See you later alligator!

I cannot express enough thanks to you all for the encouragement, interaction and fun this term! I wish you all well in your journeys! :)

Meeting Adjourned

This past summer, I spent a week at a conference for Conscious Discipline. The conference was set up to establish "school family" in table groups. The first night I was so nervous and unsure about what was going to happen, how I would be able to create relationships and how willing I would be to be honest and vulnerable with people I just met. By the end of the week, I was crying! It was so hard to leave my table group! Every morning we greeted each other, every day we worked in small groups and with partners and by the end of the week we were truly a table family. We all found each other on Facebook, exchanged phone numbers and I still talk to some of the group. It was a hard group to leave I believe because we all had the same goals for the conference, to learn more about Conscious Discipline and we were all willing to jump in with both feet to get the most out of the time we had together.
As far as leaving the group I have come to know in this program, my hope is that we will be able to establish contact through social media, emailing and the Walden University Early Childhood Organization Facebook Page. I feel like it is more difficult to establish relationships in an online program because we are not in contact everyday nor do we see each other face to face. We can establish relationships but I feel it is more difficult. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Also, I would love to figure out how we can adjourn this meeting of the minds in a meaningful way! I am just not sure how to do it with us all in different places. Thoughts?

Conflict and Disagreements

I recently had a disagreement with my co-teacher. She and I had a different way of dealing with a situation and there was great miscommunication. A child in our classroom who is struggling with some emotional regulation and has a bit of a stronger relationship with me that with my co-teacher. In a moment of upset the child screamed at my co-teacher and ran from her. I stopped the child and had her walk back to my co-teacher who then proceeded to help the child. The child calmed down and moved on to the next step in her day. She was on her cot getting ready for rest time and yelled at me that she wanted to get her rest toy. I asked her to calm her body and ask me rather than yell at me. She did and I told her she could go get it. My co-teacher then said, "You didn't know that I told her that when we were settled, I would go get it for her." I felt frustrated because as soon as my co-teacher said that, the child got upset again and began to run around the classroom. I let my co-teacher handle the upset and eventually, the child went to sleep and all was well. Later that afternoon, I approached my co-teacher and said, "It made me feel frustrated that when the child was calm and moving on, you triggered her again when you said she couldn't go get her rest toy." This child has some rage issues and struggles to self-regulate. I wanted to celebrate the regulation and did not see the point in upsetting her once again. My co-teacher relayed to me that the child told her "You will let me, just like my mom lets me when I yell at her". I did not have this information nor did I have the information that my co-teacher had told her she would need to wait to get the rest toy. If I had had this information, I would not have even suggested that the child ask me rather than yell at me. It was a miscommunication between the two adults and we talked about it and came up with a plan to communicate better in the times of this child's upset. It is vital that we present a united front and remain consistent with her. We had to use the 3 R's to settle this minor conflict. My co-teacher and I have a reciprocal respectful relationship and because of that we were able to have this conversation in a calm manner. Another strategy that I used is looking from my co-teacher's point of view. This particular child does not respond to her the same way she responds to me. I have had this child in my class for the last three years. We have a strong bond and I could not let that bond interfere with what my co-teacher was trying to do. We had to compromise in agreeing to communicate more efficiently and in sharing the load so to speak when this child is upset.
While this was a minor conflict, it was a learning experience for me and my co-teacher and for that I am grateful.

Assessments

What is the one thing that surprised you the most? Why? 

The thing that surprised me the most was that most of the results were in the same range. I asked my husband and my assistant director to complete the assessments and their results were very close to mine. This surprised me because I thought my assistant director's scores would be harsher than mine and definitely harsher than my husbands. She sees me in a different light than my husband and myself, being my boss and I was excited to see that she sees me as a competent communicator. The scores for Listening Styles were me 37, my husband 37 and my assistant director 36. For Verbal Aggressiveness me 66, my husband 59 and my assistant director 62. For Communication Anxiety me 42, my husband 38 and my assistant director 32. This was the only assessment where the results were not in the same range. With the exception of the listening styles assessment which did not show the results the same way.   

What other insights about communication did you gain this week? 

I gained the insight that it is important to self-assess and to ask others to assess you as well. We could think that we are communicating well and find out through others that we are in fact not. 


Choose at least two to share with others through your blog and consider how each might inform your professional work and personal life.

The scores in Communication Anxiety taught me that I am comfortable with communicating with others in most situations. This is helpful for me in our field because it is a goal of mine to be a Conscious Discipline Certified Instructor. If I am able to do this, I will be put into situations where I must communicate the principals of Conscious Discipline effectively. This assessment gave me more confidence in my ability to reach for this goal. 
The scores for Verbal Aggressiveness taught me that I have grown a lot in my communication skills. I am proud to say that I consider others when speaking to them and even if I do not agree with their statements, I am typically able to disagree respectfully. This has not always been the case in my life, as I have grown as an educator and as a person this has become the case. This is helpful in my life personally and professionally because there will always be someone with a different point of view and it is important to treat others with respect! 

