Conclusion

These past eight weeks have flown by.  I have learned so much from each and everyone one of you throughout this course.  I just wanted to say thank you!  I wish everyone good luck in their future courses.  It is hard to believe that we are starting our specialization courses!  My specialization is Teaching Adults.  I hope to see familiar faces in this!  Again, thank you and best of luck to everyone. 

Adjourning

            One of the aspects that make saying good-bye in projects difficult is the relationships I have built with the other team members.  Granted, we do keep in touch but it is not the constant communication I was used to during the project.  With my busy life, it is hard for me to keep in touch with people I am not immediately working with.  For example last year I was able to establish professional connections and friendships with people in advocacy project.  We were passionate about the vision and our work.  It was hard saying goodbye after the project was over especially after seeing our results.  It was wonderful to see how many people supported early childhood education and made it known to our state legislators. 

            When I left my previous job, it was also hard to say goodbye to everyone because of the relationships I had built with my coworkers.  It was hard to leave them and the children I taught, but it was easy to leave the company I was working for because we did not share the same vision.  My coworkers threw me a party and parents gave me goodbye presents.  It was emotional for me and I am still able to keep in touch with some of them.  But again it is hard since I do not see them or work with them on a regular basis. 

            In my experience, high performing groups are the hardest to leave.  I am driven by results and I love it when people can work together to accomplish results.  It is the bond and drive that I miss when working by myself or in groups that lack this.  High performing groups usually have clear goals, roles, and trust.  With these factors, the group can work together to accomplish anything.  It is hard to leave this type of atmosphere and group work.

            Most of the closing rituals I have experienced are parties/celebrations.  Everyone gets together and celebrates the project and team members on such a good job.  I feel this is important so everyone can congratulate each other on a good job and enjoy being together one last time.  I believe this is why adjourning is essential to the group.  It is a way to let everyone know that they are appreciated and the joy it was working with everyone. 

            I imagine adjourning from the group of colleagues I have formed while working on my degree by exchanging contact information.  This way we can keep in touch in the future.  I have already done this with a few of my colleagues.  Another way to adjourn would be meeting up at graduation.  Hopefully I will be able to see some and meet them face-to-face during our commencement ceremonies. 

Conflict Resolution

            It is funny that this assignment came up this week due to what is being happening in my professional life.  Being a supervisor is not an easy job and I am quickly learning to take my personal thoughts out of some situations.  This week was one example.  I attended a training with some of my colleagues and one of them is a bit of a complainer.  She complains about everything, does not want to do the work, and is very frustrating to me.  Needless to say we ended up in some disagreements.  When reflecting about what I have learned this week, I think nonviolent communication (NVC) would be an effective strategy to approaching my colleague.  I do feel that part of our problems is how we are communicating with each other.  I am constantly thinking of different ways to communicate with her so she will understand what I am trying to say.   If I approach with NVC, I can be an empathic listener while clearly stating my needs.  I think if they are clearly stated and I do it in an appropriate manner, they can be met which is important for my job.  She is also a defensive person so if I can approach her in this gentle, non-judgmental manner, our communications will be more productive.

            Another strategy that I want to use and feel will be effective is looking at my verbal aggressiveness.  I sometimes cannot separate the issue from my personal feelings and thoughts.  I want to somehow include them in the conflicts or conversations we are having.  As we have learned, this is not productive or effective.  In fact, these things can escalate the situations.  If I can work on my verbal aggressiveness, our conversations will be better.  I need to focus on the issues and not get caught up in distractions of personal attacks.  Last week’s evaluations were eye-opening in the fact that if I work some on my verbal aggressiveness, I can be more empathic and change people’s minds without conflict.  This would be ideal when communicating with this particular colleague.

            I have talked with my supervisor on how she handles conflict.  She has a reputation for being neutral, treating everyone fairly, and playing the devil’s advocate in situations in order for people to see the other side.  Although when she is involved in the conflict, she does like to avoid confrontations.  She admitted that she is still working on how to handle conflicts herself, especially when it comes to verbal communication.  She sometimes says the first thing that comes to her mind without thinking about how it sounds.  She is learning how to filter what she says, step back and look at the situation, and have more of an open mind.

            When dealing with this particular colleague, I asked what I should do.  Not to sound like a popular Disney song, she reminded me that I needed to let some things go.  I do get caught up in my personal thoughts and it affects how I communicate.  She reminded me to forget about some of my hot buttons and let the little things go.  We have policies in place that will handle some of the issues and I needed to trust the process.  This was eye opening and I am going to work on these things. 

