Rhonda Johnson

Farewell (Cont)

noreply@blogger.com (rjmo2) — Sat, 29 Jun 2013 01:16:00 +0000

This Capstone class has provided me with so much growth and understanding. It has helped me to become the leader and advocate I want to be. Working on this capstone project, has helped me to put things into action. As a leader, we want to ensure we respect and value other people opinions when we are trying to accomplish a goal.
We want to communicate and collaborate with others to ensure we all working for the common good of not just ourselves put for the whole. It is important to surround and be involved with your Community of Partners, who share the same passion to help you fulfill your vision. There may be others who may have the same interest at heart and together you can accomplish what it is you are trying to accomplish.
Also, researching jobs across the globe, helped me to understand, I can help from not only a local perspective but Internationally as well.

My long-term goal is to ensure the children, not just foster children, I come into contact with will receive the opportunity to thrive as they should. In addition, I want to work with families as well to ensure they are knowledgeable about their child's development and rights. I want to provide the families and children with the voice and fight for their right to develop and become successful throughout life.

I want to thank all my colleagues for your advice and opinions. Though I had a vision, a statement in mind, I did struggle in the beginning to develop it fully. I personally thank you all for the feedback and ways I could bring this subject to light. Dr. Teri, thank you for your continuous feedback and breaking things down where (I) we can understand. I am not sure about others, but I was a nervous wreck when it came down to our final project. I wanted to make sure all bases were covered. After utilizing the Contact the Instructor tab in our course, I realized a lot of questions I had were asked and answered by many. I know I mentioned it before, but thank you to Angie for taking notes during week 4's chat, thank you Nancy for posting information on writing Introductions and Conclusions and the whole body of students. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You all do not know what it means to me personally. I almost gave up and quit the course because of health reasons, but I kept on. Dr. Teri, thank your for the words of encouragement you posted in the announcements and being on time with grading and feedback. This helped me greatly to improve on areas that I needed to change and helped me with my Capstone Project.

To all, congratulations on your Graduation. We did it!!!

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally (cont)

noreply@blogger.com (rjmo2) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 08:31:00 +0000

UNESCO’s mission is to contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information.

AS A YOUNG PROFESSIONAL
Each year the Young Professionals Programme offers to a dozen or so young graduates or professionals just starting their career, from unrepresented or under-represented countries, the opportunity for a career in an international organization.
This programme provides ten (10) recent college graduates and young professionals under the age of 30 with the opportunity to start a career in an international organization.

UNESCO informs the National Commissions and Permanent Delegations of Members States that are eligible to participate in this Programme.

Candidates send their applications to the National Commission/Permanent Delegation of their country of citizenship. UNESCO does not accept applications sent directly to the Organization
AS AN INTERN - If you are a student holding a first university degree, a researcher or a national civil servant, you can do an internship of one to three months at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris or in a UNESCO field office.
To be considered for positions for the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization you must possess:

Education: university degree in education, culture, science, social and human sciences or communication or in a field linked directly to the management and administration of an international organization.

Languages: an excellent knowledge of either French or English (the two working languages) and a good knowledge of the other language. A knowledge of Arabic, Chinese, Spanish or Russian is an additional asset.
Note: for applicants from unrepresented or under-represented countries, knowledge of a single UNESCO working language is acceptable. However, once appointed, the staff member must learn the second working language.

Attitude: awareness of the multiple facets of a multicultural world and a commitment to international public service are essential.

Experience: as a rule, two to three years’ experience for junior professionals (grade P-1/P-2); four to eight years’ experience for middle-ranking professionals (grade P-3/P-4); ten to 15 years’ experience, including management experience, for management professionals (grade P-5, D and ADG).
I like this company for their vision and opportunity to hire young professionals who are willing to start a career in this field.

http://www.unesco.org/

International Child Development Initiatives

ICDI is a Dutch non-profit organisation with a world wide brief, and a focus on developing countries. ICDI promotes the well-being of children growing up in difficult circumstances. We work to improve the policies and practices which affect these children by assisting in the development of local capacity (of children, their communities, organizations, and authorities). We believe in the power of children and young people, supporting their rights and addressing the underlying causes for the problems they face. There are so many children who have difficult circumstances and I like how International Child Development Initiatives attend to their goals. They believe that children should not be neglected. They believe in utilizing the child's strengths to help them achieve their goals.

They have available short-term assignments that was in past year, in the following areas:

In Bosnia and Herzegovina

Child protection and education

Evaluation with follow-up recommendations

Evaluation of six after-school centers for children from multi-problem families in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a focus on effectiveness, impact, sustainability, efficiency and potential for replication. The report also included possible scenarios for further development and recommendations on the donor's possible role in these.

http://www.icdi.nl/

International Step by Step Association (ISSA) is collaborate with families, community and professional to ensure every child reach their true potential equally. .

