Farewell

Hi All,

This has been an interesting and enlightening course. I have learned a great deal about to how communication builds or destroys relationships within one's professional and personal lives. With this increased knowledge and techniques, I feel that I am better equipped to effectively communicate. I would also like to thank my colleagues for their viewpoints, experiences, and suggestions throughout this course. I have read how other's have reacted or can react in situations and been provided feedback that will be utilized in the present as well as the future.

Furthermore, as we venture into our next course and throughout our personal lives, I wish all of you good luck and prosperity. It has been wonderful interacting with so many educated and professional people who possess so much knowledge in a field that is somewhat new to me.

Anetri'a

Adjournment

Throughout one's life there are numerous instances in which group work presents itself. While working in groups individuals participate in five stages of group/team development. These five stages include: forming, storming, norming, performing and adjourning. The last stage adjourning occurs when the group work has ended and the group members are given a chance to reflect on their experiences. (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2012). Participating in group work is an experience that everyone will partake in.

When I recollect on my group experiences I have found that one groups that share common goals, possess clear and establishes norms while learning to perform to to reach the goals. The group that was difficult to leave occurred when I was a participant in the TRiO/Upward Bound Program. This program allows for at-risk teenagers and first generation potential college students to experience life as a college student. This six-week summer program taught us about time management, self-sufficiency, autonomy, education, people skills diversity and etc. This program taught us how to work in groups and how to be independent as well. Living in the dorms with new people and other life skills were also learned. I think that living in close quarters and interacting with other students on a daily basis for six weeks helped mold long-lasting friendships. I was in this program for two summers and our closing rituals included a ceremony/graduation of each participant. We would receive individual awards and have a celebratory dinner that included our families. This adjournment was hard for me as the participants and staff became a significant aspect of my life.

As I think about the adjournment from this Master's level program, I think that outside from graduation, my colleagues and I will be able to express our accomplishments and experiences via our blogs and within our course site. In general, the stage of adjournment allows for thoughtful recollection of past, present and future goals.

Conflict Resolution

When thinking of a recent conflict or disagreement that I have been involved in, I automatically thought of a conflict that I have had with my cousin and my uncle over a cell phone bill. Although, this is a personal conflict, I used some of the communication techniques that I had learned in the professional arena. Like many teenagers transitioning into adulthood, my cousin was leaving for college and about to live in his "own" in an off campus apartment. Long story short, I added him to my account for a cell phone. The first few months his portion of the bill was paid on time however, before I realized it, the bill wasn't paid for three consecutive months. At this point, I was livid but decided to take a step back and think before I reacted. I called a "sit-down" and we were able to compromise on payment arrangements. These was done only after phone conversations, text messages and emails. In the past, I have observed situations like this one destroy friendships, familial relationships and other interpersonal relationships. I did not want to cause a rift in these relationships because we are a very tight-knit family. This compromise worked out because it did not lead to further conflict and we were able to maintain our bond.

Colleagues, what would you have done differently or can you offer further advice?

Communication Style

As I learned more about myself as a communicator it was surprising to learn that others scored me within the same range. I scored myself to have moderate communication anxiety, moderate verbal aggression and as a people-oriented listener. As I used my mother and a colleague, they scored me to have mild communication anxiety, moderate verbal aggression and as a people-oriented listener. I feel that I was scored less by my mother and colleague as they are unaware of the physical anxiety that I experience when I communicate with others; such as my heart pounding and I also begin to break out in hives. This usually happens when I speak in front of a large group of people. As I communicate better in one-on-one situations and in small groups.

Also, as I learned more about communication this week the communication aspects that I found most interesting are that our self-concept affects how we communicate and interact with other. I have been able to realize the value of self-concept. Considering the discussion assignment, I was surprised to see how much of the things that I identify with I instantly attributed to someone else just based from a picture. Another insight, that will assist me in both my professional and personal life is self-efficacy. Which is the predicting one's success based on one's self-concept and self-esteem (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2012). Self-efficacy also plays a vital part in communication with others as it assists with choosing how one will communicate. Using these two communication methods will better assist me personally and professionally by allowing me to remain mindful of myself and how I behave during communication with others.

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

Communication Strategies

As I ponder on the many instances in which I communicate with others who are culturally different than me, I find that my communication styles vary. I find that the these instances are based upon the settings and/or situations that I am involved in. These settings, whether they be in the workplace, local eateries, at home; while I am communicating with my neighbors and other locations.