Communication Self-Evaluation

            The biggest surprise from my self-evaluation and how others evaluated me was the fact that my husband scored me higher on communication anxiety.  My co-workers and I scored me as having mild communication anxiety while he scored me as being moderate.  At first I became upset with him because I thought he knew me so well.  Then I realized, it is because he knows me so well that he scored me moderately.  I tell him everything and how I am feeling.  I also ask him advice about situations.  It is through this open communication that he realizes that my anxiety is situational and several situations can cause me anxiety.  When I actually have the communication and conversations I am less anxious and that is what my co-workers see.  I also see that I scored myself based on the actual communication and not the anxiety leading up to some of the situations that causes me these stresses. 

            One insight that I had involves my verbal aggressiveness.  Although I scored moderate, I thought I would score higher.  Like most people I do have thoughts that stay in my head but it is hard for me to keep them there especially during conflict.  Through my scores, it shows that perhaps I do a better job hiding what I mentally think and feel.  Granted most of these mental thoughts are fleeting.  I admit in some situations I just want to look at someone and ask them what they were thinking.  Through these scores, I can work even harder to restrain my thoughts to where I do not even have some of them.  I do realize I am human but if I have too many of these thoughts, it will greatly affect how I communicate with others.  Another reason is if I can keep calm, I can find more gentle ways of talking to people and persuade their thoughts and views.  This is especially helpful in my advocacy work for children and their families.  I also need to work on my verbal aggressiveness when I talk to my providers so I can be a better coach with them.  I want to encourage change not make them do it. 

            Another insight is that I am too trusting of other people.  This has caused me problems in the past because I trusted others with information that they used against me.  I am becoming more aware of this and being guarded with what I tell people and which people I tell it to.  This affects my personal life because I keep the people I have confidence in close to me.  It affects how I interact with other people because I do not want to get hurt.  Professionally, this is good because as a professional, sometimes I need to keep my opinion to myself about situations.  I may disagree with what a co-worker or supervisor says but I should keep these opinions to myself.  If I share it with others, they may go to my supervisor, which could cause problems.  Early childhood professionals often build close relationships with the children and parents that they work with and want what is best for them.  Due to these relationships, sometimes we, as early childhood professionals share opinions that do not need to be shared with parents, such as opinions on the child’s teacher.  I have watched a co-worker do this and I get upset because she is not being professional and has caused problems with my work and the provider.  Keeping this in mind will help me stay and be seen as a professional. 

Cultural Communication

            Although I do my best to communicate with respect, I do find myself communicating differently with different groups.  I see it most when I am with a group of my peers versus a group of my co-workers.  Even when looking at communication with my co-workers, I communicate differently especially if my supervisors are around.  Through this self-reflection, I see how I have differing levels of self-monitoring depending on who is around.  When my supervisors or co-workers are around, I have higher levels of self-monitoring.  I think to be a more effective communicator I need to be a better self-monitor.  I stress out when talking with my supervisors and can obsess over everything that they say or do.  I get caught up in saying the correct things and their reactions that I usually forget important points of the conversation and forget what I originally wanted to talk to them about.  I need to relax more and stress less so I can remember the important points and maintain the focus of the conversations.

            When I am around my peers, I can tend to slip into perceptions based on the group that I am in communication with.  I let their perceptions become my perceptions even though I know better.  This is especially true when talking about cultural myopia and stereotypes.  Thankfully my work in a Cultural Competence Breakthrough Series Collaborative and my last course has really helped me discover who I am, my perceptions, and be a more culturally competent communicator.  When I am around my group of peers I need to be a better culturally competent communicator model and maintain my perceptions instead of following into the group’s perceptions.  Maybe through this modeling, I can start to change the group’s perceptions and create more awareness. 

            Last but not least the idea of being other-oriented and the Platinum Rule made me think about how I handle myself in situations and with communication with others.  I realize that no matter whom I am communicating with, I need to be more aware of how they want to be treated.  I am sometimes so focused on my thoughts, emotions, and perceptions that I forget to think about the other person.  I admit I have left conversations kicking myself after realizing how I treated the other person.  I was not mean or rude, but realized I could have handled situations differently if I took into account their perceptions and how they would have liked to be communicated with.  This was one of the first lessons I learned when I became a supervisor.  I handled communication and a situation with a matter of fact attitude.  That backfired in my face and I came to understand that my team members needed to be communicated with in a more gentle manner and less of a like it or leave it attitude.  Keeping this in mind will help me become a more effective communicator regardless of the group I am communicating with. 