Communication and Culture

Do you find yourself communicating differently with people from different groups and cultures? If yes, in what ways do you communicate differently?

 I do believe that I communicate differently with various people. With my best friend at work, we use a lot of non-verbal communication, eye contact and phrases that mean something specifically to us. She is from a different ethnic group than me, and has a different culture but we have communicated this way almost from the moment we met. She and I have a strong relationship and I think that is what makes it easier to communicate with her.
I also am more formal with other co-workers than I am with her. It seems that I communicate differently with each of my co-workers and because of the way our building is set up, I simply do not communicate with some co-workers on a daily basis. For example, the infant room is on the other side of the building than the preschool rooms and I rarely see those teachers.
Some of my co-workers are from the Philippines and have strong accents which means I have to ask for clarification more often and it sometimes seems as if it irritates them, but I do not want to have miscommunication because I did not clarify.

Three strategies I could use to help me communicate more effectively with people from different groups and cultures are:
1. Listen more, speak less. I think I talk too much at times not giving enough time for the me to hear the other person.
2. Treat others the way I want to be treated in communication. Respect goes a long way.
3. Be intentional in asking questions to gain more understanding of a culture or person.

Observing Communication in a Sitcom

For this assignment, I chose to watch the Dick Van Dyke Show.  I love Dick Van Dyke especially in his role as Bert in Mary Poppins. When I was scrolling through Netflix to find a show to watch for the blog assignment, I ran across this one. I honestly am not sure why I have never watched it before, but really enjoyed it!

While watching it with the sound off, I could see the relationship between a mom and a son, a husband and wife and co-workers. I could see the relationship between mother and son by the way  the woman was caring for the boy, looking at him and offering him a snack etc. She showed concern for him that I could see in her facial expressions, eyes and overall demeanor. I could see the man and woman were husband and wife because of the expressions of love, hugging, kissing and the look in their eyes. ;) Co-workers were easy to see because of the environment that the sitcom presented. They were in an office space and their body language showed irritation and angst when the man who I can only assume was the boss walked into the room.

During the course of the show, I was able to see love, concern, enjoyment and irritation in the non-verbal communication. The wife would roll her eyes at the husband at certain points, the boss was unaware of the looks on his employees faces when he walked into the room and probably would have been upset if he had seen them! Enjoyment was seen as there was a lot of smiling and laughing. At one point it seemed as if the husband and wife were having an argument or at least a heated discussion!
When I watched it with the sound on, I found I was correct in the assumptions I made about the relationships between the cast. There was an argument between the husband and wife about going to a party at the boss's house while their son was sick. The concern for the son the mother was showing was because she thought he was sick because he did not want a cupcake! The sound made it easier to follow the plot, but I was correct in my assumptions about what they were communicating non-verbally. I do believe that I would have known more if this had been a show that I normally watch. This was season 1 episode 1, so I am not sure that I would have known the characters any better than I do now since watching it.

I have learned through this experience that while non-verbal communication shows a lot, it is best partnered with verbal communication, especially when assessing a sitcom. I do not know the people in the sitcom, they are pretend, with pretend scenarios. In a real life communication situation, non-verbal cues can speak volumes before the verbal communication even begins to come into play. I come away from this assignment with a realization that relationships are even more vital than I already thought. I know the look on my husband's face when he is "done" at a party or event. I know the tone of voice from my best friend that says, "I need a break". Non-verbal and verbal communication go hand-in-hand and relationship extends a person's ability to "read" said communication.

Effective Communication

When I think of someone who is an effective communicator, I think of my husband. He is a pastor who works with men who have had life controlling addictions, struggles and have been in jail for various reasons. In the residential program that we serve in, my husband talks to these guys on a one-on-one basis, in group settings and once a week goes to the county jail to talk to the guys there. He creates an environment of caring, respectful interactions with a no nonsense point of view. He makes eye contact with them, engages them in the conversation and presents himself as the open and honest man he is. He speaks to them as if he is speaking to a friend and relates their situations with his own life choices before coming to know the Lord. I desire to model these communication skills! Being able to create an environment for open communication is so powerful and helpful to solving problems, creating relationships and connecting with people. I want to connect with people in authentic ways, and I believe if I am able to model some of the communication behaviors I see in my husband I will be able to do so.

Professional Hopes and Goals

One hope I have when I think about working with children and families who come from a diverse background is that I will be able to seek out and authentically represent their deep culture after establishing relationship with them. In doing this, I hope to create an environment that is authentic to all children represented and honored in the space.

One goal I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity and social justice is that more professional development, workshops and conversations would occur surrounding these topics. If we do not talk about these issues and how to do a better job of meeting the needs of these topics, we will not effect change. We have to advocate and talk about it!

Thank you all for a wonderful 8 weeks! I feel that because of you and our conversations I have grown both professionally and personally! I wish you all well!
Rachael

Welcoming Families From Around the World

The new family in my classroom will be coming from Germany.

