Time Well Spent Here at Walden University

I heard this song this week and it reminded me of my experience, it tested me to become better, it was unpredictable, I never could have known how it would change me, and challenge me.  We are now at the fork in the road, where will we go from here?

This has been an amazing journey here at Walden’s. I thought back to the first course I took and remember how worried and nervous I was to do courses totally online and thought how am I going to make connections with my colleagues.  Little did I realize how wonderful it would be to share thoughts, ideas and receive a variety of perspectives that would open my mind to new ways of thinking, and challenge me to look beyond me small (but significant) world.  What I have learned through this program is;

1.  Relationships are built by listening to others and keeping an open mind to things I may not understand.  As we learn more about each other we can build bridges of understanding and trust.

2. To continuously keep up on research and advocate for what is best practice for the children and families we serve.  To realize the importance of understanding the issues and trends in the early childhood field, and to look through our personal, professional and local lens when considering the issues we are addressing, and to be mindful of the unintended consequences our actions can create.

3.  During our communications class I learned a lot about myself and my communication style and the styles that others might have.  To learn how to collaborate with others, keep my own voice,  and ways to create teams and groups that can be motived to make change happen.

4.  Lastly, that I can be the creator of change, I always saw it as something out there, that others did, and I learned from them, but now I know that I am part of that group, I can be a part of the community that makes a positive change for the early childhood field.

When I think about a long term goal I know it is to work with adults and offer  professional development that will increase the effectiveness of teachers.  I can see myself working at a college level preparing pre-service teachers  for the field.

THANK YOU!!! To all of you, as we traveled this road together I cannot express with words how much I have appreciated your wisdom and knowledge.  We all came with different experiences, I have enjoyed and will cherish everything you have shared in the discussions. 

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

fhi360- The science of improving Lives

This organization is non -profit human development organization that serves more than 60 countries including all US states and territories. Their vision is for all people and communities to have the opportunity to reach their highest potential. 

One of the jobs I found interesting is Project manager (Region XI Early Childhood Specialist) in Washington, DC. This position is to provide technical assistance and training (T/TA)to Head Start Grantees in the area related to school readiness, training and careers needed for staff and collaborative activities.  This position will be serving American Indian and Alaska Native populations.  It is a project that started 7/16/12 and will end 7/15/16.

The requirements of the position are:

 

·         BA or BS degree in Early Childhood Education (prefer a Master’s Degree)

 

·         5 years’ experience working with young children

·         experience working with American Indian Alaska Native tribes

·         experience conceptualizing and conducting extensive and intensive T/TA that is grounded in theory

·         experience working with both education managers and teachers and

·         experience in providing T/TA that translate theory into practice

I found this position very interesting because as an employee of Head Start I have been in trainings provided by T/TA and they provide a terrific support to the program.  I think my experience being raised on a Native American Reservation would be beneficial even though they are two completely different tribes and have different cultures.  Each of the listed experiences I have had with the exception of not knowing the inner work of T/TA.   However, I am so dedicated to my own community and dedicated to creating change here; I do not think I could move to another place.  I have a passion to work within my community. 

You can go to this website: http://www.fhi360.org/en/index.htm

Association for Childhood Education Internationally (ACEI)

This organization’s mission is to promote and support education, development and well –being of children around the world. I did some searching in the network groups and found it is a virtual community of practice where professionals can connect with each other around the world and share interests and needs, they continue to meet until the interest or need is resolved or completed.

I did not find jobs in this site, but I found something I think is better…. a place to meet other professionals around the world who can give me a global perspective on professional growth for educators, among many other interests.   Below is the link to this site, I highly recommend you check it out.

http://www.acei.org/                                                                                               

Samaritans Purse

This is an organization that follows the Biblical story of the “Good Samaritan” it is dedicated to helping hurting people around the world who suffer from natural disasters, war, disease, and famine.  They help communities in impoverished villages break the cycle of poverty.  They work to impact the lives of vulnerable children through education.  Another project is through medical support by providing supplies to the mission hospitals with needed equipment and supplies.