While I am continuing to learn about communication and while I am learning better communication techniques, I feel that utilizing the following three strategies to become a better communicator both professionally and personally:

1). Learn to be become a more action-oriented listener as I am first a people-oriented listener and less tasks are accomplished. This primarily occurs in the workplace.

2). Lessen my incidents of rudeness. I am aware of instances where I may appear to be rude and easily frustrated, which can be observed in my matter of fact speech and language.

3). Become more knowledgeable about the cultural differences of others in order to become more empathetic to help others.

Using these strategies will assist me in becoming a better communicator while building positive relationships with others.

Communication on Mute

For this week's assignment, I chose to observe the TV series The Big Bang Theory. While first observing the show on mute, I observed the relationships between the characters to be mutual friends and for some they were roommates. During most of the show, the characters were usually at the apartment of their friends having lunch/dinner and they were also at what appeared to be a lunch or breakroom eating. A lot of this show appeared to be centered around meeting up with friends and eating. The friends also appeared to be "nerds" and their love of food, science and video games their friendships appeared strong. By spending a significant amount of time with one another, eye contact, close body promixity and postures the friends are like family. During their interactions, I observed their feelings of disgust, annoyance, happiness and embarrassment especially by their facial expressions body movements.

A few assumptions that I made while observing this show include: all of the male characters were roommates and all of the characters were extremely intelligent. The assumption of the plot that I made was that two of the male characters when one became upset in regards to his roommate waking him up early for work. This cause so much friction in their friendship to were they only gave each other a head nod during most of the episode.

During this assignment, I found that my assumptions would have been a bit more accurate had the series I watched was a show I know well. However, I do feel that my assumptions were correct in the relationships with at least two of the characters. My "aha" moment was finding out that this episode centered on the selfishness of Sheldon and his need to have his roommate do everything for him. I found that it is not always the external factors that make-up who people are but more importantly what is on the inside that makes up who someone is.

Competent Communicator

As I began to think about those who I feel are competent communicators, I thought about the upcoming Presidential election. As I viewed both the speeches of the Democratic and Republican nominees this past week, I felt empowered by the speech of President Barack Obama. His honesty, intonation, direct eye contact, motivation and the clarity in not only this speech but all of his speeches have provided a standard for me to follow. His love for God, his family and the U.S. is evident in his speeches and the passion in which he exudes during his speeches are quite motivational.

I have a great fear in public speaking but as I watch how great of an orator President Obama is, I would like to model his intonation and the clarity with which he speaks. His abilities to persuade and motivate others are attributes that I would like to have.

Professional Hopes and Goals

Throughout this course, I have acquired knowledge about the many ways in which I, as a professional can support children and their families who come from diverse backgrounds. This support will allow me to:

• build better professional relationships with families
• foster equity and social justice
• develop partnerships within the community
• create a welcoming and diverse environment

By utilizing these perspectives, my hope that my classroom is one that provide inspiration parents, children, community members and others as it relates to diversity equity and social justice.

One goal that I would like to set for the early childhood field in relation to diversity, equity and social justice is to continue to foster change as rapidly as society changes.

I would like to thank my colleagues for their words of wisdom, encouragement and for sharing their personal and professional experiences. I wish you all success and good luck in the future.

Welcoming Families From Around the World

The country I found that piqued my interest in is Malawi. Malawi is located in southeast Africa that is encompassed with beautiful land and wildlife. With a population of 13,603,181 natives, who speak the native tongue of Chichewa and also English, this country maintains its rich African culture and heritage.

If I was working in an early childhood setting in a hospital and a family emigrated from Malawi, I would prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards the family by: 1) conducting personal research on the country's deep culture as well as surface culture 2) begin to learn the native language of Chichewa to have effective communication with the family 3) communicate with the family about their wants, needs and expectations from the hospital as it relates to their culture and heritage 4) create a training for those working with the family to provide an understanding of the culture and 5) create an environment that will be welcoming to the family by labeling the hospital in both Chichewa and English.

By preparing myself and the hospital for the family, I hope that I will be able to assist the family, myself and the hospital by providing an environment that encourages cultural differences. I also hope that the family would educate both myself and others to increase our knowledge on their native land and daily activities to decrease the instances of microaggressions and any form of an "ism."