I will prepare myself to be culturally responsive in the following ways:

1. I will send a card to the child at his new home address written in English and translated to German welcoming him to the classroom and the school family.
2. Using the same translator, I will have all of the orientation information translated for his parents to ensure they are able to know specific information about the classroom.
3. I will learn key phrases in German such as "Hello" "Goodbye" "bathroom" "eat" etc. to ensure that the child feels comfortable and is able to have his needs met.
4. I will research Germany and it's surface culture to include some of the culture in the classroom so that the child and his family feel welcome, as well as ask for specifics about the family in order to learn about their deep culture.
5. I will give myself grace to learn about this child as I do with every child that enters the classroom and extend grace to the child and the family as we begin to develop a relationship.

My hopes in doing these things is that the family will feel welcome, loved and respected as well as honored and valued. I will learn new things on my own and hopefully learn a lot from the family and the child. :)

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

• What memory do you have of an incident when you experienced bias, prejudice, and/or oppression, or witnessed someone else as the target of bias, prejudice, and/or oppression? Keep in mind that one can encounter such incidents in real contexts, including online environments, as well as in fictional ones, such as movies, books, television shows, and the like.

This week at work, I witnessed someone else as the target of bias and prejudice. I know that the heart of this co-worker was not to offend, show bias or prejudice, however the longer I think about the interaction the more I am able to see this interaction as bias and prejudice. We have several posters up in the hallways that are outdated, and not relevant for the culture of the center. As early childhood educators, we desire to authentically represent people of all ethnicity, cultures and abilities. Two of these posters are certainly outdated and do not represent African American people well. Long story short, this co-worker said to another co-worker who happens to be African American, "You should be offended at this pictures. I would be if I were you." As I watched my co-worker try to process what had been said to her, this course replayed in my mind. I did not hear the entire conversation, I do know that they took the pictures down, and my co-worker said to me later that she was confused to why this other co-worker thought it was okay to tell her how she should feel. I have encouraged her to talk to this co-worker and explain how she is feeling. I hope she does. 

• In what way(s) did the specific bias, prejudice and/or oppression in that incident diminish equity?

This bias and prejudice diminishes equity simply because one person told another how to feel about a situation. Yes, the pictures are outdated and need to be updated, however, I feel that it could have been handled in a different way to honor the culture of our co-worker. For example, she could have asked our co-worker about her culture and if she felt these pictures represented her culture well. 

• What feelings did this incident bring up for you?

This incident brings up sadness and a little anger for me. The co-worker who is African American is a close friend of mine and to think that she was hurt makes me sad and angry. 

• What and/or who would have to change in order to turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity?

I think the co-worker who told the other that she should be offended would have to change her paradigms to turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity. Again, I do feel that this was an unintentional micro-aggression, which does not excuse the statement, however, she would have to be aware that her words were offensive in order to change. Therefore, there would need to be a conversation between the two ladies that was authentic, vulnerable and respectful. 

Practicing Awareness of Micro-aggressions

This week I am traveling for work and attending a conference with about 120 people. We are a group of educators mostly women, but there is one man who is attending the conference. Before reading the information provided this week, I would have not considered the following example as a micro-aggression. Several of us have teasingly said, on several occasions this week, "Tell us how you really feel being the only man in a room full of women." or "Sorry Tom, it's a woman thing" or "You sure you can handle this?". None us have intentionally spoken to Tom to hurt him or invalidate him as an educator, a counselor or a person. However, Dr. Sue spoke of micro-aggression reflecting "views of inferiority/superiority and inclusions/exclusions" (Laureate Education, 2011). I did not consider this to be micro-aggression until I have been reflecting. Honestly, I feel a bit sad that we might have made him feel less than, or out of place. He is a great guy and I have learned a lot from him and with him this week. My perception of the effects of stereotypes has broadened through this experience. Even if it is in a "fun-loving" way, stereotypes can be hurtful. We have to be aware of our own biases and intentionally work to avoid stereotyping. 

Reference:
Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Microaggressions in everyday life [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

I spoke to three different people to get their definitions of culture and diversity. Kennedy is 16 years old, Sharlon is a co-worker/friend that I have had for the past 12 years and Kristie is a parent of a former child I taught. Their answers are as follows.

Kennedy "Diversity is like having varieties. Like a range of different things. For example is you have a diverse varieties of apples, that means you have different kinds or types. You can have a bucket of apples but what makes them diverse is that some are granny smith, some are golden delicious and some are red delicious. Culture is who that person is and what they choose to do, such as beliefs, attire, ways of life, and food preferences. So diversity is what people see like how you can identify a group of people but their culture is what makes them, them. It isn't just the way they are seen but it's the way they live their life" (personal communication, July 18, 2017).

Sharlon "Culture to me is the distinct identity of ones roots in the historical experience of people. Culture is both distinct and enormously influential on American culture as a whole. Culture is how people were raised and pass down their beliefs, religion down from generation to generation. Diversity to me is the difference in one's race, gender, beliefs, culture and religion" (personal communication July 21, 2017).

Kristie "Culture- the beliefs, attitudes and customs of a group of people. Diversity- differences in culture, race, religion, gender, age and other physical and non-physical attributes" (personal communication July 19, 2017).