I chose this organization because I have seen them in action and the impact they have on the people they are serving.  One of the projects I have been involved with is called Operation Christmas Child.  People fill shoe boxes with needed items and toys for children ages 2-14 years old.  The shoe boxes get shipped to a warehouse and then are distributed to children around the world in need.  Last year they sent 94 million, this year they are hoping for 100 million.  Children around the world receive the box and find things like soap, wash cloth, tooth brushes and then a variety of age appropriate toys and learning supplies (pencil, paper etc.)

One of the jobs I found most interesting is Learning & staff development specialist.  This is an HR position and most of the skills listed below I would need more education to qualify, but it would be a great learning experience, below is a list of the skills and requirements.

Skills/Requirements:

• At least 2 years experience developing competency-based and technology-enabled training programs and measuring their impact and results

• Proven ability to write scripts, storyboards, e-learning, facilitators guides and participant materials that break the mold and rock

• A knack for graphic design

• A strong track record for cranking out exceptional blended and distance learning materials

• Remarkable attention to detail, thrives on getting it right and yet knows when good is good enough

• A natural and confident collaborator, who isn’t threatened by others input and feedback

• A working knowledge of e-learning authoring tools including Adobe Captivate, JavaScript, html, XML, Flash, SCORM and Learning Management Systems

If you are interested in learning more go to; http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php

 

 

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

National Association for Family Child Care

http://nafcc.org/

This association is dedicated to promoting quality family child care by helping state and local associations through professional accreditation, advocating for provider’s needs , and to promote diversity through training family child care professionals.  This organization strives to provide resources to family child care programs in an effort to increase high quality learning experiences including appropriate curriculum and comprehensive services for the children and their families. 

Their vision is to help increase access to professional development, compensation that reflects their experience and achievements, and help providers meet licensing requirements.

 This association interested me because the focus is to help providers increase their professional development and create high quality childcare.  They are an important part of our communities and provide a large portion of care to children, giving them the opportunity to increase the quality of care is critical to the families and children within the communities they serve.

One of the jobs listed is an Observer:

Below is the job description and the skills needed .

An Observer must meet the following criteria:
	1.	Be an individual member of NAFCC
	2.	Be at least 21 years of age
	3.	Be NAFCC Accredited if a family child care provider
	4.	Successfully complete required training
	5.	Successfully complete reliable observations once assigned
	6.	Meet all of the requirements in one of the four combinations of education and experience outlined below:
		A.	Six semester hours of study from an accredited college or university covering children ages birth through school-age. At least eight years experience working as a family child care provider or someone who has worked closely with family child care.
		B.	Twelve semester hours of study from an accredited college or university covering children ages birth through age five. At least six years experience working as a family child care provider or someone who has worked closely with family child care.
		C.	Associate (two-year) degree in early childhood education/child development or a related field from an accredited college or university. Courses must include at least 12 semester hours covering children ages birth through age five. At least four years experience working as a family child care provider or someone who has worked closely with family child care.
		D.	Baccalaureate degree in early childhood education/child development or a related field from an accredited college or university. Courses must include at least 12 semester hours covering children ages birth through age five.

 

Council for Professional Recognition

http://www.cdacouncil.org/

I found this site during our week 3 application, it’s mission is to improve performance of professionals.  Its vision is to make sure that all professionals in the early childhood field met the development, emotional and educational needs of children.  This organization administers the Child Development Associate (CDA) credentialing Program which helps early childhood professionals in all types of early child care programs.

I started with my CDA back in the early 1990’s, I took the classes up at Bemidji State University once I got this certification I was hired by Head Start as a Home Visitor.  it was the beginning of my journey and gave me a great foundation for my future professional development. It is a great start for many people when they are looking at the early childhood field. 

I found two jobs the first is an Advisor: (below is the job requirements)

A. PERSONAL

·         Affirm their ability to relate to people of various racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds.

·         Be knowledgeable about local, state, and national requirements and standards for child care programs serving children aged birth through 5 years.

·         Be familiar with the center where the Candidate will be observed and with the needs of families and children in the community.

B. EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

·         Hold a Baccalaureate or Associate degree from an accredited college or university in one of the following disciplines:
- Early Childhood Education/Child Development
- Elementary Education/Early Childhood Education
- Home Economics/Child Development

·         The degree must include, at minimum, 18 semester or 24 quarter hours of coursework in Early Childhood Education/Child Development, studying children birth through 5years.

C. PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE

Option 1
For those with a BACCALAUREATE DEGREE, two years in a child care setting serving children from birth to 5 years of age to include: one year working directly with children as a caregiver, teacher, child life worker, social worker, or similar role, AND one year facilitating the professional growth of at least one other adult.

Option 2
For those with an ASSOCIATE DEGREE, four years in a child care setting serving children from birth to 5 years of age, to include: two years working directly with children as a caregiver, teacher, child life worker, social worker, or similar role, AND two years facilitating the professional growth of at least one other adult.

 

The other position is a manager of Early Childhood

The qualifications are listed:

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent; Master’s degree preferred, and relevant supervisory or management work experience.

2. Effective decision-making in the context of the Council’s goals/objectives/policies/etc.

3. Strong supervisory and leaderships skills.

4. Skilled and timely management of projects and initiatives.

5. Ability to respect/work well with all levels of personnel.

6. Ability to analyze and solve problems.

7. Ability to communicate clearly.

8. Detail oriented.

9. Assumes responsibility for outcomes; accountability.

10. Excellent time management skills.

11. Commitment to the goals/vision of the Council.

 

National Education Association (early childhood)

http://www.nea.org/home/18163.htm

 

This site is a great site to find out recent research and current events going on in the educational field.  The jobs listed are more business and Website work and I truly am not interested in this type of work.  But this site is a great resource for early childhood professionals.

Exploring Roles in the Early Childhood Education Community: Local and State Levels

Center for Early Education and Development (CEED) http://www.cehd.umn.edu/CEED/

CEED’s focus is to help children grow and develop to their best abilities they do this through research and community outreach.  Positive change in early education, child care and public policy is their goal.  They work to engage people and programs and coordinate efforts to make a contributions to the quality of life through applies research, policy, and professional development.  I have been a part of CEED trainings before and have found their skills to train fantastic, but I never really understood their role within the early childhood field until I did this research.  What I found is a group of professionals working toward making a difference in the lives of children, professionals and families.  To be a part of these communities of practice would be an honor.  In order to work directly with them you would need to have a Doctorate in the field.    I signed up for their newsletter and look forward to learning from them about what they are doing to make a change, at this point in my career I would not be able to join the team, but what I can do is take the opportunity to learn from them.  I like the fact you can contact any of the professionals via email.  I contacted one and got an answer back within two days.  We were able to discuss a current event and I appreciated her professional input. Because my focus is on professional development they have opportunities to go to trainings that focus on building teacher competencies.

 

Minnesota Early Childhood Initiative (MECI) http://www.ifound.org/children_childhood.php

The Initiative Foundation’s mission is to build and sustain healthy communities throughout central Minnesota.  One of their initiatives is the MECI which focuses on youth and families to educate them on child development and promotes parent /families as primary caregivers.  It also helps community coalitions create shared visions and connects local, state, and national communities to support quality care and education.

This site appealed to me because it is working toward creating quality care for children throughout our state specifically central Minnesota.  It has great research information that can be used to further my understanding of the needs Minnesota has for quality care for all children.  It is a community of practice that would be beneficial to me in terms of learning more of the needs and gain insight into what different parts of our state are doing to provide quality for all children.  It provides opportunities to learn from others and share ideas and concerns that focus on communities in a variety of different capacities.

While the initiatives foundation currently does not have employment opportunities it gives a list of sites that might have employment opportunities for people interested in philanthropy or nonprofit sector. 

 

Northern Minnesota Cluster Groups (Head Start Agencies)

Is a group of Administrative professionals that meet throughout the year to discuss current issues and topics that many Head Start Programs face, it is a time to brainstorm how we are working toward effective change within our own communities and offer support to others who might be struggling or looking for ways to make changes necessary to the viability of our programs. 

I have recently been invited to join this group and went to my first meeting, it was a great time to learn new techniques and gain insight into possible ways of doing things differently.  As a new member of this community of practice, I look forward to becoming more involved and look at how I can help make an impact toward positive change.

 

Deep listening is miraculous for both the listener and speaker.  When someone received us with open -hearted, non-judging, intensely interested listening, our spirits expand.

