Thank You

This class has been awesome to be apart of, we all helped each other by sharing our opinions and feedback each week on our assignments. I enjoyed reading everyone's opinion and I like interacting with them during our discussion questions. As I continue on my professional journey I will look back on the interaction and be very pleased I was apart of effective communication. I wish you all good luck on the rest of your educational journey as well as your professional journey.

Team Development

When I worked for Capital One we all had teams with managers. My team and manager were great! we helped each other out whenever we may not have known something new, or if we got a stressful call. Everyone had each other's back and we always participated in any group outings or projects we had coming up. When my husband got stationed in Texas I was devastated, I met so many wonderful people and I didn't want to leave them.

Adjourning is important to because it gives a chance to wish each other well as they continue with their careers. It isn't a goodbye but more of a see you later type of thing. Its always good to leave on good terms with employers, and colleagues because you never know when you may encounter them again. I will always have a position at Capital One whenever I move to a state they have a call center. This is all because I was a valuable team player and reliable worker for the company for 2 years.

Nonviolent Communication

A recent incident with scheduling came up between my classroom and another. The issue was a coworker was tired of staying to close because she have been doing it for the last three months. I recently joined the other classroom and wasn't aware of her issue until I was put on the schedule at an earlier time.













Instead of approaching management about her concern she started talking amongst other coworkers and it got back to my classroom and started an argument between her and the lead in my room.


How this all could have been prevented if the coworker could have spoke to management, or even asked our room if someone could switch with her. In the end I agreed to be the closer, because I didn't mind, and I wanted to keep the peace. In the future I suggested we all talk to each other first if we have an issue with scheduling, that way it wouldn't cause confusion and everyone wouldn't be upset about hearing things from other people. 

Communicator

I wasn't surprised at the results because I've always been told I'm friendly and great to be around. Whether it's in the professional field or personal my bubbly personality is the same. I'm happy to meet new people and happy to work with others in the community. I gained more information on how communication can be improved by taking the time to get to know other's and how they respond to you during communication. Also appearances don't give us much information on the person we are communicating with, the exercise where we had to answer questions based on a picture was the perfect example of not knowing a person and assuming that you know about them.

Cultural Diversity

Being that my family is very mixed with different cultures, I don’t find myself talking differently to others with different backgrounds or cultures. I’ve always talked to everyone respectfully and acknowledge everyone’s culture and beliefs. I love meeting new people and learning about them because it makes me aware of people who are different from me and my family and I take it as a learning experience.

Nonverbal Communication

The show I used for this post was the Big Bang Theory with the sound off. The interaction I saw with the characters are they're friends judging by the laughter and expressions on their faces while they talked during the scene. They all seem to be happy and enjoying being in each other's presence. With the sound on my assumptions were correct they were all friends and enjoy talking with each other. Their expressions were the same in a joking friendly manner. Since this is my first time watching this show I did judge my responses off their body language and facial expressions. If this was a show I regularly watched my answers would have been the same. What I learned from this assignment is that expressions and body language do tell a story, you can tell when a person is happy, sad, or mad by their facial expressions and body language. It's something I've looked at whenever I'm talking to someone that way I can judge what type of mood they're in and if their happy with the conversation or not.

Blog Assignment

A person I picked for this post is my mother. I admire her ways of speaking to people no matter the situations. I've witness her being yelled at and threatened and she still talked to the person with so much respect and peaceful with no anger at all, Having that kind of composure is very important because regardless of how that person is talking to you, you want to remain professional. I definitely would like to model this behavior, because I want to remain professional at all times. Being in the childcare field you do encounter people who may be upset and they tend to lash out at you, you still want to remain respectful at all times. This is something I've been working on and I know one day I will face this and I want to be prepared.

Professional Hopes and Goals

The hope I have when working with children and their families is that I can remain professional and respectful at all times. No passing judgments and respecting their culture's and beliefs. I've enjoyed my years working with children and their families and plan to continue in my career with making sure they are well taken care of.






















A goal I would like to see set is having workshop that introduce us to these issues so that we will be better prepared when we encounter them while working with children and their family. I think its important to be on the same page because it provides a united front.


