is important for families of foreign countries to know that their culture would be accepted and appreciated when they come to the United States. The family should not feel that they have to loose their culture or beliefs just because they no longer live there. I believe that by celebrating cultures in a diverse classroom is very important and make the families feel appreciated. All families from foreign countries that come to the United States just want to feel respected and as an educator I feel it is my responsibility to do so within my classroom. 

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The personal side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

An incident of bias and prejudice that I experienced was when I was in high school. The other children did not want to interact with me because they thought I was poor and they made fun of my clothing. They would walk pass me and laugh or knock my books out of my hands. When it was time to split up into partners in class I was always the last one picked. It hurt deep down inside because I did not know why they were treating me like this. One day a friend that I grew up with came and told me what they were saying. They said that my clothes look like they came from target or Walmart and my shoes came from payless. They did not want to hang out with me either because I wasn't a small either. They were not being fair because I was not being picked first because of my appearance. This made me always stay quiet and hide in the back of the classroom. My mother and father did not have much and did they best they could. I was just grateful that I did not have to wear hand me downs, I was not focused on who name was on my clothes. All I knew was that I had on new clothes. Because of the shame I felt I went home and yelled at my mother for not buying me name-brand clothes. She said it is not what you wear, but who is wearing the clothes. I said I don't get it, she said clothes do not make the person the person makes the clothes. I said okay. I accessorized the clothes that I had and I went to school the next day and everyone thought I had been shopping again. I walked with my head up and I had gained confidence in myself from what my mother had told me. I walked around like I was wearing a million dollars worth of clothing. The other girls started talking to me after that. Older students who were there knew me from church and the neighborhood and they started introducing me to their friends and so I began to be more popular. When the girls who were being bias against me saw that I was hanging out with Juniors and Seniors, they began to want to hang out with me. I use to come home to my mom every day and tell her how those girls were acting like they never treated me wrongly. She laughed and said I told you it is not the clothes, it is the person in the clothes! I had to change me!

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Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

For this week assignment we have to describe at least one microaggression that we detected this week or remember from one time.
According to Dr. Sue, microaggressions are brief everyday indignities that are verbal, behavioral or environmental, that they may be intentional or unintentionally communicated to women, to people of color, to gay/lesbians that have an insulting message behind them that often time causes severe psychological distress and harm.
I remember a time when I had to give a speech in front of a large audience for work. Some of the people I had never met before and the audience was a mixture of men and women of different ethnicity. I was nervous about giving the speech because I was not a speaker, I am a more pf a behind the scene person. After my speech two white ladies came up to me and said I did not know you could speak that well. I had a confuse look on my face and when I want people to repeat what they have said I always say excuse me. The ladies said again I did not know you could speak that well. You spoke really well and you are articulated your words. I said reluctantly thank you. I ask them what department were they from because I have never seen them before. They said they were from the youth department. I really felt sorry for the youth that they were over because they were clearly making a racist statement. I told my other coworkers what they said and they became upset and said do you know they were being racist. I said I know, but I did not want to start a riot so I left it alone. I was raised to pick and chose your battles and I did not want to battle with those two women because they may have not known what they were doing. I felt very uncomfortable and I already did not like to speak in front of a large crowd and this incident did not help encourage me to keep speaking.
The effects of discrimination, prejudice, and/or stereotypes on people can be permanent and damaging. Like the microaggression that I experienced, I speak in front of large audiences if I have to, but I do not choose to do it. I still feel uncomfortable and that incident happened in 2007. I do not understand how someone can think that they have a right to discriminate against someone else. I may not agree with something or like something, but I do not mistreat people because of my thoughts or beliefs. I treat everyone equally.

Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Microaggressions in everyday life [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

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Perspective on Diversity and Culture

For this assignment we had to talk to three people (friends, family, acquaintance, and/or colleague) about their definition of culture and their definition of diversity.
I talked to my brother (Dexter), best friend (Rashad), and colleague (Barbara).

Rashad (30 years old, male, and Catholic) definition of diversity:
I think diversity is a catch 22. To be diverse in a sense of being able to adapt to different situations is vital. It's almost animalistic for one to "change" in a new environment. However one can lose their own identity in an attempt to "change". In modern society the push for diversity is so strong that I believe it's pretend or forced. The theory that America is "melting pot" is preposterous it is a victim of "forced diversity". Ships of individuals sent here where their culture was considered second class had to diversify...and that diversity still exist. 