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice and Oppression

Being an African-American woman entails having countless incidents of bias, prejudice and oppression directed towards you in both overt and overt ways. One particular incident involved myself and some childhood friends of mine. We were walking to school as we were all middle school-aged children. During the early to mid-nineties there was an influx of skinheads in our area and increased racially motivated violence. Skinheads are a subgroup of youth that make their stance of white power known through violence and antagonizing other races of people. As we were walking and talking we head a car speed behind of really fast and the dreaded "n-word" being used numerous times. Our initial reaction was to run to a safe place, which we did but we never left one another's side. Safe to say we made it to school without further incident and reported the information to the proper authorities and school personnel.

As I think about this incident feelings of anger, frustration, fear, relief and trust pop into my mind. Anger and fear come to mind as I remember being fearful for what may happen to a group of children from black, white and bi-racial ethnicity's. The feelings of relief and trust come about as I am thankful and blessed that we were safe. I also say trust because that incident brought us pre-teens closer together. My feelings of frustration as it is 2012 and I continue to hear about incidents such as this and some incidents more graphic and violent that involves bias, prejudice, oppression and some form of an "ism."

This incident diminished the diversity that is prevalent in this country and in my local neighborhood by continuance of the overt use of white privilege, the use of power over others, racism, and superiority. At that time, I believed that the rights that my ancestors and other fought and died for were in vain. This incident also taught me that anyone can be treated in an unjust and unfair way. In order for such as incident to changed for an opportunity for greater equity, the mindsets of both the skinheads and even the group I was with would have to change. These mindsets and beliefs include:inferiority and superiority, power, and so on.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

This week we we asked to share an example of a microaggression that we have witnessed or that has happened in the past. We are aware that microaggressions occur daily and that they are the source of various negative emotions to their victims. One incident in which I observed this week occurred when I was in a passenger in the car with a Caucasian male friend and we stopped at a store to purchase items before going to a mutual friends home. After went purchased our items, we retreated back to the car. As we fastened our seat belts, there was a group of young black males who appeared to be walking past the car. My friend quickly looked his car doors with what I automatically assumed was "fear." The males walked past the car and into the store without incident. I immediately began to discuss this matter and his actions. He began to state that his actions were a "natural reaction." As I began to questions his feelings and thoughts as to why this behavior was natural to him, he stated that it was a behavior that was learned from his friends and family. I further questioned his childhood and questioned his feelings, emotions and behaviors if these behaviors were directed towards him because he is a homosexual. At this time, he has yet to answer me but did text me to apologize for his actions. I responded by accepting his apology but he was further informed that he and I would discuss this matter more thoroughly.

I wanted my friend to understand that treating others differently based on their looks is wrong. I also wanted to discuss his experiences as a gay male. I hope he realizes that the microaggressions, discrimination and prejudice that he becomes a victim of are the same microagressions, discrimination and prejudice that he displayed in front of me.

This observation conjures of experiences that I have been involved in and assists me in having empathy for the victims and anger/pity for those who committed the offense.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

In obtaining perspectives on culture and diversity, I received information from a 30-year-old African-American female who is involved in a domestic partnership, a 45-year-old, single African-American female who with a school-aged child and a 21-year-old involved in an interracial relationship.

The first interviewee states that culture is "your ethic background, history and beliefs and diversity is being able to adapt to other cultures, races and beliefs.

The second interviewee states that culture is "a set of beliefs, attitudes and ideas from a group of people and diversity is the knowledge, attitudes and relationships with those whose cultures differ from one's own culture."

The final interviewee states that culture is the "practices and behaviors of one's background and diversity is being open to difference whether it be individuals or a group of things."

Collectively, I believe that all of the interviewees understand the general definition of culture and diversity. There similar idea of culture being a way of life, behaviors and attitudes and similar to what I have learned thus far. I would also add the food people eat, the music they listen to, and other daily aspects of their lives that are influenced by their culture. The interviewees discussed diversity in terms of acceptance of others and their culture. Diversity does involve acceptance of others, their culture, beliefs, attitudes, opinions and etc.

In reading and interpreting other's perspectives of culture and diversity, I believe that understanding both topics is a matter of learning and growing. I also believe that culture and diversity will be are essential in learning about human nature and most importantly, one's self.