Non-verbal Communication

            For this assignment, I chose to watch an episode of Modern Family because I have never seen this show.  The assignment was tough relying on only the nonverbal cues to figure out relationships and the plot of the show.  I had a feeling based on the name of the show that most of the characters were related in some way.  However, I was unable to pick up on the relationships.  I did not know the main characters were a dad and his adult son and daughter. 

            I was also wrong in my assumptions based on non-verbal behavior in two scenes.  One of the opening scenes I thought one of the guys was upset with the other based on his body language.  It turns out when watching it with sound that the guy was upset with the person on the phone and not his partner.  In another scene, I thought a woman was yelling at another woman on the phone.  Her eyes were big and furrowed.  Her mouth was moving quickly and she was animated with her arms.  It turns out she was not angry with the other woman on the phone.  She was actually giving her advice on how to handle a situation. 

            Through body language, other visual cues and situational contexts, I was able to get a general idea of the plot.  However, I missed out on some background information that aided in the plot.  Since it was a sitcom, I also missed out on the comedy and humor that the show provided. 

            My aha moment and insight I had through this assignment was how much we depend on verbal communication to accompany non-verbal communication.  While watching the show without the volume, I was desperately trying to lip read so I could understand what people were saying.  It was driving me crazy not being able to hear what they were saying.  I also learned I am a very bad lip reader.  It reinforced the idea from our reading that non-verbal communication is not completely accurate.  Also while watching the show muted, I started thinking that this must be what deaf people experience.  All they see is non-verbal communication and try to read lips to get an understanding of what is being said.  I know that most shows can be turned so there are captions for people who cannot hear.  But again, these are words and one cannot understand the tones that are being used with each word.  The tone can affect the meaning behind the word. 

Competent Communicator

            For this assignment, I chose my son’s hockey coach.  I believe that Coach John is a competent communicator both on and off the ice.  When on the ice with the children, he has a “fun” tone to his voice, which keeps the children engaged.  One can hear the excitement and encouragement in his voice when working with the children.  When some of the children are not listening or playing around, Coach John takes a firm voice with them.  He does not yell at them, but the children know they need to stop when Coach John changes his tone.  I would love for some teachers to observe him and notice his tones, words of encouragement, and interactions with the children.  A few could learn how to appropriately interact and talk to children from him. 

            Very importantly, Coach John shows the children what he wants them to do.  This is a very important communication skill especially with children.  As he is talking about the drills he wants the children to run, he is running them at the same time.  This helps both the visual and auditory learners.  If children do not understand, he takes the time to ensure that everyone understands. 

            Parents are constantly asking him how their children are doing and if they are improving.  Coach John has a wonderful way of giving parents constructive criticism.  He always leads and ends with the positives with negatives sandwiched in the middle.  He is kind yet honest when talking about the negatives. 

            I would like to model some of my communication after Coach John.  I believe I could improve my tone of voice from time to time.  As with most people, my tone usually conveys my feelings.  Although I have learned that sometimes I do come across differently and my tone does not match my communication.  Learning from Coach John, I need to ensure my tone matches my communication.  Also within my line of work, I am in the position of delivering praise and criticism.  I know I need to continually improve my delivery of both and to ensure that I sandwich something negative between positives. 

Professional Hopes and Goals

            The hope that I have when thinking about working with children and families is to remember my journey and what I have learned.  I will remember to self reflect on my biases when faced with families from different backgrounds to ensure that I treat them justly.  Every child and family should feel welcomed and accepted in any classroom.  Even though I do not work directly with children and families, I want to educate the providers that I work with.  I hope to give them the tools and resources to start on their journey so they are able to welcome all children and their families.  I also want to share my journey and encourage my co-workers and colleagues to do the same.  Within our Partnership we have a Family Resource Center.  The Family Support Specialists need to be able to look past their biases and stereotypes to welcome and respect the families with whom they work.

            I would like to set a lofty goal for the early childhood field in regard to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice.  My goal is that the early childhood can set the standard and lead the nation in cultural competency.  I want our field to show the nation it is possible for everyone to live, play, work, and get along without stereotypes, biases, and prejudices.  We can set the standard of how to self reflect about our feelings and social identities.  We lead the example of how to respect each other and our differences without one being better than another.  Through these examples, we can advocate to change laws and attitudes that help create one culture being better than another.  I realize this is a lofty goal but if we band together as a field and profession, it can be achievable.  Are you with me?

