Final Thoughts

Honestly, I cannot believe that we have reached the end of this program.  It has been a very challenging, yet rewarding experience.  I have learned many things throughout the course of the program at Walden; however, three major concepts stand out.  First, our culture defines who we are, in fact our cultural identity is fused to all of the other identities that make up who we are.  As a result, early childhood education will not be effective if room is not made for the full expression of every child and family's cultural identity.  Second, to be a professional educator teachers must become skilled in the areas of self-reflection.  Reflection not only reveals our hidden biases so that we can learn to eliminate them; it reveals our strengths and weaknesses.  Finally, I learned that big change is possible even if it is a small group that is working for the change.  Passion and inspiration are powerful forces.  When someone is passionate about a concept or topic it means that in some way it connects with their heart.  I believe that it is important that early childhood educators remember this as we connect with and teach others whether they are children, families, or colleagues.  When others are truly adamant about an issue it means something for them and has personal relevance, which we should be respectful of.

A long-term goal that I have is to be an instructor/professor at the community college level.  I believe that early childhood teacher education is an important area of the field.  Teacher educators are tasked with preparing the future of the early childhood field!  It is a place of great responsibility but also great possibility to inspire and ignite social change.

Finally, I would like to thank my professors and colleagues for this amazing journey.  On February 27, 2012 I really did not know if I could work through this program or not; yet here we are.  I appreciate your comments, your encouragement, and your questioning.  I believe this program has left us with the skills we need to be professionals in our highly important field.  I wish you all the best!  If you would like to stay in touch with me, I plan on keeping my blog active.  Also, you may email me at joseph.starnes1@gmail.com

International Communities of Practice

As advocates for children and families I think it is important for us to remember that all children throughout the world are important and as humans we are all connected.  Therefore, this week I have identified three international organizations that I believe do excellent work for children, families, and education in general.  The first is UNICEF or the United Nations Children's Fund, which focuses in areas of child survival and development.  UNICEF focuses on basic education and gender quality, HIV Aids and children, and child protection and policy advocacy.  UNICEF believes that nurturing and care for young children is the cornerstone of human progress.  UNICEF is active in more than 190 countries.  A current job opportunity that is available is the position of Education Specialist, which provides technical support to early childhood programs in a given area. To obtain this position one must have a Master's, have a growing understanding of culture, and speak at least two of  the UN's  home languages fluently.

A second program I found is called Save the Children, which is an independent organization that works with children throughout the world.  They are committed to raising awareness of accountability, innovation, and collaboration throughout the field of early childhood education.  They are also currently one of the leaders in supporting universal access to preschool.  Currently, they have a specialist position in early childhood education which would provide training and support to partner centers and programs.  To obtain this position one must have a Master's and be familiar with emergency response protocols as well as quality standards and adult training.

Finally, the International Step by Step Association promotes equal access to quality education and care for all.  The program which was founded in the Netherlands, works to ensure that children everywhere have a strong start in life.  Every year the association hosts a conference and provides teacher trainings and certification.  I could not find any open positions at this organization however.

References

International Step by Step Association http://www.issa.nl/index.html

Save the Children  http://www.savethechildren.org

UNICEF http://www.unicef.org

Federal Resources and Agencies

There are several federal or national organizations that do great advocacy work for children and families.  Zero to Three was founded in 1977 with the mission "to ensure that all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life"(www.zerotothree.org, 2013).  Zero to Three supports infant and toddler development by supporting learning, advocating for families, and making policy recommendations.  They also have a strong resource area for teachers and families, which features a newsletter that contains information about what parents may be seeing developmentally and how they can foster that development.  One position that they have open that I would be interested in is their Senior Writer/Training Specialist position, which is responsible for planning and over-seeing conferences, peer review and editing, and provide workshops and large trainings for staff.  To achieve this position one must have strong knowledge of Head Start policies, effective written and oral skills, and strong knowledge of early childhood development especially infant and toddler development.

Another national organization is the Children's Defense Fund whose mission is defined as an effort to "leave no child behind by ensuring that every child has a healthy start, a head start, a fair start, a safe start, and a moral start"(www.childrensdefensefund.org, 2013).  The Children's Defense Fund is an advocacy group for the whole child not just for education and care purposes.  Currently, there are no positions open that I would be qualified for.

The final organization is the Division for Early childhood, which promotes policies and advances for evidence-based practices that support families and ensure the optimal development of young children who have or are at-risk for delays (www.dec-sped.org).  They work to ensure that children with special needs, disabilities, or are gifted/talented are receiving the programs they need to be successful.   The program only has a core group of staff; however, takes recommendations and publishes articles from early childhood professionals.  To contribute one must have knowledge of early childhood and special education. 