ISSA's mission is to support professional communities and develop a strong civil society that influences and assists decision makers to:

provide high quality care and educational services for all children from birth through primary school (birth through 10 years old), with a focus on the poorest and most disadvantaged
ensure greater inclusion of family and community participation in children's development and learning
ensure social inclusion and respect for diversity.

http://www.issa.nl/index.html

International Association of Early Childhood Education enhance international studies by sharing views among educators and practitioners in the early childhood community and to develop methods for creative teaching and a better learning environment for young children. This is accomplish through annual research conference, seminars, and meetings in different countries. I like the fact they offer members to join training and practice tours in foreign countries. This provides a global perspective in the early childhood field. Job listing is not available. However, it is affirmed, those driven by and have knowledge of the early childhood field is eligible to attend membership.

http://www.iaece.org

International Association of Early Childhood Education. Retrieved from http://www.iaece.org

International Child Development Initiatives. Retrieved from http://www.icdi.nl/

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

United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization. Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/

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

noreply@blogger.com (rjmo2) — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 03:58:00 +0000

At least three national/federal organizations or communities of practice that appealed to you and why you chose them 1. The National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest professional employee organization, is committed to advancing the cause of public education. NEA's 3 million members work at every level of education—from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the United States. Great qchange is a positive one, especially when it comes to children and education. 2. Child Care Services Association (CCSA) is a nationally recognized nonprofit working to ensure affordable, accessible, high quality child care for all families through research, services and advocacy. We are more than just an agency working to improve child care; we are also an association of groups, individuals and volunteers committed to supporting the right of young children and their families to have the best possible life. 3. National Institute of Early Education Research (NIEER)The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) conducts and communicates research to support high-quality, effective early childhood education for all young children. Such education enhances their physical, cognitive, and social development, and subsequent success in school and later life. Retrieved from http://nieer.org Conducting research or gathering information to support high quality care is beneficial. The world of Early Childhood is changing and is important we keep up with current and pertinent information as it applies to Educators and students. 4. United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund(UNICEF)is the driving force that helps build a world where the rights of every child are realized. Like myself, they believe in providing children with a bright future by attending to their early years. Early intervention services and advocacy is important when ensuring all children are provided with the rights to the opportunity to learn. We advocate for measures to give children the best start in life, because proper care at the youngest age forms the strongest foundation for a person’s future. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.or Job opportunities (currently available or not) that interest you 1. No job listings available. 2. CSSA job opportunities include National T.E.A.C.H. TA Center Higher Education Project Manager.($46,800 to $70,200)Deliver high quality technical assistance, training and resources to support T.E.A.C.H. states in their efforts to increase student success and to facilitate better articulation of courses and degrees within the states’ higher education systems. Retrieved from http://www.childcareservices.org 3. NIEER is accepting application for Data Collector. I have 3 years working with data collecting while working for a Marketing Research Company. NIEER supports early childhood policy development by providing independent research and analysis. 4. UNICEF have various careers available from volunteering, Junior Professional Program, and more. Skills and experience you would need to competently fulfill each of these roles 1. No job listed. 2. Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education, or related field plus or including at least 18 birth to five focused semester hours At least three years of experience in working in programs that serve young children and their families; at least ten years experience as faculty in an institution of higher education. Experience collecting and analyzing basic program and evaluation data Experience working with diverse populations Experience in developing and conducting high quality early childhood professional development opportunities. 3.Applicants should be graduate students, have a BA or be upperclassman undergraduate students with a focus on child development, early childhood, psychology or related field. Knowledgeable about child development and developmentally appropriate early childhood teaching practices (e.g. Teacher) preferred. Experience in classroom settings and/or working with children highly preferred. Must be available to work 2-3x per week during data collection period; days are flexible and must be available to attend intensive trainings that vary between 2 days and a full week. The successful candidate is expected to demonstrate an excellent academic record (GPA should be 3.0 or better). Retrieved from http://nieer.org 4.Junior Professional level requires you to have citizenship of country, age 28-32, degree of Masters to a Bachelor's; two years of relevant work; computer literacy; interest in the work of UNICEF; and have the ability to interact and respect others regardless of beliefs, values, culture, gender, and so forth. Pay is competitive. To apply please send a letter of interest, curriculum vita, transcript (if currently a student), and the names of two references. http://nieer.org Reference Child Care Services Association. Retrieved from http://www.childcareservices.org

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community:National/Federal Level (cont)

noreply@blogger.com (rjmo2) — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 01:57:00 +0000

At least three national/federal organizations or communities of practice that appealed to you and why you chose them

Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD) -

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels (cont)

noreply@blogger.com (rjmo2) — Sat, 18 May 2013 12:31:00 +0000

At least three local or state organizations or communities of practice that appealed to you, and explain why you chose them

South Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children is a local organization in which I have personally been a part of. Their goal is to provide the necessary tools to help Early Childhood Organizations reach their goals by providing professional development and enhancement tools to better serve the children and families. The Association welcomes numerous of programs and organizations which share the same interest. Everyone is provided with new insights on how they may enhance their organization. This invitation is open to the public of Child Development/Early Childhood. Networking is vital as everyone are able to exchange new ideas.

NAEYC ensures programs within the local area and statewide are equipped to serve its family, children and community with high quality care. They aim to serve the community by respecting the diversity of people and ensuring everyone has a voice.

South Carolina Association of Community Action Partnerships involves the community as it values the diversity of children and families. They provide services such as Head Start, Weatherization, Tax Info and so on for the families of the community to improve quality of life for low-income community. "This is accomplish by advocating for policies that strengthens program services; coordination of extensive training and professional development; serving as a state clearinghouse for information and data compilation of reporting; marketing, building of public and private partnerships, governmental, and developing and dissemination of research, information and resources that enrich service delivery" (SCACAP). SCACAP partner up with others to brainstorm workshops, youth programs, grants, health care and more for the community.