What aspects of culture and diversity that I have studied in this course are included in the answers I received- and what are some examples? 

I believe that in the answers I received, culture is defined much like what I have learned in this course. It is obviously not defined in the same vocabulary, but these definitions line up with the way that culture has been defined as who a person is, more than just the surface of clothes yet including the surface as well. Much like the iceberg metaphor used by Janet Gonzalez Mena.

What aspects have been omitted and what are some examples of such omission?

Family culture such as parenting styles have been omitted from most of the definitions. Sharlon mentioned a little bit of that in discussing how people are raised and pass down beliefs from generation to generation, but specific family dynamics are not mentioned. The other aspect that is omitted is the idea that a group of friends, a work place and/or a community can have its own unique culture.

In what ways has thinking about other people's definitions of culture and diversity influenced my own thinking about these topics? 

Thinking about other people's definitions of culture and diversity has broadened my thinking of these topics. Considering how other people define a topic, forces a person to consider their own beliefs, biases and even reconsider where their beliefs lie. I had not considered thinking outside of the box enough to use a metaphor of apples to describe diversity as Kennedy had. I had considered customs and beliefs as a part of culture but Kristie's definition made me consider the customs and beliefs that are a part of my own culture and family. Sharlon's definition made me consider how different cultures effect the American culture as a whole.

Overall, I enjoyed talking to all three ladies about this topic and gaining more insight. :)

My Family Culture

The idea of having to relocate and only take three items is a bit overwhelming. I do not consider myself to be very materialistic, but at the same time, thinking about taking only three items is hard. I would take my Bible because it is the center of who I am and my faith. I would want to be able to glen from the Word at all times. I would take a photo album of pictures of my family and friends to hold onto memories. Lastly, I would take a stereo of some kind for music. Music is in the center of my family's culture, we listen to, play and sing music at all events, or anytime we are all together. Explaining what these things mean to me would not be difficult I do not believe. My Bible, is the center of my faith in Jesus. Pictures are important to me because they are a tangible way to remember things and those who are dear to my heart. Music is important to me because, regardless of how I am feeling, music has an answer. If I were told I could only take one of these items, I would be be devastated, I would feel great loss. I would choose to take the photo album because the Word is in my heart and I know that the Lord would bring the Word back to my memory in the exact time I would need it. Music is also in my heart and I can sing without music and remember the times with my family and friends that are surrounded in memories of music. The only insight that I have gained from this exercise is that my family does not have a lot of material items that relate to our culture. It makes me a bit sad to know that I do not have "memorabilia" that represents my family.

When I think of research....

·         What insights have you gained about research from taking this course?

By taking this course, I have gained insight that research is incredibly important for the field of early childhood education. Research provides us with power to effect change. Research is something that as educators we do on a small scale, every day. We determine what best practice is at each specific moment in our day. We determine what a child needs and how to give that to them. I was terrified about this course! I thought I could not possibly understand research, read research or feel confident enough to attempt to simulate research. BUT as the course progressed, I have gained confidence in my ability to do all of these things. I have questions, I can get answers!

·         In what ways have your ideas about the nature of doing research changed?

Again, I was terrified, but I my thoughts and ideas about conducting research have changed throughout this course. I do not believe that I am experienced enough to take on a research study by any means, but I am more confident in the steps.

·         What lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood did you learn?

The biggest thing I have learned about planning, designing and conducting research is to be organized and talk to other people. We all have people in our lives who are willing to verbally process with us, offer advice and expertise and help us through the process. Finding out what other people are saying about a topic helped me to gain confidence as I am finding that other, more educated, more experienced people have the same thoughts as I do concerning certain issues.

·       What were some of the challenges you encountered—and in what ways did you meet them?

Honestly the biggest challenges I have faced are confidence and the vocabulary that comes along with research. At times it felt I was looking up more words than I actually knew! I bookmarked the glossary in the text book and took the time to look up anything I wasn’t sure I knew the definition of. Confidence in this area has just come with time and from feedback from Dr. Todd and all of you. Thank you thank you thank you for interacting with me, verbally processing with me and helping me to clarify my thoughts.

·         What are some of the ways your perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course?

My perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified to include research as a vital part of the field and my job as a professional.

Again, thank you all for your support and encouragement throughout this course. I wish you all well! 

Research Around the World

This week I explored the Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa website.

Two topics that caught my attention when exploring the publications were Involving Fathers in Early Childhood Care and Development and A Guide for Effective School and Parent Collaboration: A Cooperative Development and Delivery Approach. While reading the publications, it became clear that early childhood educators all over the world have to deal with some of the same obstacles in order to provide quality care for young children. An insight that I gained from exploring this site, was that while the field of early childhood is always changing and evolving, the educator’s heart is for young children and families. This is the case in my personal passion and it was wonderful to read about the foundation that educators are receiving through the work of ECDVU. As a lover of online learning, I was very interested in learning about the programs for educators that are provided through the Early Childhood Development Virtual University. One participant stated that the program allows for a person to work on the job and learn and put into application new knowledge, as well as stating that it was what educators had been waiting for.  That made my heart sing! I know from my own personal journey that the best way I learn is to practice the techniques in tangible ways in the classroom. I also found it interesting that ECDVU uses international advisors and instructors. I believe that this is an amazing feature that truly binds educators from all over the world together. It is in my opinion the very definition of “It takes a village”. All of us together with the same goals can effect major change in the field of early childhood education.