Rashad definition of culture:
Culture is the thread to every person, it's our life! Culture is what creates wars...to fight for your culture is to fight for yourself.

Barbara (54 years old, Female, and Christian) definition of diversity:
My definition of diversity would be different groups of individuals who are of different races. Who accept each other for who they are despite their differences; whether is is their sexual preferences, beliefs, race, or gender. There are many different races in America who respect others beliefs and are not judgmental. The reason that America is called the melting pot is because of the diversity. 

Barbara definition of culture:
My definition of culture would be whatever a particular group's belief and values are. Culture is passed down from one generation to the next. For instance, at a young age my parents taught my siblings and I to respect others no matter how different they are from us. They also taught us to always be honest, humble, and willing to help others. I have instilled the same attributes into my children and from what I have observed with my grandchildren their parents have done the same thing.

Dexter (45 years old, Male, Episcopal) definition of diversity:
Diversity is the blending and understanding of a variety of cultures.

Dexter definition of culture:
Culture is simply the customs, traditions, values, morals, and beliefs of given group of people in a simple culture is who a people are with or without reason or explanation. 

The three people I spoke with gave some passionate definitions for diversity and culture. I think that this topic can become very controversial for some people. It made me think about what I think diversity and culture is. Diversity to me a variety of different groups from different backgrounds, religions, race, gender, social status, and sexual preference. Culture to me is a persons values, beliefs, and traditions. I think that Barbara and Dexter definitions were very close to mine and the definitions I have read from the text and articles. It was interesting to find out how each person think from 3 different generations and backgrounds. 

My Family Culture

This week we were asked to imagine ourselves in a major catastrophe were we would have to evacuate our country and we had no input in anything. We were asked to choose three things that we hold dear to us and that represent my family culture.

The 3 items that I would choose to take with me would be a picture of my family, a bible given to me by my mother, and my birth certificate. 

The family picture is important to me because it will remind me where I came from and if by any chance that I get separated from my family that I would not forget what they looked like.

 

I brought the bible with me because my help comes from the Lord. All the answers I need for everything that is going on in my life would come from that book. My religion is very important to me and I would need to take it with me everywhere I go. 

My birth certificate would be important to me because I need proof of where I was born. I needed a reminder and certification of my birth place. 

I would be very upset if I could only bring one of my items with me. I would be very heartbroken and I may even protest. All 3 of my items are very important to me and I need all 3 of them with me. If I truly had to the only item I would bring with me would be my bible. The bible would help me get through this hard time. 

I learned that my faith is stronger than I thought it was. I have been doubting my faith because I have been worrying about to many things that I do not have control over, but after reading my post I realized that my faith is strong in the Lord than I thought it was. My family has always been very strict about our Christianity and we always went to church and not just on Sunday's. I guess I have not lost those values and I will continue to use them. Years ago during slavery and the civil rights movement, religion was a major source for African Americans. They trusted and believed that the Lord would free them and get them through that time. The Lord is the only one who could help them sustain beatings and mistreatment by the dominant culture. 

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When I Think of Research..........

    

•  I have gained a lot of insight from taking this course. I have a better understanding of what research is and what steps to take to conduct a research study. I understand that every question may not be compatible for a research study. Some questions may be to broad and cannot be condensed into a hypothesis. I have learned that there are more than one method to conduct a research. For instance, there is quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods. I learned how to turn my research question into a hypothesis. I learned the meaning of several words I was unfamiliar with. There is a lot of insight I have gained about research through this course. 

•      I was terrified of research before this course. I did not know the extent of doing a research study. I am more comfortable about doing research. I use to think that research was boring and I have found out through this course that research can be exciting and it takes a lot of hard work and dedication.

 

•      I learned that planning is very important. You must have a plan about your research before you can even start. I believe planning is important with everything you do in life. I cannot just up and go on vacation without planning the vacation because I would need to book the hotel, air flight, save money, put in for days off of work. The same goes for research; I would have to develop a research question, find material on my research question, decide on who I will use for my research, where I will do my research, and how I will do my research. Planning, designing, and conducting the research takes a lot of time and effort. 