Resources:

Zero To Three  www.zerotothree.org

Children's Defense Fund  www.childrensdefensefund.org

The Division for Early Childhood  www.dec-sped.org

Exploring Communities of Practice

In my area there are three small communities of practice that I believe do excellent work in regards to supporting practitioners, children, and families.  The first one is the York County Directors Association which is composed of directors of local child development centers.  The directors meet once a month to discuss experiences and challenges that they may be facing in their centers.  For example, a recent meeting focused on how to support and encourage early childhood teachers.  I think a small network like this, although very informal, is a great tool which allows the members to discuss problems and share solutions.  The group is so small that they do not have any online presence.  The second group that I would like to discuss is York County First Steps, which is an organization that focuses on getting children ready for school by supporting the children, teachers, and centers in which they are enrolled.  The agency is part of a state agency which shares the same mission.  Any early childhood educator can join the group as long as their center is willing to participate.  First Steps offers trainings, professional development, parent resources, and grants for children, schools, and families.  The final organization is Easter Seals, which provides services for people with disabilities.  Easter Seals has an amazing early childhood branch which sends qualified teachers and therapists to work with children in school and in the home if the child is not able to attend school.  Easter Seals works with teachers to provide training, support, and adaptive equipment so that children can participate to the fullest extent possible.

One career that I would be interested in is a Program Manager at Easter Seals, which requires a Master's degree in Early Childhood education.  The position also requires that the candidate be organized, passionate, and inspiring all important characteristics for working with children and families.  Another career I would be interested in is being an instructor in a community college, which would allow me to help students find their own networks and sources of support.

Resources

Easter Seals  www.eastersealsucp.com
First Steps  www.scfirststeps.org

The End

As we wrap up this course and get ready to extend our learning further.  I would like to say that I have really enjoyed this course.   I believe that the skills learned in this course will help me increase my professional performance.  Many of the topics we have discussed I was completely unaware of until this course.  I would like to thank my classmates and our instructor for a wonderful experience.

The Adjourning Stage of Group Development

Inevitably, all groups must come come to an end or adjourn when their task is accomplished.  The last major group that I was involved in was a committee designed to improve the nutrition of our food options for our children.  The group originally spent a lot of time in the storming stage because we were not clear about our goals or how we should work together.  Some members of our group even felt attacked personally because they thought the purpose of our group was to make them do our jobs better.  However, over time we were able to eventually define our vision and learn how to be a team. As a team were ultimately successful, because our goal was accomplished.  If we could have worked together better from the start I believe that we could have worked together better.  The adjourning stage was somewhat difficult because after we "bought in" to the vision we all enjoyed meeting together and performing our jobs.  I also think that we got to know each other pretty well because we did spend a lot of time in argument at the beginning, which also made the team kind of difficult to leave.  Maybe teams that argue the most have the most passion, although it may be misdirected.

Disagreements and Conflict Resolution

In any fast paced environment like the work place, disagreements are bound to happen.  When disagreements arise it is okay to disagree on the points-of-view; however, it is necessary to respect the person.  The Center for Nonviolent Communication (n.d.) has two skills that I believe would be particularly effective in workplace confrontations.  The first is to differentiate between observation and evaluation.  I think that if we learn to just listen to what the other person is saying, without adding our judgments we can begin to "understand" them.  This will allow for communication to be open and honest.  The other skill is to learn to honestly request wheat we would like in a way that clearly and specifically states what we want.  For example, if I were to say that "I do not like it when you yell at me.  Instead, I would rather you talk to me in a calm voice," I would let the other person know what I want out of the communication situation.  I think if we were to implement these two ideas communication situations would improve greatly.

Evaluating Communication

I feel that completing the communication inventories this week were both interesting and informative.  I chose to have a family member, my sister, complete the inventory and a co-worker.  I was surprised that all three sets of evaluations were very similar, although they actually may have differed in the specific point value.  My co-worker’s evaluation and my evaluation were identical which surprised me because she has only known me for a few months.  My sister gave me a more favorable evaluation on the verbal aggressiveness scale; however, I believe this is because she has only seen me interact with family or friends where there is usually little cause for aggressiveness.  I was surprised to learn that I am more of a people-oriented listener because before completing the surveys I would not have described myself that way.  I realize that to work in the early childhood field it is important to be people-oriented in not only listening but also every other form of communication.  I think that although I was evaluated as being moderately verbally aggressive, I am proud to be able to argue a person’s position without demeaning them. 