Thank you classmates its' been very enjoyable reading everyone's response' and interacting with each other. We have all learned from each other and I look forward to seeing and interacting with you'll in the upcoming classes.

Welcoming Families From Around the World

The country I picked for this assignment is Japan. I have always been interested in their culture so this is the first step in learning their culture and beliefs.  When preparing for the family to join the group I will make sure I will treat them with friendliness and kindness. I will also watch how I say things because we will have a language barrier. I will also make sure to respect their wishes as it pertains to their culture. I would also read up on their traditions to let them be aware that I know their customs and beliefs so they wouldn't feel out of place.








The benefit I see out of these gestures is making the family feel welcomed in our country. It also shows that we respect their culture and beliefs. It also can help with them trusting people in a new country. I can understand how hard it could be coming to a new country not knowing much about it and wondering if you will meet people who will respect and will be friendly to you. I wouldn't want anyone to feel left out and unsure about coming to our country.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

A memory I can remember growing up was being called a racist name by another student. It made me very upset to the point I started to cry because I was so upset. I also couldn't believe that she felt so comfortable saying that out loud in front of other students and staff. Hearing that name made me feel as if I wasn't important or worthy to be in her presence. I was trying to go at her but my friends held me back and made me realize it wasn't worth it. But being called out of your name is truly heartbreaking and I wouldn't wish this on anybody.

This could have been handled differently if she would have been patient and we could have talked about why she was so angry. I later found out she was upset about a personal matter and I was basically at the right place at the wrong time so she took her frustration out on me. In the end she did apologize and said she felt disgusted with herself after she said it.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

 I remember when I was younger we were at a park and my grandmother was talking to another parent in Spanish and the child automatically assumed I spoke Spanish and started talking to me. I told them I didn't speak it and their parent gave me a look and said you should know the language since your family is from the Dominican Republic. It made me feel embarrassed that I didn't know how to speak Spanish. I knew my grandmother didn't teach me so I wouldn't be confused in school, but for anyone to assume you should speak a language based on where your family is from is wrong. I have lots of friends who don't know how to speak their families native language.


Through the learning this week it showed me how people are so quick to judge other's without knowing them. They make assumptions based on skin color, religion, and their preferences. People need to meet and get to know other's before they pass judgments and label them.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

For this assignment, I asked a coworker what does culture mean to him? His response was culture to him is people with different beliefs and customs. I also asked him about diversity and he stated people of different backgrounds, such as race, religion, etc. The second person I talked to was my mother I asked her the same questions and her response were similar. The third person I asked was a friend of the family, they answered differently, with culture they stated a person's right to express their beliefs and customs. Their response to diversity is people of different origins.


By their answers I can understand his examples for both questions. Culture does come from beliefs of a person's upbringing that they pass down to their generations. some of their  examples of diversity is the same thing I think of when I hear it. We all are diverse when it comes to race, gender, etc. I think its important to know how other people think of the examples and what it means to them. With that being said you can understand what they are thinking and go into depth more of their reasoning for their explanation.

My Family Culture

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



The items I would take is our photo album, birth certificates, and my mother in laws silverware, The reason for these items is to have a blueprint of our lives from start to present. The photo's will serve as a reminder of our life before the catastrophe incident and keep us grounded as we continue in a new environment. The birth certificates to show our uniqueness, the places we were born and our identity. My mother inlaw's silverware is the only thing we have that represents her in our lives. We use it at every Holiday dinner and special events. Its a tradition me and my husband have develop and will continue to pass down.


I would be very devastated if we couldn't bring all items, they all mean so much to my family that it would be so hard to choose. By doing this exercise it really made me think about the traditions me and my husband has developed for our family. The way we were raised and the cultures we were exposed to have somewhat made it to our small family along with some new things we developed as husband and wife

When I Think of Research...

What insights have you gained about research from taking this course? after taking this course it open my eyes up to the different research formats that are used when doing research projects.

In what ways have your ideas about the nature of doing research changed? After seeing all the different formats that we can use to do our research with it makes it seem so much easier and less complicated when it comes to recording the results.


What lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood did you learn? I learned that you need to have a plan in place to start your design for your research project or it will be hard to form all of the facts together.

What were some of the challenges you encountered—and in what ways did you meet them? When doing the research I had issues with the children not wanting to participate, I made it fun by turning it into a game which they were more pleased with.

What are some of the ways your perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course? With being a early childhood professional, more goes into just making sure the children are cared for. We also need to make sure the child's social and emotional skills are being met and that family is involved as well.

Research Around the World

For this assignment I picked Early Childhood Australia to explore and gain some insightful information from to complete my Blog.


What are some of the current international research topics?

Children and society do better with two years of pre-school , Why is childcare such a hard sell in the federal election?

What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website?

ECA has a great website that is easy to explore through and give valuable information. They also have a subscription segment for parents so they can get the latest information when t is available. They also have numerous newsletters and videos on lots of topics they cover. They also have a magazine called Every Child that comes out quarterly and is filled with valuable information articles on issues such as health, education and social trends, as well as book reviews, profiles and guest statements from well-known identities.

What other noteworthy information did you find on this website?

I liked reading their mission statement and their reasons for the website. They are very dedicated in children's well-being and I think its the greatest thing. Even though its another country we all serve the same purpose and that's the care and development of children.

Early Childhood Australia

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/

Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories

The topic I choose to reasearch on to provide families valuable information, is tips on communicating with speech delay children. I believe the positive feedback will be tremendous because their are families who face this daily. With my research there would be tips for parents to display to interact with their children easier so they won't feel like their children don't understand.

I would definitely focus on the core board which is a board with pictures showing actions, I personally use this now with my son and it works wonders! He can tell us when he needs to potty, eat, tired or wants something to drink. This board is a starting part to open the lines of communication.

Your Personal Research Journey

The topic I decided to reasearch is Speech Delays in early childhood. This topic is very personal to me because my youngest son has a speech delay.  During my own personal research I've found many programs that are offered in my area to help my son during this process. I was truly impressed at how welcoming all programs are to families seeking help. The research chart makes it easier to break down the information I obtained during the research process, it also gives me a better understanding on what I found out.


If anyone knows of any other programs, or creditable websites I should look into please don't hesitate and respond! I'm trying to compile as much as possible useful information for myself and others who are facing the same process.


This is my Hondo Jr, he is 3, he is now counting up to 10, saying his ABC's. Four months ago he wouldn't say a word! I'm so very pleased with his progress.

Final Blog

What I have learned about other countries and how they view Early Childhood Education is very similar to how we view it here in the United States. They focus on the training of their staff, as well as the education that is being taught to the children. They also have accreditation systems in place.







They also have many resources for families in need, as well as programs for special needs children.





Poverty was also a big issue which happens here in the United States as well, but they do have several things in place to help with that.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts

While doing this assignment it was interesting to see how different countries acknowledge early childhood education. In Indonesia they are teaching the children gender equality early, The center has introduced learning materials that are free from gender stereotypes, including a role-playing room where children dress up in outfits representing different professions. Teachers are supported to be effective change agents for gender equality, and parents are engaged in different ways including through father storytelling sessions(UNESCO, 2017).




The center began as a pilot project to promote gender equality in early childhood, and the model is gradually expanding to tens of thousands of early childhood centers in more than 300 districts and cities across 34 provinces in Indonesia. Initiated by the Directorate of Early Childhood Education Development of the Ministry of Education and Culture, it was awarded the UNESCO Prize for Girls’ and Women’s Education in 2016 for its innovative approach(UNESCO, 2017).

There goal is to build children's character so they will have a better understanding of gender equality.


http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-view/news/in_indonesia_learning_about_gender_equality_from_an_early_a/

Sharing Web Resources

NAEYC has many links to other resources, I have explored many different links and sub links on the website. The Young children site has many resources on the development of the child, trending issues and past issues. This link gives so much information on young children that you would be able to find any topic you may be interested in.


