Congratulations!

DON'T FORGET TO APPLY FOR GRADUATION! http://ecampus.waldenu.edu/c/Student_Faculty/OnlineForm_GraduationApplication.aspx

Week 8, the last hurrah!

I realized that I still rebel against certain requirements which will never meet everyone's needs appropriately in the classroom

I learned that all the education in the world will not make you an educated person, even if you make the grade. It's how you use it.

I've learned that even though I am passionate, if I am asked to repeatedly do the same thing over and over, I don't want to do it anymore. I need to do it for myself.

My long term goal remains that I want to open a school for children with behavior difficulties.

This was a long journey in a short span of time. I congratulate all of us who have made it to the completion of our masters degree. For those who need to take an incomplete or have other work to be finished, you can do it. You WILL do it! you'll be glad when you have :)

International Job Roles

 I have absolutely no interest in teaching internationally. I do not forsee ever wanting to travel out of my state for employment, ever.

An opportunity teaching in the Ukraine for two years as an early childhood educator was found at 

http://www.teachaway.com/teaching-jobs-abroad/pre-k-and-kindergarten-teacher-private-international-school What is interesting is the pay is even less than what I make now! Qualifications are Certifications Required: Teaching Credential/License 

Level of Education Required: Bachelor 
Preferred Certificates: TESL/TEFL Certificate 
Teaching Experience: Minimum 5 years of experience 
Specific Major: Education or Related Field

A nursery school teacher in Beijing is also  available, but with a higher salary and benefits http://www.teachaway.com/teaching-jobs-abroad/kindergarten-early-years-teachers-maple-bear-china

Requirements are Certifications Required: Teaching Credential/License 

Level of Education Required: Bachelor 
Specific Major: ECE or Education

The third job opportunity which is in line with my career goals is a Kindergarten teacher in italy http://jobs.theguardian.com/job/4805793/kindergarten-teacher-x-1-italy-2-years-fix-term-contract/?LinkSource=PremiumListing

Since I have an bachelors degree and am almost done with my masters, I fufill most of the requirements.

other job postings found on:

http://www.ciee.org/teach/ Is the Council on International Educational Exchange

http://www.iie.org/Working-Professionals-and-Teachers is the  Institute of International Education

food for thought

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/02/06/a-really-scary-headline-about-kindergarteners/

Kindergarten is the new first grade?

wk4 Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: National & Federal Level

One community of practice that appeals to me is the government who write policies and expectations for the country. There is differences which vary from a state by state basis, but there is an overall consensus on basic standards. Influencing and collaborating with these policy makers will create more nation wide change.

Another CoP is the National  Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) which can provide training and other resources which are relevant to early childhood education. It has been an organization which I have gone to frequently in my time as an educator and I feel it is important for their involvement. 

The third CoP includes the peers in my country. We have different perspectives and experiences as whole, but have a unified government system which to operate under. The different state regulations and funding sources can shed light on opportunities we can explore in our own communities. 

Job opportunities: Teaching online courses for students studying the field of early childhood reaches across state lines to influence future teachers

creating a and being a leader for a support organization nationally for behaviorally difficult students will help create

the third job opportunity I would  be a part of is the Quality Rating Improvement System which is helping schools nationally achieve a higher quality. 

wk2 Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

One community of practice that appeals to me is the use of psychologists and therapists in the early childhood setting. We usually refer parents to their pediatrician who should then give a referral to a specialist, but often the doctor does not see the same behaviors we see every day since they see them for such short periods of time. In Massachusetts, health insurance is required. it would be important to explore the correlation between health care coverage and the availability of funding which can provide behavior supports such as psychologists and therapists in the classroom,

Another CoP is the Massasschusetts  Association for the Education of Young Children (MassAEYC) which can provide training and other resources which are relevant to early childhood education. MassAEYC is our state branch of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. It has been an organization which I have gone to frequently in my time as an educator and I feel it is important for their involvement. 

The third CoP includes the peers in my community. We have a better understanding of the issues and trends we have encountered and have different perspectives and additional resources which we can share with each other.

Job opportunities: I would like to teach college courses in addition to being a preschool teacher. I would need to complete my degree and then search for jobs which I qualify for. If more skills/experience is needed I will need to pursue those skills.

