Finding My Part to be Played

I began the journey to determine my part to be played in this arena of early childhood education only 594 days ago.  Along the way, I have learned so many things about myself, the field, and the vast amount of work that still needs to be done.  When I began the program, my specialization was public policy and advocacy.  I soon decided that my passions lied closer to the front lines and so I changed to teaching adults.  I am looking forward to taking what I have learned and designing and delivering informative and helpful trainings for classroom staff and administration.

We are living in an amazing age of brain research and revelation, slight priority shifts in government, and a renewed passion for the future of our children that begins before birth.  In addition to a reminder of the processes of development, my work in the diversity and equity class opened my eyes to the biases and assumptions I have as an educator.  As I uncovered them, I saw the impact they left on my work and have become more aware of the ways in which I interact with others, plan for learning, and respond to concerns.

I truly enjoyed the course on research as it allowed me to develop a more discerning way to process information and make it useful to others.  Throughout the course, I found articles that informed me about important topics like attachment theory and emotional development and they formed the outline for my capstone project.  I have a deeper understanding of the science behind the development and the work that needs to be done in schools and communities to support children and families.

Finally, my coursework on teaching adults was insightful as I applied to to my own learning style and the needs of the staff with whom I currently work.  It also allowed me to view other trainers and the way they addressed their audiences in a more objective manner.  I could identify with some that struggled to connect with the audience and admire others that so effortlessly moved about the class sharing personal stories that built relationships in seconds!

My passion will forever be working with young children and their families.  I hope someday to pair it with my passion for travel and take my knowledge and expertise to a foreign country and work with children and families there.  In a recent assignment, we were asked to research international organizations that worked with children, families, and communities.  Several of them have job opportunities in fascinating places like Mozambique, Mali, and New Zealand.  Ahhh...someday!

I want to thank all of the classmates and instructors that have made this journey with me.  You have inspired, encouraged, challenged, and supported me in ways I'll forever be grateful for.  I have learned more about myself through your stories and postings and I am so encouraged by the courageous work you (we) all do.  It takes a very special type of person to lead in the field of early childhood education and there is a very strong group emerging from this program.  I wish you all the best of luck and implore you to pursue the dream you outlined in your speech from 15 years in the future!  

Sincerely, 

Katherine 

International Communities of Practice

International Communities of Practice

The three international organizations I chose to examine are:

UNICEF – http://www.unicef.org/index.php

Here is their mission statement:

UNICEF is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential.

UNICEF is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and strives to establish children's rights as enduring ethical principles and international standards of behaviour towards children.

UNICEF insists that the survival, protection and development of children are universal development imperatives that are integral to human progress.

UNICEF mobilizes political will and material resources to help countries, particularly developing countries, ensure a "first call for children" and to build their capacity to form appropriate policies and deliver services for children and their families.

UNICEF is committed to ensuring special protection for the most disadvantaged children - victims of war, disasters, extreme poverty, all forms of violence and exploitation and those with disabilities.

UNICEF responds in emergencies to protect the rights of children. In coordination with United Nations partners and humanitarian agencies, UNICEF makes its unique facilities for rapid response available to its partners to relieve the suffering of children and those who provide their care.

UNICEF is non-partisan and its cooperation is free of discrimination. In everything it does, the most disadvantaged children and the countries in greatest need have priority.

UNICEF aims, through its country programmes, to promote the equal rights of women and girls and to support their full participation in the political, social, and economic development of their communities.

UNICEF works with all its partners towards the attainment of the sustainable human development goals adopted by the world community and the realization of the vision of peace and social progress enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations.

This organization does amazing work in all areas of the world.  I am so interested in exploring opportunities that will take me to different parts of the world because I love to travel.  If I can combine my two greatest passions (children and travel), I will feel incredibly accomplished!  The job opportunities in the UNICEF organization range from nutrition to communications to policy development and so much more.  The skills that one would need to work for this organization would include passion for the mission, a willingness to venture to unknown circumstances, and an open mind to accept what might come your way.

Save the Children – http://www.savethechildren.org

Save the Children is the leading independent organization creating lasting change in the lives of children in need in the United States and around the world. Recognized for our commitment to accountability, innovation and collaboration, our work takes us into the heart of communities, where we help children and families help themselves. We work with other organizations, governments, non-profits and a variety of local partners while maintaining our own independence without political agenda or religious orientation.

