Phenomenal Achievement Along Your Journey

I would like to acknowledge all of my colleagues for such a dynamic collaborative learning community. Thank you for all of your insight, perspectives, experiences, and suggestions. Communication & Collaboration in Early Childhood, has been the best course by far! I feel I have grown in my communication efforts, personally and professionally. I have learned perspectives and concepts that I will carry with me onto future endeavors. I wish everyone phenomenal success and achievement along their journey!

Monique Woodard

Team Building and Collaboration Part 1

In considering the adjorning phase of several groups in which I have been involved, I do not believe that high-performing groups are hardest to leave. As a person who can be considered an introvert and prefers working independently, it was considered a relief (for me) when the project was completed because I could move on to my regular life and wouldn't have to engage in uncomfortable conversations. In social situations such as working closely with a group on a project or goal, such interactions made me slightly uncomfortable and I would actually look forward to the project being completed or the goal being achieved. But, in my personal opinion, I believe there is a difference between groups who are working on a project and those who are working together to achieve a goal in regards to the adjorning phase. If one is working with other individuals to complete a project, this is more temporary because a deadline is established. So, in going into the project, all members are aware that they have a deadline to meet and more focus is put on completing the project by the deadline. However, with a group working towards a goal, there is no outlined deadline and when individuals are working towards a common goal, that commonality sets the foundation for a more prolonged engagement which can possibly lead into friendship.

The group that I participated in that was the hardest to say good-bye was the co-workers that I worked with when I was an Early Head Start teacher. I considered this a group because we all had a common goal in which we worked together to achieve and that was to make sure our "babies" were prepared for Head Start. I had about 5 friends who were fellow teachers that I had become extremely close with. We were so close that we had outings after work once a week and we would travel out of town together every other month! We were laid off about 4 years ago and some of us eventually went our separate ways but I still miss them to this day. There are about 3 friends that I keep in continuous contact with.

My close co-workers and I at our friend's wedding in Pensacola in 2010!!! (I'm in the gray boots!!!)

A closing ritual that I have experienced is the infamous "take you out to lunch for your last day"! It is hard to imagine how I will adjourn from the group of colleagues I have formed while working on my master's degree in this program. It's sad to admit...but I am going to be so happy that I have completed this journey and achieved my goal...I will be grateful that it's over!

Nonviolent Communication and Conflict Management

I recently experienced a disagreement with my husband in which I had to be conscious of certain communication strategies so that the discussion would be productive instead of creating a breakdown. It was a conversation about my brother-in-law and his relationship with his girlfriend. I made a comment about the relationship which was not in favor of his girlfriend. My husband felt I was wrong for stating my opinion because the topic of discussion had nothing to do with his brother’s relationship, and I should have “stayed in my lane”. After reflecting on the interaction with my brother-in-law, I apologized to him (my brother-in-law) and explained it was wrong for me to assume anything about him and his girlfriend. In telling my husband that I apologized, he said I was wrong for my comment in the first place. In this moment, I wanted to react my normal way which is to become defensive (voiced raised, heightened emotions) because I felt like he was telling me I did something wrong in having/expressing an opinion. But, I thought about certain strategies that I have learned about and tried to implement those into the conversation. One strategy I used was I thought about the elements of NVC and took into consideration his feelings, needs, observations, and requests. I observed that his emotion level was rising in regards to a certain feeling he was having because his family is always judging him and commenting on everything he does in his life. With this identification, I realized it wasn’t a personal attack towards me.

                                           
    
Since I followed how he was feeling, I was able to look for a broader range of solutions to this disagreement and chose an appropriate channel in which to communicate with him. For example, although we were in each other’s presence, instead of walking away…I chose to speak calmly while clearly expressing my intent for this particular discussion (which was understanding) because I noticed that this topic was very sensitive for him. In that moment, emotionally, he was putting himself as the subject of the situation (putting himself in place of his brother) and reacted to me as if someone had commented on his relationship. In knowing this, I understood that he wasn’t getting upset at me…he was expressing himself defensively as if someone had made the comment to him and in taking a step back and knowing where his emotions were coming from, I responded accordingly. It proved to be a productive dialogue of understanding.