My Family Culture

If my immediate family and I were evacuated to a host country with different cultures, three items that I would bring with me include: my Bible, a cookbook and a picture of my immediate and extended family. I would choose these three items as they are items that keeps my family together. My Bible is the foundation of the family and through God and our faith we understand that God is with us at all times. I would also share our family scripture, Proverbs 3:6 "In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths." This scripture after every prayer at all family events; as it is recited by my 90-year-old great-grandmother, so it is very near and dear to me. Although, it is may seem simple, a cookbook is important because it will bring memories of how my parents have taught me to cook and also bring memories of family cook-outs, dinners and any other celebration that brings the family out from their busy schedules. Being with family is very important to me and food is a way that we show our love and appreciation to one another. Two recipes that I would share are my grandmother's strawberry cake and my mother's baked macaroni and cheese. My last item that I would bring is a picture of my immediate and extended family. We are a small family so extended family is also considered immediate family. This includes my uncles, aunts, cousins, and nephews. I would point out every family member and explain their relationship to me and the importance as each person holds a very special place in my heart. If told that I could only keep one item and I had to give up two items I would be very upset to the point of crying hysterically and then anger but knowing that my memories will help me remember my family and culture, I believe that I would eventually come to terms with this rule.

One insight that I have learned from this exercise is that all the things that I make important in life such as a phone or computer are not as important as I think they are. I also learned that my values, beliefs and relationships with my family are more important than any device and have long-lasting effects on me which I can then teach others.

When I Think of Research...

This course has both refreshed and increased my frame of reference by providing me with a more in-depth explaination of the research process. I have learned new topics and ways to create and implement such aspects of research as: data collection and most importantly the differences between quantitative and qualitative research. Due to the knowledge I have acquired during this course, I have learned how to proprerly conduct research. Through the utilization of research techniques such as direct observations, interviewing and sampling; any future research that I conduct will be better implemented. Some challenges that I found included narrowing my my hypothesis and redesigning my research simulation according to the topic of the week. I found that these challeges to be difficult especially while redesigning my research as my knowledge about research increased.

I believe that as I further my education, experiences and career(s) in the early chilhood field, I will continue to look at this field with multiple sets of lenses. As I incorporate research with my perceptions of the field, my respect for the field and researchers increases as research is a vital role in the field. I will also continue to remain abreast of any new research to continue to learn.

Research Around The World

Early Childhood Research in Africa continues to help not only the children and families in Africa but also teaches others, such as myself, about the plight(s) of children and families who reside there. I found that the Early Childhood Development Virtual University in Sub-Saharan Africa students researched consisted of similar topics of research held in the United States such as: father's roles in early childcare and development, quality and training of early childhood staff, and parental and educational collaboration.

Although, I have studied the epidemic of HIV/AIDS in Africa, I am surprised with one specific study that involved grandparents being the primary caregivers for their grandchildren under the age of eight, who have been affected by the HIV/AIDS virus. I am also familiar with the millions of children affected and how they become orphans due to their parents dying from the deadly disease themselves or placing their children in an orphanage due to not being able to care for their children. I was impressed with the number of grandparents taking care of their affected grandchildren and admired their tenacity to ensure that the children were with family and being cared for.

Information that I found noteworthy and that I researched further is the University of Victoria. Although, this University is based out of Canada, it addresses the field of early childhood by using various approaches along with allowing students, specifically those in Africa to learn and teach based on their culture.

Research that Benefits Children and Families

One topic that has recently piqued my interest is Cystic Fibrosis. Cystic Fibrosis is an inherited chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system of about 30,000 children and adults in the United States (70,000 worldwide). A defective gene and its protein product cause the body to produce unusually thick, sticky mucus that: clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections; andobstructs the pancreas and stops natural enzymes from helping the body break down and absorb food. (www.cff.org).

In my current profession, I have participated in trainings that include meeting the medical needs of children with Cystic Fibrosis and how those working with these children and their families can become better educated and trained to effectively assist this population. This training also taught me how to become a positive support for these families. Until I became in a working relationship with families who are affected the disease, I had no frame of reference about this disease. I know can state that I am knowledgeable of the financial responsibilities, proper use of medical equipment, different types of medication, diet regimen and physician visits that these families have to attend.

