~As We Adjourn~

AS WE ADJOURN

Let me first start off by saying that I really have enjoyed each and every one of you. Though we have not met personally, the interactions that we have made with each other throughout this course have been very rewarding. I have learned to value both good and bad communication as we collaborated with each other the differences. I have learned so much from you all and I have learned from our discussions how to improve myself better as a listener as well as a communicator.

I hope to see some familiar names and faces (Blog) as I journey on through the program here at Walden. It has been nice collaborating, discussing, and blogging with you all as we shared our very own thoughts and opinions. 

My contact email is: da1trina@yahoo.com.  I am also on facebook listed as Oliver Katrina. Lets not let this be the end of the road for us. Anything that I can do to assist, please contact me. I try to have my cell phone with me at all times. (Email). 

I wish you all luck in all that you set forth to do. We are almost there (graduation). Hang in there and I hope to see you all on graduation day. 

Many blessings!

Katrina 

~Adjourning & Saying Good Bye~

Adjourning 

I know that we can can testify about the different types of groups that we have been a part of. For me, the group where we treated each other with respect and looked out for the well being of each other was the hardest to leave. Because we all worked so well together and everyone had high standards, we performed very well. Within the group, there were no cliques. We all had our own opinions and valued the opinions of others. We valued each other and especially our differences. This group was formed as a grade level. We were all second grade teachers and did everything together; lesson plans, meetings, and more.

When I had to PCS with my husband, we celebrated by going to dinner with each other and our families. There to my surprise, I was blessed with gifts from each person.

While working on my master's degree online, I have not had the opportunity to meet my colleagues and establish relationships. I know for sure that it is very hard to leave people or adjourn where there are relationships that are healthy. Adjourning may not be so hard in this case.

I must add, we people do not work together well as a team, it is easy to say good bye. I have to admit, I have been working with a group of managers where I am trying to buy my way out of. People are jealous, mean, unappreciative and have different worth ethics than I do. I can not wait until I am able to adjourn from this team. 

Adjourning is an essential stage of teamwork because it helps the team or group reflect on their accomplishment and failures as well as determine whether the group will disassemble or take on another project.(O’Hair & Wiemann, 2012. p. 257) 

Reference

O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). 

Real communication: An introduction. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.

~Resolving Conflict!

~RESOLVING CONFLICT~

When being asked to think abut conflict in either my professional or personal environment, several encounters come to mind. However, I'd like to reflect on the personal aspects rather than the professional at this time.

Scenario: It is the holiday season and my husband and I are shopping for Christmas gifts. My husband looks over to me after I had spent a few dollars on items that our daughter have on her Christmas list and says, I am going to buy ( he has an outside child) my son items and I can buy Jonaisa ( our daughter) things later. 

Without asking any questions, I looked at him and began to yell using language that is definitely inappropriate. After about two long minutes of telling him how I feel and that he has to take care of all of his responsibilities, I felt a little bad. Being a man, he confronted me, letting me know that I was wrong and should understand where he was coming from. I felt as tough he was putting our daughter last (yes I am sensitive about this). Instead he wanted to ensure that hiss son items are shipped and under his tree before Christmas. 

Two strategies that I have learned that would help me deal with conflict is the cooperative strategy and taken from the nonviolent communication, "10 Steps to Peace".

When it comes to the cooperation strategy it is important because when I communicate, I want my relationship to benefit and have goals that with benefit all of us. When I think about the steps to keeping the peace, I will have to center everything on me making the necessary change to ensure improvement or satisfaction. I have learned from experience that the only person you can change is yourself.

The 3 R's is always a great strategy as well. In all we do being respectful and responsive in a positive manner should give great rewards in return.

This week has been great. I printed a view things from the NVC website and used with my staff to help build teams while improving the culture in the center and believe it or not, it has to start with the way we communicate with each other. 

~How Others View Me As A Communicator~

~How Others View Me As a Communicator~

After getting both my husband and a co-workers to evaluate me this week as a communicator, I was shocked to discover that my husband score indicated that I am people-oriented, mild when it comes to communication anxiety, and significant on the verbal aggressiveness scale. My co-worker rated me as being time- oriented, low on communication anxiety scale, and low on the verbal aggressiveness scale.

One of the things that surprised me the most is the fact that my husband feels as though I am a little more verbal aggressive than I do. I have to admit that I communicate with him more aggressively than I do with others because I am more comfortable with him and I now that he understand me and where I am coming from. I was also surprised to learn that my co-worker feels as though I am time-oriented. I do not want my co-workers to feel as though I do not have time for them.

Two other insights that I learned about communication this week is that stereotyping may be positive, negative, or neutral and could possibly lead to negative and/or bad communication. The second thing is self-esteem. As the text book mentions, people that have high self esteem are more confident in their interpersonal relationships because they believe that they are more likely to believe that being friendly will cause others to be friendly in return. 

