Communication Skills

Shake it up!

 

When I watched it without sound:

The two main girls appear to be best friends. There also appears to be to a maternal  figure and a young boy in the home who appears to be the little brother.

At school there appears to be a two students who are friends with each other, but not with the main characters.

Through the episode they appeared happy, fearful, nervous, and sad.

When I watched it with sound:

Perhaps because I picked a Disney sitcom with characters that are very animated, all of my predictions with the show muted were correct when I watched it with sound. I was successfully able to watch the show. I did not pick up details, such as the fact that the two students at school were exchange students with strong accents. Also, the mom said she was a single mom. Also the reason the girls really wanted job was to get cell phones because they think they are the only kids at school who do not have one.

I learned that if you used enough facial expresses and body gestures, a basic understanding can be achieved. However, I don’t think most of us act like this in our daily lives and we can miss some important details. Therefore, verbal communication remains an important aspect of communication.

Competent Communication

When I think about a competent communicator I often picture people in public speaking capacities. I think of the President Obama who is able to win over a crowd through the delivery of a powerful speech. I envision evangelist Joyce Meyer whose confidence and humor draws in listeners. I think about the many trainings I have attended throughout my career. What separates the trainers who are memorable and exciting versus the ones that I was ready to be done with?

My mind comes to one colleague. A year ago, when I was in a different professional role, my colleagues were so excited about a Head Start specialist who was conducting a training in our area. They described her as funny, smart, and engaging. When I attended her actual training, I realized they were right. She spoke clearly. Her thoughts had a logical flow. When someone had a question and interrupted her, she was able to clearly answer it and get right back on track. I truly admired her public speaking abilities. Now, I work directly with her and in my first staff meeting in my new position on Friday she presented herself the same ways very confident and clear.  You can tell she had done her homework in preparing what she was to say. Because of her competence, she has earned a lot of respect from her peers within our company and from programs all over the state.

I would like to model some of my own behaviors after her. I want to be able to speak up and share my ideas with confidence. I would like to win over a crowd and have people eagerly anticipate trainings I‘ll be conducting. I am excited about being under her mentorship and about the great things I can learn from this course.

Professional Hopes and Goals

One hope that I have when I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that they would be able to recognize me as an ally and that I would be able to stand up for and speak up for their rights.

One goal that I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity and social justices is that we would all be their allies. Furthermore, we need to teach families to be self-advocates so that when they leave our programs they will continue to be treated fairly.

I would like to take a moment to thank all of my colleagues for their support throughout this course. I have learned a lot with you and because of you. I hope to “see” you again in future courses!

Welcoming Families From Around the World

 

In a hypothetical instance of a family coming from a country, I decided to choose a country I knew nothing about: Eritrea. There are at least five things I would do to prepare myself for being culturally responsive towards this family:

1. Find out the location of the family’s country- Africa, near the Red Sea.
2. Determine the primary religion and -Islam and Christian.
3. Discover the primary language(s) of the country- Tigrinya, Arabic, English, and Italian- and the family’s primary language.
4. Key “survival” phrases that can help the new child in my program feel comfortable.
5. The family’s possible customs, such as dietary restrictions.

 

I would hope these would better prepare me for interactions with the family. For instance, if the family does not speak English, I may need to get an interpreter. If there are certain dietary restrictions, I may need to begin to make preparations for substitutions on the menu.

It is important to begin to think about these things before meeting the family, but it is even more important to not make any assumptions until I get to know them. Even if a family is from a specific culture, it is vital to get to know them as individuals. Just like someone can not assume they know my preferences just because I am from the United States, I will extend that same courtesy to this family from Eritrea.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

I have had several personal experiences of bias, prejudices, and oppression. One that was specifically personal for me occurred while I was a teenager. I was dating a young man who was a different race than me. We lived in a very diverse town, so it never occurred to me that people would be audacious enough to ever say anything to us. However one night we were at the gas station. When he went inside to pay, a man pulled up next to me and let me know his ill-willed feelings about who I was dating, that that I should call him when I was ready for a “real man.”