                                                ~Sue Patton Thoele

To all my Colleagues,

When I first started the on-line community I was worried about not seeing people face to face in a brick and mortar building.  How would we build trust and respect? How would we share and learn from each other? are just a few questions I had.  But now as I come around the bend to the last semester of this program I have realized how great this community of professionals has been to work with.  We have struggled through some tough courses challenging our inner beings.  This course is no different, reflecting on myself as a communicator learning about my weaknesses and my strengths so that I might move forward as a stronger partner with all the people I work with now and in the future.

YOU have made that possible ….. you have shared your thoughts, struggles, experiences and willingness to open my mind to other possibilities.  There is never only one way, but many when seeking to understand.  The foundation to good communication I have learned is to listen with an open mind, and be willing to be influenced by a better idea or solution.  To speak with clarity and never assume you know what others are feeling or thinking, and never assume they know what you are thinking or feeling.

Some of us will be parting ways to our specializations, I wish you great learning experiences and a growth that will transform your understanding and give you the tools to become better than when you started.  

I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST, MAY GOD BLESS YOU ENDEAVORS!

Chris

Adjourning -  Coming to an end of a process and saying good- bye. 





In the past two years I have been working very closely with a co-worker, we are both teacher mentors and have been assigned to provide trainings in and around our area.  The last day in May was the end to our teaming.  She is going back to a classroom as a lead teacher and I have stayed in the main office in a coordinators position.  Saying good - bye to her and our hard efforts was a sad day for me.  We have had struggles agreeing on some issues, and excepting that ours ideas or plans were not the best  then  learning tocompromise, yet always keeping the focus on the goal and the vision to provide a quality training that was tailored to the group. I have been professionally stretched, and taught the importance of letting things go that would not compromise the integrety of the plan.  I will truely miss our commaradory and bouncing ideas off each other.  I know I will be in contact with her even if it is for lunch.  So for now I bid her good luck, and wish her well, for child and family that get her for a teacher will be thrilled beyond expectation.

 I realized for whatever reason when I printed out this assignment the last two questions where not there. To add to this I think adjourning is just as important as the beginning, we need to close the process out even if it has not been positive, we need to evaluate what we have learned and move forward using that information to make our next experience better. To adjourn from Waldens will be the same I imagine, to say thank you to all the colleagues who have responded on the discussion boards and helped me see issues and topics in a new light. I would wish everyone a farewell and best wishes on their future endeavors.

Nonviolence Communication

In order to do this I had to go back in time, because currently I have no conflicts or disagreements with anyone.  But I do recall a disagreement I had with colleagues that has often come to my mind throughout this past week, mainly because I felt I could have handled myself in a better way.  I have mentioned that I often care so much about another person’s feelings that I will allow them to attack me and not respond because I do not like confrontation and I don’t want to treat others in a way that I do not want to be treated

Now I have decided  when these types of disagreements come up I will take a step back, take a deep breath, count  (if I need to), and then respond by asking questions to clarify what they are truly saying and why they feel the way they do (Nonviolence communication, n.d.; The third Side, n.d.).  I will also be clear as to how I feel and what I need to help the discussion move forward. Another skill I am bound and determined to work on is helping everyone stay to the issue and attack the issue not the people.  Helping everyone remain focused on the issue will hopefully eliminate the need for feeling defensive and use blame.

References

The Center for Nonviolent Communication. (n.d.). The center for nonviolent communication. Retrieved from www.cnvc.org

The Third Side. (n.d.). The third side. Retrieved from http://www.thirdside.org/

My Communication Style

This week we were asked to evaluate ourselves and have two others from different area in our life to evaluate us as communicators, I chose my daughter and a co-worker whom I have worked with for 14 years; we have teamed as teachers and mentors. I have to admit this made me a little nervous and curious at the same time.  Nervous because I am my worst critic and sometime very hard on myself, I often use self –denigration attacking myself and all my shortcomings (O’Hair, Wiemann, 2009), thus feeling very inadequate. Curious because I wanted to know how others view my communication abilities, I was surprised at some of the results.