References:

Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA): 
http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/index.php
http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php

Research that Benefits Children and Families

If I possessed the means and the knowledge to conduct a research study, I would research the correlation between play based curriculum and Kindergarten "readiness". I believe in play based curriculum and believe that self-regulation skills are the number one indicator of Kinder-readiness. In imagining this study, without current restrictions and the reality of the present, I can foresee several positive contributions to the well-being of children and families as well as to the field of Early Childhood as a whole. One positive contribution to the field would be a solidifying of why play based curriculum is an effective way to prepare children for "big" school. A positive contribution to children would be a release of practices that in theory prepare children for Kindergarten, but in reality stifle their creativity and often leave children feeling "less than". For families there would be an understanding of why play is important and a release of pressure knowing their child would be more than ready for Kindergarten and benefit from play based curriculum in every developmental domain. My hope would be that there would be a heightened awareness of play based curriculum, training for professionals on how to present concepts and solidify those concepts using this type of curriculum, families would feel less more confident in play based curriculum and school just might become a place where children are present, creative and thought of as capable contributors to their learning.

Personal Research Journey

My chosen topic for the simulation is relationships. The three subtopics I chose were the effects of peer relationships, effects of continuity of care on relationships between children and teachers as well as social/emotional development and ways to foster healthy relationships between teachers and families. As I have been searching the literature, I have become more interested in relationships between children and teachers and the effects of those relationships on social/emotional development. The authors of our text talked about how sometimes the original question a person has changes as they work through the research process.
My general topic has been relationships however, when I chose my subtopics I did not anticipate the changing of question to occur so quickly. I have been searching the literature on both my original question, "how does continuity of care effect teacher child relationships and social emotional development?" and the new posed question of "how do teacher-child relationships effect social emotional development?" Both questions are very interesting to me and I seem to be struggling with focusing my question. Does anyone have any ideas on this? I feel that I am maybe "too close" to the situation and any ideas or input would be greatly appreciated. I know that it is very important to have a focused question and the two seem very closely related.
As I worked through constructing the research chart, I realized that I am not very knowledgeable within the context of the "research world". I spent a lot of time looking up definitions, taking notes and trying to understand the concepts presented. While I feel that I have gained some knowledge and understanding, I am curious if anyone has any ideas or resources that might help me through the process of entering the "research world" with more confidence.
One insight that I have gained this week is to focus the key words in my search for literature. When I began my search, the key words were too broad and I ended up with hundreds of articles to search through. When I focused the key words, I was left with articles more specific to my need.
Thank you all for any thoughts and ideas you might have!
I wish you well!

Consequences and Goals

Over the course of the past eight weeks and collaborating with Karen from Canada to discuss issues and trends in Early Childhood, I feel that I have learned a lot about myself and about our field. Three consequences of this learning have been:
1. Realizing that as educators we are more alike than different and that when we are vulnerable and honest with one another, we can truly appreciate that others have the same hopes, dreams and struggles that we have in our day to day interactions with children and families.

2. Learning never stops. I have knowledge about this field that has come from my education and my experience, however, looking at this field through another person's eyes opened my eyes to different ideas of raising the bar in my community for quality education and interactions with families. It was easy to talk with Karen and one of my favorite aspects of this course.

3. A realization that I need to know more about policies and how they are created and implemented. Karen was very knowledgeable about Early Childhood policies in Canada and her specific community and that caused me to have a desire to learn more about this in the U.S.

One goal that I can recommend for our field is to collaborate more within our communities with other educators and across borders. With Facebook and other social media, we have an opportunity that has not been afforded so easily before. There are a ton of Facebook groups that include educators from other countries, with different beliefs and outlooks. If we can step outside of our comfort zones long enough to hear, really hear, what other educator's have to say, we might just learn something new! It is time we get involved and learn!

I wish you all well!

Getting to Know Your International Contacts Part 3

In speaking with Karen from Canada again this week, I have learned more about her and her goals as well as what Canada is working towards. I honestly believe that this portion of the course has been my favorite! J I asked Karen the questions from the Blog Assignment this week and here are her answers!

What issues regarding quality and early childhood professionals are being discussed where you live and work?

“We are working towards a universal early learning and childcare system.  Right now keeping fees affordable and providing enough subsidy money to families is a key issue.  There are not enough spots for all children.  With maternity/parental leave now extended to 18 months and full day kindergarten for four year olds we can now focus in toddler and preschool spaces” (K. Tegal, personal communication, April 18, 2017).

What opportunities and/or requirements for professional development exist?

“There are so many training opportunities available - there is a city wide training calendar and many organizations (Ontario Reggio Association, Forest School Canada, Toronto District School Board etc...offer many workshops).  We are required to provide proof of ongoing learning and funds for professional development must be made accessible (government requirement)” (K. Tegal, personal communication, April 18, 2017).

