Time Well Spent

The three most deeply felt learning from this program were:

Interpreting Communication

                                  

Watched with Sound off

As I watched an episode of this show the characters relationships were easy to interpret. The main character usually set the mode for the other 3 to 4 characters.  I could tell the main character had a close, if not, intimate relationship with the woman character.  The neighbor which is another main character, played as the instigator. He appeared to stir things up.  He would always barge in the apartment, cause a diversion, and then leave. The performers all appeared to be close friends and trust each other enough.  Even their parents were included in this episode.  The diversion appeared to be about an alarm clock and how it has the ability to awaken people.  The conclusion of the show, the clock didn’t wake the person up.  The nonverbal communication skills that were used in this episode were, how the woman character was physically so close to the main character always.  The grabbing of the arms and the intimate touches, leads me to believe that these two characters are in an intimate relationship.  The neighbors that came over were communicated their relationships by entering the apartment without knocking, being comfortable enough by going in the refrigerator without permission.  The humorous events in this show were communicated by people pushing each other, falling down, facial expressions, and just simply laughing.

Watched with Sound On

As I watched this episode with the sound on, I realized that my interpretation was totally wrong and misrepresented. Most of their expressions were correct, but mostly were wrong.  The two main characters were not in an intimate relationship.  They were all close friends and the interpretation about the alarm close was incorrect as well.  The story was about them refraining from self-gratification.  I thoroughly enjoyed the show and laughed hysterically.  I did learn that most things can be misinterpret especially when we are not aware of the relationship of individuals, not familiar with their expressions and not clear of their culture of how the understand each other.  Until we can hear exactly how someone feels, we shouldn’t assume our own conclusion.     

Communicating More Effectively                                   

To effectively communicate, it is important to diagnose their emotions and understanding those signs. According to Beebe, Beebe & Redmond (2011), to effectively communicate with each other, it is important to see their world view differently from our own.

"Individuals who fail to consider other cultural perspectives are said to suffer from cultural myopia, a form of nearsightedness grounded in the belief that one's own culture is appropriate and relevant in all situations and to all people" (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2015, p. 43).

Improving my perceptions and communicating more effectively with others:

·         Be thoughtful when you seek explanations.  Look beyond the most obvious explanation for what you observe.  Being thoughtful sometimes means just pausing to give yourself time to evaluate.

·         Look beyond first impressions.  Don’t rely completely on your first impressions; these often lead to inaccurate conclusions.   Hold off forming a judgement until you can gather further perceptions. 

·         Question your assumptions.  Don’t assume that you know what others think, feel, of believe based on their group affiliations or a host of other cultural factors.  Thinking that everyone else in your demographic believes the opposite of you is a common perceptual error.

When we consider the simple things in life, if we were to really dig deep and search more than the surface of things, we would appreciate, even those things that seems so insignificant.   The three items I would take to another civilization to preserve my own culture would be a photo album, an African American cookbook, and an ipod or some type of technical machinery that could play recorded music. 

The photo album would allow me to envision and keep a vivid memory of what people of my culture looks like.  Often times, we allow others to paint a picture of other cultures, or origins of a people, that sometime is not quite  accurate or we see something different from what they may be trying to describe.

An African American cookbook would preserve the authenticity in the foods we are use to eating.  Every type of food is cooked in a unique and very very very favorable manner.  The seasonings we use, the preparation and even the presentation is very important and makes all the difference in the world.  The taste and the special events in which certain foods are cooked are essential as well.  This cook book would be a vital item to have and a must to take in order to preserve my culture.

An ipod or something that plays recorded music preserves the soulful sound that we are uniquely known for and there is definitely no other way to describe music other than hearing it , straight  from the horses mouth. 

If I was told that I could only take one item, that item would have to be the ipod. There is no other way to preserve and recollect sound.  Through the recordings we could still record recipes if need be, and give description of what we look like, but music cannot be preserved in any other capacity other that recording it and replaying it.

I learned to appreciate those things that I htake for granted like, seeing others that look like me, and being able to cook freely and listening and hearing the music that I assume will always be there.  This was a very interesting assignment. 

                                                                 

                                                             

 Culture is common group of beliefs, language, food and diversity is the reason why a group of different ideas, culture and language.