I found several topics on the excellence of Early Childhood, NAEYC has a article titled A Call for Excellence in Early Childhood Education, NAEYC members, most of whom work directly with young children and families, see daily the toll of ill-conceived policies on the lives of the children and families we serve. Existing programs have too often taken fragmented, piecemeal approaches to the complex issues facing children and families. Effective policies have seldom been funded at sufficient levels to provide adequate support to all families who might benefit(A Call of Excellence,2017).

NAEYC has several articles on the importance of early childhood education, any information you are looking for in reference to early childhood can be found on the website.



A Call for Excellence in Early Childhood Education. (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2017, from http://www.naeyc.org/policy/excellence

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 2

Persistent gaps in education and health associated with socioeconomic disadvantage impose enormous burdens on individuals, communities, and societies worldwide. Recent reports estimate that 200 million children fail to reach their full developmental potential by age 5. Drawing on our experience in North America, the Center on the Developing Child works globally to build a broader movement to achieve breakthrough outcomes for children around the world(Working Globally,2017).

In Brazil The collaborative Núcleo Ciência Pela Infância (NCPI) has been highly successful in creating a science-driven early childhood movement in Brazil, most notably through training Brazilian policy makers on how to apply developmental science to inform programs and policies and launching the iLab Primeira Infância, one of the Latin American Innovation Clusters.


In Mexico, The Aceleradora de Innovación para la Primera Infancia, one of the Latin American Innovation Clusters, is anchored in Monterrey at the Universidad Regiomontana, a pioneering institution at the forefront of an extensive urban revitalization effort. A strong interest in adding a human development focus to their work led the Monterrey team to connect with the Center and learn more about our strategy for enhancing child outcomes through adult capacity building.

In Canada, The Alberta Family Wellness Initiative (AFWI) shares our strong belief in the power of translating the science of child development to inform public policy. AFWI was created to counter the separation between science, policy, and practice work, which hinders the real-world application of scientific knowledge. Drawing upon the Center’s scientific resources, the initiative fulfills two key mandates:

1. supporting research in early brain and biological development, mental health, and addiction, and
2. translating that research for policy makers, healthcare communities, and the general public

Working Globally - Center on the Developing Child. (n.d.). Retrieved April 08, 2017, from http://developingchild.harvard.edu/about/what-we-do/global-work/

Sharing Web Resources

The website of my choice is NAEYC, the topic Technology and Young Children. During the earliest years, infants and toddlers interact primarily with people. Their interactions with toys are usually in the context of human interaction as well. They need to freely explore, manipulate, and test everything in the environment. Increasingly in today’s world, this includes the exploration of technology tools and interactive media. Children of this age are drawn to push-button switches and controls. Technology tools that infants and toddlers might use must be safe, sturdy, and not easily damaged. If technology is used, it must be in the context of conversation and interactions with an adult(Technology & Young Children, 2017).

When it comes to technology lots of parents think their children shouldn't be exposed. But the truth is now more and more classrooms are introducing computer's, laptop's, Ipad's etc. I will admit I was one of those parents but until I saw the interaction with my own child and device I was able to see how much it can help with development. Use technology as an active and engaging tool when appropriate to provide infants and toddlers with access to images of their families and friends, animals and objects in the environment, and a wide range of diverse images of people and things they might not otherwise encounter (photos of children from other countries, for example) (Technology & Young Children, 2017). By reading this article I got more insight on how important it is to introduce technology to younger children.


Technology and Young Children. (n.d.). Retrieved April 01, 2017, from http://www.naeyc.org/content/technology-and-young-children/infants-and-toddlers

Getting to Know Your International Contacts

The country I picked to learn about poverty is the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is a special interest of mine since my mother was born there and half of my family is from this country.





One of the most serious problems affecting the population of Dominican boys, girls, and adolescents is the level of poverty. Over 55% of the population between 0 and 2 years of age and 49% of those aged between 13 and 18 are poor. 47% of total Dominican population is between the ages of 0 and 17. In the DR children age 10-17 work which affects their education and development. Apart from access to the formal education system, the adolescent population has limited access to technical/vocational education through institutes and schools, because enrolment costs are not affordable for many families.