Different communication

Different Communication

 

                I do not believe that I find myself communicating differently across cultures; however, when I am speaking with someone from a different nationality and language system I do find myself using body language more intentionally.  I do not know why I do this, I am not sure if it is even effective.  When I am at church or at work, I use more formal language than when I am with family or friends.  I think this is due to comfort level and perception.  When I am at home or with family and friends, I am more comfortable and communicate freely in my preferred method.  When I am at church or at work, I use language that is more formal so that I will be understood and so that I will not be perceived as someone who cannot speak proper English.  

I think that three strategies for improving communication in all situations is to really listen to the other person, ask questions if you don't understand, and try to use the platinum rule if at all possible.

Unexpected Communication

 

                This week, I viewed the program Hart of Dixie with the sound off.  I am not very familiar with the show, nor do I even know the characters’ names; however, observing their communication styles was very interesting.  In the beginning of the show, one of the characters was standing with his arm around a female character and he was addressing a nearby couple.  Since, the characters were smiling and laughing I assumed that they were having a pleasant conversation.  However, when I turned the sound on I realized that he was sharing personal communication about their relationship that no one needed to know in order to make her angry so that they could have a fight.  The female character, Dr. Hart, did not follow through with his plan because she is trying not to get angry over little things.

                I think this scenario shows that we cannot fully understand the communication of another, especially if we have no way of “hearing” them.  Nonverbal communication can be completely misleading although it is more difficult to fake.  Even when we “hear” the words, we may not know the meaning or the intent in which they are said, which is why we must process incoming information carefully and if we are not certain it is okay to ask.

An Effective Communicator

Although, there are many politicians and celebrities who by profession must have at least reasonable communication skills; one of the greatest communicators in my life was my mother, Linda Starnes.  My mother was not a great public speaker; however, our family depended on her communication for survival.  She was a wonderful listener and was always willing to listen to us no matter what was going on in her own personal life.  In fact, whether she gave suggestions or not, the simple act of listening always appeared to make the problem better or at least more manageable.  Although, my mother never took any communication courses growing up with six siblings and then having four children and three grandchildren of her own taught her a lot about communication.  My mother rarely gave direct pieces of advice but was a “sounding board” as you gave ideas to try to solve your problem.  Nearly every time you finished a conversation with her, you left feeling better not only about the problem but about yourself.  I would love to have her “communication technique” because it always left you feeling validated and respected.

Reflecting on Social Equity

A hope that I have when working with children and families from diverse backgrounds that I have, after taking this course, is that I will be able to meet them with respect, appreciation, and acceptance.  I hope that I will be able to engage with them in honest discussions and develop true partnerships with them. 

                I believe that a goal for early childhood in regard to diversity, social justice, and equity is to make anti-bias curriculum a required component for schools and centers.  Anti-bias curriculum  teaches teachers and children how to navigate the diverse world around them.  I am aware of many centers and preschools that do not incorporate any components of anti-bias curriculum nor have their teachers been trained in it.  I believe that doing this would increase social justice for all. 

                Finally, I would like to think all of my classmates, colleagues, and our professor as we have navigated down this enlightening journey.  For me, this course has been very challenging because it brought to light issues that I did not even know I had.  Thank you all for contributing to my understanding of all the important concepts we have studied.

Welcoming Families from Around the World

 

                In order to welcome a new family from a foreign culture many steps and preparations must be taken into consideration.  I am a teacher at a childcare center and I am getting ready to welcome a family from Venezuela.  I have never traveled to Venezuela nor do I know anything about the culture or history of Venezuela.  In order to welcome the child and the family I will begin by learning something about the surface culture because although surface culture because although surface culture is not critically important it may give us some common ground in the beginning while we build relationships.  I will also research the language so that I can translate classroom orientation packets into the family’s home language.  I will also need to label some classroom materials in the child’s language as well so that she can continue to learn her language as well as English.  In order to begin to build a relationship with the family I will hold a meeting so that I can go over classroom expectations and allow the parents to express their expectations for their child’s learning.  At this meeting, I realize it may be necessary to hire a translator, because I do not speak Spanish.  If the family feels comfortable enough I will ask them some questions about their culture and their expectations and ensure them that I am here to teach their child as well as aide them.  I will also ensure that the child sees herself and her family reflected in classroom materials and books.  By taking these steps, I hope that they will allow the family and me to begin to build a relationship and partner together to ensure the best possible experience for their child.  For the parents I hope this allows them to see me as someone they can trust and cares about them and their child.  For the child, I hope that she will believe that she has a teacher who not only respects her but her family as well.  As the teacher, I believe these steps and the ones to follow will allow me to be the best teacher possible for not only this particular child but others as well.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