Culture makes you who you are.  Diversity is when your open mindedness to various cultured, belief systems, and others views points, no matters what color, shape, or creed

Culture is like what people are known for.  Once you’re known for something you’ve developed a culture.  Diversity is the ability to adapt and cope with a wide range of anything ( people , food, anything ) Being flexible and open and inclusive. 

Culture is more about what people have in common. Race no withstanding ( ex. The culture of the Celtics is that they are hardworking) Diversity is specifically about the mixture of ideas or ideals (exam.. a classroom can have diversity regarding a variety of ethnicities or a boardroom can be diverse regarding the differing of  opinions. 

These definitions hold the general idea of what culture and diversity mean. Culture is a set of unconscious rule that govern everything we do.  Diversity is a benefit and a necessity, it allows us to adapt and understand.

One of the greater benefits from conducting research is the findings and the affects that are learned from the research.  Unfortunately, it is a risk that has to be considered but in the end the results help to find cures, causes, and treatment.   For example, there was a study done on why children are spending more time with technology and the effects that are inhibiting their abilities to recognizing emotions.

The research was performed by The University of California, LA and was published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior, found that sixth-graders who went five days without exposure to technology were significantly better at reading human emotions than kids who had regular access to phones, televisions and computers. 

Even though technology has advance in everything, over the years, doing things the “old fashion” way  has better affects and benefit our children better, overall.  So, instead of having your child Google  their next homework assignment, make a trip to the Library and check out the encyclopedia.  

 My long term goal is to own or direct a successful business that advocated for young children. The vision and mission of the day care really speaks for itself.  It states, excellence in early learning for all children.  Satisfaction is providing  a safe and caring environment for all.  Our focus to encourage education promote their social and emotional development as well as their physical and social development.  We are committed to the families as well as the children and to bring peace of mind to the parents as we work together in molding and shaping the future.  It gives a strategic concept of steps in providing the best care and education for the children who will be looking to make their mark in the future.  The budget is based on the performances and the progress of the children.  Providing the best care, the best materials, best curricula, high quality care and food is the expectation of the program. With all of these particular in mind, the budget was care thought through thoroughly.

 To my fellow colleagues it was a pleasure and an honor to work with you and to go through the uncharted experiences with you.  I have learned  from you, been inspired by you, and have been encouraged by you as well.  I pray that our paths meet again, perhaps in a Doctoral Degree Program or work place  through our travels.  I wish you all the very best and hope to see your smiles and cheers of accomplishments at graduation.  Congratulations!!!!! Until we meet again!

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

The need for early childhood advocacy is and always will be a global cause. There will always be a need for someone to stand up for impoverished children, orphaned children, undereducated children etc. Around the world there is inequality on many levels, but one thing stands. That is, someone must fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.  As I consider my future in the field, I  must consider exploring opportunities to foster the well-being of children globally. There are a lot of various international organizations and agencies that aid the suffering of children everywhere. These various groups aim to target some major issues affecting children around the world. One of these agencies, Defense for Children International, stands out to me because they are a leading child-rights-focused grassroots Movement. Established in 1979 they fight to promote and protect children’s rights locally, nationally, regionally and internationally. I would be interested working as a family support counselor with them. My efforts would be to mend families after experiencing some hardship or trauma centered around their children. In order to excel in a role like this I would need to master the ability to combine clinical experience with real life knowledge. Mixed with compassion and dedication to endure. There is a group called To Love Children Educational Foundation. This group is one that is set up to specifically advocate for the education of girls and to find sustainable educational development opportunities for girls. This is group is especially interesting to me because i've always wanted to combine the importance of education with the need for civilly equal opportunities to receive a fair education. They have a lot of different work groups in the organization that target specific needs and areas of the cause. I would be particularly interested in joining the strategic development team with regards to early childhood development centers. Being involved with a movement geared toward my sincerest passions would be a dream come true. I would be using my education in Early childhood development as well as serving a cause that I am passionate about in general. The Final organization I find to be in line with what I see myself doing is The Association for Childhood Education International. Im drawn to this charitable organization because it has been founded on Principles centered around commitment and snd four Core Beliefs: Uniqueness, Universality, Quality, and Equity. Reading what the stand for on their website gave me the warm and fuzzies! This is group that focuses on this major issue of education at its core. Focusing on the need for reform and professional accountability and Wrapped in a group of principals and governance that require a certain standard of dedication and accountability. Organizations like these, have the potential to change the face of education. I would be honored to be involved in their Advocacy sector. They believe that education has a place in society as an essential vehicle for cultivating intercultural and interdisciplinary understanding. Knowing education advocacy can be particularly effective through the use of diplomatic skills within a broader framework of Education Diplomacy—they use this program to keep the standard of professionals in education high.In order to work well in advocacy i would need to embody and  be passionate about requires knowledge gathering, creation, and sharing; an awareness of oneself as much as an appreciation of relationships with others; and sensitivity to the contextual and cultural complexities to theory and practice in the field. Recognizing the need for supporters of children and their development worldwide is important to understanding the impact I can have in my career path.

