Communication Skills: Language, Nonverbal, Listening

I watched an episode of Sex and the City and the relationships I noticed were up close and personal relationships with couples in the show. I assume that these characters were either married or dating.   Holding hands, kissing, hugging, smiling, frowning, crying and looks of confusion are body gestures that I observed throughout the show.  I assumed that maybe the couples were having deep conversation about their relationship.  I observed facial expressions and body gestures that appeared to be results from an argument or altercation, or even receiving bad news of some sort.  When I watched the show with the sound on, I hear conversations of married couples involving fantasies to make the men happy.  As a result, some of the women agreed and a couple of the women were upset about it.  After listening, I clearly understood why I observed smiling and hugging from some and crying and frowning from others.  I would not have ever guessed that “fantasies” was the topic of discussion of the show based on nonverbal communication.  What I learned from this experience is that nonverbal communication can be deceiving.  As I witnessed in the show, you can receive a hug and a smile from someone, but speak words such as “I will kill you and that’s a promise”, which is very contradictive.

Blog Assignment Week  1

When dealing with communication, we all have our strengths and our weaknesses.  Communication is needed to help begin, maintain, and end relationships. (O'- Hair, D., & Wiemann, M., 2009) How would our world operate without lines of communication?  The person that I would say that displays competent communication skills would be one of my college professors, Jaque Slater.  She always spoke and taught with enthusiasm in ways that everyone would understand what is being said.  She never used the “umm” while presenting, she was great at giving eye contact and posture, and she always expected feedback from her students.  She taught majority of our English and literature classes and was absolutely great at what she does.  I can say I would definitely love to acquire behaviors like her to be effective to any audience I speak to.  She was just so free flowing and down to earth.  It is difficult for some people to give eye contact while speaking as well as babble over words.  I never saw her uncomfortable while communicating with others.

References

O'- Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2009). Real communication. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.

Professional Hopes and Goals

Final Blog Assignment

One hope that I have when it comes to working with children and families of diverse backgrounds, is that I forever attain the characteristic of equality. As a teacher, you must run the classroom with complete equality. Things are going to seem insignificant.   Students seem to notice mostly everything a teacher does – from who is favored more, who seems to be punished more, to who the teacher gives precedence to during class activities.   It is very possible to share more in common with or sense more commitment from certain students, but to be as equitable as possible; I know I must run the classroom with as little bias as possible to set an example of equality for students.

If there was a goal to implement for social justice, it would be that ALL teachers of early childhood promote positive social identities that will help children gain confidence and feel comfortable about diversity. This strengthens social, emotional, and cognitive development. As children develop a strong sense of both individual and group identity, they also develop more tools for success in school and in life.

At this present time, I would like to thank all of my colleagues for working so hard and diligently in this course to become one step close to OUR dream!!  It takes so much will power for those who have full time jobs and children and other duties to work so hard to earn a degree.  I, myself, always take a chance because I never know when my unit will call me for a deployment, go tdy, sleep in the fields, etc.  That’s what comes along with being in the military.  I love my job and the people I work with and I have greatly appreciated all the positive comments I have received from all of you.  O, did I ever tell you guys that you’re awesome?  If not……. Hi. Dr. Morgan and fellow classmates,   YOU ARE AWESOME!!  Have a wonderful day, be blessed.

Culture around The World

The country of origin that I choose is Hungary.  Hungarian culture and Hungarian people would be a fascinating topic and learning about their traditions will definitely enhance my life. It will definitely open my eyes to a whole new world and a culture that represents a life less ordinary - customs and beliefs unlike my own, but all the more intriguing for it.  I am sure there are a few features we can look at that are distinctive to Hungarian culture and the mannerisms of its people. It can take some time to get to know a Hungarian on an intimate level or to build strong, deep relationships.  I would say I work in child care facility.

Five ways to Prepare myself to be culturally responsive toward a Hungarian family.

1.       I would first and foremost take the time to educate myself on their culture and rituals including knowing their mannerisms, languages, religion and education system.

2.      I would establish relationships with the children and family and talk about events of their community and traditions as well as integrate ethnic activities in the classroom

3.      I would definitely be caring, committed, and have respectful belief in my students’ abilities and desire to learn.

4.      I will establish a caring environment and warm, personal, positive relationships with my students and prevent and respond to teasing, bullying and exclusion of students and teach conflict resolution skills to maintain friendships.

5.      As a culturally responsive educator, I will communicate effectively inter-culturally; and have the ability of thinking critically and engage effectively with materials from the Hungarian culture.