When disaster strikes around the world, Save the Children is there to save lives with food, medical care and education and remains to help communities rebuild through long-term recovery programs. As quickly and as effectively as Save the Children responds to tsunamis and civil conflict, it works to resolve the ongoing struggles children face every day — poverty, hunger, illiteracy and disease — and replaces them with hope for the future.

This organization focuses on issues and policies related to the well-being of young children and families, specifically poverty.  They have initiatives in all parts of the world, serving 120 countries.  The employment opportunities ranged from Head Start positions in the U.S. to an Emergency Child Protection Advisor in Mali which is a very tumultuous part of the world.  In these positions, a candidate must have a passion for the success of young children and most international positions have a requirement for fluency in a second language.  I better get to work on that!  These opportunities are so exciting for me and reinforce the reason I entered in to this master’s degree program.

The Academy for Educational Development - http://www.fhi360.org/en/index.htm

Vision
FHI 360 envisions a world in which all individuals and communities have the opportunity to reach their highest potential.

Mission
To improve lives in lasting ways by advancing integrated, locally driven solutions for human development.

We believe…

…a 360-degree perspective is required to address complex human development needs.

…sustainability comes from building the capacity of individuals, communities and countries to address their needs.

…the key to improving lives is in generating, sharing and applying knowledge.

….partnering with governments, civil society organizations, the private sector and communities leads to success.

Our Values…

• Innovation to meet the evolving needs of our beneficiaries, funders and partners.
• Mutual Respect for diversity and cultural differences.
• Passion driven by a personal commitment to make a positive difference.
• Accountability for our work, measuring, reporting and continually improving all that we do.
• Commitment to Excellence assured by the highest ethical, quality, operational performance and scientific standards.
• Teamwork across disciplines and geographies, within the organization and with our partners.

I was not familiar with this organization.  The work that they do extends beyond education and programming for children and families.   Some of the job opportunities include program development based out of Washington D.C. and a literacy specialist in Nigeria.  As with other international organizations, most of the job opportunities encourage the fluency in the nation’s home language.  Again, I am so encouraged by all of these opportunities.  I had no idea how many opportunities were out there before this program.  For that I am grateful!

Resources:

http://www.unicef.org/index.php

http://www.savethechildren.org

http://www.fhi360.org/en/index.htm

National and Federal Communities of Practice

The three national or federal organizations I chose to examine are:

·         Zero To Three - http://www.zerotothree.org/

ZERO TO THREE is a national, nonprofit organization that informs, trains, and supports professionals, policymakers, and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers. Our mission is to promote the health and development of infants and toddlers.

I chose this organization because of my passion for teaching infants and toddlers and supporting new families.  I appreciate that Zero to Three offers training for educators, resources for families, and provides anyone with the latest research on brain development and other issues related to young children.  Currently there are no job opportunities that I would qualify for, but in the future, I would be very interested in becoming a trainer for this organization.  I feel that my background in and passion for this age group along with my graduate work in teaching adults would qualify me for this type of position. 

·         Children’s Defense Fund - http://www.childrensdefense.org/

The Children's Defense Fund (CDF) is a non-profit child advocacy organization that has worked relentlessly for nearly 40 years to ensure a level playing field for all children. We champion policies and programs that lift children out of poverty; protect them from abuse and neglect; and ensure their access to health care, quality education and a moral and spiritual foundation. Supported by foundation and corporate grants and individual donations, CDF advocates nationwide on behalf of children to ensure children are always a priority.

We are a national organization with the capacity to work for children at federal, state and community levels across the country. We have our headquarters in Washington, D.C., and offices in California, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, New York, Louisiana, Ohio, South Carolina and Texas. Through these offices, we expand our work into North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas and New Jersey. CDF Haley Farm in Clinton, Tenn., is our home for spiritual renewal, character and leadership development, intergenerational mentoring, and interracial and interfaith dialog about children's issues.

CDF Mission Statement:

The Children’s Defense Fund Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities.

CDF provides a strong, effective and independent voice for all the children of America who cannot vote, lobby or speak for themselves. We pay particular attention to the needs of poor and minority children and those with disabilities. CDF educates the nation about the needs of children and encourages preventive investments before they get sick, drop out of school, get into trouble or suffer family breakdown.  