Bias, prejudice, and oppression are unfortunately a part of our lives.  It takes place in nearly everything we do in some form or another.  The only experience, in which I could say that I have been a victim of prejudice or bias, is when a family member at the center I used to work at would not allow her child to be in my classroom because I am a man.  At first, it was a little hurtful but I did not think much about it tossing it up to a parent’s choice in whom educates her child.  However, after studying topics in our course I realize that it was bias and prejudice because that mother had a particular notion of what a teacher of young children should be and I did not fit that description.  I think this particular episode diminished equity because it made the case that males were not as capable of caring for and teaching young children as females.  I believe it also diminished equity because I believe this particular mother was afraid of what I, as a man, might do to her child, which is very hurtful.  If this parent had been paying attention to news reports lately, she will realize that females are just as capable of hurtful behavior as males.  I realize that for me this brought up feelings of anger and hurt because I was made to feel inadequate and not capable much less being good enough for her child’s teacher.  In this case, I think that our program could have changed where the parent would not have been giving a choice.  However, I believe that is the particular parent that needs to change because it was her bias that caused the situation. However, after being at my former program for five years I think that I have proven that men can be effective, caring teachers for our youngest children.   As a special note, I want to say that all parents have the right to make educational decisions about their child.

Microaggressions - My Experience

 

                Throughout the week, I have been taking note of microaggressions in my observations and interactions with others, hoping I would not witness any.  Unfortunately, one occurred in my work environment when a coworker told a child “you know, you really do think very well and act nicely.”  At first glance, this appears to be a compliment however; the child my coworker was talking to has operational defiance disorder so behavior is a challenge.  The statement also implied the person’s shock that the child behaved so well unlike others with his condition. I think that the child experienced mixed emotions when he heard this statement because he is young and may have taken it as praise; however, I believe that he also felt hurt because his teacher felt this way about him.  I would have been hurt myself because I would have felt judged.  I also overheard several stereotypical statements and have even caught myself thinking some as well. Although, I was disappointed myself I believe that the first step in preventing microaggressions and stereotypes is to realize when you are thinking them, reflect on, and redirect your thoughts.  Discrimination, prejudice, and stereotypes are harmful not only to the victims but to the perpetrators.  Over time, victims are likely made to feel “less than” what they are and that they should live up these stereotypes.  Stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination also affect the perpetrators because it dehumanizes us.  I, also, believe that to some extent or another everyone has stereotypes and bias, which is why it is important to learn to recognize them so that we will not act on them.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

Throughout our readings, I have discovered that culture is hard to define and perhaps even more challenging to understand.   This week, I interviewed three different people with different backgrounds and asked them to give their thoughts about culture and diversity.  One participant is a 61-year-old female, who owns her own business, and has advanced degrees.  The other participant is 42-year-old female who works as the manager of small educational service company.  The final participant is a 20-year-old female who works part time.  While their statements were somewhat different, the main idea was very similar.  One defined culture as the set of rules and norms groups of people live by.  Participant A went on to say that culture defines us more than race, socio-economics, or religious beliefs because those things are only a part of our culture.  The other participants’ statements agreed with this because they see culture as what makes us who we are.  Culture is what makes us who we are; however, I believe most of us are not very conscious of our culture we just do what we do.

                We have studied how culture defines us and that we think of as culture is only surface culture and not deep culture.  I think that the statements made by my participants echo this sentiment because they reflect that religious beliefs and race are only a part of our culture.  I think that their definition of diversity is different from what we have studied in our course because their statement says that diversity is a “politically correct way of saying there are differences among human beings and that diversity is a way of increasing tolerance.”  While I believe that, we want to increase tolerance I do not think there is anything politically correct about it just the right thing to do.  I also think that they missed the concept of how diversity makes our lives richer and how diversity should be respected and appreciated.

My Family Culture

                If I survived a major catastrophic event, had to relocate to another country, and could only bring three cultural objects with me they would include my Bible, my favorite book, and my degree.  I would bring a copy of the Bible because it represents my faith.  In fact, it is the blueprint for my faith.  Not only does it represent my faith is also a special object from my family’s culture because my mother so valued the Bible and taught us to respect it.  I would bring a copy of my current favorite book because I am a huge fan of reading.  Reading has always been important to me because it is a learning tool and a way of escape.  Reading is also important to most members of my family.  My mother and I were very close and she taught me to love and respect books, which was one of the many things we had in common.  I would also bring my college degree because it represents a part of who I am and the hard work that I put into getting it.  I was the first person to attend and graduate from college in both sides of my family. 

                If I were to find out that I could only bring one item, I would be highly upset because they all have meaning and significance in my life and my personal and family culture.  During the process of determining the objects I would bring I discovered that I do not know enough about my culture, because I had difficulty thinking about what kind of “cultural” items I would bring.  During our reading, I have discovered that nearly everything I have is some type of cultural item.