All of these strategies for cultural responsiveness support the goals for student achievement in a few ways. First, we build a democratic foundation for equal access to education. Secondly, we help students develop their own culturally sensitive skills to be successful in our diverse, multicultural, and global world, enriching not only in our classroom, but our nation as well.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

  As I remember, there has been several situations with me and another older black female employee who tries to use her age against the work required between the both of us.  We both have the same work titles but yet, most of the workload is on my shoulders all because I am a bit younger than the other lady.  I feel that this is a bias situation because we both get the same pay, work the same hours, and have the exact same title.  Even as I have addressed the issues with my immediate supervisor, nothing has changed.   This pretty much makes me feel as if I have no voice and that nothing can be done about this situation.  In a working environment, I should not have to feel uncomfortable in my space or around anyone there.  It definitely diminishes equity because the situation definitely does not show justice or fairness. In order for the situation to be more equitable, there should be equal workload in the environment, and more respect shown towards all parties.  The supervisors should indeed remember their place and step up to decision making instead of sitting back and letting anything go in the working environment.  In the workplace, I feel that many people are a bit intimidated by the fact that I have a Bachelor's degree and also working on my Master's.  There is not ONE individual there who has a degree and I feel that they try to make my life harder or uncomfortable because of those very reasons.  I tend to just do the work because it does not bother me greatly.  I just go to work to do my work and go home and care for my daughter.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

This week was especially a stressful week for me at work, and there have been several situations that I would consider microagression.  For starters, in my building, there are five African American women, one caucasian woman, and four Caucasian men.  On Tuesday four of the black females went to lunch to together and upon return, my immediate supervisor, who is a Caucasian male, came into my office and told me that we could not go to lunch as a group anymore.  I was shocked to hear him say something like that and it made me angry.  I thought to myself that he was trying to insinuate that when black people get together, we plot against people or it looks unprofessional.  I really didn’t know the exact hidden message.  It somewhat hurt my feelings, but I am certainly not weak enough to break!!  I just hindered my good spirits at work because, you know, the Caucasians go to lunch together all the time and nothing is ever said.  As being the target, I can witness to the fact that stereotypes still exists in society not just in my situation but within tons of communities around the world.  Think about the Trayvon Martin case that’s happening in Florida as we speak.  The effects of discrimination, prejudice, and stereotypes are tremendous.  People will start rallying and petitioning for justice and I just think the world is going to be worse off rather than work together as a people for the benefits of society.  It’s almost inevitable to say that racism still exists.  I hate to even think of that term but it just seems that it’s exactly as stated.  I treat people equally regardless of race or gender.  It hurts my heart to know that some people disagree with actions as such. 

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

Valuing Culture and Diversity

*Ivory Modey- African from Nigeria

*Chase Spivey- Caucasian male from Nebraska

Ivory Modey- “Culture is tradition, the way of life, what has been passed down from ancestors, and the values in which you pass down to future generations."

Ivory Modey- “Diversity is what separates you from others, what makes you who you are, how people view you, and how you view yourself.”

 Chase Spivey- “Culture is ethical, personal preference of how a person lives their life, and your way of thinking including values.”

Chase Spivey- “Diversity is respecting all cultures, and having different elements of life that make you who you are.”

 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? Considering the answers of both my participants, the aspects that were actually included in my studies are: being aware of what makes me different from others and knowing that we as different people have to respect other cultures and their way of life.   

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

The aspects that I feel have been omitted are specific aspects such as religious aspects of culture (who people worship, religious beliefs and so forth), the economic aspect(where do you stand in society, what resources are available for you within society), and the surface aspect of culture (arts, entertainment, and clothes)

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

Considering how they responded, I can profoundly see the different aspects of culture and diversity depending on an individual’s lifestyle and beliefs.  Some people view culture just as a way of life while others feel that it influences everything surrounding an individual.  I feel that there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to culture and diversity. 

My Family Culture

In a situation such as this, I would be devastated for the fact that I only could only take three items with me to a place where I am unfamiliar with the culture and the people.  The three most important items that I would choose to carry with me as a representation of my culture would be: an american flag, my Holy Bible, and my lifetime photo album of family, friends, and places I have visited.  I would choose my American  flag because it is indeed a symbol of my nation's freedom and laws, liberty, justice, equality, cooperative effort, pride, glory, and much more. I really feel that its such a great symbol of the greatness of America. Men and women have fought in the name of the flag and I am one of those individuals who sacrifice my life to protect our nation.  I would choose the flag so that I can reminisce of the time and efforts of being a part of the Department of Defense.   I would choose the Holy Bible because it is a major part of my religion and it is how I keep my connection with God and how I keep a stable and renewing mind and spirit.  The Bible is what will keep me strenthgened and how I will look forward to expecting great days.  With this book I can remain spiritually connected with my Savior.  Lastly, I would choose to take a photo album of all my family and friends that has made a dramatic impact on my life, good and bad, which will remind me of all the lifetime gain of love that is instilled in me.  Memories are indeed a comfort zone for me because I am constantly reminded of how great my life has been and of all the people who has nurtured me and cared for me as well as the people that I have nurtured and cared for. 