As I mentioned I am my worst critic and when completing the Communication Anxiety Inventory I rated myself as mild because I am at times uneasy in some situations and confident in others, this often is due to the people within the group that I am with, if I feel intimidated by the group or comfortable with them depends on how I respond and interact.  My daughter and co-worker scored me as low, comfortable and confident in most situations.  This surprised me because I thought they would be able to notice my lack of confidence through my nonverbal cues.  My dad used to tell me I wear my emotions on my sleeve, and so I assumed everyone could see how I was feeling inside.  Granted my daughter only sees me with family and friends, but my co-worker and I have been in several workshops together, and have put on trainings for other professional in the early childhood field and presented to the directors of early childhood programs.  If anyone knew my weaknesses she would.  So to have her say I appear comfortable and confident was quite a compliment, and gave me encouragement that what I feel inside is not always displayed on the outside.

The Verbal Aggressive Scale was another assessment of how I relate as a communicator.  All three of us scored me as moderate what surprised me was how close our scores were, my daughter scored me 61, my co- worker 64 and I scored myself as 63.  I know I am not aggressive and often times I would consider myself as none on the scale because I do hate confrontation and often try to find solutions that would avoid attacking or making others feel bad, but through the past two years as a mentor I have learned skills that have helped me work through situations that may be uncomfortable and to have conversations that are sometimes hard especially when you need to confront someone about their behavior or best practices.

 This leads me to the last assessment, Listening Styles Profile I am definitely a people – oriented person wanting to build relationships through empathy.   This appears to be a great attribute and I believe it is, but it can also get in the way of what needs to be discussed and can often lead me to trust others and later find out they did not follow through.  My husband would agree with the interference of judgment, he says I am too trusting of others and allow people to walk all over me.  This is an area that I am continuously working on, because as a leader in our program, I work with staff to help them move forward in their own professional development, and sometimes that requires work plans that are not always empathetic to their situation. 

                                                      

Finding the balance between, being a listener who is empathetic, yet respectful and considerate of others without losing sight of the objectives within the conversations. This balance scales looks like a woman and it reminds me of me always trying to find the balance….. not sure if that’s the Libra and/or the communication style within me either way it is who I am.

References

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

Rubin, R.B., Palmgreen, Pl, &Sypher, H.E. (Eds.) (2009). Communication anxiety inventory. Communication research measures: A sourcebook. New York: Routledge. Retrieved from http://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/2dett4d/Walden/EDUC/6165/04/mm/quiz/quiz_communication/index.html

Rubin, R.B., Palmgreen, Pl, &Sypher, H.E. (Eds.) (2009). Verbal aggressiveness scale. Communication research measures: A sourcebook. New York: Routledge. Retrieved from http://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/2dett4d/Walden/EDUC/6165/04/mm/quiz/quiz_verbal/index.html

Rubin, R.B., Rubin, A.M., Graham, E.E., Perse, E.M., & Seibold, D.R. (Eds) (2009). Listening styles profile -16. Communication research measures II: A sourcebook. New York: Routledge. Retrieved from http://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/2dett4d/Walden/EDUC/6165/04/mm/quiz/quiz_listening/index.html

  

Cultural Diversity and Communication

Considering the questions for this week I really thought  I would know my answers and that it would be a “no brainer”. But that was not the case.  When asked Do you find yourself communicating differently with people from different groups and cultures?  I have to say yes, I do communicate differently, I find myself talking with family and friends different, I use slang and my body posture is much different, more relaxed and not as controlled.

When I was with my husband golfing, we met up with a few guys who he works with, and we decided to golf together, I realized I changed my communication style, with my husband, I was more aware of what I said and how I said it.  I have strong convictions about talking negatively about my spouse in public, we can goof off at home and tease, and I even have my frustrations about some of his habits, but the specifics of what those are, I would never complain about to others.  So my speech instantly became guarded and I chose words more carefully. 

 I also believe communication changed because of the gender differences as well.  As a woman among 4 men, I think my body language was more serious, even though I am very comfortable with these men and we have golfed many times, I realized it is still different.

At work my communication style with the teachers  is different  compared to how I talk with parents,  and each parent is also different and therefore I talk differently with each of them.  Some require more in depth questions, others  require a attentive listening and just need someone to talk to. 