Who Am I As A Communicator?

When I think about the similarities and differences between how I evaluate myself as a communicator and how others evaluated me, I can honestly say I was quite pleased with the results! With the Verbal Aggressiveness Scale and the Listening Styles Profile, I was surprised that others evaluated me closely to how I saw myself. It is my opinion that, at times, we can have a "one-track" viewpoint about ourselves which makes it harder  to accept others opinions of what they perceive us to be. But, could it be  "perceptions of your self-efficacy may lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy--a prediction that causes you to change your behavior in a way that makes the prediction more likely to occur ...self-efficacy and self-fulfilling prophecy are thus related (O'Hair, 2015, p. 50-51)"? For example, the reason why others came to the same results as I did because I believe in certain traits about myself and my communication abilities and in return I "fulfill" or physically present this belief to those around me to the extent that they also believe?

This experience this week has told me that my evaluation of certain individuals is subconsciously based on the perceptions I have of myself and in return either encourage me to engage into communication with others or avoid the interaction all together. “…you have an overall view of all aspects of yourself (self-concept), as well as an evaluation of how you feel about yourself in a particular area at any given moment in time (self-esteem). Based on this information, you approach a communication situation with an eye toward the likelihood of presenting yourself effectively…these assessments of self are important before, during, and after you have communicated. You evaluate your expectations, execution, and outcomes in three ways: self-actualization, self-adequacy, and self-denigration (O’Hair, 2015, p. 450-51)”.

                                    
Monique Woodard

Reference

O'Hair, D., Wiemann, M., Mullin, D. I., & Teven, J.  (2015). Real 
communication (3rd. ed). New York: Bedford/St. Martin's. Chapter 2, "Perceiving the Self and Others" (pp. 45-62, beginning with "Cognitions About Ourselves").

Communication and Culture

When I think about the cultural diversity that I see in my neighborhood and workplace, I do find myself communicating differently with people from different groups and cultures. To the extent that most people that I know or associate with would consider me "quiet". At times, I am so overwhelmed with the thought of interacting with people different than me (in general) that I just choose to say nothing at all. I can have an opinion or be familiar with the topic of conversation but since I don't want to intrude on another's interaction...I ultimately just simply observe and listen. But, with my family or those that I'm close with experience my authenticity in different degrees. I tend to react to how others carry themselves. For example, when I am around my closest family members and my husband (who are very blunt and expressive), I am comfortable with being my true self. I speak differently, I express my feelings more passionately, and I don't have to hide the core of who I am. However, with family members that portray themselves as being more reserved, I will become more reserved when interacting with them. With colleagues in the workplace, I speak accordingly. This means I am more proper, selective in the conversations I chose to participate in, and maintain a certain professionalism in my tone and delivery.

                                                

I communicate with certain individuals differently because my main focus when talking with those around me is to make them feel comfortable and understood. I have a lot of people whom confide in me because whatever that person tells me, I am not the one to judge nor the one to repeat what has been said. I always remain more of a listener than talker, which is one strategy that I can use to help me communicate more effectively with children, families, and colleagues from diverse backgrounds. Other strategies would be maintaining the Platinum Rule during conversation and continuously reminding myself to reflect on my tone of voice, my expressions, and other factors influencing my communication style.