            I just wanted to thank everyone for sharing their thoughts and insights during this course.  I have learned from everyone.  Your experiences have touched me and will be used to fuel my fire on my journey of cultural competence.  I also would like to thank my colleagues for their words of encouragement.  Without you, I would not be where I am today, with an open heart and mind.  Thank you!

Welcoming Families From Around the World

            I am a preschool teacher who just learned a new girl will be attending my program.  Her and her family are family are from Armenia.  I will first prepare myself to be cultural responsive by researching Armenia, especially the specific region they are from in order to learn more specifics from that area.  We all know that areas and regions within countries can vary in different ways.  By learning more about the country and specific area, this could give me more of an idea of the family’s culture and way of life that they are accustomed to.  I could possibly find out some cultural behaviors such as do I address the husband or the wife, is eye contact acceptable, etc. 

            Another way in which I will prepare for the family and girl’s arrival is by learning important terms and phrases in the family’s home language such as hello, how are you, etc.  Through this, I can communicate with the girl and teach these phrases to the other children in the classroom so she feels welcomed.  I would also work on converting all written information into the family’s home language.  If possible, I would also look into finding a trustworthy translator to be accessible in case one is needed for easier communication. 

            I would display pictures in the room of Armenia.  As soon as I was able to get family photographs, I would display them.  Also, I would look for materials and books that would represent the family and their culture.  Music is also culturally important so I would incorporate it into my classroom’s musical collection. 

            It would also be important to learn what holidays and/or religion that the family practices.  This way I could incorporate them into my lesson plans and celebrations.  I would not want her to feel left out of celebrations because of her religion and/or culture so it would important to learn about them.  Last but not least I would want to learn more about the types of food the family is accustomed to eating so I could look into incorporating them into the menu. 

            I think these preparations will benefit both the family and me because the family will feel welcomed and accepted into my program.  It will show I am supporting the family and will be an ally if needed.  Through this support, I can start building a relationship and strong partnership with the family, which will help the little girl succeed.  These preparations will also prepare the rest of my students and families for their arrival.  In this way when the family arrives, the rest of the program is aware and can treat them appropriately as well.  It is not fun being the new person and everyone staring at you because they do not know anything about you.  My research and learning more about their culture will help prepare myself for any underlying prejudices and biases that may arise.  If I can focus and overcome them, I will be more respectful and accepting of the family. 

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

            A memory of an incident that occurred to me personally happened when I was a sophomore in college.  One of my guy friends, Chris, was an African American male.  One night, he asked me if I wanted to go out to a club with him and his friends.  When we arrived there, I realized I was one of very few Caucasian people there.  It did not bother me until some of the other girls were staring at me.  I felt like Julia Stiles in Save the Last Dance and I was there to “take their men.”  This could not have been further from the truth.  I was with friends and having a good time.   

            Equity was diminished because of the perceived attitudes.  I felt as if I were being judged.  I felt like they thought Chris and I were a couple instead of friends hanging out.  Apparently the thought of Chris and I together was not a positive thought based on the attitudes.  I felt as if I did try and explain that we were not together that I would be accused of being a racist because it would not be proper if a white girl dated a black man.  I felt caught between a rock and a hard place. 

            At the time, I remember being uncomfortable.  I remember telling Chris about it and he said to shake it off and not let the girls bother me.  None of his friends had a problem with me being there and I had a great time.  Reflecting back on the incident, I can still remember being uncomfortable at the stares.  It was one of the first times I felt like I needed to explain myself and a reason for being somewhere.  I was not used to that feeling.  Why should I have to explain my presence?  I had every right to be just like they did.  I can see now how other races may feel when they are in a predominantly Caucasian event.  

            In my opinion, I think society, as a whole would have to change in order to turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity.  Even with the improvements in racial relationships, there are still racial divides.  In this particular situation, both I and the other girls would have to change our attitudes.  I would have to feel comfortable and not feel like I had to justify my presence.  The girls would have to be in a place to be comfortable having me in a club with an African American male.  It would take a lot for both parties to reach this place due.  We would all have to overcome what society tells us about our social identities to find a place where everyone is comfortable.  It’s a long journey but I feel like one day, it will be possible. 