Two things that I have learned from this experience to do better is to treat my husband just as good as I treat the people that I work with and have to communicate in a positive manner. I also plan on having more time for my employees. I do know that there are things that I have to get accomplished throughout the day. I plan on making time out of my schedule that is strictly dedicated for listing to my employees.

~Communicating Differently~

On a day to day basis I find myself communicating differently according to the people who are in my surroundings. Diversity is all around us. We are all different and like to do different things as well as communicate differently.

When I am with my coworkers, I communicate in a professional manner. I use proper grammar, less facial expressions and I am very attentive to listening to the things that other may have to say. I could you could say that I am an active listener.

When I communicate with people that are older that I am, I always say yes ma'am or yes sir. I am very respectful and will never raise my voice. On the contrary, I am also very respectful to all but will raise my voice at a person that is around my age group or younger to get my point across.

When I am with my family and friends, I am more relaxed, use slang words when communicating and my facial expressions may tell it all. My husband would say that I am a passive listeners. He says that  I hear what I want to hear.

Based on the things that I have learned this week there are a few strategies that I can use to communicate more effectively.

1. I should be a better listener to everyone. Everyone wants to feel important and valued. If being an active listener works at work, I know that it will work with my family and friends. Being a people- oriented listener would be great when communicating with my family and friends.

2. The platinum rule is essential. When we treat others the way they want to be treated, everyone wins. Hopefully the same thing would be done with you.

3. Masking is importnat. Some times we have to let people know that regardless of what is being said or done, we can act accordingly. We should not show others the way we truly feel with our facial expressions. 

This week I have learned life long skills that will take me a long way. The things that has touched me the most is that we have to take the time to see things the way others may see them. We can  not be to quick to judges others until we have had the opportunity to see thing the way it may be according to others.  

Silent versus Sound Communication

The Nanny

The Nanny is a television episode that has been around for quite a while. However, I decided to pay it a little attention to completed this assignment. There were three main characters on the show, the nanny who is  a flirty lady (Fran), the butler and Mr. Sheffeld. 

When I watched the show on mute, Fran appeared to be a mean lady who used lots of facial expressions. She frowned a lot and used her hands to demonstrate things. She looked a little silly and moved around a lot.The butler appeared to be frustrated. He continued to look confused each time Fran said something or moved around. 

Mr. Sheffeld appeared to be calm and smiled a lot.After watching the show with the volume, I started to become interested. Fran turned out to be really cool and funny. even though she made facial expressions, most of the time the expressions were made to demonstrate the way she felt. She turned out to be nicer when the volume was up. She still is silly but she is more bubbly. She loves to use her hands when she communicates. 

The butler was more sarcastic than I imagined. He said little things that would conclude that Fran was a tad bit frustrating. Every time she talked, he would say something that attacked her character in a funny way.

I could tell that Fran was a little flirty when Mr. Sheffeld came around. Both with the volume and on mute, she continued to blush and used her hands to touch Mr. Sheffeld.
If I had been watching a show that I am more aware of. I would have known the personalities of the characters and even on mute, I would know whether or not the characters were playful or serious. 

If you have never watched "The House of Pain", try this exercise watching that show. I would love to hear the things that you all would have to say about Curtis both before and after.

~A Competent Communicator~

 
                                                                          

When I think of a person who communicates competently, I think of my mother.

*She listens to every word that people have to say. When a person feels like they are capable of nothing, she makes them feel like a million dollars.

*She look people in the eyes and gives them the vibe that she is paying attention to everything that they are saying. If things are sad, she uses nonverbal cues to demonstrate her empathy.

*She remains calm in stressful situations and avoids conflict.

I would like to take on all of my mothers communication skills. She always make time for people and listens to them until they walk away. Some time people only need someone to listen too. I am guilty of listening to people while continuing to perform task or not even look the person in the eyes. I really need to do better. A good communicator involves more than using words. A good communicator uses nonverbal cues and is patient when listening to others.

~Professional Hopes and Goals~

One hope that I have when working with children and families from diverse backgrounds is that all teachers are prepared with the essential tools to make everyday learning a success. I want the children  to feel comfortable learning in an environment where they are accepted. I also hope that parent feel welcomed and know that we are there to assist them in all ways possible.

One goal that I would like to set for the early childhood field that is related to diversity, social justice, and equity is to train all caregivers that are employed in my center on the importance of all three. The society is growing larger and larger each day. Luckily we are in a profession where people look up to us. If all teachers (caregivers) are trained on equity, and diversity, they may have a different outlook on people.