CDF began in 1973 and is a private, nonprofit organization supported by foundation and corporate grants and individual donations.

I chose this organization because it addresses not only education, but health care for children and families.  Health care is an arena that is so critical to the success of young children and their families and I appreciate that there is a movement to bring attention to the growing crisis in basic health care for American children.  There are also no positions available for this organization either in my area or for which I would qualify, but in the future, I would be interested in doing some outreach work here in Minnesota.  The skills that would be necessary would include a clear understanding of the resources that are available to families and how to access them effectively.  Good communication and advocacy skills would also be beneficial.

·         The YMCA - http://www.ymca.net/

Today, the Y engages more than 10,000 neighborhoods across the U.S. As the nation’s leading nonprofit committed to helping people and communities to learn, grow and thrive, our contributions are both far-reaching and intimate—from influencing our nation’s culture during times of profound social change to the individual support we provide an adult learning to read.

By nurturing the potential of every child and teen, improving the nation’s health and well-being, and supporting and serving our neighbors, the Y ensures that everyone has the opportunity to become healthier, more confident, connected and secure.

I chose this organization because of the work they do within communities to engage citizens in healthy lifestyles.  They support children, families and communities in housing, education, and other services that are essential to the success of the entire area.  Currently there is a Community Program Director position available in Minneapolis.  This job would require the skills to manage and oversee several different kinds of programming for children, including after school and camp programming.  It also requires the ability to interact with community partners and advocate for the services that the YMCA of Minneapolis offers.

Resources:

http://www.zerotothree.org/

http://www.childrensdefense.org/

http://www.ymca.net/

Communities of Practice

The three local or state organizations I chose to review are:

·         Way To Grow – Minneapolis, MN - http://mplswtg.org/

We firmly believe that every child should be born healthy, stay healthy and have the equal opportunity to succeed in school and life. And that can only happen with parents’ active participation. Through our in-home and center-based programming, we help parents create a healthy home and become their children’s first and most important teachers.

·         Minnesota Child Care Resource and Referral - http://www.mnchildcare.org/

The Minnesota Child Care Resource & Referral Network helps families find child care and understand their care options, supports child care providers through grants and education, and informs the community on the importance of child care.

·         Wilder Foundation – Saint Paul, MN - http://www.wilder.org/

Our mission (from the original Wilder family wills)
To promote the social welfare of persons resident or located in the greater Saint Paul metropolitan area by all appropriate means, including:

• relief of the poor
• care of the sick and aged
• care and nurture of children
• aid of the disadvantaged and otherwise needy
• promotion of physical and mental health
• provision of needed housing and social services
• operation of residences and facilities for the aged, the infirm and those requiring special care

and in general the conservation of human resources by the provision of human services responsive to the welfare needs of the community, all without regard to, or discrimination on account of, nationality, sex, color, religious scruples or prejudices.

The Way To Grow organization recently had a job posting for the Director of Early Education.  The job entailed the ability to interact well with various entities such as donors, school districts, and families.  It required the ability to network, organize, and supervise a number of different people with very different roles.  In addition, they also had a posting for a family educator.  I like this organization because of the work they do in children’s homes to close the gap in learning and support families.

The Minnesota Child Care Resource and Referral organization has a variety of opportunities for educators to become trainers of other educators.  This is an organization that I am excited about networking with more intently after I finish my degree.  I would like the opportunity to submit the training idea that I developed in our last course and have it placed in the training resource guides that go out to early childhood educators and home-based child cares.  I would need to complete the certification in Minnesota to become a recognized trainer.  I feel that the coursework I have completed has provided me with the skills and insight to become an effective trainer.

The Wilder Foundation has been working with children, families, and individuals in the Saint Paul area for over 100 years.  My specific interest focused on the work they do with children with special needs.  They provide counseling and day treatment services for children.  The job opportunities that were listed were out of my professional focus, but I see them as part of the community of practice that I would include in my circle because of the work they do with children and families both in education and other areas.