My feelings would be feelings of selfishness, deprived, and pessimistic if they only allowed me to choose one of those items. It would be hard to choose just one, because one item does not fulfill my entire life story.   The insights I have gained about culture is that there are actual families that we never consider, who go through situations such as these and feel that sense of emptiness and lonliness.  It definitely is an eye opener and it makes me appreciate diversity on another level. 



Thank you, 

When I Think of Research

I would like to first and foremost thank all of my colleagues as well as the instructor that provided helpful considerations throughout this course.  This has been a long road for me but I absolutely feel more confident in research than ever before.  this course definitely spilled endless amounts of useful information about research and I enjoyed every moment of the class, good and bad.  thanks so much  and hope to see you later in my journey of early childhood!!

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

This course has really opened my eyes to a lot of like about research.  I have learned so much about the research process and the correct way to conduct it.  Different paradigms give us different perspectives about the world and helps researchers study early childhood.  I have learned the importance of ethics in research and how ethics actually add to the quality of research.  I enjoyed learning the thorough details of quantitative research, in which is based on objectivity, reductionism and measurement especially; qualitative, in which it pretty much tells a story using surveys, questionnaires, interviews and observations; I have learned the importance of eliminating biases and having ethical concerns of research.

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

I must say that I am at a more comfortable state in the nature of research.  I use to be afraid to even participate in assignments as such because I never was taught the depthness of research ever before.  I was afraid of looking hideous around colleagues.  I can now easily apply methods of research without hesitation and feel confident about what I am conducting since I have the resources to refer to when needed.

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

Planning- I have learned that proper planning prevents poor performance.  In planning, you have to know what is it to be researched and how, where the research will take place, who will participate, what data should be collected and how they will be analyzed. 

Designing- I have learned that it helps to refine the topic and generate researchable questions, a researcher must decide which approach is best for the topic, consider the when, where and who, carefully choose methods of data collection and analysis along with modifying the design if needed.

Conducting- I learned that conducting research involves collecting data about a given subject.  In order to conduct research you have to know how to get started, and include ethical considerations as well. It includes details about interviews, surveys, observations, and analysis.

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

A few challenges that I encountered what actually understanding the full meaning of paradigms and why they were so important to the research process, and designing research.  I had to spend tremendous study time with them in order to get the big picture.   There are a few things that I still may not know but I have eliminated the challenges that would cause me not to plan properly for research process.

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

This class definitely reveals the hard work of an early childhood professional as a researcher as well as the rewards that come with the hard work.  Being a professional requires overcoming challenges and being able to adapt to change when needed.  This is what I perceive the profession as. 

International Research

Sub-suharan Areas


 I really enjoyed reading about the mission of this website.  Early childhood development virtual university is quite an intriguing site to visit because it shares so much information about the Sub-suharan program and what it offers to early childhood development.  The mission is to further develop African Early Childhood Development leadership capacity as a key strategy in support of child, family and community well-being and broader social and economic development in Africa. it is supported by several international, regional and local organizations, including the employers of participants. It trains and orients the program to uses face-to-face, distributed learning methods. Some of the methods are residential seminars, web-based instruction, a 'community of learners' strategy within and among cohort countries, etc. The site states that participants are elected by committees that fight for child well-being and broader social development within the country. Some of the topics discussed were, vulnerable children, projecting quality and needs for children in Kenya, and influence of different models of pre-school programs that may affect children of different soci-economic status.The name of the first project I read over was Development of a Model Framework for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in their Early Years in Ghana. The second is Parents’ and Other Caregivers’ Perception of Early Childhood Development Needs and Quality: A Study of the PLAN-Assisted Programs in Bawjiase.  Early childhood development programs are designed to support the developmental needs of young children. Assessments provide a basis for determining program effectiveness and the extent to which children’s optimal development is enhanced. The study focuses on how quality ECD programs are an important element in assessing program effectiveness and is directly related to what children need to develop. Lastly, I schemed through Assessing the Influence of Different Early Childhood Development Models On Pre-School Children’s School Readiness in Kenya. This comparative study explored the influence of different pre-school models on school readiness among pre-school children from different urban socio-economic statuses.  I learned how the African countries work together in groups in order to continuously fulfill the task of improving childhood development.


References


Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA): Developed and maintained by the University of Victoria, Canada, this virtual university is the international gateway for early childhood research worldwide.http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/index.php
http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php