I hope that you all have enjoyed this experience as much as I have. It was great learning about the uniqueness of the people who make up our society.
Please take all that you have learned to improve on equity and social justice in you careers. I have enjoyed collaborating with you all and I wish you nothing but the best in all that you set forth to accomplish throughout your experience at Walden University and throughout life.

~Welcoming Families Around the World~

• The name of “my” family’s country of origin is Africa

I work at a child development center and the child's fist day is today. 

Five ways that l have  prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards this family is to:

1) Have books for the child to read that demonstrates their culture.

2) Have an employee there to assist me that is fluent in their language.

3) Have to read books and research websites that will provide me with more information about their family's culture.

4)Ask members of the same culture about specific things that they like and are interested in.

5) Have things provided that makes them feel welcoming and reminds them of their home land.

I hope by doing the above, both the child and his/her family will feel comfortable knowing that I value them and their culture. I want them to know that even though they are in an unfamiliar place, they can make it their home. 

~The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression~

Throughout this class, I often spoke about things that have happened to me. I am going to shift it around a little and discuss something that happened to someone that I know in regards to bias.

A young gentlemen who display feminine characters worked as a manager in a center. He is very nice, outgoing, and is eager to learn.  Other managers were treating him inappropriately and displayed micro-aggressions against him. That made it hard for him to be successful in the work place. The staff members that he is responsible for started to add in on the mumbling of how he is different. This caused serious damage to him emotionally. Later, I was informed that he tried to take his life.

After three weeks of medical treatment, he was reassigned to a different location.  He was judged incorrectly based on his characteristics and his self identity.

Equity was diminished because he was not given the same opportunities as others. He was looked down on because to some, he is different. He wears his clothes in a professional manner, his nails are clean and appealing to the eyes and he speaks with a soft voice. Is this a reason to believe that he is incapable of fulfilling the mission?

I was very empathetic for him. I could only imagine how he could have felt. This made me outraged that we as humans can be so cruel to one another not realizing that we all have differences.  I knew that something had to be done to recondition the situation.

Thankfully I was the one that he was reassigned to. I did verbalize that the individual that caused the problem should be spoken to. She needs to understand that we are should all be treated equally regardless of our differences.  If it happened once then chances it will happen again to someone else. People need to know that their actions and comments can be very abusive and hurt others. It can cause lifelong affects as well as deaths.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

This week we have been discussing microaggressions and learning how to become aware so there are no unintentional wound or scars created. After thinking back over this week, I can recall where microagression occurred this past weekend with my husband.

I was sitting at the park watching my daughter play with her friends. Several people from the neighborhood are sitting and discussing different things. My husband pulls up in his truck, playing music of his choice, all dressed and prepared to go fishing. Right behind him is his best friend Mike who is caucasian. Eric and Mike walks over to me and Eric tells me that he is going to spend the day fishing with Mike. He tells me if I need anything to call him or simply drive to the lake. They planned to hang out fishing overnight. I tell him okay and that my daughter and I will drop by to check on them or bring them things that they've left like always.

As my husband and Mike walk away, one of the my neighbors says, "Why does your husband hang with him. All they like like to do is white boy stuff. Your husband is getting turned out". I was very confused by the term white boy stuff. I never saw fishing as being of a particular race.

This made me feel outraged. Here are two people that enjoy doing things that they both like together and they are being criticized for that. Some people will never grow up. I become upset when people associate music to a particular race, when they associate hobbies to a particular race and etc.

I have learned from the readings that this is something that will probably never change. People at times do not intend to hurt you but they haven't taken the time to realize what they say may affect you as a human.

My plan is to educate all people that I associate around me. I printed the conversation from the resources and plan to discuss this with my Lead Teachers today during our Leads meeting. Teachers need to know how important this is.  When working with children and people, we do not want any person to feel like they are being a target. We know that it happens, even with the ones that you feel comfortable around.

This was such a great topic.

~Perspectives on Diversity and Culture~

 Durning the week, I contacted two friends and a family member. One friend is originally from Ghana, another is from Virginia and my family member (sister in law ) is from Cape Verde Island. After speaking with each of them, I learned several things. 

Friend from Ghana~ She defined culture as being everything that she and her family does on a daily basis. She went on and conversed about the food they eat, the clothes the wear and their religion. When I asked her to define diversity, she said that in her opinion, diversity was simple a collection of people's race, background, and ethnicity. 

Friend from Virginia ~ She defined culture as being a persons background. She identified culture and being a multitude of things that one is used to doing either with family and or friends. When I asked her to explain diversity, she said that it was hard for her to put into words but she feels as though diversity means the people and all their differences.

Friend from Cape Verde Island~ My sister in law first thought I was trying to be funny. She said that I should know what her culture was about because she explained it to us all of the time. I then asked her to share with me her definition of culture. She went on to say that culture is a dance, a song, and a way of living. Culture to her is a way of doing things which are passed down through generations. She said that diversity is everything that each person brings to society. Its ones very on identity and uniqueness.