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

            This week I focused on listening to conversations for microaggression.  To my surprise, I encountered a multitude of microaggressions.  I thought about keeping track of them and I realized there were too many and could not remember them all.  The biggest one that stood out in my mind involved gender microaggression.  Working closely with a group of women and just two men, one can imagine that they would hear several gender microaggressions.  This week I noticed microaggressions against the male gender.  Most of them comprised of stereotypes and how they would be lost without their wives.  One of the husbands was sick and it was said that men turn into big babies when they are sick.  The major hidden messages are that women are the superior gender and men need us for survival because they could not do it on their own.  During these conversations, I sat back and listened.  I admit in the past I had participated in the conversations when it was pertinent to my situation.  I am guilty of gender microaggressions, especially if I am frustrated with my husband.  During my reflections this week, I realized how we harbored these microaggressions and it affects the way we interact with our spouses.  I also realized how hurt they would probably be if they heard some of the things that are said.  I know when I hear gender microaggressions/stereotypes about women, I get upset especially when they are not true.  So I can now imagine and empathize with males when females do the same.  To either party it is not fair for things to be said especially when the party being mentioned is not there to defend their actions.  However, I do realize that men and women do need to vent their emotions from time to time.  During this time, we need to be mindful of what we say, who we say it to, and who could overhear it.  This is especially true when adults are talking in front of children who are listening and absorbing these microaggressions. 

            My observations opened my eyes this week.  In the past I would notice obvious discriminatory remarks.  However with the microaggression lens on, I noticed how in numerous conversations we say things unintentionally and/or unaware of the hidden messages we are conveying.  From time to time, I even caught myself about to say something.  I stopped myself because I realized what I was about to say.  My mother was right, “Think before you speak.”  I realized how these microaggressions could impact others and perpetuate stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination on a group of people.  If we hope to start eliminating discrimination and celebrate diversity, we all need to be aware of microaggressions especially since they are usually unintentional.   

Perspectives on Culture and Diversity

            For this assignment, I asked my mother, husband, and best friend/work colleague to define culture and diversity.  My mother is a former elementary school teacher, my husband is a lawyer, and best friend and work colleague is about 3 years younger than me and is African American.  My mother said that culture was the way of life of a particular people.  My husband defined it as your family history and traditions.  It is the thing that connects one to other people.  My friend said it was the commonalities and traditions shared amongst a group of people.  My mother defined diversity as the differences in people and everything, differences in race, culture, income, etc.  It is everything about them that is different.  My husband said diversity is differences based on culture.  My friend defined diversity as the valued variations or differences between people.

            When reflecting on their definitions of culture, I noticed that everyone said it was a way of life and culture is shared between people.  People are connected through culture.  This is also one of my definitions and what we have learned in class.  People identify themselves by their culture.  It reminds me of social identities and our first reflective journal assignment about “I am.”  People connect to each other through their cultures because of shared ideas, beliefs, and identities.  The word diversity itself speaks of differences.  Everyone commented in their definitions that diversity is about differences between people.  My mother went to describe ways people are different and aspects of diversity that we have discussed in class such as race and income level.  I love how my friend said that diversity was valued variations and differences.  I think the word value is key because that is what we are learning and striving for:  to value everyone and see differences as beauty.  The word “variations” was another important word in her definition because as we have learned, there are variations within cultures that create diversity.  This is something we need to remember so we do not make assumptions about someone based on what their culture may be. 

            For me, a huge omission in everyone’s definition was the idea of deep culture.  Each definition alluded to surface culture and did not speak of the cultures that are hidden.  My husband did touch on family traditions, which is an aspect of deep culture. But for the most part, people were speaking of culture in broad surface culture terms.  Also most spoke of culture as a way of life or tradition, but culture is more than that.  We are also born into certain cultures such as genders and races.  These necessarily do not define us but we do not need to forget that each one is an aspect of culture.  I am struggling to find omissions in the diversity definitions.  Diversity does mean there are differences between others.  I would have hoped that one of them would have gone further into diversity and talked about how it was not a bad thing and that diversity should not define us.  I guess through my learning and newfound knowledge, I had high expectations of what people would say.  Through that, the biggest omission is not going into further detail about differences.

            The biggest influence on my thinking is that we need to further educate everyone on culture and diversity so they can see past the surface of these two words.  I would like for people to dig deeper and contemplate the meanings of culture and diversity.  I suppose I am being idealistic.  However, it is important that people consider these words and what they mean.  Both influence each other and have a huge impact in early childhood.  I realize that we need to work harder than ever for people to understand the importance of culture and diversity and its impact on early childhood. 

           

My Family Culture

            If I could only take 3 small items to represent my family culture, I would take our family Bible, my college diploma, and a book we created about our family trip to Disney World.  I would take our family Bible for two reasons.  One, it contains our family tree and other important information regarding our family.  Family is extremely important to me so it would be important to have a piece of that written down so I could pass on to future generations.  The second reason is the most important it is the Bible.  My family and I are Christians and our faith is of utmost importance to us.  The Bible is a representation and guidance of our faith.  The new country may practice a different religion so I would want a representation of ours so we could continue practicing our faith.