This organization not only serves Child Care Provider and the Child Development Programs, but children and families as well. Organizations such as Family Connection, Parents Reaching out to Parents, allows families to collaborate and gain resources and insight regarding children with special needs.

Job opportunities (currently available or not) that interest you

NAEYC is looking for a System Integrity Specialist to support work of Early Childhood Accreditation System. The Specialist will ensure high quality standards are monitored by EC programs, by working with child care program staff and NAEYC staff involved in accreditation process. System Integrity Specialist serves as a connection to programs and severity committee members.

South Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children- Did not list any career opportunities.

Although South Carolina Child Care Resource & Referral Network is not hiring, there are other States that are. In West Virginia, they are seeking a Infant Toddler Early Childhood Specialist (trainer).

Skills and experience that you would need to competently fulfill each of these roles

Infant-Toddler Early Childhood Specialist (trainer) - Bachelor's degree in early childhood education/ development field and 1 yr. experience with infants and toddlers or related field w/15 hrs. early childhood ed and 2 yrs. experience with infants and toddlers. Excellent benefits. Must pass drug test.

Salary based on education: BA-$25,470-MA+30-$29,231 Accepting resumes until 5/17/13 Send to: Director, Connect CCR&R, P.O. Box 369, Cabin Creek, WV 25035. Fax 304-595-6402. EOE M/F/V/D (NASPA Career Center).

NAEYC System Integrity Specialist- Must have a minimum Bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education/Child Development, Human Development or related field.
Experience with high quality programming and NAEYC accreditation is a plus. Excellent oral and written communication, analytical, customer service skills, MS Office and database skills are required. Must be able to meet deadlines, work in a team and in a fast- paced environment. Some travel may be required. Salary low to mid $40s with good benefits (NAEYC).

Although South Carolina Association of Community Action Partnership (SCACAP) does not list any job openings, I would be willing to work within the Head Start Program that is affiliated with this community.

Reference
South Carolina Association of Community Action Partnership (SCACAP). Retrieved from http://www.scacap.org/

South Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children. (SCAEYC). Retrieved from http://www.scaeyc.org/

South Carolina Child Care Resource and Referral Network. Retrieved from http://sc-ccrr.org/

NASPA Career Center. Retrieved from http://careers.naspa.com/jobseeker/job/13385937/Infant%20Toddler%20Early%20Childhood%20(1354_0000530272-01)/Connect%20Ccr&R/?vnet=0&str=501&max=100

Reflecting on Learning

noreply@blogger.com (rjmo2) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 01:11:00 +0000

My passionate hope as Eric Hoffman says, is to treat children as a whole regardless of any situation. Though people may say it is hard to lose a foster child when they go home, I am happy that we were able to impact their lives in a positive way. Most of these children were told not only by society but some of their parents that they were nothing, not smart, will fail and so forth. Most of these children have varying abilities and would give up themselves when they could not do something. It was encouragement, trust, respect and belief that we were able to help these children believe in themselves and strive. I cannot recall the number of IEP, Therapy, Early Intervention services and more we have attended, but we were not given up on these children.
For the short time we had some, we were able to utilize their strength and talents to help them strive as well. I feel that my passion has grown even further to help all children and families regardless of economic status, abilities, sexual orientation, family structure, religion, race, and so forth. In addition, I want to teach children and families not only value and feel proud about who they are, but to others as well. I want to model positive behaviors so that children and families I encounter, will develop acceptance, empathy and respect to all regardless of their differences.

I want to thank all my colleagues and Dr. Weems as well, for sharing your comments and wisdom throughout the course. We all have many experiences that we have encounter and we can help each other along our journey. It is with my greatest intentions to apply what I gained from everyone and continue to further my knowledge to advocate for our children and families. Thank you again, and I wish everyone much success.

A word of apology

noreply@blogger.com (rjmo2) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 19:38:00 +0000

My laptop cord decided to crash and had to go replace it. Again, I had to utilize my phone, so I apologize for all the errors.

Thanks

Emotional Development

noreply@blogger.com (rjmo2) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 02:33:00 +0000

During my studies at Walden, we had to establish International Contact in the Early Childhood Field. I was able to make connections in a gee regions, one mainly in the Eastern and Southern Africa. Region. While looking over the countries., Rwanda stood out as there was an aeeyicle about special needs children and program. There was a young man who was not able to walk and while the children was playing their. Games outside, he felt like an outcast because he was not able to participate. Like we saw during our weekly readongs, the children ridiculed children who were disabled because they did understand. ”I have a problem with my foot,” explained Josué Niyilema, 13, a student at Murama. “Before I could never play sports because the boys always made fun of me, limping, but with ‘sit ball’ everyone is like me and can understand what I go through.”((Sundaran, 2012). The government is working so that all children can feel safe and welcome in an inclusive setting. They are taking. Measures so that teachers will be fully trained and all children.will be provided with the equal opportunity to learn and develop overall. “We can only do what is possible with what we have. That is why we have put in place peer and community mentoring initiatives to bring slow and fast learners together, and at least sensitize other students on the importance of inclusion,” he added(Sundaran, 2012). Children who are teased for their disability will development a low. Self-esteem as they are trying to belong. They may find it difficult to develop connections with adults and peers as they find it hard to trust others. And their environment. They will find it hard to open to others as they see that are not fully accepted and respected because of their disability. After one bad wncounter, they may feel that everyone feels the same way. "For children with abilities, a strong self-identity requires skills to stand up to stereotypes and biases that convey inferiority " (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010). Across the region more and more children are in need of an al opptunity to learn and strive regardless of race, gender, disability and more. We need to ensure we as Educators and advocates have the necessary tools to assess, modify and accommodate children of all needs We want to educate children and families on the sole purpose of inclusion. We can all learn and grow together as we respect one another for each other regardless of our differences we may have. Reference