All of the aspects of culture and diversity that I have studied in this class was identified by each of my friends. I can recall an individual on the media segment referencing culture to a looking glass. She said that culture is everything that we say and do. 

The main points in regards to diversity and culture were covered. After listening to others speak about culture and diversity, I was happy to consider myself their friends. Although I was not influenced by the things that were mentioned, I was proud to know that we all think along the same lines. We all respect each other and the people of the world. We know that the world is such a good place because we all add to the uniqueness. 

~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.

As I look back and contemplate over a few things that are important to me and my family, I quickly realize that I hold a lot of things about my culture and my family in my heart. However, I do have a cross that my grandmother made for me that I treasure. Once I began driving at the age of 16, she told me to always keep the cross with me. She explained that the cross will resemble Christ and that I should walk a Christian walk. My grandmother passes away December 2008. The cross is hanging in my car on the review mirror. This will definitely be the first item.

The second item would be a scrapbook that I created a few months ago. This scrapbook is titled, "All About Me". I have pictures of almost all of my family members and poems that I wrote during different times of my life. This will constantly remind me of my family and all of the good times that we shared.

The third item would be a necklace that my husband had made for us after he returned from Iraq. The necklace has a picture of my daughter, my husband, and I. This was the very first picture that we took as a family of three. Our baby was 6 months old and it was the very first time that he had ever seen or touched her.

If I arrived and was told that I could only carry one item along, I would insert the necklace and the cross in my scrapbook. I almost feel as though there is no way possible that I could intentionally leave two of the items behind. I mentioned earlier that I hold a lot of thing in my heart. However, being able to see and hold things rekindle the flames and makes life a little easier to hold on.

I have learned that family and family culture is a way of living. In my opinion, without my family and the things that we share, I have nothing. This has made it easier for me to ensure that all of the children that I serve always hold their family and their family culture with them. 

~When I Think Of Research~

Hello classmates,

While taking this course, I have learned so many important things about the research process and the different things that it takes to ensure that all aspects are covered ranging from finding a topic to ensuring tat all of the ethical factors are included and ensuring that equity and fairness in incorporated. 

Before taking this class, I thought that the nature of the research process was lengthy and too time consuming as well as being difficult. However, after the past eight weeks I have leaned that each step in the research process makes the next step easier. The process is not that difficult either.One of the challenges that I encountered in the research process was formulating the research question. I overcame the challenge by asking a question that was not too open ended and left room for much discussion and collaboration. 

After a near successful completion of this course I realize that childhood professionals have a lot of things to consider when working with children. The most important thing that I digested from this course is the simply fact that we want to ensure that each child is treated with dignity and respect. Ways that this can be done is by respecting their privacy, ensuring that there are certain things that has to be reported and there are certain things that has to be reported.We also have to ensure that equity is individualized based in the need of the child.

I can recall during week one, we were all nervous and excited at the same time. We were afraid of the word RESEARCH! I have to admit, this class has been a great experience for me and I think that we all proved that we can do all things. There is nothing too hard for us. We learned how to navigate the new system as well as tackle a class that a little challenging.

Thank you all for your support and great dialogues. I have learned so much through our communications. Non of this could have been possible without great classmates and a great teacher. I wish you all luck and many blessings in all that you set forward to do in the present and the future.

~Research Around the World~

I explored all of the links that were provided for this week. However, the link/website that caught my attention the most is the Early Childhood Australia website. This website has a link of "Research in Practice Series". This link presents topics that are discussed in great detail. Some of the topics that are provided are for the individuals that are working in the field. However, there are other topics that provide information to the individuals that work with children. One topic that I am glad that  I read is, "Understanding Children Emotions". 

After exploring the website I learned that there is a such things as healthy fears. They help adults and children recognize and respond quickly to danger. Fears also keep people from things that they want to do or should do. I have to agree with that 100%. I have always been fearful of the dentist. Because of that. I take a long time to go to the dentist for cleanings as well as annual updates. 

One thing that I like about the website is that games are provided to help children become aware of fear and courage.  Another interesting thing about this website is that there are links that are geared toward children 3-9. This is great for both parents and caregivers. Like the NAEYC website, this website details the children rights and provides links to workshops.

This was an interesting website. I am saving this link for future readings.

~Research that Benefits Children & Families ~

~Uplifting Stories~

Robots to Help Children With Autism

It was interesting that this topic came up this week. a few of my employees are working on their CDA (Child Development Associate) and they were asked to explain the different special needs that we see in the classrooms and things that can be done to asset the children. Well, as you know, early on care givers are given the opportunity to see things in children that parents some time often do not see because they may be the only child at home. We had a child that we knew had a few concerns. After referring him to behavior health, it was noted that he was diagnosed with autism at. We then used the subject of autism to do research so we could find resources to help us in the classroom.