I would like to open a school for children with behavior difficulties. I would first need the funds to do so, and then I can find a location. I have taken a class which walked us through opening a center from the ground up. 

the third job opportunity I would like is becoming a Director of a school. I am already qualified and currently act as an assistant director. I am learning the skills required to take over for my boss, and I believe there is potential on the track I am on with my employer. 

wk 1

Sharing my Wordle with the world

Help my community

Not directly related to our school work, but I would like to post this link for a fundraiser I am part of for the YMCA. They have a ton of support programs for families as well as childcare centers and services. Feel free to message me with any questions or comments about it, and if you donate it would be much appreciated!  http://www.stayclassy.org/laurenceaston

week 8

this is the end, a new class awaits us next week!

week 6

I think that one of the groups which was hardest to say good-bye was the group I spent the most time with in college. We had clear established norms of our daily routine and enjoyed each others company. It was hard to know we were never going to get the same type of camaraderie back. When close groups who have spent years together need to seperate, it seems like a trend to all get together and spend one last time as a group, remembering things that have happend in the past as a whole. I see this as a closing exercise to remind everyone of the effecient and not so effient times which were had as a unit.  As this masters degree adjourns, I may collect a few email adresses to keep in touch or to discuss things with when in a situation I need a second opinion on. I do not think I will feel the same loss as those I have met face to face because much of our work is impersonal, even if we are replying to others.

Adjourning is an essential stage of teamwork because without it, you may still expect the team to work and function, and if we slowly fade away rather than officially adjorn it leaves a lot of unanswered questions and leaves room for dissapointment if we intended on them sticking around.

week 6

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?

(Adapted from O'Hair and Wiemann, 2012, pp. 278)

week 5

A co-worker and I have worked side by side for two years, only to split into to separate classrooms last September. Over the last 10 months, we have had difficult communicating and have not been on the same page with our responsibilities and expectations of the classrooms. Although this is not always an issue, our rooms often combine and act as one unit and there needs to be fluidity and communication. One of the strategies I've adopted is observing her body language. Most of the time she is uninterested in what I have to say and is not actively listening. This leads to problems when she "didn't know" something which i've told her numerous times. I've learned to let it go, and keep repeating it to her. Ive also decided that after telling her once that she's been told something before, I don't say anything about her already being told again. Ive gone to my boss numerous times about our conflicts and asked what steps I should take or continue, and she honestly told me to ignore it. a person who does not want to participate and work together is only pulling herself further away the more I push for unity. This is NOT the best communication though, and I am very aware of that. Communication is a two way street though, and hers is a one way. 

One other strategy I have learned is that we all communicate differently and it is important to analyze styles. Do people prefer one-on-one? Are they better at writing things down? Is it easier to have a mediator for conflicts? These are all components to consider when trying to have meaningful communication with someone. At a recent staff meeting, a co-worker put together an icebreaker. one of the questions was "what is your communication style" and out of twenty people, only 3 (her, me, and our boss) knew what the question meant.

week 4

I think this assignment is very similar to our application...

It surprised me that the rating for my verbal aggressiveness was significant. I do not feel that these results were completely accurate and I am curious as to how they calculate the answers. Answering everything as "always", it yielded the lowest aggression, and everything as "never" yielded highest aggression. When reading the questions, I'm not sure I understand why this is the result it gave. If these results are indeed true, I need to be very careful in how I communicate in my professional life because we have to tread lightly sometimes when talking to families. In my personal life, I do not want to create unease unintentionally. 

The second score which I will share is my listening style. It says I am people-oriented, and although one of my peers agreed, the other believed I was more time-oriented. It is easy to see how I could fall into any category depending on the situation I am in and the people who are involved.

week 3

I do find myself communicating with different cultures regularly because of the diversity of the community in which I work. It is important to understand their views, expectations, and sometimes limitations when communicating. If I am working with a family who does not speak English fluently, I'm more apt to using smaller vocabulary and am prepared to explain in other terms what words or phrases mean in order to foster more communication when they appear confused. I can offer resources to help them in a variety of ways which can vary in language and generally are neutral towards gender, religion and race. I can offer supports in areas which they need, regardless of their differences from mine.

week 2

For this assignment, again consider what you have been learning about communication skills and styles. Then record an episode of a television show you do not normally watch. Watch the show with the sound turned off.

• What do you think the characters' relationships are based on the ways in which they are communicating?
• What are they feeling and expressing based on the nonverbal behavior you are observing?

I watched an episode of Dance Moms; I am not very familiar with it and this is helpful in order to prevent bias from previous knowledge of relationships. the episode starts with all the moms in one room ready to listen to the dance teacher reveal comments and pictures of the previous dancers. The dance teacher abbey is very animated, using her hands to speak. she shakes her head no a lot, waving her hands in the air in a questioning manner and looks like shes telling them something negatively, her gestures are very abrupt and fast. some moms  nod their heads in understanding. one, kelly, looked off at their child and blinking slowly, probably not agreeing with abbey.one of the moms makes a disgusted look when a child's picture is revealed, laughs and looks surprised. she raises a finger and asks a question, and abbey directs a question to a child. after the child finishes mothers shake their head and the same one seems to yell back. shes taking deep breaths and shaking her head a lot when she talks.abbey appears to talk about the children's upcoming performances and looks positive, nodding her head yes a lot and gesturing with fluid motions.the mother from earlier is resting her head on her hand. she then points alot while she talks and is abrupt with get gestures.