The Sexualization of Early Childhood

noreply@blogger.com (rjmo2) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 03:35:00 +0000

Share your reaction to the topic of the sexualization of early childhood.

It just amazes me how many children are exposed to sexualization through songs, media, clothing and more. Time has changed since we were growing up. Children today are already asking questions about sex, kissing, making out and so forth. What happened to playing with babydolls, trucks and cars, jump rope and more? Just seeing how some kids are dressed, the songs they sing and they way they dance has really blown my mind.

We had a 8 year old Foster daughter last year. Cute little girl. She came from a traumatic experience already. She felt the only way for her to look beautiful was to dress risque. We took her to the store and allowed her to pick out clothes in a section that was within her age range. Needless to say, she picked out very few and we picked out some. Going out in these new clothing, everyone we encountered, told her how beautiful she looked. Her confidence was boosted positively as she realilzed she did not have to dress unappropriately. She is a beautiful girl inside and out. Though everyone is different and share different opinions, my husband and I come from homes where girls had to make sure their skirts and dresses met the length of our finger tips.

Myrtle Beach is famous for its Biker Week. Sadly though, not all, but some of the bikers can dress inappropriately. Just driving through town, I had to tell my boys to close their eyes because of what some of the riders were wearing. Some children may see this is a image that is acceptable.

Not only are children singing lyrics that are not appropriate but they are dancing with some moves that a child should not use. I do not know some of the dance move, but some kids were talking about

Dressed as show girls with practically nude bras

There are many concerns as our youth try to follow the messages and images that the media potrays what is sexy and accepted. We have so many young girls tyring to fit the crowd, yet they are losing who they truly are. Let alone, peer pressure is out there. Their self-esteem is affected if they feel they cannot look like the girl on a video, tv and so forth. They start to belittle themselves because of the amount of pressure they place on themselves. This is not healthy at all. I watch shows such as Dance Mom, where some of their costumes seemed a little risque and even the mothers mentioned but saw that it was okay because they did not want to argue with the Teacher. "

Girls and boys constantly encounter sexual messages and images that they cannot understand and that can confuse and even frighten them" (Leving & Kilbourne, 2009, p 2).

We cannot let clothes or anything else for that matter define who we are, especially our youth. Visiting this topic this week reminds me that we are definitely living in a different time than what we lived. "Children have always been curious about sex and sexuality from an early age, and it is good for parents and schools to give them honest and age-appropriate information" 9
leving & Kilbourne, 2009, p 3).

Reference

Levin, D. E., & Kilbourne, J. (2009). [Introduction]. So sexy so soon: The new sexualized childhood and what parents can do to protect their kids (pp. 1-8). New York: Ballantine Books. Retrieved from: http://dianeelevin.com/sosexysosoon/introduction.pdf

Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

noreply@blogger.com (rjmo2) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 23:50:00 +0000

Describe in detail the consequences you might expect for the children and families with whom you work while you experience specific "–ism(s)" in your own life. Include specific examples either those you have and/or are experiencing or ones you would anticipate.

As I was trying to think of any "isms" in my own life experience, I can't help but to recall when my son was diagnosed with ADHD and OCD. I was Director at the time and I had to try and get my son to and from Therapy appointements and everything. There were several comments made by the Owners and some teachers who felt that my child did not need any help and that there was nothing wrong with him. They felt that because my son had a hard time focusing on homework or activities during homework time with the After School class, is because he was just lazy, he knows what he is doing and control himself with fidgeting in his chair, they would say. They said parents we're just lazy and just needed to do a better job at parenting and that we were just giving him an excuse. (In the back of my mind, I questioned myself) until we got support and became educated on the matter.

Little do they know, it was hard for us in the beginning to accept the fact that our child was struggling, regressing and was diagnosed with his condition. Teachers put him in time out many times, because he could not sit still in his chair. He was ridiculed in class as they would pull the chair away and tell him to stand. With math he counts on his fingers and one teacher ridiculed along with other children. Many more things happened but I had to take a stand for him and leave the job and ensure we provided all the help we could to ensure he could succeed in school, not only academically but socially too.

During this time, I would say we experienced ableism. I have to honestly say, there were times, were I was not able to function properly as I was worried about his situation. This was a hard time as we watched our baby not only struggle but hear how people treated him because he was different. He already suffered through anxiety and had a hard time socially, to be ridiculed and not being accepted heart crushing.

Today, I not only speak up for him but for other children and families. Every child and family is an individual and they need to be treated with dignity and respect. We have to ensure we include and accept all for who they are.