•      A challenge that I encountered in the beginning of the class was my research question. My original research question was too broad and could not be condensed into a hypothesis, so I had to change my research question. Another challenge I encountered was understanding some of the terminology used during certain projects. It took me a minute to grasp the understanding and get a better understanding of what was being asked of me to do. Some of the feedback from my colleagues and instructor helped me better understand the terminology.

•           An early childhood professional has a lot of work to do. It is not as easy as most people may perceive this profession. Teaching, protecting, guiding, and developing young minds is a challenge. Working directly with children ages 0 to 8 years old can be very stressful and rewarding. Watching children grow and their families grow is very rewarding. Research in early childhood is very important because it helps protect the children and their families along with correcting any challenges that may occur in this field. Finding out why a child is so aggressive or why the child cries most of the day is very important to research in early childhood. With the knowledge of know what is going on with the child and the family can help both the child and family succeed in life. A child in poverty does not have to become an adult in poverty. Early childhood can make a difference in every community, nationality, and social background!

Research Around the World

For this weeks blog I have decided to view the website for Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) retrieved from http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/index.php.

1. A current international research topic is early childhood development in the 21st century: children's rights to live, play, explore and understand the world. This research topic was chosen because of new and positive early childhood initiatives are being implemented in Liberia. According to ECDVU (2013), Liberia has made and developed high quality early childhood system. 
2. Another current international research topic is the difficulty to locate African based and African led research. According to ECDVU (2013), the issue has long concerned ECDVU as it has sought to locate such materials for incorporation into its courses. 

A surprising fact that I learned from ECDVU website is generative curriculum. Generative curriculum is an interactive process that links three main strands of knowledge about child and family development: students' and elders' knowledge from their cultures, text usually prepared by specialist on local and regional cultures, and Western and international research and practice (ECDVU, 2013). Generative curriculum shows that the community is strongly committed to their children's development. 

I found it very interesting that there is little no research topics based on Africa. I think that it is important for each country to have research conducted on early childhood. Research provides organizations to locate their weak areas and improve those weak areas. Research is good in early childhood because it allows agencies to know if the children are developing and if there are changes that need to occur. 

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Research that Benefits Children and Families

A positive example of the effects of research on a child and his family is one of this special needs boy enrolled in the agency I work for. This boy goes part-time at my school and part-time at a Chicago public school for his special needs services. The student was always coming to my school crying and upset. The school is always calling his mom telling her to come pick him up for any small incident. The boy may have been crying and the teacher would call for his mom to come and get him. The boy has a full developmental delay and he cannot speak. So I asked the mother if it was okay if I go over to the school to observe what was going on in the classroom at the Chicago public school. I went to the school and observed that the teacher immediately started to complain about the boy before he even took his coat off. I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. The boy was trying to get the teacher's attention and she just ignored him. She yelled at him and told him to go sit down. The boy began to cry and the teacher told him that she was going to call the front office and have them call his mom because he was uncontrollable. After my observation I contacted my disability coordinator and told her what I saw and then I went to meet the principal and have a one on one with her. She was very upset about the situation and the teacher's action. I showed her the case notes I had on everyday that the teacher called for the mom to pick her son up and what the teacher told the mom when she called. The principal could not believe what she was reading. The principal informed me that she would speak to the mom and the teacher about this situation. The principal said that the teacher is trained and getting paid to work with special need children. She also said that the teacher has an assistant in the classroom with her at all times, so she should not be overwhelmed. The outcome of this situation was that the child was transferred to a different classroom and the parent was pleased. The child no longer came to my school crying or upset. He was happy and he was starting to say words. Every day I see the improvement in this little boy. The parent was happy that I was there to advocate for her child and get some better results out of the situation. The mother was on the verge of taking her son out of the Chicago public school because she was not happy. I convinced her to give me a chance to rectify this situation. The teacher may not know that she was doing a disservice to the child and the family by not even being willing to work with him. She never gave him a chance and I am glad that he is in another classroom. 