            I would want to take my college diploma because I worked hard to earn it and my education is important to me.  I am proud of it and want to keep it as a reminder to myself and son to work hard and you can accomplish anything.  Plus, I graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill, which is also important to my family since my husband and I are alumni.  The Hill holds special memories for us.  Also in the new country, education may be equally important as in the United States or even more so.  Therefore, I would have proof of my education level that could enable me to get a job.  Obtaining employment would be crucial to our survival in the new country because we would need to the money to get a place to live and food to eat.

            The book about our family to Disney World is special to our family for two reasons.  We love Mickey and Disney and the book would be a representation of that love.  Also, the trip was very memorable to our family and even though it happened two years ago, we still talk about it like it was yesterday.  It was a wonderful stress free time that we will never forget.  The book also contains many pictures of my little family.  I love pictures and since we could only take three items, I would try and grab something that would have the most pictures.  The book is filled with some of my family pictures of my little family.  It would be nice to take a keepsake to a new country to remind us of potentially happier times.

            If I were told I could only keep one of the above items, I would be devastated.  It would be so hard for me to choose and I am not sure I could.  Each have a special meaning, importance, and could aid us in our new country.  It was agonizing narrowing my decision down to three items, I could not imagine having to give up two of those. 

            This assignment took me several days to complete.  It was hard to narrow down my family into three items.  I kept changing my mind on which three to choose.  I realized that I have lot that represent my family culture and simply cannot be summed up in three items.  I had to choose the three that was the best representation of our life.  As a result of this assignment, I can see what immigrants go through when they come to our country.  Many have short notice and can only take the things they can carry.  Somehow they have to pick and choose the most important items to their potential survival in the new country and what represents them so they can keep a piece of their family culture.  Also it was hard for me to choose because I did not know what to expect in the new country and what I could bring that could aid me in survival.  The same is true for immigrants.  Yes, they do know they are coming to the United States and have heard stories, but they do not know what to expect and what items could aid them in their survival in our country.  This assignment has made me realize some aspects of what immigrants go through and to remember that when interacting with them and their children. 

When I think of research...

            Some of the insights that I gained through this course are how complicated research can be and how easy it is to get in over your head with research.  Due to the many different research designs that are possible, research is more than the scientific process that I learned in school.  Not only are there many different research designs, but a researcher also must be concerned with the validity, trustworthiness, reliability, and the generalisability of their work (Mac Naughton, Rolfe, and Siraj-Blatchford, 2010).   Another insight I gained was how easily a researcher could be overwhelmed by the research without a narrow topic.  When I started the course, I thought I had a good topic.  Over the weeks, I saw how broad my topic was and the importance of narrowing the research to a single characteristic that I was looking for. 

            My ideas about the nature of doing research have changed because I have learned that research is more than just testing a hypothesis.  I came into this class with a rudimentary idea of research.  The research I had been exposed to was through the scientific method and tested a hypothesis.  This research was usually on a small scale and not very complicated.  Through this course, I have learned how complicated research can become because it is not always testing a clear hypothesis.  It is extremely easy for a researcher to go off on a tangent from the original research topic.

            Planning and designing the research in early childhood is essential.  When young children are involved, things rarely go as planned.  Having a plan and design helps the researcher stay on tract with their research goal.  As I mentioned earlier, a lesson that I learned about conducting research is that one is not limited to simply testing a hypothesis.  Research in early childhood is an evolving design from start to finish.

            The two biggest challenges for me was learning the new terminology and comprehending the different research designs.  Since I had limited experience with research, many of the terms used in the book and the articles we read, I had never come across before.  The definition portions of our assignments helped me overcome this challenge by making sure I learned new terminology.  The same was true with the different research designs.  These were a new concept to me and seeing how my research simulation fit into these designs helped me gain a better understanding of them.           

            The biggest way my perception of early childhood professionals has changed during this course is my respect for early childhood researchers has increased profoundly.  Research in general, and even more so in early childhood, is so much more complicated that I originally thought.  To know the results of what has come out of the research conducted by these people is astounding.  One of my personal and professional goals since I started in the field of early childhood has been to help professionalize the field, and that is what these professionals are doing on a daily basis.

            Finally, I would like to thank all of my classmates who have helped me throughout this class.  Your posts and responses to my posts have been a huge help in understanding the concepts of this class.  Going from where I started in this class to my understanding of research now has been a lot of work and I it would not have been possible without everybody’s support.  Thank you very much.