The need for early childhood advocacy is and always will be a global cause. There will always be a need for someone to stand up for impoverished children, orphaned children, under-educated children etc. Around the world there is inequality on many levels, but one thing stands. That is, someone must fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.  As I consider my future in the field, I  must consider exploring opportunities to foster the well-being of children globally. There are a lot of various international organizations and agencies that aid the suffering of children everywhere. These various groups aim to target some major issues affecting children around the world. One of these agencies, Defense for Children International, stands out to me because they are a leading child-rights-focused grassroots Movement. Established in 1979 they fight to promote and protect children’s rights locally, nationally, regionally and internationally. I would be interested working as a family support counselor with them. My efforts would be to mend families after experiencing some hardship or trauma centered around their children. In order to excel in a role like this I would need to master the ability to combine clinical experience with real life knowledge. Mixed with compassion and dedication to endure. There is a group called To Love Children Educational Foundation. This group is one that is set up to specifically advocate for the education of girls and to find sustainable educational development opportunities for girls. This is group is especially interesting to me because i've always wanted to combine the importance of education with the need for civilally equal opportunities to receive a fair education. They have a lot of different work groups in the organization that target specific needs and areas of the cause. I would be particularly interested in joining the strategic development team with regards to early childhood development centers. Being involved with a movement geared toward my sincerest passions would be a dream come true. I would be using my education in Early childhood development as well as serving a cause that I am passionate about in general. The Final organization I find to be in line with what I see myself doing is The Association for Childhood Education International. Im drawn to this charitable organization because it has been founded on Principles centered around commitment and snd four Core Beliefs: Uniqueness, Universality, Quality, and Equity. Reading what the stand for on their website gave me the warm and fuzzies! This is group that focuses on this major issue of education at its core. Focusing on the need for reform and professional accountability and Wrapped in a group of principals and governance that require a certain standard of dedication and accountability. Organizations like these, have the potential to change the face of education. I would be honored to be involved in their Advocacy sector. They believe that education has a place in society as an essential vehicle for cultivating intercultural and interdisciplinary understanding. Knowing education advocacy can be particularly effective through the use of diplomatic skills within a broader framework of Education Diplomacy—they use this program to keep the standard of professionals in education high.In order to work well in advocacy i would need to embody and  be passionate about requires knowledge gathering, creation, and sharing; an awareness of oneself as much as an appreciation of relationships with others; and sensitivity to the contextual and cultural complexities to theory and practice in the field. Recognizing the need for supporters of children and their development worldwide is important to understanding the impact I can have in my career path.

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

FAMILY SUPPORT CLINICIANS 

Clinical & Support Options - Athol, MA

Family Support Clinician- Athol

The Family Support Clinician provides a structured, strength-based therapeutic relationship for children and their families in natural family settings such as home or school in collaboration with a paraprofessional who provides family support and training as part of the clinician’s treatment plan (such plan serving as either the hub of a family’s services or as part of an Intensive Care Coordination care plan).  Family Support Clinician begins initial assessment for all referrals within 24 hours of referral, including a mental status and risk assessment of the referred child and family situation. Develop treatment plans and goals in collaboration with families, children and other supports and providers. Family Support Clinician assists caregivers in stabilizing the behavior of children and adolescents, including the development of Risk Management Plans and facilitating the involvement of Crisis Services when required.  Family Support Clinician must be available to work flexible schedule which will includes some evening and weekend work, as required by client needs. Work collaboratively with the Family Support paraprofessional. Family Support Clinician needs to be a collaborative provider to the family and the family’s wrap-around team supports and providers. Qualifications:

Master’s Degree in Education, Social Work, Counseling, or closely related field from an accredited program. Demonstrated experience working with children, adolescents and families, including experience navigating children’s systems and supports within the community. 