http://www.waldenu.edu 

Your Personal Research Journey

The topic I chose to research for this course is the effects on children in one small child care center when federal budget cuts happen. I chose this topic because I deal with this situation on daily basis. I have been in the early childhood field for eight years and federal budget cuts has been an issue that we have been battling every year. Every time the federal government announces the budget for the new fiscal year, child care is usually the first to get cut. The federal government does not understand the importance of early childhood and the difference that many early childhood programs are making in children lives. I have had families return to our program to let us know how well their child is doing and they always say they know it is because of us and the work we did with their children. We cannot continue to have success stories without the proper funding to operate. When the federal government cuts the budget to early childhood; that means some agencies will have to cut staff or salaries. One of the largest early childhood programs in Chicago had to close their doors because they could not afford to pay staff. The agency I work for recently cut all staff salaries and had to layoff some staff because of the federal budget cuts. We have limited supplies and limited staff. It is very stressful and it is causing staff to find employment elsewhere because of the budget cuts. The agency is loosing qualified staff because of these cuts. I know I am currently looking for employment elsewhere because it is a struggle to maintain my home on the salary that I am receiving. It is also frustrating to work with limited supplies and I cannot provide the services to the children or families. The stress of poor compensation and no supplies can drive a agency out of business.

I have a lot of personal experiences that stimulated this topic, but I am having a hard time starting the research process. Can anyone provide any ideas for me about where I should start or what should I actually be researching?

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Final Blog

I was very disappointed that I was unable to communicate with the international professionals I chose from different parts of the world. I believe that it would have benefited me and the professional I communicated with. We would have been able to discuss issues and challenges we face in this field. We could have possibly given each other suggestions and ideas on how to conquer these issues. I did enjoy visiting the other sites and learning more about early childhood in different countries. I learned that there are various organizations that provide resources and funding to end poverty, make awareness, and access for all families for early childhood education programs. 

One consequence of learning about the international early childhood field is that things that we complain about may not be as serious as we think they are. Many children in other countries do not have a chance to go to school or has dropped out of school to work or are used for human trafficking. These children do not even get the same opportunity as the children in the U.S. to go to an early childhood education program. 

The second consequence of learning about the international early childhood field is that they may have unfair and bias assessments in other countries. For example, if a rural area in Africa is given a test with questions about place setting for formal dining, it is unfair because these children may not know what a fork or spoon is because they use their hands to eat. 

The third consequence of learning about the international early childhood field is that standards and policies are little to non-existence. Their are organizations that are helping early childhood programs in foreign countries to develop standards and policies. Having standards for quality staff is important in having a quality early education program. 

The goal I have for this field is to help advocate for funding for programs or organizations who are trying to provide services for early childhood educational programs in the U. S. and in other parts of the world. The organizations websites that I viewed have many programs to help eliminate poverty and provide quality services for families living in rural communities. Funding is always an issue with many programs and as a early childhood professional it is important to me to help advocate for more funding for early childhood. 

http://www.waldenu.edu

Getting to Know Your International Contacts - Part 3

I still have not heard from any of the international early childhood professionals. As an educator or anyone in a professional field, I believe it is important for all professionals to learn about their field in other parts of the world. As professionals we can share ideas, challenges, and accomplishments. I believe that this information will help each other grow in their profession and learn how to deal with situations that may arise. For example, as an American educator we may complain about being underpaid and not knowing that in other countries the teachers may not even get paid. Our struggles in America may not be as crucial as those in foreign countries. The lack of supplies, resources, funds, and even schools is a struggle for many in other countries.

After viewing the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) website I learned that Africa is a priority and education is key to the region's development. UNESCO focuses on improving the quality of teacher education in Africa and I think that this is very important for the education of young children. The organization promotes literacy and education programs for all, throughout life.
UNESCO also help the Arab States by promoting access to quality education for all as fundamental right. The organization have strong ties with ministries of education and government agencies implement projects to advance education in Arab states.
I also learned that UNESCO also serve the Asia and Pacific regions. The organization focuses on promoting education as a fundamental right, improving the quality of education and stimulating experimentation, innovation and policy dialogue. The organization provides technical advice on education and resources to government and partners.
This organizations provides resources and services to promote quality education in many different regions of the world. They also provide services for Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean. UNESCO makes sure that the information is dialogue correctly to stimulate the quality of education around the world. Having the proper communication is a major issue in promoting quality education, especially in United States. The reason that many immigrant families do not participate in early education is because they do not know that these programs are in their community. Communication about these programs need to be promoted and advertised in an immigrants home language and also their need to be door to door canvasing to let people know about the early education programs in their community.