Observing Communication

noreply@blogger.com (rjmo2) — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 02:05:00 +0000

Provide an account of your observation.

I was going to write about a very small occurance that I observed in my Family Child Care Home, but decided to write about a movie, I was watching with my husband. Grown Ups had many communication amongst the adult and child, however, there was one incident that stood out the most.

Describe what you noticed and learned.

There was a scene where Roxanne (Salma Hayek) was on the phone and trying to pack and get ready for a trip to Mullan. Meanwhile, her daughter was trying to tell her mom to look. She was excited and ran downstairs, she told mom that her tooth came out. Mom continued to talk on the phone. She said honey I am on the phone. Her daughter told her her mommy my tooth came out, I need to put it under the pillow for the tooth fairy. Mom, said okay hun (without eye contact), I will put the money under the pillow when I get off the phone. The daughter said what. Mom repeated herself, I will put the dollar under the pillow when I get off the phone,angrily. Mom slowly turned around . The daughter responded, why would you put the money under my pillow, there is no tooth fairy and she ran off. Mom paused and questioned, "What have I done".
From time to time, we get busy and we take a phone call and children may come up to us at that moment to talk with us. Perhaps if mom, had said, ok dear, we can talk about when I get off the phone rather than try to hold a conversation with two people at the same time. Her daughter Becky was trying so hard to get her attention and share her exciting experience.

Though I must say,mom realized her mistake and tried to correct it. As the movie progressed, a group of children were talking utilizing cup phones. Dad walked in and thought it was great to have the cup phones installed in all the adult rooms. This was a way for mom to talk to Becky in a playful way. We have to find a connection with the child and communicate with them on a level they are comfortable. Becky enjoyed the cup phone and mom used it to explain the whole situation.

Make connections between what you observed and the effective communication strategies presented in this week’s learning resources. What could have been done to make the communication more affirming and effective?

When we communicate with children, we should respect them enough to provide them with our full attention. "Children have to feel listened to and seen" (Laureate, 2011). We have to find a connection with the children. Mom could have placed the call on hold or asked to call back. Becky needed moms full attention. At the same time, mom would not have felt frustrated and blurted out the comment she made out of her frustration. They could have shared this exciting event togethe in a positive light, placed the tooth securely on the pillow, acknowledge her loss of tooth and carried on with a conversation about it and later mom could return the phone call.

Share your thoughts with regard to how the communication interactions you observed may have affected the child's feelings and/or any influences it may have had on the child's sense of self worth.

Her daughter as played in the movie, felt hurt and felt that mommy was not giving her the attention she wanted. Mommy's job and phone call was more important than what she was trying to tell her about her tooth. "They need to feel respected and they need to feel grounded in themselves and aaccepted for who they are, and heard" (Laureate, 2011). At the same time, mom realized what she said and felt bad. Words hurt, especially when we say things without thinking.
Second, she felt really bad when mommy replied that she would put money under her pillow. This was a tradition where her daughter understood the Tooth Fairy was going to place money in place of her tooth. Her daughter feels that there is no Tooth Fairy. Not only was she ignored by mommy and yelled at, but mommy lied to her too about the Tooth Fairy.

Offer insights on how the adult-child communication you observed this week compares to the ways in which you communicate with the children. What have you learned about yourself this week with respect to how well you talk with and listen to young children? In what ways could you improve?

"The impatient sounds of fax and answering machines; the continuous clicking of laptop computers; cell phone beepers going off at the most inopportune moments punctuate daily lives. There is little opportunity for silence to speak, and when it does, we are often too busy to listen" (Silen, 2005 &2008, p 81). There were times the phone rings and in the middle of a conversation, the children may approach me to ask a question or say something. I place my hand on the phone and ask if they could wait a minute and that I was on the phone. Often times, I would tell the person, excuse me and place them on hold. Honestly, I can say, if I do not place the caller on hold, I would sometimes forget or the child may forget what they needed to ask. Phone calls are usually limited.

The use of laptop, especially with homework or so, is limited to night time because I my boys and little foster children plus daycare children, who needs my undivided attention throughout the day. One thing I do is make myself available to the children to listen to them and allow them to ask questions. I feel it is important to hear what they have to say, especially about their day and so forth. With my Family Child Care Home, the children are learning about themselves, new things and their surroundings and always have questions. I have to be attentive to their needs rather it's on a individual or group basis.

Reference

Silin, J. G. (2005 and 2008). Who can speak? Silence, voice and pedagogy. In: Yelland, N. (Ed.) Critical issues in early childhood education. (p 81). Berkshire, Great Britain: McGraw-Hill Education. Retrieved from: http://site.ebrary.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/lib/waldenu/docDetail.action?docID=10175188

Laureate Education, Inc. (2011). Communication with Young Children. Strategies for working with diverse children. Baltimore, MD: Author

Sorry

noreply@blogger.com (rjmo2) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 17:06:00 +0000

Please overlook the typos. I had to go out of town for a family emergency and did not have any internet connection except my phone. The screen is small and made it hard to see and let alone back space and type.