 My interest are having the knowledge of and training in child development and children’s social, cognitive, and educational development. I’m a good listening and  have parenting skills, nonjudgmental ability to foster self-sufficiency in families using problem-solving and practical skills; familiarity with support groups or parent education group. I have the ability to establish trusting relationships through compassion, empathy and insight.

 TITLE:          Family Support Counselor I (Infant Program)

The Family Support Counselor I is responsible for implementing a community based prevention effort for families. This may include in-home or in-office support; in‑home training of parenting; parent education classes; case management; and assisting families reach resources within the community. The Family Support Counselor may assist families in crisis to assess resources to meet their needs, including court ordered families to facilitate family reunification, coordinating information for participant referrals, compiling and maintaining records, preparing reports and attending all required meetings.  Position may be located at a Family Resource Center.; will attend Case Management meetings as required.

 QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelors Degree in Human Services/Behavioral Sciences from an accredited University or equivalent on the job

Two or more years of experience in working with children and families     and/or parenting; community outreach with low-income moderate to    high-risk families

Knowledge of child development and community resources desirable

Ability to use diagnostic skills to make assessments

Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment

Bilingual English/Spanish may be required

Good organizational, follow-through and verbal/written communication skills

Required:  Meets Case Manager qualifications as delineated in the CA Department of Health Services TCM Provider Manual

My interest in this position are being  an effective member of a team. Demonstrating  sensitivity to the needs of families from diverse cultural or linguistic backgrounds.  Also having the knowledge of and training in child development and children’s social, cognitive, and educational development.

Licensed Child Care Administrators and Licensed Child-Placing Agency Administrators

Chapter 43. Regulation of Child-Care and Child-Placing Agency Administrators

This code mandates that a person may not serve as an administrator of a child-placing agency without a Child-Placing Agency Administrator License and may not serve as an administrator of a child-care institution without a Child-Care Administrator License. However, you may not need a Child-Care Administrator License to serve as a child-care administrator for an emergency shelter located in a county with a population of less than 40,000 if we exempt the emergency shelter from needing a licensed child-care administrator. You must have an Administrator License to serve as an administrator in all other circumstances.

This is a qualification that I will need to obtain in order to serve as an Administrator in any Child-placing agency.

Preschool or Child Care Center Administrator Job Description

SUMMARY

Responsible for the operation and instructional leadership at a daycare or preschool facility. Trains and supervises staff, sets instructional objectives, and works to build a rapport with parents.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

·         Manage day-to-day activities at a preschool.

·         Create instructional resources for use in the classroom.

·         Develop academic programs.

·         Monitor students and teachers for progress.

·         Train, encourage, and mentor teachers and other staff.

·         Manage career counseling.

·         Administer record keeping.

·         Supervise teachers, counselors, librarians, and other support staff.

·         Maintain rapport with parents.

·         Handle tours and marketing.

·         Prepare budgets and annual reports.

·         Work actively with teachers to maintain high curriculum standards.

·         Formulate mission statements.

·         Establish performance goals and objectives.

·         Explain or answer procedural questions.

·         Hire, train, and evaluate teachers.

·         Visit classrooms and observe teaching methods.

·         Examine learning materials.

·         Review instructional objectives and adjust accordingly.

·         Meet with other administrators, parents, and community organizations.

My abilities precede the requirements.  I possess the ability to prepare budgets, develop programs for children to succeed, train and help teachers progress in advocating for early childhood programs to improve curriculum standards.  Other career opportunities :

Directors:

Those who direct childcare centers are responsible for the day-to-day operations of a daycare, preschool, or other childcare center. These experienced educators personally train and supervise the staff responsible for the care of children, set objectives and standards for their organization, and work to maintain strong relationships with parents. They also deal with many of the day to day administrative tasks of running a care center, like record keeping, career counseling, and evaluation of staff.

More importantly, childcare center directors take an active role in working with teachers to improve curriculum standards, prepare budgets, develop programs to help children succeed, and monitor the progress teachers and students alike. In essence, childcare center directors are responsible for every aspect of the center’s program, from daily education to the long term objectives of the organization.

Family Support Specialist:

Some families need assistance with child care placement; others need support services to pay for their children’s care. Families enduring problems with their health, an emotional crisis, a divorce, or other issues where the care of their children is jeopardy often require assistance from a support specialist. Family support specialists provide information for families by referring them to community services. This also means assessing eligibility of those services and helping families finding the right housing, transportation, and employment necessary to support their children.