Reference

Mac Naughton, G., Rolfe, S.A., & Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2010).  Doing early childhood

            research:  International perspectives on theory and practice (2^nd ed.).  New York,

            NY:  McGraw-Hill.

Research Around the World

            I chose to look at the Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) website.  I noticed that the majority of the current international research topics are similar to the research topics created in our class and what is currently happening in the United States such as interactions and factors that influence child development.  Two distinct themes that I noticed were centered on Indigenous research and research about parents.  First, the Indigenous research is seen through several of the research topics.  It reminds me of the cultural competence research that is being conducted in the United States.  The researchers in Africa are working on incorporating their heritage and Indigenous culture whereas in America we are researching new cultures that are entering our schools and incorporating them. 

            Second, I noticed a lot of the research topics being centered on parents and their involvement in early childhood.  Some of the topics that I noticed were research around how to involve fathers more in early childhood, how to collaborate with parents, and parents’ perception of developmental needs and quality in early childhood.  I have seen research in the United States that recognizes the importance of the parents’ role in early childhood and ways to create partnerships.  However, these research topics seem to zero in on specific ways to get the parents’ views and how to involve them in early childhood.  I was particularly drawn to the research about involving fathers in early childhood and child development.  At work the other day we were discussing providing more information for fathers and how to include them.  I am going to share this research with them and see what we can incorporate into our work.

            Another idea I had when researching this website is that I have found a place with research that could prove useful in my Cultural Competence Breakthrough Series Collaborative.  From my research I learned more about early childhood in Africa.  I like how they are training their professionals and future leaders.  They use a general curriculum that allows for a learner-focused approach.  They also use a community of learners strategy that reminds me of communities of practice.  I love communities of practice in early childhood and feel like more should be happening.  I think they could strengthen and further professionalize our field.

            One other piece of noteworthy information came when I was researching the funders for this university and program.  I noticed that some of the top funders were UNICEF, World Bank, and the Dutch Government.  I am not sure why but I just found this interesting, especially the funding from the Dutch Government.  Living in North Carolina where it seems the state government does not support education at any level, it was reassuring that some governments do support it and we can look to them to improve our funding practices. 

http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/index.php
http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php

Research that Benefits Children and Families

            When thinking of research that had a positive effect on children and families, the Abecedarian Project quickly comes to mind.  The results of this project showed the impact that health and nutrition has on children and their families.  The positive effects on the children have been long lasting up throughout adulthood.  Also through this research came the Heckman Equation.  The Heckman Equation brought an element of economics to our field.  It shows that we need to invest in early childhood if we want to build our economy and sustain our society.  The rate of return in investing in early childhood is 10%, which is substantial.  In North Carolina, we have the First 2000 Days campaign to spread the awareness of early childhood and the importance of investing in it.  It uses the research done through the Abecedarian Project and the Heckman Equation as the foundation for its campaign.  The research has been positive and critical.  It gives people information to use to advocate and invest in early childhood.

            Another exciting new research that has been conducted has been the study of marijuana oil, known as Charlotte’s Web, and its ability to reduce or even eliminate seizures in children.  This has been very controversial research especially since marijuana is illegal.  Only a handful of states are allowing patients to even take the drug.  This research is dear to me because a friend and co-worker has a nephew with Dravet Syndrome.  He is constantly having mini seizures, ranging from minor ones up to grand mal.  He is on numerous medications yet he still has them daily.  This summer, his family is moving to Colorado to receive Charlotte’s Web in hopes that it will work and he will finally be seizure free.  This is his family’s last hope and I hope that it works. 

            The downside to this research is that the long lasting effects of taking marijuana oil have not been studied simply because this is still new research.  Nobody knows what is going to happen to these children several years from now.  This type of research gives me an ethical dilemma since nobody knows what will happen to these children later in life.  But it is giving some people hope, and I cannot take that away from them.  So far the results have been positive and here is to hoping it stays that way.

My Personal Research Journey

            The topic I chose was teachers’ experience versus teachers’ education and the correlation of each to quality.  The reason I chose this topic is because in my job I see teachers who have education with no experience and I see teachers with experience with only the minimum education.  In both situations there are high quality and low quality teachers.  I hope through researching this topic I can see where the education and experience correlate with quality.  It has also been one of my personal and professional goals to professionalize the field and I feel that this simulation and the results I find will be able to be a step in furthering this goal. 