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

http://www.waldenu.edu

Sharing Web Resources

I went through the website I chose and unfortunately they do not provide any outside links to any other resources. The only outside links I notices were for New York Times, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times to read reviews they had on this organization. Unfortunately, I have not received a newsletter from the organization. I hope to receive one before the end of the course. 

One area that I researched thoroughly was the family, community, and health tab on the Harlem Children Zone website. This tab talks about the different programs that is offered to the families and the surrounding community to help prevent poverty and educate them as well as their children. One program is called community pride, it helps tenants and block associations helping hundreds convert city-owned buildings into tenant-owned co-ops. This program helps get people off the street and hopefully eliminate homelessness. They also have a program called single stop. Single stop is a program to help reduce poverty. Single stop is free of charge and it offers families with advice about securing public benefits, access to legal guidance, financial advice, debt relief counseling, and domestic crisis. Another program is the Harlem Children Zone Asthma Initiative. This program works with asthmatic children and their families to learn to manage the disease and lessen its effects. They also have an obesity initiative program to help children and their families reverse the alarming trend toward obesity and the health problems that may occur.  They also have a program for the mental health of the families in the community. The program provides access to mental health professionals and therapeutic intervention. The program also offers anger management training for parents, children, and people in the community.

I saw a podcast about a program they have called Harlem Gems this program is an all-day pre-kindergarten program that gets children ready to enter kindergarten. The class teach English, Spanish, and French. I look forward to watching this video at a later time. 

http://www.waldenu.edu 

Getting to Know Your International Contacts Part 2

Unfortunately I have not heard from the international early childhood education professionals I chose. I was really hoping to make contact with at least one to find out what is going on with early childhood education in their part of the world. 
I did review the Harvard University's Global Children Initiative website. The three new insights I discovered through this website are: 

1. Un Buen Comienzon (UBC),u "A Good Start," is a collaborative project in Santiago, Chile, to improve early childhood education through teacher professional development (Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, 2010). They are tying to improve the quality of education for young children. High-quality early childhood education has been a topic for weeks and it is important that all children no matter what their income status is be given the opportunity to quality early childhood education. UBC is also designed to intervene in critical health areas that improve school attendance as well as socioemotional development (Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, 2010). After working in this field for 8 years I understand the importance of attendance and how it affects the child when they are not at school. Health is one of the reasons a child is always absent. I know for a fact that when we contact the families the child has usually contracted a communicable disease and they are advised to keep the child at home for 24 hours or until the medication has taken effect. The child is not allowed to return to school unless they have a doctor's statement saying so.
2.  Zambian Early Childhood Development Project is a assessment tools to measure children's physical, socio-emotional, and cognitive development before and throughout their schooling. ZECDP hopes that this data will improve understanding of child development in this context and help identify key interventions towards improved outcomes in a rapidly changing world (Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, 2010). 
3. Studying the Effects of Global Adversity, Two Generations at a Time discuss returned child soldiers and strengthening families in the face of HIV. According to Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (2010), we know from the science that these investments in early childhood and in healthy life trajectories for young people in adversity have a social and an economic impact. These conditions may cause a problem for a child learning in early childhood. 

Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. (2010). Global children's initiative. Retrieved from http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/activities/global_initiative/

http:www.waldenu.edu

Sharing Web Resources (2)

The website I chose was Harlem Children's Zone. I have yet to receive a newsletter from this organization, but I did review the site and the latest news that they are discussing is that the founder and CEO of Harlem Children's Zone is named one of the top world's greatest leaders. Geoffrey Canada is listed as the number 12 greatest leader. Geoffrey Canada recently stepped down and passed his CEO position on to Anne Williams-Isom effective July 2014. George Canada decided to experiment and reach all the kids in a 24 block zone in New York City; he called it the Harlem Children's Zone. George Canada was disappointed with the results of many organizations that helped the urban poor, so he started his own. He provides education, social, and medical help for children starting at birth. Because of his success the organization now service 100 blocks and over 12,000 children, with 95% of high school seniors going away to college. He has done a remarkable job as a leader. 
After reading about George Canada achievements and goals for urban children as a leader, it inspires me to become a better leader. Being a successful leader is part of my professional development because I would like to open my own early learning center one day. I can not do that without being a good leader. A good leader is what makes a successful business. I have seen some bad leadership including the place where I am employed at now. Because of poor leadership the organization is failing and again another early learning center has to close its doors. 