What are some of your professional goals?

 “Professional goals?  I don't see myself in any sort of admin or supervisory type role so I guess I just want to keep learning and growing as an educator” (K. Tegal, personal communication, April 18, 2017).

What are some of your professional hopes, dreams, and challenges?

“Challenge?  Resources - not enough money and space allocated for the youngest learners” (K. Tegal, personal communication, April 18, 2017).

As always, I was so glad to see that early childhood educators have some of the same issues regardless of where they are located. Money and space will always be an issue! I have enjoyed talking with Karen so much over these few weeks. I hope that we are able to continue to communicate and learn with one another! 

Sharing Web Resources Week 6

The National Institute for Early Education Research

Follow some of the outside links. Where do they lead?

The only outside links I was able to find were links to webinars and presentations. Some of them took me to YouTube videos of TedTalks and others simply downloaded information from presentations.

Thoroughly search one area of the site. What did you find?

One area of the site that I found interesting is the Preschool Yearbook area. This is an area that shows an annual publication that tracks the funding, access and policies of state-funded preschool programs. It was interesting to me that there was not a Preschool Yearbook for 2016 yet, but the Yearbook for 2015 discusses whether or not state Pre-K got back on track in 2015. The entire publication can be downloaded and there is a link for looking at individual states.

E-newsletter links. What new information is available?

I received an e-newsletter this week and the first story is a story about whether or not taxes on sugary drinks could be the future for funding universal preschool. It was an interesting topic and I was struck by the following statement. "All this means that initiatives like that in Santa Fe are not just a convenient way of raising revenue for a good cause, but a double barreled approach to supporting healthier development of our children -- expanding access to high-quality early care and education while discouraging consumption of sugary beverages that contribute to problems of tooth decay, obesity and diabetes" (NIEER, April 14 2017).

Does the website or the e-newsletter contain any information that adds to your understanding and excellence in early care and education?

YES! There are many more stories in the e-newsletter as well as on the website. The newsletter links stories directly to the website so they are easy to download and review. One story dealing with equity was entitled "Questions of Access and Equity: Suspension and Expulsion in PreK" I found it interesting, please let me know what you all think!
http://nieer.org/2016/10/26/questions-access-equity-suspension-expulsion-prek

What other new insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did you gain this week from exploring the website and/or the e-newsletter?

I find something interesting every time I explore this website. I think the most powerful thing I find is that I am not alone in my concerns and struggles in this field. There are articles on Kinder readiness which is the current struggle I am having as well as just really good information on child development and the field in general. I will link the latest article/blog that I have enjoyed!
http://nieer.org/2017/04/14/data-literacy-just-test-results-important-early-childhood-education

Please let me know your thoughts! :)

Getting to Know International Contacts Part 2

This week I was able to have a conversation with my contact in Canada, Karen. She had excellent information to share with me concerning excellence and school readiness. She stated concerning excellence:

 “In Ontario to be an infant/toddler/preschool educator you need to have a 2 year diploma or a 4 year degree in early childhood education and you must be registered with the College of Early Childhood Educators - which sets code of ethics, ensures ongoing learning of educators and yearly license renewals - it regulates the profession and will discipline educators if needed. Our standards are high and our framework is solid.  There are challenges around providing adequate support for children with special needs and the high number of children in kindergarten classrooms” (Karen Tegal, personal communication, April 3, 2017).

I found this to be interesting and encouraging. When we have had conversations in the past, we have discussed that quality care requires quality educators. In Ontario, they seem to have a great accountability plan in place.

Concerning equity and school readiness, Karen had a lot of wonderful things to say, and I could not pick just one to share, so in order to do her words justice, I am directly quoting her again! J

”School readiness and achievement are only talked about as far as social emotional development and self-help skills in the toddler and preschool years. Once a year, early year’s settings in Toronto are rated on a 5 point scale - that focuses on the environment and the interactions/relationships.  These ratings are posted online.  If a centre chooses not to be rated they are not eligible for grants or fee subsidies.  The province also assesses and licenses each centre once a year - this is mandatory for all centres and they focus on health, safety, laws - ratios etc. Social emotional readiness is crucial and literacy and numeracy happen naturally through play.  Also there is a huge push for thinking more about outdoor play.  Toddlers and preschoolers are expected to be outside for one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon- but outdoor play spaces are often neglected when it comes to provisioning an enriched environment. If a child turns four before Dec 31 they are in FDK (full day kindergarten) - a two year program with a play/inquiry based curriculum where more "reading and mathematical" behaviors are expected and monitored through play based observations- no pencil/paperwork or tests (as far as I know). Every FDK class has two adults - one registered early childhood educator and one Ontario certified elementary teacher (with 6 years post-secondary education) and up to 26 children.

Also - only FDK is fully publicly funded and guaranteed.  For infant, toddler and preschooler spaces wait lists can be long and subsidy applications can be frustrating- this can be seen as a barrier to access as wealthy families can also apply to centres that don't accept subsidies as they can pay full fees” (Karen Tegal, personal communication, April 3, 2017).