As  I continue to learn about communication, I realize I need to be flexible in how I address others, and how I portray myself as available.  I did not realize I could be so guarded in how I present myself.

my strategies are;

1. To focus on the other –oriented view and work towards understanding emotions, perceptions, and try to see it through their eyes.

2.  Be more relaxed and less guarded when talking with others, I want to maintain professionalism but not give the nonverbal cue that I am not available to listen.

3.  When it comes to gender I think I struggle the most, because you want to make sure there is a clear line of propriety, yet not so much that they misunderstand it as rude, snobbish , or mean.  So I will work at making sure I am conversing socially in a way that my nonverbal cues  and verbal cues match the way I feel. 

Silent movie -nonverbal cues

Week 2 –blog

Watching a show with the volume turned off was very interesting.  I realized some facial expressions and body gestures really add to getting their point across.  For instance in the sitcom “The King of Queens” Kari uses her arms when talking, and her facial expressions really let you know what she is thinking.  At one point Kari is at work, the expression she showed on her face was one of being unhappy and clearly frustrated with the guy she was talking to. Her body language was hunched over a bit, her eyes were squinting at him, and then wide with eyebrows raised and lips puckered. With the sound off I labeled her as unhappy.  With the sound on I found out she was passed over for a job, and the guy got it, he was asking her for help. She was more frustrated.

One thing I realized without verbal cues it was impossible for me to know what was actually going on. My version of the plot and the actual one did not match. As for the relationships, I was able to figure those out without verbal cues, the one exception was the older man, I couldn’t figure out where he fit into the family, he just would show up from time to time. 

One of the questions for this assignment was would your assumptions have been more correct if you had been watching a show you know well? I decided to watch a Seinfeld which is one of my favorite sitcoms of all time.  I watched it on silent, and realized I know so much more about them and was able to figure most of what was happening, probably because I have seen every episode.  But the realization that I know their personalities helped me decipher a lot more, and be accurate.

This exercise really shows how important verbal and nonverbal cues work together to help us communicate. We can try to decipher what others are saying by watching their body language, and some of it we will get right, but it is not as clear and effective, we do not hear the inflections and tones of the voice, or the content of the conversation to put it into a context that makes sense.    

My Model for Competent Communication

As I thought about a person who demonstrates competent communication I thought of the director of the program I work for.  I have been in many meetings with her and have watched her run those meetings with integrity and a sense of caring for each person at the table.  She always listens to each person and looks them in the eye, responding with questions or responses that show the people she isr really listening to them.  Even when the person speaking is challenging or being disrespectful, she will address it honestly and without malice. When things get heated she will use a calm voice and remind the group why we are there and what our goal is.  She has a way of making her point without making others offended, they might not like what she has to say, but they seem to understand her position.   I have already learned so many things from her just by watching her work.  She has calmness about her and her body language is one that says “I am listening”.  I would definitely model my communication behaviors after her.  She knows how to run the program, and yet everyone feels comfortable to go to her with ideas, she listens, and responds with honesty.  Her integrity for everyone from the kitchen help to the directors of other programs knows she will listen and give weight to their concerns and suggestions. 

My Hope

My hope is that I will always work toward meeting the needs of every family and child I encounter in my professional and personal life. I hope I will treat them with respect and dignity and provide an environment where they feel completely inclusive and wholly excepted for who they are, and where they come from.  I hope I will have the humility to realize I do not have all the answers, but willing to learn.

My goal for the Early Childhood field is that we will focus on preparing teachers for their work in classrooms where diversity is as much a part of the curriculum as learning academics.  It is the social and emotional cornerstone for making change happen.  Teachers who are currently in the field will be provided trainings and workshops that will teach them how to implement anti – bias curriculum and the importance of providing equity within the classrooms for all children.

This course has been a great opportunity for me to reflect upon topics I might never have, and I want to thank all of my colleagues for the great interactions that have helped me grow.  I wish you all the best as we enter into our last class and then on to our specializations. My wish for you is to grow in your knowledge and passion that will build a better tomorrow for the children of today.

And a thank you to Dr. Morgan for your guidance and support as you worked us through topics that can be hard to understand.