Harlem Children's Zone

http://www.hcz.org/

http://www.waldenu.edu

Getting to Know Your International Contacts (Alternative)

Unfortunately I have not heard from either of the professionals I chose to communicate with from other countries. It would have been nice to communicate with other early education professionals from other parts of the world to hear their insight about early education and to hear about their experiences in early childhood. I was not able to access the podcast website either because the link could not be found, so I had to choose a website to research. I decided to further research the Global Fund for Children website. There are many children who are struggling around the world every day. Some are born free and some are born into slavery. Some have to struggle with the decision to go to school, be enslaved, work, or a soldier in the army. The global fund for children transform the lives of children on the edge of society; children who are in trafficking, refugees, and child laborers to help them regain their rights and pursue their dreams (Global Fund for Children, 2014). Since 1997 they have reached over 9 million children (Global Fund for Children, 2014). 



The Global Fund for Children find and invest in grassroots organizations that enable the most vulnerable children in their communities to thrive (Global Fund for Children, 2014). Their strategic support helps our grantees achieve their vision, become sustainable, and reach even more children in need (Global Fund for Children, 2014). They do not only focus on just providing money; they also focus on strengthening organizations around the world to have a lasting effect. 
The Global Fund for Children have touched the lives of millions of children. Their impact means thousands of children are going to school instead of to work (Global Fund for Children, 2014). Thousands more are protecting themselves from HIV, escaping the bonds of slavery, and getting the childhood they deserve (Global Fund for Children, 2014). Spreading the word and letting others know about the devastating situations of children around the world may help reduce or even eliminate poverty. 

The Global Fund for Children: An organization which provides capital to communities worldwide to improve the lives of children.

http://www.globalfundforchildren.org/

http://www.waldenu.edu

Sharing Web Resources

The organization I chose is the Harlem Children's Zone (http://www.hcz.org/). The Harlem Children's Zone began in the 1970's as a truancy-prevention program. Due to the drug epidemic that took place in Harlem in the 1980's and 1990's many residents gave up hope. The staff of HCZ did not and thought that there should be new approaches. HCZ opened a public school that was shut down for after-school and weekend activities  and services for the young children in the neighborhood. In the 90's the goal was to keep schools safe, so they placed AmeriCorps participants in the classrooms known as the Peacemakers programs. HCZ supported disadvantaged families facing crumbling apartments to failing schools, from violent crime to chronic health problems (http://www.hcz.org/). The HCZ serves over 8,000 children and 6,000 adults. In the 2000's the HCZ has opened more programs called Baby College (parenting workshops), Harlem Gems (pre-school program), HCZ Asthma Initiative (teaches the parents and children to better manage the disease), Promise Academy (a high-quality charter school), and Obesity Program (to help children stay healthy). All the programs are free to children and their families who reside in Harlem. 

An issue that I read about is that single mother's did not have the right support or education on the development of young children. This is the reason that HCZ developed Baby College. Baby college teaches young mother's the proper way to take care of their baby and how a baby develop into early childhood. For example, the program teaches the young mother's about comforting their baby. If a baby is crying how to softly speak to the baby to calm the baby down and/or cradle the baby in their arms. It is important for young mother's to know that they are their child first teacher and protector. The baby did not hear or see his mom and wanted to know that mom was nearby. HCZ helps train and teach young mothers so that they will have a positive and safe environment to raise their child/children in. 

http://www.waldenu.edu

Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

It is very interesting to learn about the issues and trends of different cultures in early childhood. I am excited about this course and I hope that the two professionals I contacted will respond soon. I chose to contact a professional from African and one from Canada. I emailed each professional and I explained why I was contacting them and what I expected from each of them. I posted the emails I sent below:

Mrs. Bimbo Are,

My name is Erica Smith, I am a Graduate Student at Walden University (online), I am currently in the Early Childhood Program. I am in course Educ 6162 (Issues and Trends in the Early Childhood Field), during this course for our blog assignment; the instructor asked us to establish contact with two early childhood professionals to discuss some of the issues and trends in early childhood in other parts of the world. I wanted to know if you could be one of my contact professionals? I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to read my email.
Thank you and I hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,

Erica Smith
Prospective Graduate of Early Childhood

Hello Yvonne Dionne,

My name is Erica Smith, I am a Graduate Student at Walden University (online), I am currently in the Early Childhood Program. I am in course Educ 6162 (Issues and Trends in the Early Childhood Field), during this course for our blog assignment; the instructor asked us to establish contact with two early childhood professionals to discuss some of the issues and trends in early childhood in other parts of the world. I wanted to know if you could be one of my contact professionals? I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to read my email.
Thank you and I hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,

Erica Smith
Prospective Graduate of Early Childhood

Since the email did not work for Yvonne Dionne, I had to choose another professional. I chose Dominique Hudicourt from Haiti. I have not heard from either of them as of today, but I hope to hear from them soon. I do not want to choose the alternate assignment for this part of the blog, but if I do not hear from the two I professionals I emailed I will do the alternate assignment.

http://www.waldenu.edu

My Supports

I have a lot of support in my professional and personal life.

In my professional life my supervisor supports me by allowing me to do my homework when I do not have a lot of work task to complete. She always ask me how my classes are going? My other coworkers ask about school and when I have down days they always encourage me and keep me motivated. Sometimes my life gets overwhelming and I want to give up. Many of my coworkers tell me that I inspired them to go back to school and get a college education. They always tease me and call me Ms. Phd, but they are really proud me and hope I finish.

In my personal my family are my biggest supporters. My parents have always been my biggest supporters. Even though I had to move back in with them to help out when they got sick, but I needed them more than they needed me. They are my everthing and if it wasn't for their support and prayers I don't know where I would be. They help me with my shelter and my finances. My job has been going through financial challenges and I didn't get paid for a month. They help me with child care and transportation for my child.

My child is one of major supporters. Now that she is older and know a lot she always encourages me. She ask millions of questions and tell me wow mommy you are doing your homework, I wish I had homework to do. She encourages me with my weight loss. She joins me and she cheers me on. She also reminds me what I'm not suppose to eat. I love this little girl so much.

My best girl friend is another supporter in my life. She always call or text to make sure I'm staying on track with my healthy eating and mental health. She is my outlet and always have words of encouragement. She is some one I can be silly with and she is there when I need a shoulder to cry on.

If these people were not here I don't know where I would be. I would probably be homeless and crazy. My parents provide stability, my daughter provide unconditional love, and my bff provide friendship. Last but never least is my church. They support my soul and spirituality in the Lord. The Lord comes first in my life. If I did not have the Lord I would be dead. The Lord is my life and he keeps me on the right path. He is the reason I wake up every morning, he is the reason I am who I am. I really love the Lord!

http://www.waldenu.edu

My Connections to Play

"Children have always learned and created places for themselves through play."
-Donna R. Barnes
Contemporary American psychologist

"Play energizes us and enlivens us. It eases our burdens. It renews our natural sense of optimism and opens us up to new possibilities."
-Stuart Brown, MD
Contemporary American psychiatrist

Pogo balls was very essential in play when I was growing up. It provided physical exercise and it taught me balance. 

The cabbage patch kid was one of my favorite toys. It allowed me to do pretend play. I was able to pretend that my cabbage patch kid was a real baby and I could talk to them, change their clothes, and pretend to feed them. 

The Rubik cube was a toy that was challenging to me. It challenged my mind, I had to think logically and problem solve to match the colors. 

When I was growing up my mother, sister, brothers, and teachers supported play. My mother supported play by allowing me to play with my toys and going outside to play with other children in the neighborhood. My siblings supported play by playing with me and they also bought me toys when I was younger. My teachers supported play by allowing us to have recess and going outside to jump rope, play basketball, or just running around to get a break from sitting in a classroom all day.