Sorry again.

creating affirming environment

noreply@blogger.com (rjmo2) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 03:14:00 +0000

Similiar to the Family Child Care I too make great stides to welcom

e all children and families respectively.I like the idea of creating a sets area for children who may have a hard time adjusting during drop off. "An anti culture environment is also. Culturally. Conseacistent. For the children and families it currently serves "(Derman Sparks. & Edward,1, p 43). Each morning every family and child will greatest,respected and valued. Families wolf encouraged to participate through family photos, materils, reading,field trip,language, culture and o forth. They would see a reflection of themselves through family photoethr matal tems from their culeture. Each interest area. With reflect the diversity oof families and children. Diversity posters would be hung throughout the classroom. All the shelving and toys would be low enough to where it would only enhance the child's overall development, but also the diversity of the children. Would have some table with chairs and some with just cushions. Important ly enough, my infant area will have a area for nursing mothers. The areas will have toys thar reflect the children through gender, race,culture, disability, working and social class and noteworthy. All shelves and items would be labeled at least in two different languages for children to identify. Our menu will reflect the families culture as I would ask each parent to bring in a recipe for the children to experience.
Their will be accommodation and modification to meet students who may be challenged physically and so forth. Children especially utilizing wheel chairs will be able to feel. Included -

creating affirming environment

noreply@blogger.com (rjmo2) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 03:14:00 +0000

What I have learned

noreply@blogger.com (rjmo2) — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 03:28:00 +0000

I have learned that everyone is unique and deserves to be valued and respected. Each child and their family are individuals who are diverse in so many ways. We need to reach out and get to know them for who they are and not make any assumptions. As an Anti-Bias educator need to ensure we create an environment where everyone is welcome and ensure the children in the classroom,welcome others as well.

Education is key. It is my personal goal to ensure that I can model to other children and families of how we should treat others with respect, dignity and so forth. I want to utilize the childrens talents and skills so that they can strive for excellence. Families are diverse and I want to ensure they feel invited in the classroom no matter what their family structure is. Reaching out to the community and families is the first step to ensuring we help the children succeed. Becoming involved in their neighborhoods and bringing encouragement without judgement is key. I want to counsel to all children and family and let them know regardless of their age, gender, sexual orientation, social status, abililites and so forth. Inform them, they are somebody special, they deserve every opportuntiy to succeed and help them in any possible way I can.

Each and everyone us has shared our background stories of our childhood and who we are. Most of us have come through some hard times, but we prevailed. There was at least one person that made a positive impact in our lives and look where we are. I like to thank all of you for your inspiration and wish you all much success.

Creating Art

noreply@blogger.com (rjmo2) — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 02:56:00 +0000

D ifferent
I ndividuals &
V alues

E quality and
R espect for all.

S upport for
I nclusive

T ogether we stand
Y ear- round

We Don't Say Those Words In Class

noreply@blogger.com (rjmo2) — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 23:45:00 +0000

I must say, I have been guilty by this. I remember my youngest son was 3 and we saw a young man with one arm. Loudly he says, "mommy what is wrong with his arm". I told hime to quiet down and that he may have lost his arm with a accident. The young man told me it was okay and he told us what happened.

I certainly did not mean any direspect or anything but explained to him that some people may be born with some abnormailities and this was okay.I did not want to imply that you avoid and live them alone by saying be quiet. We want to ensure we teach our children that it is okay that people are different. We do not want to shy away from someone because of their differences. In the 1st grade, he had a best friend in a wheel chair at school. He cannot understand why other kids pick on him because he can't walk. He says he and "Ryan" enjoy recess and everything together. He can do just about everythinig including playing basketball as the other kids, but just have to sit down. He told me I was right and that we need to give everyone a chance. "The thought of including kids with disabilites in the classroom wuld help the preschoolers make meaningful connections with people who are different from them" (Pelo, 2008, p 148).

An anti-bias educator can teach children about the differences that each person may have. Eric Hoffman explains how he found ways to talk about how people are same and different as a foundation. Things came natural to the children as this was integrated in the curriculum. He used puppets, dolls and flannel stories (Laureate, Postive Ways ECE Settings Can Respond to Bias). Teach them to understand and allow the child to ask questions in a respectful manner, so that we can help them learn to respect those who may be different from us.

We need to be a role model for the students and make a positive connection with the person so that they will learn to like and respect everyone regardless of their differences. "Childrens books are another important tool in an anti-bias approach.some stories provide opportuntities how they would react in anti-bias approach" (Laureate Media, Start Seeing Diversity).

Reference:

Laureate Media. Start Seeing Diversity: Physical Ability and Characteristics.

Laureate Media. The Positive Ways ECE Settings Can Respond to Bias.

Pelo, A. (Ed.). (2008). Rethinking early childhood education. Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Schools.

6357 WK3 Gender, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation

noreply@blogger.com (rjmo2) — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 02:41:00 +0000

If you have ever used or heard homophobic terms such as "fag," "gay," "homo," "sissy," "tom boy," or "lesbo" as an insult by a child toward another child? Or, by an adult toward a child? Describe what occurred. How might these types of comments influence all children? (Note: if you have not had a personal experience, ask a family member, friend, or colleague)

Unfortunately, this is a situation that hits close to home. I may have shared this before, but two months ago, my son was a victim of another child using homophobic terms towards him. My son was riding the bus and a child told everyone he was gay. My son walked home, with the hood pulled over towards his face, crying and ran immediately upstairs. I did not know what was going on. My youngest son tried asking and we both ran upstairs only to find his door locked and him crying harder and louder. After finally opening the door, I removed his hood and asked what was wrong. Not only did I see the outpour of tears, but a white "x" on his forehead. I asked him what happend and what was the marking for and he said a child, place this on his head for everyone to see and know that he was gay. My son is not gay, even if he was, I would love my son all the same. Children can be so cruel. The situation was handled at school and the Principal as the boy admitted to doing this. His response is that my son acts wierd.