Final Thoughts

Throughout this graduate program, there have been many times that I have learned something completely unrelated to the course topic from the colleagues that have shared their personal and professional experiences.  We all come from such diverse backgrounds and the work we do, while we are all in the field of early childhood, is also so unique.  I have enjoyed reading and learning about policies and processes within various arenas of the field, as well as different parts of the country.  I find it fascinating that we live in this same country, but each state and region have such differing opinions and practices when it comes to early childhood education.

There have been numerous times that I have felt more supported than supportive.  The strong women and men that I have encountered along the way have shown me the value of pursuing this higher education.  We have had difficult discussions and humorous ones too.  As we move on to our different specializations, I truly wish for each of my colleagues success, personal and professional growth, and that they remember the value in doing the work of this graduate program.  We are the future of early childhood in America.  It will continue to change, for the better or the worse, whether we like it or not.  We all have the capability to make an incredible lasting impact on this field and the children and families we serve.  Best of luck to all of you!  If you are moving on to the specialization of "Teaching Adults in the Early Childhood Field", I will see you on the discussion boards.
Take care!
Katherine

Group Dynamics

This week we have been studying the dynamics that groups have and the characteristics that make a cohesive, efficient group.  Establishing trust at the beginning of a group project is essential to the success of the team.  As a leader in a group, one must have the ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds and illicit the strengths that each member has.

In thinking about the groups that I have been a part of, I can begin to see the reasons why some were more successful than others.  It has been most difficult to leave the ones into which I had invested some much of my time and myself.  Those groups were ones that were lead by exceptional leaders that understood the importance of managing group dynamics and ones that I had lead with some level of success.  I can remember being asked to lead a group or taking the reigns of a school and faltering many times before I got it right!  It wasn't that it was a high-performing group, or one with well-defined norms.  I think it was those where each member felt like they were successful in contributing to the final product or result.  It was when we could create a atmosphere of growth for each member through the work that we did.

I think it is important to have some kind of closure to a group or project.  They do not need to be elaborate, but they need to mark the end of group's work, highlighting the successes and the obstacles that were overcome.  When this master's program is complete, I would hope that we could reflect as a group on our starting point and the growth we've experienced, both personally and professionally, since then.  Though we are all from very different places professionally and geographically, we have been on the same journey together and have seen success and challenges along the way.  We will continue to grow in these areas and, hopefully remain connected in order to support one another in our future endeavors. 

Conflict

When I think about conflict that I have experienced with colleagues or someone in my personal, I tend to analyze each attempt at communication and all of the verbal and non-verbal exchanges.  Recently, I experienced a miscommunication with a friend of mine.  We made tentative plans and then they fell through.  I communicated that I was fine with the change of plans, but truthfully I was disappointed.  We still ended up have a nice time together, but it evolved into several days of passive aggressive exchanges and overall awkwardness.  What I learned through that experience is that I need to be truthful about my feelings in the moment and I need to verbalize them.  I also need to let go of the analysis of each and every exchange.  I tend to over think the communication and all of the subtle nuances that go along with it.  The "R" that I definitely need to work on after reflecting on this particular incident is responsive.  When I get frustrated with someone and experience conflict of any kind, I find that I shut down and hope that the other person will facilitate the solution to the problem.
Here is my question for others:  In our professional environments, how do we handle the ongoing need to motivate and coach others on the importance of quality and responsive care?  Often I find that I feel like I have effectively trained or communicated about a concept only to observe that there may not have been as much comprehension as I had planned.

Who am I as a communicator?

This week we continued to explore communication and focused on evaluating our own communication styles.  We used three online assessment tools that evaluated listening, communication anxiety, and verbal aggressiveness.  We were asked to have two people in our lives complete the assessments on us as well.  After completing the assessments and looking at the results from two others, I noticed that there were some differences, surprises, and some results that aligned with the way I see myself as a communicator.

The insights that I have gained about communication this week are that I seem to change my persona based on the audience or context and that I seem to be more confident in my professional communication than my personal interactions.  This may be the result of the amount of time I have spent on refining my presentation, supervisory, and leadership skills in recent years.  I also know that I do have a lower self-esteem in social settings and become more reserved with people I do not know.

The second part of our assignment this week asked us to create some communication goals.  I think this will help in all areas of my work and personal life as I look to increase my ability to work with a diverse population of children, families, staff, and community agencies.