My first thought was that he is certainly far from a real man. Then I felt very defensive, thinking my dating life was none of his business. Although it occurred almost 20 years ago, I recall thinking that I thought we were past this kind prejudice in our country. Without ever meeting my boyfriend, this stranger was assuming that he was better than him, which displayed diminished equity in his perspective. My first feeling was one of inferiority, like what I had chosen was in some way wrong. Then I felt angry that he was so brazen. After that, I felt sorry for him that he lived in such a world of hate and prejudice.

The first person that would need to change in order to turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity is me. I wish I had the words and boldness to stand up for myself, my boyfriend, and my freedom of choice. Also, I believe that our schools should be very purposeful in celebrating diversity, and not ignore differences, or be passive when we see early oppressive behaviors manifested in children. Part of our responsibility to the next generation is attempting to undo patterns of negative behaviors that have been past on for many years. To teach children to embrace everyone regardless of skin tone, culture, or other personal differences.

 

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

Microaggressions are expressions that could harm others, said by individuals who are often oblivious to the fact that they may be hurtful. I looked for some examples of microaggressions this week, and I was unable to witness or experience any. However, several weeks ago, a new employee began working in our office. He looked to be Latino and he was the new coordinator for Spanish speaking interpreters for the area. In an effort to start a conversation, a colleague of mine asked him what country he was born in. The man answered that he was born in the US. She replied, “Well, how did you learn Spanish, then?” His answer was that his mother was Mexican, and she came to America and married his father, who was Caucasian. His mother and other family members spoke Spanish in the home.

Assuming that he was born in another country because of the tone of his skin and his ability to speak Spanish is a form of microaggressions. I felt like the co-worker should have instead ask if he was from this area, like one would ask any other colleague. I was uncomfortable when I saw him answer because it looked as though it was a question he had answered many times before. I believe I have become much more sensitive to the perspectives of others. In my own conversation, I have tried not to draw attention or assumptions based on stereotypes or prejudices.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

I interviewed three people who are not in the early childhood field, asking each one for their definition of culture and diversity.  Take a look at their responses:

1. Jose- a 60-year-old, second generation Mexican American man.

Culture is your heritage, your bloodline, or how you were raised. It is your values and beliefs about what it good and bad.

Diversity is the differences in people’s beliefs and values because of the way they are raised.

1. Linda- a retired, Caucasian woman.

Culture is our surroundings and upbringing. The culture we live in is our surroundings.

Diversity is all kinds of different people. It’s the differences in everyone: race, culture, language, behaviors, beliefs, age, ethnicity, and religion. Any different characteristics can create diversity

1. Allen- a young, Caucasian college student

Culture is a collective group of ideas and beliefs that are past down from generation to generation.

Diversity is when a sample of multiple cultures and ways of thinking, are represented in a group.

Which aspects of culture and diversity that I have studied in this course are included in the answers I received—and what are some examples?

 Jose and Allen both mentioned that culture could be inherited and passed on through generations. It can be our values and beliefs. Linda also touched on the idea of a dominant culture found in society.

Which aspects have been omitted—and what are some examples of such omission?

 Culture is also behaviors and can be very different from parents or society and it can change throughout one’s lifetime. Also, no one mentioned any of the physical representations of culture such as race, language, food, clothing, or behaviors.

In what ways has thinking about other people’s definitions of culture and diversity influenced my own thinking about these topics?

I think that it would be impossible to see the many aspects of beliefs, behaviors and parenting styles and think that everyone are all “right.” However, I think that as early childhood professionals, we must be tolerant and understanding, even when we do not agree with decisions that individuals make, as long as the well being of the child is not directly affected.

My Family Culture

If there was a major catastrophe that caused me to have to leave the United States I know that I would have to be very selective about the items I would bring a long as I relocate with my family. The first item I would bring would be my Bible. For me, the Bible would be a source of strength and inspiration in all the time, but especially during times of trials and hardships.

Second, I would bring my iPhone. I’m unsure if it would work in another country, but I would hope that I might be able to access it to have instant access to my other family member’s statuses and information regarding world news.

The final item I would bring with me is my passport/identification. I do not necessarily hold this dear, but I do my hold my identity and my citizenship dear. Also, I anticipate that there would be a lot of confusion during a time of catastrophe and having legitimate identification for each family member would be a necessity.

Depending on what country we arrived in, I can imagine that authorities may tell us that we cannot keep our Bible and phone. There may be certain cultural practices that we may have to follow. Although, I would not give up my faith, I do realize that I might not have a choice about the physical items I keep.