"When we fail to recognize children's social identities, we erase fundamental aspects of who they are and who their families are" (Pelo, 2008, p 72). When we include books that depicts gay or lesbian sjuch as same sex partnered families we are teaching our children to respect everyone as individuals. Some of the children's friends may come from families as this and we want to ensure we are respecting them and their familes. There are many types of families.

"The following suggestions are intended as starting points as teachers begin to think about the issue of homophobia in school: (1) guarantee equality; (2) create a safe environment; (3) provide role models; (4) provide support for students; (5) provide training for faculty and staff; (6) reassess the curriculum; (7) provide appropriate health care and education; (8) diversify library and media holdings; (9) broaden enlightenment programs; and (10) do not assume that students and other teachers are heterosexual. Gay and lesbian members of the school community need to know that their schools value equality and that they are protected against discrimination" (Gay, 1997).

Reference

Gay, L. Y. (1997). What You Can Do...To Help End Homophobia in Your School.

Pelo, A. (Ed.). (2008). Rethinking early childhood education. Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Schools.

Thank you continued

noreply@blogger.com (rjmo2) — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 17:19:00 +0000

There are many of you who I would like to have as mentors. I feel I have truly gained insight from you all. I would respect everyone'e opinion on how I can grow futher. As we learned, communication is key and I want to make sure I utilize many sources to reach out to my parents and others as well. Here is my website, as well as my email address. I hope you all keep in touch. Thank you

www.tlcfcc.weebly.com

tlcfcch@gmail.com

Thank you to all!

noreply@blogger.com (rjmo2) — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 14:07:00 +0000

I would like to take the time to say thank you to all of my colleagues. Each and everyone of you had something inspiring to share regarding the subject at hand. I hope to gain a positive experience from this course and all of you to ensure I can confront my fears and speak among a much larger audience. Much success to all of you and look forward to working with all of you again. If you ever head towards Myrtle Beach, SC, let me know and I can provide you with some insight of things to do.

Happy Holidays and may you be blessed.

Rhonda Johnson
310 Boxcar Dr.
Longs, Sc 29568

Meeting Adjourned!!

noreply@blogger.com (rjmo2) — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 19:37:00 +0000

This week you read about the five stages of team development: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. Consider the adjourning phase for several of the groups in which you have been involved. Think about which aspects of the groups made for the hardest good-bye. Are high-performing groups hardest to leave? Groups with the clearest established norms? Which of the groups that you participated in was hardest to leave? Why? What sorts of closing rituals have you experienced or wish you had experienced? How do you imagine that you will adjourn from the group of colleagues you have formed while working on your master's degree in this program? Why is adjourning an essential stage of teamwork?

Focus groups can be hard during adjourning process. We conducted plenty of focus groups. Some were for only one time meeting, where others met more than once. Because we recruit the respondents ourselves, we kind of get to know the respondents a little bit and gain information about traveling and so forth. I was living in Lancaster, California at the time and we had focus groups on a large scale over a couple of sessions,we would recruite respondents and they would travel to Santa Barbara, for example, to partake in these discussions. With that said, when the first group session was over for the day, we would find out from the client that they wanted to reduce the group and they give us names of those they no longer needed. We had to tell these people thank you for your opinion, pay them and tell them that they would not be needed for the other group. Some were okay with it and then others was not. As I said, these people lived in our area and shopped in our mall which is where our office was located (Palmdale). Imagine having to run into them again and ask for their help.
Adjourning in this situation could been a little smoother had we known ahead of time so that we can tell the respondents they would possibly attend 1 or 2 sesssions. Our respondents need to know they can trust us and that their being valued. "Atlernatively, some groups may decide to continue to work together on new tasks" (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2012, p 258).

Reference

O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication: An introduction. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.

Addt'l to Conflict

noreply@blogger.com (rjmo2) — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 20:39:00 +0000

(Sorry something happened to my computer and I could not finish my post)

addt'l

Even though a part of me wanted to tell this Director that I too have been a Director for 5years, and it never took this long to get credits back. I was always on top of things and would not have someone held back with DSS as far as their credits. Instead, based on our learning, I suppose I did the correct thing of probing about how long the credit would be recieved. I avoided making a personal attack on this matter at hand.

I

Conflict

noreply@blogger.com (rjmo2) — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 02:00:00 +0000

Think about any disagreements, or conflicts, you have recently experienced or are currently experiencing at work with a supervisor or colleague, or someone in your personal life. Share at least two strategies you have learned about that might help you manage or resolve the conflict more productively, and why these strategies might be effective. For example, could you suggest a compromise? Could you look for a broader range of solutions to your disagreement? Could you use some of the principles of nonviolent communication or the 3 R's to better help you resolve this conflict?