We then ran across the article, "Robots to Help Children With Autism". This article discussed a research that was done that proved that Bandit (The robot) helped children understand social cues and emotional responses.  According to the article, ""Researchers know that to help children with autism, they need to develop new, more effective interventions," said Debra Dunn, outreach director for the Center for Autism Research at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "Some children with autism spectrum disorders have an affinity for technology and for machines and may be particularly engaged during this therapy" (ABC News). 

I wanted to share this because both children and families are affected with this research. I feel that it is true to conclude that all parents want what is best for their children. There are certainly justified benefits from this research. Also, I think that the children would enjoy spending time being researched while playing at the same time. 

Please take the time to read the article. It is interesting. 

~Personal Research Journey~

Personal Research Journey

The topic that I have chosen to research and investigate is "The affects of divorce/separation of young children".  This topic sparked my curiosity in several ways. I am a military wife and therefore our daughter is considered an army child. My husband is away all of the time covering special missions. When he is away, it affects my daughter tremendously. 


I also work in a child development center on a military installation. I see children all of the time that are going through different separation anxieties due to deployments. On the contrary, there are children that are suffering separations due to divorce. I know that the children suffer as well as the adults when separation/divorce occurs. 


My subtopics are related to me investigating to determine how the children suffered academically and socially. I also want to know what I can do to assist the children and families in there time of need. In conclusion, I know that I should be able to find some useful resources that can be of assistance to me when my husband has to leave for either deployment or special missions.


I never had to face divorce/separation as a child. Is there any advice that you all would like to share with me? Have any of you had to deal with it as a child? Do you have any suggested articles or websites that could assist me?


I look forward to hearing from you all.

~Final Blog Assignment~

Allowing, or should I say instructing us to have an international contact for this course is the best thing that could have happened for me. Not only did it bring me aware of the things that are going on in different countries but it also broaden my understanding of issues and trends around the world. There are some things that occur and effect individuals all over the world. I've learned that the early childhood field could use a plenty of good individuals like myself and you all to help pave the way and advocate for the things that are developmentally appropriate for young children.

Secondly, I learned that yes there are differences when comparing the early childhood education field. However, there are similarities as well. I found much too often that quality of education is based on where you in enroll your child and the backgrounds of the caregivers.

Last but not least, my personal development has risen as well. After learning about how children suffer (for different reasons) all over the world, I have become eager to learn about all of the different organizations that provide support and resources for children and their families. I want to one day establish my very own organization giving back to the communities and children that are in need all over the world.

One goal that I have for the early childhood field is a communication network where we assist and help each other. Ms. Bela Frye (My international contact) wants to soon open her very own center so she can give back to the community. If we are in constant contact and interacting with each other, we can find more ways to assist our children and families in need. They may have things in their country that we do to have. We can establish that and bring it and vice versa.

What I;ve learned is that we all have the same goal. We want to provide an environment that is full of love and support for our children helping to become citizen of the world to in return, do the same for others.

Getting To KNow Your International Contact-Part 3

Through email conversation with Ms. Frye, I learned that she is eager to return to school to obtain her BS. She explained that she has a degree but wants to further her knowledge in the early childhood field.

Ms. Frye acknowledged that there are few that are able to attend school due to the many issues that arise in Cape Verde. She mentioned that the better centers are located in the better areas where the quality is exceedingly great compared to the centers in the smaller towns.

Ms. Frye's professional goals are to graduate college and give back to the communities helping children get the necessities that they may be lacking. A major challenge for her is ensuring that she meet the needs of all of the children.

She dreams of one day owner her very own child development center where she goes to the communities to get the children that may not have a way to the center. She explained that while in her care, she will give them plenty of TLC (TENDER, LOVING ,CARE).

~Sharing Web Resources~

As I mentioned earlier, NAEYC is a great website not only for educators but for families as well. As I followed a few links this week, I ran across an area titled, "Next for Young Children". NEXT for Young Children, an NAEYC Professional Development Resource, is published electronically and released five times per year, to accompany each issue of Young Children. NEXT for Young Children can be used in a variety of ways:

• Teacher educators can use them in their classes.
• Staff development specialists can use guides to design workshops.
• Center directors and school principals can use them to plan staff meetings or training sessions.
• Early childhood education students and practitioners may also wish to use guides alone or with colleagues or peers.

There were free samples that you can view for ideas. 