                                                  

Communication Skills: Language, Nonverbal, Listening

The show that I chose to use to complete this post was: Sesame Street: Animals and Nature: Firefly Show. I chose this particular show because it incorporates a variety of characters (humans, puppets, and cartoons) and thought it would be exciting to watch a children's show where I couldn't read the lips (the puppets), only go by the characters nonverbal behavior. I thought it would be intriguing to try to figure out a scene's plot with only puppets communicating with each other! With props used by the puppets as well as the hand gestures of the people on the show, it portrayed an unspoken understanding of what was being discussed in a particular scene. For example, some of the characters would point to the screen which I assumed them trying to communicate with the television audience. The characters' relationships are based on cooperation and togetherness. In every scene, there are at least two characters whether it be a human and a puppet or two puppets or two humans always communicating with each other. They seem to ask questions, offer insight, and try to solve a problem together. 

                                            

 It was hard to understand their feeling without words but by their nonverbal behavior, the characters seemed to be happy, engaged in active listening, and respectful of those around them. In certain scenes, the puppets seemed perplexed because they could not find the firefly; however, the assumptions that I made about the characters and plot based on the ways in which I interpreted the communication I observed were accurate. The show did contain various scenes where they involved the television audience as well as depicted togetherness and cooperation. 

      

I do not  believe my assumptions would be more correct if I watched a show I was familiar with and/or different characters.

Competent Communication

I had an extremely hard time trying to find a person that demonstrates competent communication within a particular context because there were so many to choose from! I ultimately chose Lousie Derman-Sparks and Nadiyah Taylor. Lousie Derman-Sparks (Professor Emeritus and co-author of Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves as well as other texts) and Nadiyah Taylor (Department Coordinator and Professor of Early Childhood Development). These two women are from the Laureate Education multimedia presentations. In my professional opinion, they closely exhibited effective communication during their interviews.  I was intrigued with their dialogue, how they expressed their ideas effectively, they were respectively of each other and the topics in which they chose to highlight on kept my interest.

Louise Derman-Sparks

Nadiyah Taylor

                   
I would like to model some of my own communication behaviors after these two individuals. I want to effectively communicate my ideas while respectively acknowledging another's opinion (especially when different from mine!). I want to be in a position to understand the early childhood field thoroughly and able to speak on a vast number of topics while offering knowledge to those listening.

Professional Hopes and Goals

When I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds and a goal I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice, I hope to fully embody a quote I found during this class.
      
 "…to be the grain of sand that forms the core of the pearl, you must learn the gentle art of using disagreement about educational practice to your advantage…and you must choose when to stand firm and when not to. Not every issue is worth fighting; not every battle can be won. As an ethical professional, you may have hard choices to make. We urge you stand up for children and to make their well-being your primary concern; to say no when asked to do what is wrong; to insist on speaking what you know to be true; to risk making yourself unpopular; and to give others the courage to do the same. It’s a lot to ask. But it’s the right thing to do, and children need you to do it (Morrison, 2009, p. 17; Feeney, 2010, 452-453)”.


I would like to wholeheartedly thank  Dr. D and all of my colleagues who have participated, given phenomenal advice and insight, and learned with me along this journey of Perspective Diversity and Equity. This had been an excellent group of scholars!!!!

However, I would like to extend a special "THANK YOU" to Kate Koontz and Salesha Baston for your endless contribution to my posts throughout this course!!! :)

Monique


References

Feeney, S. (2010). Who Am I in the Lives of Children?: An Introduction to Early 
           Childhood Education (eighth ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson    

           Education, Inc.

Morrison, G. (2009). Early Childhood Education Today (eleventh ed.). Upper 

          Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Welcoming Families From Around the World

A new family has arrived to my center from Jalisco, Mexico.

The first way (and extremely essential) in which I will prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards my new family is to not make any assumptions. I would ask if an interpreter is required for the our meeting and not assume everyone speaks English. Another way is to be culturally responsive is to begin dialogue by asking the family to tell me about if and how they celebrate holidays and birthdays as well as what is important to their family and its culture. With their permission, I would post a photograph of the child(ren) and their family and ask how I can incorporate their culture into the center and their child's classroom. I would, also, study their country and learn various aspects of it to implement into the center's environment.