Each year we have to obtain a certain amount of training each for DSS for Early Childhood programs. With my familly childcare my husband and I both have to attend these trainings. A Child Development Center invited us to join their training. We each paid for our share and signed the roster to insure we received the credits. These classes was held in September. Online, I went to view our transcripts only to see that we have yet to receive credit, last month. I called the Child Care Resource Center that handles all the rosters and credits our transcripts. They said they never received a roster for the training. I called the CDC and they mentioned that it usually takes longer to receive and that she has been a Director for a while and it always takes this long. (In the back of mind, I was telling myself, I have been a Director too, but it never took this long). Like our weeks lesson, we should jump to any inclusion or make assumptions right away. I told her too that CCRC never received the roster and she said she did not know what to say. I paused for a moment. (Again in my mind, I was thinking perhaps there is another way we can get this resolved). She further said, we would not leave you all out and that the Trainer has done all the training for them. (I wondered why she mentioned this; again not making any assumptions, I asked her another question). I asked how long of a wait period it would take to receive the credit. She responded, it could be months. She then proceeded to give me the trainers number.

So another month goes by and I checked again, only to see that I received my credits but not my husband. I asked CCRC if they possibly had the roster for his class on hand that possibly could not get recorded. She said again, she had nothing there. Called the CDC again, for the Director to tell me, that she does not understand what CCRC was doing. I asked if there was any way we can resolve the matter and she stated that they can have him sign the roster again along with her other staff, because they did not have a copy. Weeks later the issue was resolved.

Communicator

noreply@blogger.com (rjmo2) — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 03:01:00 +0000

Communication anxiety 47 husband; my friend 38; myself 47.

Listening style: Group 1 all the way.

Verbal aggression: 67 husband; my friend 63; myself 63. Moderate

This was a interesting exercise. My husband, who I have known for nearly 20 years and married, had some similiar results as I did expcept on the verbal aggression area. When we met, he knew from the start that I was very shy and when we started dating and went out in groups, he and his friends from the basketball team would talk about things that I was not fully aware of. I would just sit and listen to what they were saying, I did not and according to my husband still are not fully aware about the sports. So I kind of shy away from, however, with my boys playing, I involve myself when need be. I am the team mother when he coaches and have no problem talking to the parents providing with updates and things, and just having a natural conversation. But don't get me started on the technical side of the sports, because I have no clue. I just praise, clap and shout yeah, they scored!

When I was working with Marketing Research Company and had to hold focus groups with respondents and clients, I was nervous as I do not know what. Again, my husband was with me during this time and he knew of all the signs of when I was nervous speaking in front of a large group. Prior to speaking, I would have to speak and review notes over and over again, I would work up a sweat because I was so nervous. My husband would have to tell me a funny joke to make me laugh and relax. Though everyone applauded and said I did a great job, I can tell that I was walking back and forth like crazy, palms was sweating and so forth.

Verbal agression, my husband recalls the school giving me a hard time about our son and getting help for him to succeed in school because of his ADHD and OCD. My friend also mentions how I tend to speak up for children to others who are not willing to help or listen to what the children need. My friend or ex co-worker, recalls when I was Director, I would speak up for them as well when the new Owner purchased the company. I showed much respect and listen to their views but respectfully provided them with reasons and causes for the needs of the children, families and staff members.

With the listening skills, my husband mentions, how I do take the time to listen and sometimes provide feedback but more importantly listen especially when things happen at work, with our children, our family. Seems like a lot of people confide in me. My friend mentioned how it helped that I involved all the staff members input that they felt important, the parents and children were able to confide in me. I was very empathetic to the needs of them all it seemed.

One thing I knew before this exercise in regard to communication is that I do tend to shy away from public speaking. My score indicated a communication level of "situational". When I see that some people may have a lot more experience than I do of the subject at hand, I do tend to shy away. Sometimes, I get so nervous and worry that I would stutter and I reflect on the past on how I was treated and do not want to go through that again. There are a couple of factors, but I can only pray and hope to work on it.

Diverse Communication

noreply@blogger.com (rjmo2) — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 02:36:00 +0000

We live in a diverse world and I do find myself communicating differently with people from different groups and cultures. On a respectful level, everyone communicates differently and I find myself adjusting to ensure I respect everyone and that they are able to understand what I am saying and vice versa. I can change my tone, gesture and so forth to meet the needs of the person I am communicating with. With my neighbors around us, we have come to meet and great with everyone in our small subdivision. You pretty much know a little bit about the person in regards how to speak with them, if handshake, if they prefer you not to say yes ma'am or no ma'am or sir.
This summer, some of the women decided to walk around the neighborhood to get in shape. It was then when most of us women really built a relationship and got to know one another. Walking around we would stop and talk with some neighbors, some were distant and gave a nod or wave and we would do the same. We have a neighbor from Germany who lives in our neighborhood and I would speak a little bit of German to greet them.

Working with children you definitely find yourself communicating differently as my tone is more empathetic to their needs as I am helping them learn and grow. I have two children who are receiving Speech Therapy through Baby Net and I do have to slow down and pronounce words and phrases for them so that they can understand. I would try (even though my family and friends will laugh at me and children too) to speak the language of the children and families I serve. There are many other ways I am sure I communicate differently to ensure I am being respectful to the person or group I am speaking to.