I searched under the topic area. There is information that is essential for parents and teachers. There are topics that provides both parents and caregivers with helpful information is regards to classroom toys and play, summer ideas to keep children abreast, anti-bais education topics to encourage equality amongst all children. An interesting topic for me was Summer Learning for Teachers. This area listed 10 things that provides links to areas that provide information for teachers to review best practices, discover new approaches, and explore strategies to add to your teaching toolbox. Please check it out . The link is provided; http://www.naeyc.org/content/summer-teachers.

The websites strive to ensure that Developmentally Appropriate Practices are encouraged and promoted. With that being said, excellence is geared all around the website.

There is an area that relates to Public policy. This week, I finally took the opportunity to navigate and I found some helpful information that relates to federal development, government links and most importantly, an area that gives information about effective advocacy resources. 

If you have the opportunity, please navigate through the website, It is very helpful. You can educate yourself and others from the information that is provided.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts- Part 2

Inequality in Cape Verde Island

After conversing with MS. Bela Frye I realized that there are similarities in her country as to the United States in regards to the different education  inequalities. She spoke about transportation for the children to the school. There are no school buses available therefore the parents have to either walk or drive their children to school or they have the option to use public transportation. Some children that have to walk may not attend school on a regular basis due to the weather. Some children may live too far to walk therefore their children do not have the opportunity to attend school. She mentioned that some children do not have the adequate attire in regards to footwear to be able to walk to school, therefore there are days that are also missed. Last but yet importantly, some parents may not be able to afford to use the public transportation which is also another reason for days missed from school.

Ms. Frye mentioned that schooling is not viewed as a necessity until the first therefore parents were not too concerned about the unattended days of school.

The parents income also plays an important role in education. Some children parents can afford to send them to school whereas others can not. She found that the more wealthier children attended school more often than the poor children. When the less fortunate children did attend school, at time their parents had to remove them because they could not afford it.

Sharing Web Resources

Listed on the NAEYC website is an area that  includes professional development. There is a list of face to face training, online trainings, trainings that are on dvd's, accreditation trainings, conferences, and trainings resources. The one's that pertains closely to my personal and professional development is accreditation and a face to face training that include communication skills for challenging conversations.

The center that I currently am in charge of is about to go through the NAEYC accreditation. There are several things that I need to ensure that I am on top of. The information in this training will give me the essential information that I need to lead my through the accreditation process. On the other hand, being more knowledgeable of effective ways to communicate when put in challenging situations is also a plus. As educators, we will be placed in situations where we will be yelled at and much more. I need to tools to assist me in the more challenging conversations.

A resource that was provided to make me think about an issue in a different way is an article that implies that cultivating good relationships with families can make hard times easier which is from the Young Children column, "Rocking and Rolling: Supporting Infants, Toddlers, and Their Families".
This articles simply state that if educators communicate with parents on an ongoing basis letting them know that they know best but we are here to assist and help them, parents will feel more comfortable talking where more serious issues arise.

The website contains information under heading titled Association Relation that adds to my understanding on how the early childhood field is supported.  It states, "NAEYC and our Affiliates work together to raise the quality of early childhood programs and to continue building the Association as a high-performing organization, strengthened by diversity and inclusion. Affiliates are represented by the Affiliate Council, an NAEYC advisory body providing leadership and guidance to further strengthen the capacity of the NAEYC Affiliate Network" (http://www.naeyc.org/content/about-naeyc).

One insight that I gained this week from exploring the website is the fact that there is an area that includes journal articles and information about educational research. "Voices of Practitioners: Teacher Research in Early Childhood Education is NAEYC's peer-reviewed, professional online journal. Its main purpose is to provide a vehicle for publishing the research of early childhood teachers, who are often underrepresented as authors in the educational research arena. This publication includes informative articles, resources, and tools to promote the participation of early childhood teachers in teacher research.  Voices of Practitioners is published three times a year in February, May, and October" (http://www.naeyc.org/publications/vop/about).

~Getting to Know Your International Partner~

It gives me great pleasures to introduce to you all my international partner, Ms. Bela Frye. She is from Cape Verde, a mother of three (soon to be of five due to her recent engagement), and speaks several languages to include English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Wolof, and Cape Verdean Crioule. She served as a Kindergarten teacher for 2. She currently resides in CO Springs.

One thing that I learned from her thus far in regard to poverty is that regardless of location, someone somewhere suffers from similar issues, homelessness and lack of food being in the lead.  She explained to me the housing situation in certain areas of Cape Verde. Some of the houses are cheaply put together making it easy for families to remain sickly. She also explained that having adequate and safe drinking water can be of concern as well.

She directed me to a website to read about a homeless man, an immigrant from Cape Verde being eaten by rats in Portugal. (http://www.asemana.publ.cv/spip.php?article74939&ak=1)

Please do not read if you are as easily sickened as I am. I wish that there was something that we could do to stop world homelessness and hunger. She mentioned that even though she is no longer in the area, she is always staying in touch with family members and friends.