Now, watch the show with the sound turned on.

• What assumptions did you make about the characters and plot based on the ways in which you interpreted the communication you observed?
• Would your assumptions have been more correct if you had been watching a show you know well?

I was right that abbey was upset with the girls. The mother, kelly, was also upset, stating that when abby is angry she takes it out on the kids rather than the parents. She was surprised and upset that sophie was at the top of the picture reveal pyramid and not the other girl. she does indeed ask a question whens she points her finger, asking if the child not pictured (mattie) was not going on the trip to the next dance competition. the child brooke explains that she was not at the rehersal or dance studio the previous three days, and abbey says she should not compete because she didnt participate as the team. kelly counters that she was part of the rehersals all week to learn the routine, and should have a break for the weekend.abbey explains that the serious dance, that brooke is NOT going. she does not let brooke participate in the rehersal and asks her to play music, and kelly is mad and that came across in her gestures and her tone. the upcoming performance is positively talked about by abbey.

week 1

For your blog this week, think of someone (e.g., family member, celebrity, politician, friend, or professor) who demonstrates competent communication within a particular context. What behaviors does this person exhibit that make him or her effective? Would you want to model some of your own communication behaviors after this person? Why or why not?

My father is a competent communicator. He is attentive, listening to me/others and observing physical characteristics which I exhibit while hes talking. He speaks clearly,and explains further when sensing confusion, discomfort, or a different type of emotion. He doesn't talk to fast and also uses gestures and expressions. I have defiantly grown up mimicking many of the skills and traits he exhibits, and I believe it has played a part in my effective communication as an educator today.

wk8

I hope that when working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds that we can come together to educate others and promote acceptance.

My goal to set for the early childhood field is to truly educate all teachers and staff who work with children about the positives of diversity and how we can prevent children from forming biased opinions through us.

Thankyou to my colleagues for participating in discussions and blogs and therefore sharing your opinions and experiences. they are all truly unique.

wk 7

The family which is joining our center is from China. One of the first things I would do is figure out the dialect of Chinese they speak. This would help support them by having some words and phrases in their native language and would also give us an opportunity to help communicate further through translated newsletters and additional information. The second thing which would help this family would be to explore their family structure so that we do not make them uncomfortable. I am aware that some Asian cultures (as well as others) only allow the male to make decisions and that can play a part in how we interact with the family. The third item would be determining what their family expects in terms of educating their child, and this also includes how verbal the child is, eye contact, and obedience expectations/ reprimands. Although we may not agree with their expectations, it is our job to work with the family on finding a common ground. the fourth  preparation would be to explore some of their holidays and traditions and bring that into the classroom/curriculum (if able to) so that the child is more comfortable in the new setting. The fifth would be to compile a list of resources which the family may not know are available in our area. Since traveling out of the country can be a drastic change, they may not be aware of all of the US's benefits, assistant programs or difference in their expectations which may shock them.

I believe doing these things would help the family feel more at ease. Although they may not be totally comfortable, they can see that we are willing to help make the transition easier and are open to new things. Hopefully it would show them that we have their child's best interests at heart and that building a relationship with the family is the best way to start. There may be many questions that both parties have, and this opens the door for further positive communication and understanding.

wk6

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

My close family friends have been targets of discrimination because of their sexual orientation

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

I feel that everyone has a right to love and partake in activities they choose, saying that their orientation is wrong or disgusting is simply not our business or place to assume they should feel differently

• What feelings did this incident bring up for you?

it makes me angry that people can not be themselves

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

society is slowly changing and becoming more accepting, but there will always be people who have a different opinion on how things should be

wk4

Honestly, this assignment is now repetitive. it's the third time we've had to describe a scenario. I dont feel that this is helpful any longer to our learning and is very forced. soooooo here's the assignment...

I am regularly microinsulted. It often happens with my religion. At a party last night, in fact, we were playing a game  (similar to Apples to Apples) which I was continuously a target of. A "subject" card is selected, such as "If I had ____ I would be ____". then the rest of the group selects cards from their hand to be the best suited for the blanks on the subject card. person who's turn it is chooses the fitting card out of these options. I this senario, I always got the jewish-oriented cards when it was my turn to pick. Although some of it is the 'luck' of the draw of the hands' dealt, it was not uncommon for me to have to pick through cards such as Ashuwitz, The Jews, and Penny Pincher as the options given to me. So in this case, "If i had The Jews I would be a Penny Pincher". Of course, I would not have to pick these options, and sometimes they did not make sense. my friends also did not create these cards. generally things like this do no bother me, especially among friends who are not intending harm. but to many this can be very insulting.

i discussed this week's video with my friends, and they laughed. maybe it is because their banter and pokes do not bother me.