Communication and Culture

This week we have been studying the intricate nature of communication across cultures and the role we have as professionals of ensuring that we are communicating effectively with the various groups with whom we work.  We have looked within ourselves to identify the biases and ideas we have about other groups and how that affects the ways in which we interact with them.  We have studied the definitions of various culture groups again to remind us of the characteristics they hold.
I think that there are many strategies that we use to communicate effectively with others.  The first is to reflect on and have a genuine understanding of our own culture and the groups with whom we identify.  These ideals, traditions, and beliefs have an impact on the way we view the world and other individuals and groups and "it is critical that we reflect on the various aspects of our own cultural identity and examine their positive and negative impacts on our personal and professional development" (Vukovic, 2008, p. 49).  The second is to identify your own biases and understandings of the communication partner's or group's culture.  We need to understand our own ideas about the other person before we can truly listen to their ideas and share information.  There may be ideals and beliefs that we do not fundamentally agree with or that do not align with our own ideals, but in a professional (and often personal) settings, we need to set those aside in order to reach the common goal.  Finally, we need to understand our own communication style as it relates to others. Some of us are observers and take in other people's opinions before we offer our own.  Others are initiators and lead the conversation.  It is important that we understand how we choose to communicate and how others choose to communicate so that we can interpret the subtle behaviors correctly.

References:
 Vuckovic, A. (2008). Inter-cultural communication: A foundation of communicative action. Multicultural Education and Technology Journal, 2(1), 47–59.

Language, Listening, and Nonverbal Communication

This week we were asked to watch a television show, once with the sound off and once with it on, to observe the use of nonverbal expressions.  I chose an episode of "The Big Bang Theory".  In this episode, the four male friends are gathered in the living room talking.  One character, "Raj", is talking excitedly, smiling and gesturing with his hands.  The others are leaning in listening to him.  At one point one of the characters, "Sheldon", gets up and walks tot he kitchen.  When he turns back to the group, his face is stoic and he is talking quickly and shaking his head.  As the camera shows Raj again, his posture has changed and he is no longer smiling.  Given the little I know about the show, I assumed that Sheldon had made a comment about what Raj was talking about that proved him wrong about some scientific fact.  The other two characters, in looking on at the exchange, go from intently engaged with eye contact, smiles, and raised eyebrows, to looking down and no longer smiling.  Raj gets up and leaves.  The other characters look at Sheldon and begin speak emphatically, with furrowed eyebrows.  Sheldon remains expressionless and shrugs his shoulders.

In watching it again, Raj was given recognition for discovering a new star and Sheldon downplayed the event as minor when there are other facets of science that are "more important".  I was correct in my assumption about Sheldon's act of commenting on Raj's idea.

This exercise proved difficult because you could interpret the expressions in so many ways based on the knowledge you have of the individuals.  Knowing that Sheldon often expresses such comments in his peer group, one watching might have been able to predict that this would happen.  It shows that it is important to have an understanding of individual personalities in order to effectively interpret their communication styles.

Effective Communication

This week, we begin a new course on communicating and collaborating in the early childhood field.  We all know that it is important to be able to communicate ideas and information to our staff, families, community partners, and colleagues.  However, there is so much to communication that is subtle and intricate and it is our ability to identify those behaviors and characteristics that will determine the effectiveness of the exchange. 

When I think of good communicators in my personal and professional life, there is one person that stands out.  She is the facilitator of a work group I have recently joined in the community to discuss and plan for increased and improved social and emotional learning opportunities for children and families in our area.  The group consists of professionals from school districts, private organizations, and community partners, such as the local health nurse.  Rachel is organized in her approach to each meeting, where we have limited time to discuss all of the important information we have.  She actively listens to each member of the group, invites participation in engaging ways (like writing ideas on post its and having us post them on her larger easel paper on the wall), and summarizes each meeting with immense detail.  She has a way of interpreting what we are trying to say when we often have trouble saying it.  She asks questions in ways that allow for meaningful discussion and is very thoughtful about the process.  And did I mentioned the detailed summary!  It is generally a four page document with tables and charts that outline the work that we have done and the goals for the next meeting.  I am in awe of the ways she can extract information and interpret it in ways that I often don't see until I read the summary!  I would very much like to adopt her ability to take in large amounts of feedback and information and process it, then communicate it back to the group in an organized fashion.