I was surprised to hear that there are two teachers in each Full Day Kindergarten and the specifics of the credentials of each. I was also surprised to hear that FDK is a two year program that is play/inquiry based. How exciting! I wonder what difference we would see in our own communities if Kindergarten was 2 years long and play/inquiry based!?! It also seems like Canada struggles with the same issues with funding in preschool that we do. It is a universal issue for sure.

I am really enjoying getting to know Karen and hearing her thoughts! I hope you all are having success in this aspect of the course as well! 

Sharing Web Resources

This week I have continued to look at the National Institute for Early Education Research. I did not find the weekly email to be inspiring or question probing. Honestly, the website is a bit difficult to maneuver through though the information is wonderful. 
The section that seems particularly relevant to my professional development is the Preschool Matters Today blog. There are a ton of different topics in this section and I can scroll through them easily and simply open them up to read more. There is typically a new topic for each day.  One statement in a blog from March stood out to me as something we are doing together every week! "Collaboration also can be daunting, challenging us to share information with those outside our usual circle. Yet the rewards outweigh the risks. If we want to create a robust early learning system for all children, we need to share not only great ideas and strategies for implementing them but also mistakes made and how to avoid them" (Weisnfeld, 2017). This spoke to me because of some specific collaboration I am doing at work with the preschool teaching teams. 
There is also a section that provides podcasts and videos that I found to be interesting and made me think of the topic of economist in a different way. Steven Barnett is an economist and I found a video of him speaking about investing in early childhood. The video is entitled, "Ed:Talk: High Quality Pre-K: Taking the Road Less Traveled". I will link the video at the end of this post for you to check out! It made me feel less defensive about economist coming into the world of Early Childhood. 
There is an entire section set apart for journal articles. I was able to find articles concerning economics and finance, however I was disappointed that they were not current. The latest article shown was from 2011. 
I feel that as I am exploring this website, I am finding more and more out about NIEER. I have stated before that research is not a strong passion of mine, but I want to know more and feel more confident in conducting and reading about various research in our field. This assignment and this website is giving me a safe place to do so. For that I am grateful! 

Reference:
http://nieer.org/publications/blog

http://nieer.org/video-webinar/ed-talk-high-quality-pre-k-taking-the-road-less-travelled

Ed Talk

Getting to Know International Contacts

I was able to contact two early childhood professionals outside of the U.S. Rachel lives in Iceland and Karen lives in Canada. They were both very gracious and informational. Our communication has been done through email. I emailed them both and simply asked about poverty in their country and in their professional lives as well as how they personally felt about poverty as a world-wide issue.

Rachel spoke of poverty as a world-wide issue very passionately. She stated that she struggles with why some areas of the world are struggling to feed their people and other areas are dealing with obesity. She also spoke passionately about assistance needing to be for helping and teaching people to come out of poverty rather than being used as an only means of income. She has not dealt with poverty in her professional life, stating that while some of the families in her nursery receive reduced tuition, because of parent's not working, she would not label them as living in poverty.

Karen stated that poverty in Canada is not much different than in the U.S. except for the fact that they have very remote areas where food, water and supplies must be flown in making things more expensive. We discussed whether the cost of living had anything to do with the poverty rate in Canada and she said she did not believe it did. She talked about Canada going towards Universal Early Learning and that children begin full day Kindergarten if they turn four before December 31, which she believes lends to relieving some financial strain on families. One statement she made struck me, she said that Canada has pledged to alleviate child poverty but still have such a long way to go.

I feel like the contacts I have made with Rachel and Karen will be beneficial in my professional life and my personal life. They have a lot of insight and are eager and willing to share with me and for that I am very grateful.
I have found a new passion for helping and supporting families in poverty over the course of this week's readings and research. As I have begun to look at my own community, the numbers of children and families in poverty and/or homeless is shocking. It has saddened me, but also moved me into action. I believe that I will be seeking to become more involved in helping, partnering with organizations and getting my family involved in the very near future.

Sharing Web Resources

We had an extensive list of resources to chose from. I chose the National Institute for Early Education Research. Their website can be found at nieer.org.

NIEER focuses on academic research and according to their website, they work to monitor an evaluate/state progress, inform policy makers of the importance of early care and provide a definition of what quality early care is and catapult conversations about early education policy and much much more.

As I began to look at the website, I was overwhelmed with the amazing articles, links to trending issues, blog and more information than I could take in at one time. I have been looking their website for about a week and still do not feel like I have scratched the surface to all the information available.

One current issue/trend that caught my attention, was an archived blog post about Dual Language Learners. This article caught my attention mostly because of the topics we have been discussing this week. This article solidifies the conversations we have been having about respecting and valuing home language, as well as building and maintaining relationships with children and families. The blog post was so good that I am going to attempt to put a link up for you all to read it. :)

I did sign up for the weekly newsletter, however, I have not received an email as of today.
There is so much information on this website that I plan to take it section by section to explore. I feel that because I do not feel confident in my abilities to conduct research and analyze it, that through this resource I will gain confidence that I can take into my next course which will focus on research.