I believe play is different from when I was younger because there are more technological devices than when I was growing up. Play is very different in our schools than when I was growing up because there is no more play time. When I was growing up we had recess and we were allowed to go outside or in the gym to play and get a break from classwork. Chicago Public Schools no longer offer recess time for children to play. Chicago Public Schools has also taken away extracurricular activities such as band and art. When I was growing up I was in the choir, I participated on the cheerleader squad, and I also took a sewing class. I really think that Chicago should bring back recess and extracurricular activities because I believe that this is part of the cause for the rising violence in Chicago. Every day a young person has been shot or killed by gun violence. The children do not have a outlet to release their energy. Most children when they get home from school have to play the mommy or daddy role with younger siblings or fin for themselves, so they do not have time to play at home. In some homes most play consist of video games or computer games. This does not allow the child an opportunity to do physical activities. The mind is working and being challenged in video games, but the child is sitting for hours. I know after school when I was growing up I came home, did my homework, and then I was allowed to go outside to play if the weather permitted. After that it was time to come in have dinner, take a bath, and go to bed. I was exhausted and ready to go to bed because I tired myself out by running, jumping rope, or just hanging out with my friends in the neighborhood.

The role of play throughout my life thought me how to socialize, problem solve, think critically, solve conflicts, and learn. I find myself playing now as an adult and play is my time to release any built up tension or stress do to my every day life task. I sometimes play video games, computer games, or play with my child. During play time as an adult I don't worry about anything and it takes my mind off of things that I may have been stressing about. If I had a bad day at work play with my daughter relaxes me and keep my mind at ease. Even though we play video games they are more active so we are not just sitting in front of the television. We are up dancing, jumping, running, or jogging. This allows me to have some form of physical activity which is important not only in young children. Adults need to be physically active to stay healthy and fit. Play keeps your metabolism high because when I was a child growing up, childhood obesity was not an issue. My family members use to wonder where the food was going when I ate because I stayed small. I use to eat a lot but I was also physically active. I believe that this is the reason there are so many children who are overweight. The minute I became less active I started gaining weight and now it is hard to keep it off. Play is important for cognitive development and physical health.  

http://www.waldenu.edu

Relationship Reflection

Relationships are important to me because they provide support. Relationships allows me to feel that I am being loved and that I have a purpose in life.  Relationships allows me to socialize. Relationships make me feel alive, have fun, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Most relationships have struggles and can be very stressful. The rewards of having a relationship is greater than the challenges. Relationships allow me to have someone to talk to and have adult time. It is always good to have some time away from my professional life and parent life. I love my job and I love being a mother, but there are times when I need a break and spend time with friends or family.

Although I am not married, as I grew older I found out that relationships aren't just between a man and woman. I have a very close relationship with my mother and a few best girlfriends. I use to think that I needed a husband to have a relationship, but a husband is not the only person I need for a relationship. I have a mother who encourages me every day. She encourages through her words, her life, and her willingness to be strong. My mother ran into some health challenges but she has proved that she is stronger than those issues. My mother only have a high school education and she has raised 5 children and provided for us. My mother made sure that we did not want for anything. I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful mother and I pray for her daily. The other person in my life that I have a positive relationship with is my best friend for life Jovonna. Jovonna and I have been friends for over 20 years. We have been trough thick and thin together. We have had our good and bad times. At one point we started to drift apart but for some reason we can't let each other go. Even though we do not talk or hangout as often as we did when we were younger, we are still there for each other when needed. She is a selfless person and gives without expecting anything in return. She does not give or help someone for recognition. She has been taking care of her mother since we were young girls and to see her go through that and try to maintain a childhood was amazing. She did an outstanding job and she is still to this day taking care of her mother. She is a wonderful person and I could go on and on about her.


Since the relationships I have now are only with women I do not see them developing into a partnership.
My experience with relationships can impact my work as an effective early childhood professional by allowing me to work with different personalities. Each person develops at his or her own pace and I learned that through relationships. This will be effective in my profession. Dealing with challenges and maintain relationships can also be effective in my profession because there are challenges in the early childhood field and I must maintain relationships with the families I serve at all times. Relationships are important and teaches me how to deal with things that may come up in my professional life. Sometimes situations that have occurred in my professional life has also occurred in my personal life and I already knew how to deal with it. I love being happy and having positive relationships makes me happy.
www.waldenu.edu