            It has been ten years since I last conducted any kind of in depth research.  Although some assignments in previous Walden classes have required some research, they have not been to the same magnitude as I am expecting in this class.  I completed my undergraduate degree in 2004 and have not had to focus on the process since.  As such, my research skills are a bit rusty.  I am hoping that the process is like riding a bike and will come back to me as I progress in this class.

            Some of the insights I have gained from the research chart and other assignments so far in this class are the importance of your topic and the importance of quality research.  First, I rediscovered the importance of a narrowly defined topic.  If your topic is overly broad, it is easy to get buried in the amount of research.  Having a narrowly defined topic will help eliminate some of the articles and research that are not beneficial to what you are wanting to find out.  Although virtually worthless in your research, they require the time to read or skim to find this out.  Having the narrow topic allows you to focus on the research that is most meaningful.  Secondly, once the topic is narrowly defined, it is important to assess the quality of the research on the topic.  There is usually a plethora of research and articles on any topic, even if narrowed down.  Not all of this research is worth using.  As the assignment earlier this week demonstrated, a low quality article or web site wastes time in your research and can lead to incorrect conclusions.  Being able to narrowly define your topic and weed out the low quality articles will aid in producing the best research results.

            Throughout the duration of this course, I would be grateful if you could share your insights and/or resources.  Likewise I will do the same for you especially as I learn what others are researching.  My biggest advice is to not be afraid to ask for help.  We are here for each other. 

International Wrap Up

            On a professional and personal level it is sad knowing that children around the world struggle with access to high quality early childhood education.  I could understand some of the “third world countries” having barriers and issues in relation to quality and access.  But some of the leading world powers have problems with quality and access to early childhood.  We are a perfect example of that.  The consequence is that it makes me want to work and advocate even harder for the children in our country and around the world.  We all have issues and that should be seen.  We are not independent of each other in our struggles.  If we can advocate for one, we can advocate for all.

            Another consequence of learning about early childhood on the international level is that I am able to learn from their efforts.  If a country had success with a program, I look at it and see how I can adapt to fit my county’s needs.  Also if something was not successful, I can learn and not repeat the mistake.  At the same, I can analyze it to see why it wasn’t successful and learn from their mistakes as well.  From researching Early Childhood Australia’s website, I came away with ideas and information.  I love how they were a one-stop shop for early childhood in Australia.  My Partnership is looking at redesigning our website.  I would love for our website to be formatted after theirs.  Plus the website also gave me additional resources I can use in the future. 

            A third consequence of learning about international issues and trends is more of an observation that I have made.  It seems that while the US is one of the leading researchers into early childhood, other countries are using our results and really making a difference.  Yes I said earlier we all have issues especially when it comes to quality and access.  But there are countries that are further along in their recognition of early childhood’s importance and making huge strides in advancing it.  We could learn from that.  We need to do more with our own research such as funding and creating or amending our policies.  It would make all the difference in the world. 

            My goal is to stay aware of issues and trends in early childhood on the global level.  I think that is key in making a difference.  By being aware, I can learn and input it into my work on the local level.  My other goal is also to keep in contact with Ms. Smith.  I have learned a lot from her and it would be great to keep that connection strong because it will help me keep in touch with the global issues and trends.

International Contacts Part 3

            One of the main problems is regulating quality in the Bahamas.  According to Ms. Smith, programs have to report themselves in order to be monitored for quality and accountability.  The issue is that some programs do not report and register.  Steps and policies are being advocated for so that all programs must register.  This also brings up another issue: monitoring.  Apparently the programs that are registered are not properly monitored due to staffing issues.  Again, policies are being drafted to address the staffing issue. 

            The ability to obtain an Associate’s Degree in early childhood is plentiful in the Bahamas.  Almost every higher learning institute has early childhood programs and certificates.  This is helpful since there are several islands that make up the Bahamas.  Most people obtain their Bachelor degrees through online learning although some of the schools do offer the program.  The Bahamas has not seen the push for higher degrees in early childhood even though the thoughts and policies behind early childhood are great.  Her hopes and dreams revolve around increasing the standards for preschool teacher education. 

            Ms. Smith and her colleagues are advocates for increased education and monitoring of standards.   She feels blessed that her country takes early childhood education seriously and is included in the Ministry of Education department.  Her hopes and dreams include increasing quality and the ability to properly monitor all programs.  The biggest challenge is the geography of the Bahamas themselves since they are a group of islands.  Tourism is also another challenge.  Potential staff for early childhood is drawn to the tourism industry because it usually pays better.  Ms. Smith hopes that more money from tourism will be put into early childhood education and draw more people to the field.