I hope you all find some really great things on this website as well and on the sites you have chosen to explore. :)

Links!
Blog Post
National Institute for Early Education

Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

I have been both anxious and excited about this portion of this course, as I am a part of the Walden Early Childhood Program's Facebook page and have seen others reach out for contact information. I work for a lab school as a part of our Child and Family Studies program and each year a group of students travels to Belize to conduct workshops and just be a part of their early childhood program. I have contacted that instructor to see if there is anyone in that program willing to be in contact with me. I have also reached out on another Facebook page that I get Reggio inspiration from and am waiting for a response there. I am hoping to hear something in the next few days in order to not have to use the alternative resources.
For the second part of this blog, I am challenging myself to go outside of my comfort zone a bit. I am not extremely comfortable with research and all of the jargon, so I am going to explore the National Institute for Early Education Research. I am hoping to be challenged and learn a lot! That website is nieer.org

I wish you all well in the next 8 weeks! I hope we learn a lot and are challenged personally and professionally!

My Supports

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I     I have an amazing support system. I have an amazing husband who supports me in everything I do. He does this in really simple ways. Things such as doing the laundry so I can study or cooking dinner or bringing me a cup of coffee on a Saturday morning when I am working on school work. He wants me to be successful and has been supporting me in this way for the past 9 years. We joke that I am a professional student and he is the support! My friends are a great support as well, they are constantly encouraging me and taking me out to relax instead of stress with work and school and all the life things. My work family is incredibly supportive as well always providing an ear to listen or verbally process things. 

     Aside from relational support, I believe that we have the support of technology and research. Without technology I could not be taking this journey while working full time in an entirely online program. If these support systems were gone from my life, I am not sure that I would be on the journey I am on now. I know that i would be in a different place in my life than I am now without these relationships and supports. My life is better because of these supports! 

     

      Looking at a challenge I could imagine, I chose to imagine what my life would be like if I were deaf. I would need the same support systems through relationships I currently have, but I think there would be many more supports necessary. My home would have to be set up differently so that I would be able to know when someone was knocking on my door and I would have to have different technology to help in various areas of my life. Learning a new language would be difficult, maneuvering through life would be a completely different experience than what I know now. Another support might be hearing aides to aide in hearing some things.

      While I can work through my life without the supports mentioned above, although it would be difficult, I do not think I could be as successful without supports if I were deaf. The supports such as setting my home up to know when someone was knocking on the door or calling the phone would be absolutely necessary for success. I think life would be extremely lonely without these supports if I were faced with the challenge of living in a hearing world without being able to hear. One of my co-workers has a brother who is completely deaf and I have had several conversations with her about how life is different for him than for others. The lights in the house blink when the phone rings or the door bell rings. When her brother's wife had their first child, they had to adjust a lot so that he knew when the baby needed something and was able to help his wife. Without supports things are much harder than they are with supports. 

      Is it impossible to work through challenges or varying abilities without supports? I don't know for sure. I do not have first hand experience, but I know how difficult it would be for me to work through my emotional challenges without my relational supports. I think that is the point. We need each other and we need support in all shapes and sizes. We need people and we need new found technology and research. We need places of inclusion that provide encouragement, not only support, but a place to grow and succeed. I hope that I am able to provide that for children and families as well as advocate for high-quality inclusion programs in early childhood and beyond. 

       

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My Connections to Play

These quotes are very powerful in my opinion concerning play. Both encompass what play was like for me as a child and how I feel about play in the Early Childhood field.






Play for me as a child was typically outside, with my older brothers or with neighborhood friends. We played in the creek outside of my Papa's house, at the local park on the merry-go-round and countless games of football in the backyard. I spent time under trees reading books. Books were and are my choice of "play". I could be anyone, anywhere and would spend HOURS under a tree on a blanket reading Anne Frank, The Boxcar Children, The Babysitter's Club, Beverly Clearly, anything and everything I could get my hands on. I remember playing school on the steps at our apartment, We played dodge ball with the horse apples that we found on the ground in the yard, jumped in leaf piles, made forts in the living room and rolled down hills. Play was with our whole bodies. We made up the rules as we went and the games would last for days at a time. My brothers, my neighbors and classmates, as well as my parents all had a role to play in the "play" I participated in as a child. They encouraged me to be myself, experiment and imagine all the things I thought I would be or could be. I am forever grateful for their support in my play then and now!

I think that play is very different now than it was when I was a child.  I watch children not really know how to play outside. As a child, we spent so many hours outside just playing with whatever and whoever there was to play with. It is interesting to me that children do not know how to play. When they are outside, they play things based off of the TV shows they watch, the movies they have seen or the recent video games they have played. To simply make a game as they go seems rare. I believe that play in it's purest form opens the door to problem solving, creative thinking, and dreaming as well as impulse control and self-regulation. Play is so very vital to all of us. Children and adults! Play opens all sorts of doors for us. I hope that as early childhood educators we can advocate for play in a way that shows it's importance and refuels a passion for play in children of all ages!