                                                

 "When you support diverse families you do not make assumptions. You do not assume that every family celebrates the same holidays, has a mother and father, eats the same foods, sees the role of child and parent in the same way, believes in the same (or any) god, has the same ways of caring for a child, or shares the same view of death and what happens after death. To avoid making assumptions, tell families that you respect and honor them for who they are and ask them to help you to support their child by explaining their perspectives and beliefs to you (Feeney, 2010, p. 418)". I hope the preparations in place for this new family will allow them to feel welcomed and know that they are valued and appreciated. I hope this will present an opportunity to establish a strong line of open communication between the staff of the center, the child's teacher(s), and the family.

Reference

Feeney, S. (2010). Who Am I in the Lives of Children?: An Introduction to Early
Childhood Education (eighth ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Education, Inc.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

A memory (not personal but fictional) that stands out for me when bias, prejudice, and/or oppression was present would be in the movie A Bronx Tale. it seems so random that I would think of this movie as an example for this blog, but I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS MOVIE even though it touches on racial situations. The movie takes place in the '60s where segregation is ever present and there is a clear distinction between the white and black neighborhoods. In the movie an Italian boy named Calogero or "C" has a crush on an African-American girl named Jane. The film is interesting because C is close with a mafia leader named Sonny who encourages him to date Jane. In the movie, Jane's brother is brutally beaten for going through the Italian neighborhood and she assumes C has something to do with it. In the fight, C tries to protect her brother unbeknownst to Jane. With her brother, she confronts C and the conversation gets heated...C calls her brother a "Ni**er".  Towards the end, Jane's brother confesses and she finds C to apologize and their love begins from that moment (which sadly is the end of the movie!). 

A Bronx Tale diminishes equity through the segregation of the black and white as well as with its stereotypes.

Watching this movie makes me shake my head at the ignorance of racism but, although, this film shows the realness of racism, it also, shows that love is greater than race, violence, and stereotypes.
  
                                                     

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

I was talking with my husband this week about microaggressions and explaining to him what this concept looks like and he brought to my attention a moment when he experienced a microaggression with a former co-worker. He reminded me of the conversation he had with his friend (whom is a young, white, southern male whose father was in the military) a long time ago. He said that him and his friend were in Publix together and his friend made the comment, "You know how they say black people love fried chicken...that's how I feel about mashed potatoes." I asked my husband what his reaction was and he said he laughed it off. He explained that he laughed it off because with this particular friend, he didn't expect him to realize the comment he had just made was offensive.

After reviewing resources and completing various assignments on microaggressions, I believe some incidents of microaggressions can be considered "innocent ignorance". In the situation with my husband and his friend, I do not believe his friend would intentionally make such a racial comment and not correct himself or apologize for it. I believe all races make comments about other races all the time. But, at the end of the day, it is all about perception. My husband did not PERCEIVE his friend as being a racist, bias, prejudice, or stereotypical when he made his comment and therefore was not offended. Sometimes, we all unconsciously say things that can be received as hurtful and/or offensive but mean no harm by them.

I do question if microaggressions have to deal primarily with one’s perception of the message received or if such infractions of social behavior exist because certain individuals are still trying to coexist in a dominant culture?  I ask myself, if this is the root of microaggressions? Is it that the “dominant culture” still has not fully accepted the existence of people of color, gay/lesbian, women, and other individuals with social identities that vary from those in the dominant culture? In this recognition, I know it is profoundly complicated to look at an individual in an insulting way but feel slighted if one’s perception of me is offensive.

What do you think?

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

In  regards to the aspects of culture and diversity, after speaking with my mother, my oldest child (13 years old), and a former co-teacher, I found that the perspective of culture and diversity correlates. Most of the answers paralleled culture and diversity to the point they were one of the same. One example (from their viewpoint) that seemed universal among all the answers was "culture is who you are" and deals mostly with race, gender, and one's community. Before participating in this course, I would have agreed with their observations of culture and diversity and would have found it hard to truly reflect on the subject. 