Success as a family specialist requires a solid understanding of child development, child care regulations, and knowledge of local resources that are available for parents. This includes both private and public resources. These services may be provided in home or through an agency. A family service coordinator may also work at a head start program. Family support specialists may visit with families to help assess what services are needed. This also means it’s important to understand not only the individual needs of various families, but how to respect the cultural differences of diverse groups of people. Effective communication skills are necessary to help ensure that all necessary services will be provided.

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

Regional Grant Manager - UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation – Philadelphia, PA


One of the most fulfilling and rewarding roles you will ever find!  This is an opportunity to make a significant impact in the lives of a children with UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation (UHCCF), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

UHCCF is looking for customer service and operations super stars, with big hearts, that truly understand the responsibility we have to make every contact informative, productive, positive, and memorable for every UHCCF customer.  In this role, you will be responsible for all customer support interactions from the time a family submits a grant application to when a grant is distributed, and everything in between. 

I enjoy helping others and have the patience to assist families who are in need of a medical grant
I also have excellent communication skills, written and verbal and  outstanding customer service skills .  My interest with children alone would seek out this opportunity.

CHILD WELFARE / CHILDREN SERVICES CASEWORKER

$1,500 signing bonus for applicants who have previously completed Caseworker Core Series training and have child welfare experience.

The Penns house of Pennsyvania’s leading providers of emotional, behavioral, mental health, and substance abuse services. We work with children and families, many of whom have experienced abuse or neglect, who are facing significant challenges and often multiple stressors.

My interest in this opportunity  demonstrates the empathy and  the ability to put judgment aside with families; recognize, assess, and affirm family strengths; and use critical thinking skills to solve complex problems.  My excellent communication and organizational skills are perfect for this role and consistent, especially my patients, high tolerance and customer skills I have working children and their parents.

Childcare Management- Center Director

Our organization prides itself on excellence, putting the education and development of our children first and foremost. When you consider a career at Learning Care Group, know you will be joining a team that is passionate about thoroughly preparing their students for all the challenges that lie ahead.

As a Director, parents, teachers, and your Director will look to you for answers, direction and assistance. You will be trusted with a wide range of tasks that will be essential to the smooth running of the School as well as to the educational development of the children. 

My interest in this position is simply having  the opportunity of making  a difference every day! Also, assisting with the operation of the school, ensuring that the school is operating in accordance with company and state licensing standards, being responsible for ensuring an educational, caring and safe environment for the children and parents and teach, educate and monitor children as needed.

Back again in the final stages......

Although, I haven't submitted anything in awhile and my plate is fuller than what I had expected it to be, I am looking forward to the new heights I'll be gaining and I anticipate the moment when I'll be able to look back and say, "how in the hell did I do that?"  This new course is Capstone: Practical Application in the early Childhood Field. This course marks the completion of our personal and professional journey towards a Master's of Science degree in Early Childhood Studies.  I'm so excited. Wish me luck!!!

THANK YOU.....

Thanks…

I would like to thank my colleagues for their intellectual support they’ve given me throughout this course.  We had such a diverse group that made it worth the while and very intriguing at moments.  I thought Vanessa  Aldana’s eagerness played an integral role in this class, she would almost always be the first to post in our discussions and I greatly appreciate that.  There was a time that I didn’t quite have full clarity of the discussion’s post and it was Vanessa post that put me on the right track.  Most of the time we would agree and then there were times we disagreed agreeably.  I can’t forget about Rachelle Alvarez who ideas and thoughts were very creative and out of the box thinking kind of insight.  I always enjoyed her post.  One that stands out in mind, was the “Communication through body language and facial express”, I thought it was very unique how you used the examples of a TV show, which was a great post.  Also, your goal to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity is to build support for equal access to high-quality education for all and that is one of my personal goals to achieve, along with advocating for Early childhood developmental programs to be accessible to all. 

I certainly would not go with our thanking our own professor Dr. Tammy Shepard who wisdom and such enthusiasm help to drive us all until the very end.  I loved how she broke topics down into our discussions.  She kept the conversation and creative juices flowing.  You could tell the difference in her passion and how adamant she was for us to understand, absorb, and be able to apply what we were taking in.  Thank you for your dedication, and education, we couldn’t have done it without you.