As I thought about this exercise, I realized that there are three important aspects of life that are important to me: my faith, my family, and my identity. I would hope that the items that represent these things would be helpful in helping me transition to another culture. Without them, I believe the transition would be even more difficult.

When I Think of Research…

• What insights have you gained about research from taking this course?

Research is not quite as intimidating as I once thought. In fact, it is quite vital to the field and professionals who are directly serving children and their families, as well as for policy and law makers.

• In what ways have your ideas about the nature of doing research changed?

I learned that there are several ways to approach a single research question. Experiment or case study? Quantitative or qualitative or mixed? The researcher has the flexibility to choose what they are most comfortable with and what they believe best answers the research question.

• What lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood did you learn?

I have learned that one should have a well thought out plan before beginning a project. Also, the more ways a very specific question can be tested, the better (the validity is strengthened). Last, researchers should make sure the study is completely ethical and demonstrates equity.

• What were some of the challenges you encountered—and in what ways did you meet them?

I was challenged to make sure my own simulation was specific enough. I also wanted to make sure that the procedures could be carried out in a practical manner, and that they were truly testing for the answer to the question. I was able to meet this challenge by continuing to tweak my simulation each week, though self-reflection and by incorporating the feedback from our professor. 

• What are some of the ways your perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course?

I believe the increase in the use of qualitative studies is a positive step forward for our field. The reduction of children and families to numbers and scores makes it difficult to

 Closing thoughts…

To all of my classmates: Thank you all for your support throughout this course. I have learned so much from you through our discussions and blog assignments. I hope to “see” you again in future courses.

 

Research Around the World

For the assignment this week, I chose the following website:

Early Childhood Australia: This is the Australian equivalent to the U.S. based NAEYC. You can access several links to early childhood research from the menu on the left side of the home page.
http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/

• Here is a list of their research topics:
• Partnerships: Working together in early childhood settings
• Seeing assessment as a stepping stone: Thinking in the context of the EYLF
• The more you know, the more you see: Babies’ and toddlers’ learning and the EYLF
• Planning in the context of the EYLF: Powerful, practical and pedagogically sound
• Respecting diversity: Articulating early childhood practice
• Children’s resilience: Working with the Early Years Learning Framework
• Learning and teaching through play
• Stars are made of glass: Children as capable and creative communicators
• The Early Years Learning Framework: Building confident learners
• The Early Years Learning Framework: Getting started
• Optimistic carers and children: Pathways to confidence and wellbeing
• Nurturing the spiritual child: Compassion, connection and a sense of self
• Dealing with bullying together: Prevention and resolution
• Portfolios: Documenting a journey
• Treasures and collections: A touch of magic in the early years
• Learnings from High/Scope: Enriching everyday practice
• The Code of Ethics: A guide for everyday practice
• The Circle of Security: Roadmap to building supportive relationships
• Greening services: Practical sustainability
• Dreaming Stories: A springboard for learning
• Discovering letters and sounds
• Capture the moment: Using digital photography in early childhood settings
• Diversity and difference: Lighting the spirit of identity
• Managing change with infants and young children
• Young children as active learners
• Active children: Healthy now and later
• Young gifted children: Meeting their needs
• Engaging families: Building strong communication
• Storytelling with young children
• Understanding children’s feelings: Emotional literacy in early childhood
• Overlooked curriculum: Seeing everyday possibilities
• Aggression and young children
• Revisiting celebrations with young children
• Meaningful planning: Rethinking teaching and learning relationships
• Learning with computers (2nd edn)
• Babies: Good beginnings last forever
• Managing difficult behavior in young children

An interesting find: Whereas in the United States, we have many Hispanic immigrant families, in Australia, they have many Asian immigrant families.

Also, I read their Code of Ethics, and although it is much shorter than NAEYC’s, it is much easier and clearer to read.

I also learned a great deal about Australia’s immigration detention policy. Early Child Australia has a position paper that clearly states that children who immigrate into Australia for should not be placed into detention, but should be allowed to live in community based programs until further arrangements should be made. In a media release dated May 1, 2012, ECA called for immediate action in the release of over 400 children currently living in detention.

Check out this video below. Then imagine children who have waited in a place like this for years.