In the Dominican Republic the rates of child labour, abuse and commercial sexual exploitation of children between the ages of 6 and 12, imply situations of severe violation of their rights. The National Child Labour Survey (ENTI by its initials in Spanish) carried out by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 2000, indicates that close to 66% of the children who work (436,000) are between the ages of 5 and 14; and that 42% of this population entered the labour market before the age of 10. The early age at which children start working, which competes with school attendance, and its degree of danger, expose many children to situations that endanger their health, education and personal security.


Looking at this information troubles me because children can't be children in these conditions, not having the proper help in place will never end the cycle of poverty. I know for my family the best thing they sought to improve in their living conditions was to come to the United States, I have thought about what if my family never came here and what my current life would be like living in the DR now.

Sharing Web Resources

A website that I love is the Zero to Three site. Which is located here https://www.zerotothree.org/

Our mission is to ensure that all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life.
At ZERO TO THREE we envision a society that has the knowledge and will to support all infants and toddlers in reaching their full potential.

The website is extremely helpful with links and videos. It gives information about the early stages of a child's life, their developments, and information if you think your child isn't on track.


A current article on the site is Helping Children Learn Right From Wrong. As parents we want to make sure our children are learning the correct way to interact with others. The article gives helpful tips on how to teach your child right from wrong.

https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/1689-helping-children-learn-right-from-wrong





Its a easy to navigate website with a lot of helpful and useful information, this is a website you would want to bookmark.

Getting Ready—E stablishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

Part 1
Establishing Professional Contacts

For this part I choose to do some research on The Global Fund For Children, their vision is to provide a place for children to grow and become great citizens.

The Mission


We work to advance the dignity of children worldwide. We pursue this mission by making small grants to innovative community-based organizations working with many of the world’s most vulnerable children and youth.

The website gives great information on their cause, approach, and grants that they give. They also have blogs you can visit and videos you can view.

http://www.globalfundforchildren.org/



Part 2
Expanding Resources

The early childhood organization that I picked for this section is The Zero To Three organization. I have always bookmarked this website whenever I needed some information for work or for my home life.

Our mission is to ensure that all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life.

At ZERO TO THREE we envision a society that has the knowledge and will to support all infants and toddlers in reaching their full potential.

This website is great with giving information on child development and tools to help if their is any concerns.

https://www.zerotothree.org/

My Supports

Having a supportive team is very important in everyone's life. I have my wonderful husband, children, and my family who support any thing I put my mind to. If I didn't have such support I wouldn't do most of the things I have done. Right now my family is being very supportive on my next venture to lose weight.

I have been battling my weight for years and now its to a point where I need medical help. At first I was ashamed I couldn't lose the weight the natural way, it took me a few years to find out that it wouldn't work for me. As I came to the conclusion that I would need surgery to help me lose the weight, my family was very supportive. My husband has attended some meetings with me, my family have even done research on their own and told me what procedure they think would be best for me even though they aren't doctors.

I'm glad I have such support and I hope other people can say the same about their family and friends.

My Connections to Play

I have always been a firm believer that children learn through play, here are two of my favorite quotes:












The items I loved playing with when I was a kid are shown below! I loved playing with them when I was growing up.

 I loved Jem growing up, I was so happy that my parents fed into my obsession!

 Who didn't love this game? I could play it for hours!

While growing up my parents that it was necessary to play to develop social skills. I'm a Army brat so meeting new people every 3-4 years was stressful as a child. Play lets you be yourself and be free so that you don't even think about being the new person. I don't think play has changed much since I was a child, it stills provides the same social skills, and learning skills as before.

Play has helped me develop great social skills, I'm very friendly and love social gatherings with others. I believe if I didn't participate in play I would be less social and not really a party person.

Relationship Reflection

Relationships are important to me because they help build up a person's social and emotional developments. My husband is my best friend and we share so much with each other. My mom and dad are my mentors without them I don't know where I would be! It is very important to keep these relationships positive and strong because you never know when you will need that ear to vent too or that shoulder to cry on. My husband is my rock and I couldn't ask for anything else.

In childcare relationships are very important, everyone should be on the same page when working with children. Having a positive relationship with the caregiver of your child will benefit them.