But, as I have learned through my Reflective Journal submissions, there is so much more beyond the layers of a person that truly defines their understanding of culture and diversity. It is so much more than one's race, gender, religion, family culture, etc. In my personal opinion, it is one's values, experiences, physical characteristics, and social identities that make up his/her concept of culture and diversity. This concept was one of the aspects that had been omitted from their understanding of this topic.

Thinking about other people's definitions of culture and diversity has influenced my own thinking about these topics by allowing me to see how universal this subject is. It was interesting to me to realize that culture and diversity almost seems like a taboo topic and nobody really discusses it in depth; yet, it affects each and everyone of us on a daily basis. Whether it's how we approach one another or our perspective on the community in which we live, this topic is undeniably widespread and deeply rooted.

My Family Culture

Imagine the following:

A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you. You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture...


The three items that I would choose to take with me to represent my family culture would be the wooden spoon and fork set, a djembe, and chakra stones.

The wooden spoon and fork is a traditional item in most African-American homes or kitchens

 and represents having good health and a prosperous family. The set can, also, be interpreted as family strength since the time the family is actually gathered together is at meal time. The oversizing is to emphasize that strength for all that visit the home to see. I grew up with this exact set in the kitchen of my childhood home!

A djembe or jembe, is a musical instrument that is a rope-tuned skin-covered goblet drum played with bare hands, originally from West Africa. The drums has always been the "keeper of the beat". Your heart is like a drum that keeps the beat of your spirit. The sound of the drum is used to communicate, both physically (through playing) and spiritually (when you allow the beat to engulf your soul). 

                                                     



The last item that I would bring with me on my journey would be chakra stones. My family and I are deeply into energy and strengthening the mind, body, and spirit. Chakra stones are used to cleanse and strengthen certain energy centers found within the body and are an important part of spiritual and mental growth. 
                             

 In arriving into this foreign land, if I were told that I could only keep one personal item and have to give up the other two items I brought with me, I would feel devastated, but would keep the chakra stones. All three items make up a significant part of my identity. Although, I would have a hard time parting with any of these 3 items, I would know that I carry the special memories of  them all and in these memories I would have them with me always. 

When I Think of Research...

When I first began this journey on Building Research Competencies, I was overwhelmed with thoughts of collecting data, graphs, tables, and scientific terminology! But at the end of it all, I can confidently say that I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about the foundations of research and how it pertains to the early childhood field! One insight that I have gained is how detailed and complex research can be. From the various methods used to collect and analyze data to the criteria needed to ensure the validity of the study, I now have a full awareness that scientific projects require a variety of perspectives and considerations before the study even begins!

Of course there were some challenges! One of the challenges that I encountered was trying to understand the various terminology found in research and grasp how to apply certain methods to a study. But, using the Understanding Research Chart was an extreme help because it allowed me to review certain terms and then redefine those terms in my own words for better understanding. It is my personal opinion that the chart allowed further appreciation of the concepts and terms found within a particular chapter. This as well as the course, Building Research Competencies has modified my perceptions of an early childhood professional by giving me more insight on the process and methods used within research. I am more excited and have discovered a new-found passion for the early childhood field because of the in-depth knowledge I have gained about research and how it can be used to benefit and further the early childhood field, its learners, families, and community as a whole!

Research Around the World

The website I chose to further explore was the European Early Childhood Education Research Association (www.eecera.org). Some of the current international research topics that can be found on this site are: A socio-cultural perspective on children's early language: a family study and Interacting with children in preschool: a crossroad in early childhood education. From what I could find on the site as an example of current international research topics, these two articles are the most recent.