An insight that I gained this week in regard to poverty is that poverty can be both seen and unseen. There are individuals that are living from pay check to pay check trying to survive with limited resources. On the contrary, there are individuals that are on the streets and looking for help from what ever angel possible. I often see commercials asking for money to help aide individuals from other countries. I've learned that we need to make commercials to help aide people that are right here in our own communities as well.

Web Resources

NAEYC

The organization that I chose to examine in great detail is "The National Association for the Education of Young Children" (NAECY) founded in 1926. It is a professional nonprofit organization which promotes excellence in early childhood education. The organization is dedicated to improving the well-being of all young children, with particular focus on the quality of educational and developmental services for all children from birth through age 8.

The link to the website is www.naeyc.org/

A current issue from the web sight that caught my attention is an article, "Reflections from Teachers of Culturally Diverse Children". This article was great considering the topics that we are discussing this week. The article goes into details and explains the importance of teachers being able to teach children from different cultural backgrounds.

Here is a paragraph from the article that I would like to share:

"Beginning the journey toward increased cultural competence (the ability to understand diverse perspectives and appropriately interact with members of other cultures in a variety of situations) requires teachers to rethink their assumptions and consider life’s issues through the lenses of people who come from cultural backgrounds different from their own". ( Michaela W. Colombo, EdD)


Reference
 Colombo, Michaela W. , EdD.  NAECY Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Reflections_Teachers/

Establishing Professional Contacts & Expanding Resources

~Establishing Contacts~

The very first thing that I did when trying to establish professional contacts was research the areas of the world that were most interesting to me. After browsing through all of the countries listed under the resources, I found that I was drawn into almost all of them. I finally selected four contacts. Two from UNICEF and two from The Global Alliance of NAEYC
1. media@unicef
2. ydionne@ccf-fasge.ca
3. ruzanna@sbsbf.am
4. accra@unicef.org
Thus far, I haven't received an email back from anyone. Yes, I am getting a little worried. My sister n law is from Ghana. I will called her to see if there was anyone that she could recommend but the individual that she had in mind has not returned a response to her email either.

Can anyone that has been successful give me a few tips on where to go to locate someone that is interested in communicating with me? This is such a great opportunity to get to know and meet people from other areas of the world discussing issues that are important to all of our children. Your help with this is very appreciative.

~ Expanding Resources~

The early childhood organization that I chose to study is NAEYC (www.naeyc.org/). This organizations provide information and helpful tips for all children. There were others that really caught my eye. However, I want to become ore familiar with NAEYC and all of the information they have to offer.

"My Supports"

Factors within my daily environment that are supportive to me are my parents, my husband, my daughter, my Ipad, my best friend, and my supervisor.
~ My parents are supportive because if there is anything that I shall need, they will do their best to ensure that I have it. They are there for me and my family through think and thin. My parents are constantly on their knees praying for me and my family. That is the most important support for me.


~My husband supports me on a daily basis as well. He is always there to listen to me being nonjudgemental. He is there to rub my feet after a long day of hard work. He is always there to ensure that we have all of our necessities and wants. Most of all, he reminds me at least weekly, why he chose me to be his wife and that he loves me to pieces. Having support from my husband gives me the strength to press on each day.


~My daughter supports me by being patient while I do homework and be doing her best in school. 


~My Ipad simply does it all. I can do homework assignments and attend classes while on the run. I have a note pad on the Ipad for taking notes and reading them when I need to. The Ipad connects to the internet therefore I can search the web, check on the weather, watch movies, and much more. The Ipad is simply a mini computer that includes all of my personal book and books that are related to my job.


~My best friend is supportive because she is there to listen when I need to talk about things that my husband may not understand. She is also there to provide me with advice. She supports me regardless of how she may feel about a particular situation.


~Last but yet importantly, my supervisor supports me by assisting me with the tools that I need to be successful at my job. She supports my decisions even when they are not always the best. She also gives me the support that I need to assist my employees. 


All of the above supports have benefits. With the exception of the Ipad, they are make me feel valued and that I have a purpose. They make me feel as though I could do anything. When I feel positive, I am able to make others feel positive. The Ipad helps keep me on track and organized.However, the Ipad is the only thing that I could do without. It would be pretty difficult without having the people that I love dearly away on a daily basis. Although I am far away from my parents, I still talk with them on a daily basis. If I did not have all of the individuals above, it may be difficult to remain both positive and focused. 