In exploring this international early childhood website, a new insight that I gained was exploring The Korea Institute of Child Care and Education which was a link found on the site. This organization conducts five different research projects. Major, Occasional, General, Cosigned, and Joint research projects. Under each category, there are several projects that have been conducted. The KICCE has 12 "projects" that guide their work:

- Strengthening basic research on long-term childcare Policy
- Suggesting transformative paradigm for cooperative childcare policy
- Strengthening strategic researches for the integration and implementation of childcare and education
- Constructing the role as a hub for research on ECEC policy
- Expanding research on future-oriented ECEC Policy
- Strengthening international networks and cooperation for improving research ability
- Strengthening research on child care support policies for solving blind spots
- Developing a customized research development system for ECEC policies specifically for the policy customers
- Offering people-friendly childcare policy information and communication system
- Strengthening organizational specialty and multidisciplinary research capabilities
- Establishing a reasonable evaluation and reward system
- Building a strong sense of community within the organization

Other noteworthy information that I found on this website was they have certain requirements that are outlined for potential partners of the this organization and is considered "Criteria for Acceptance as an EECERA Partner and for Linked Organization Websites":

Partner Organisations and those wishing to exchange 'links' with EECERA's website should:

- have aims and values congruent with EECERA's aims and values,
- have an established, sustained interest in research, policy and practice related to young children and families,
- have a transparent financial and management infrastructure,
- be non-profit making,
- be focused, primarily, on developing public services,
- not be affiliated or primarily financed by politically orientated bodies or individuals.

EECERA encourages links to its site where organisations can demonstrate these criteria.

I find the above information noteworthy because it highlights the integrity this organization (EECERA) has towards the people and children that it serves. Such guidelines secure that whomever takes interest in partnering with this website will uphold the same values and desires to advance the children, families, and the early childhood field.

Research that Benefits Children and Families---Uplifting Stories

When I was fourteen months old, I was diagnosed with severe asthma. Between my diagnosis and my 17th birthday, I had been hospitalized 46 times, on life-support 4 different occasions, and had doctors tell my parents that I wasn't going to make on 2 different occasions. I can remember my mom telling me that all the doctors that had treated me over my life (before I turned 18) had never seen an asthma case as severe as mine. So it was my pediatrician's thought that I spend a month in Denver, Colorado at the National Jewish Health (an academic medical research facility specializing in respiratory, cardiac, and allergic disorders).

My mother consented with my pediatrician's idea. Her thought was this would be the perfect opportunity to find the root of my severe attacks.  I was 10 years old when we left for Denver, Colorado. My first time on a plane and the first time I had ever slept a night without my mother. During this month visit, I underwent sleep tests, variations of medications and dosages, therapy, and even a test where I had a thin tube inserted into my nose that had a balloon on the end which was blown up once inside my lungs. The purpose of this test was to measure my air capacity. I had another test which involved a thin tube that  was inserted into my nose that I had to wear for 24 hours and this test was conducted to measure my acid reflux.

Writing this brings back so many horrible memories. I hated every minute of it. I use this as an example of research that benefits children and families because although I endured through these tests, it was for the benefit of my overall respiratory health and so that my parents could have peace of mind that they would never have another doctor approach them with the words, "We don't think she's going to make it".  I highlight this experience because it shows how research can be looked as a "horrible experience" to one but the greatest gift to another. With this experience, can it be said that research had a thin line between barbaric and life-saving?

My Personal Research Journey Part 2

The topic that I have chosen for the simulation is cognitive development. I have chosen this topic because it is my personal opinion that a strong foundation in cognitive development is the core of a successful academic future as well as assists one in obtaining his/her greatest potential. As adults, we are continuously enhancing our cognitive development through continuing education, training, word searches, etc. With this understanding, it intrigues me to know how early can cognitive development began. We know (through research) that it begins in the womb but I'm curious to know how early. 

Some insights that I have gained so far from constructing the research chart is the various research methods and how each method has its own terminology. I will be using The Developing Person Through Childhood by Kathleen Stassen Berger as one of my resources for my simulation. I used this textbook for a previous course and found it had a plethora of information on prenatal development, including cognitive development. Are there any other resources that should be considered with this particular simulation?