~The challenge that I chose to  imagine is being the President of the United States.
I feel as though I would definitely need the support of my spouse and my family. I would also need the support of the American people as well as people from other countries. I would need secret agents and individuals to assist me in keeping up with all of things on my agenda. I would also need a second man to go to help make big decisions. (These are only a few)
These factors would also be there to help me stay focused and at times will believe in me when I may not believe in myself. They will be there for me when I feel as though others wont. Having the people on my side will make me feel as though regardless if a plan fails, they will know that I did my best. 
without having the supports mentioned above, I may feel as though I do not have a chance and that it is too much to accomplish. Without the secret agents, i will for surly be a target for some that do not care for me. Without the Vice President (the second man/woman), I wont have that person to go to to think things through. And without the secretary (the person to keep me on track), I may loose track on the things on my agenda.


To sum it all up, it would be accurate to conclude that we all need a support system to help us remain focused. We need emotional support, physical support and practical support.

~My Connections to Play~

~Quotes about Play~

It is in playing, and only in playing, that the individual child or adult is able to be creative and to use the whole personality, and it is only in being creative that the individual discovers the self.

D.W. Winnicott

Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.

O. Fred Donaldson

~Essential Play Items~

          

Things that were essential to me when I was growing up were boxes. I loved boxes. Boxes gave me the opportunity to make what ever I wanted to make using my imagination. One day my  box would be a store and the next day it would be a school.

A second essential element to my childhood play was my friends and relatives. We learned from each other. I would see my cousin do things that I felt was fun and exciting and then I would try to demonstrate the same thing.

A third was plain paper and crayons. This gave me an opportunity to express my creativity with pictures and words. I also drew signs that went in my creative box.

Caring for a baby (baby doll) was my all time favorite. I demonstrated the things that my mother and grandmother did for us. I cooked for the baby, fed the baby, dressed the baby, read to the baby, sang to the baby, and much, much more.

~The Way my Play was Supported~

My parents supported the way I played in multiple aspects. My mother always supplied me with toys of my interest. She never hindered me from playing. If I was playing "church" with my boxes, she would encourage me to have equal amount of seating on both sides. If I was playing school with the box, I had to have assignments for my students and I had to supply a key with the answers. One thing that I learned from  my mother was that play was important. We made sure to incorporate learning into everything that I did.

My mother never discouraged me when I chose to use my imagination. I was able to be myself and I learned a lot from being able to play. When I made signs for the store, I had to show the signs to my brother before I was able to put the signs up. He checked to ensure that all of my spellings was correct.

My brother also supported my play. He would tell me that he was tired of one store and encouraged me to do other things. He helped me design a gas station with one of my boxes. After the gas station was complete, he drove his cars to the gas station to get gas and he even purchased candy for one of his men.

~How Play Today is Similar~

I cannot speak for others but play today for my child is the same as it was for me. I encourage her to play and we play together. Play is fun but play also has to be educational and meaningful. My daughter is much different from me. I wanted to incorporate leaning into play. My daughter is much happier if I leave her alone to do her own thing. I join in on the fun with her each opportunity that I have. 

When I was growing up, we had more things where we had to use our imagination. Kids of today have more electrical games. MY daughter enjoys when I play with her but I want her to play more using her imagination.  

~Role of Play~

Throughout my childhood and up until now,play has always been relaxing and enjoyable for me. I always learned how to find easier strategies through play. I love color pencils today, the same as I loved crayons when I was a child. I taught my daughter how to add by drawing pictures. After completing the problems she could go back and finish coloring and decorating her page.To sum up the importance of play, I use this quote:

Play is our brain's favorite way of learning.

Diane Ackerman

Relationship Reflection

Relationships are important for several reasons. Relationships helps build bonds with others and also emotions. Relationships make you feel important, gives you a sense of hope and it gives a sense of comfort and relaxation.
I have a great relationship with my parents, my siblings, my daughter, my husband and my co-workers.
My relationship with my family members is positive because I always know where I can go to get the truth. I am comfortable around them and they make me feel happy. When there are things that I am concerned about, I go to them and they help me make the right decision. The relationship that I have with my husband consists of the same things but he makes me feel like I am his everything. At times, that gives me the strength to go on and make a difference in the world regardless of the things that I am faced with.
The relationship that I share with my co-workers is amazing. They know that I am there for them and knowing that they are there for me gives me the courage and the strength to do some of the tougher things on the job.
There are challenges that we must achieve when having a relationship. Family members are forever. However, friends and spouses may be temporary. One thing that I have learned is that you have to be honest, never say things that you are afraid to repeat, and let go of childish ways and think and act like an adult . Last but yet importantly, let the past be the past.
Special characteristics from my relationship is trustworthiness, honestly, and loyalty.
My experiences with relationship contributes a lot in the early childhood field. All parents want to know that they can trust and depend on the individuals that are caring for their child in the absence. Parents also want to know that they can trust that individual. All the things that I acquire from relationships, I give. Children deserve to have people in their life that will make the right decision for them. Honesty is the key.