If I possessed the means and knowledge to conduct research studies on Cystic Fibrosis, I imagine some positive contributions from these studies include: finding a cure for the disease (as there is no cure) and helping to create national resource programs that would better assist families who are affected by the disease to better manage the daily tasks associated with this disease. I would also develop alternative medical equipment and medications that are more cost effective for these families.

My Personal Research Journey

My research topic is Poverty and its developmental effects on young children. I chose this topic due to my past and present experiences in working with children and their families. This topic is a passion near to me as I am dedicated to improving the well-being and quality of life. I am a firm believer that all children should have equal chances in education, health among other factors. Observing the socio-economic differences between children, I have also observed the differences in social, emotional, motor, educational development within children as well.

I found my recent topic to be somewhat easy to come with however, the subtopics were difficult to me as I found many subtopics that deal with children and poverty. I felt a intimidated when I read the title of the course because it has been almost a decade since I have formally conducted any research. However, within this past two weeks, I have found it fairly easy to locate information especially from the Walden University Library and books that I have read in the past.

At this point, I would like to ask my colleagues to provide any information on websites, resources and also their personal and professional opinions on my research topic of poverty.

Final Blog Assignment

Throughout this course I have learned a great deal of the issues and trends within the early childhood field. Although, I was unsuccessful in obtaining an international resource, I learned gained a breadth of knowledge from my colleagues as well as from podcasts and websites. Included in my knowledge are three consequences of the international early childhood field which are: communication, applying research and career development.

Through the consequence of communication I am able to utilize the communication resources of the Internet, email, and telephone I am able to connect with others across the world as I seek to gain more knowledge of the early childhood field.

Through research, I can compare and contrast the similarities and differences in the EC field in the world. Allowing myself to analyze this field globally has given me great insight into how to make my personal program a high-quality program.

While I learn of the global EC programs, I think of how great it would be to be able to travel to another country and participate in an EC program. I passed on teaching English in another country during my undergrad years and I seem to regret it. I believe that such an experience would allow me to grow as it pertains to my career.

One goal that I have as it pertains to my international awareness of the EC field is to dedicate time out of my schedule to conduct weekly research about the field internationally. Learning of the policies and etc of international programs will assist me professionally in gaining more insight as well as ideas for my program.

UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is an organization that advocates for fair, equal and quality education for young children. Their mission includes: to contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, cultural communication and information (www.unesco.org).

Through reviewing the site, I have found three insights that I am anxious to learn more about.

1. Through literature, children are are to learn more of their plight of their African counterparts in the children's African book series Bouba and Zaza. Through the lives of two African children, others learn about war and conflict, the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the issue of water resources and environmental protection (www.unesco.org/new.en/media-services/single-view/news/adea_and_unesco_launch_bouba_and_zaza. These topics are prevalent in Africa and all poor children are affected by them.

2. UNESCO also discusses Global Action Week which is April 22-28th, 2012. This week focuses on securing quality education for all children. I am very interested in this cause and plan to return to this site to gain more information on the daily issues that will be addressed.

3. Last, UNESCO discussed the increasing number of children who are placed in home-based childcare services in New Zealand as their mothers enter the workforce. These services are also becoming more focused on education and the children are being equally educated as the children who are in center-based childcare. This information was nearly ten years old and I am interested in learning how this information has changed.

This site provides great information and is a great resource for all childhood professionals.

Sharing Web Resources, Part Two

The early childhood organization that I chose is Zero to Three (www.zerotothree.com). This site provided a link that I found interesting specially within the early childhood field. The link to the Early Head Start National Resource Center contains valuable information to professionals, parents and etc. to help support these individuals in providing children a healthy and early head start in life.

While providing information such as publications, more web-based resources, special initiatives and activities that include audioconferences, podcasts and webcasts; this link is a great resource for those who are interested in this field.

The monthly e-newsletter provided by the Zero to Three for March 2010, discusses the use of evidence-based practices in early childhood. With insight and research from eight different article, professionals in the field state their understanding of the challenges and benefits of evidence-based practices.

In addition to the e-newsletter, there was a video that describes the first ever congressional briefing on 2/16/12 to discuss how to support homeless infants and toddlers. This video also discussed how one in every 45 children is homeless in the U.S.; which 70,000 or 42% of these children are aged 0-5 years. This information increased my frame of reference on how prevalent homelessness is within children and how I can begin to serve those I currently work with and others.

Global Children's Initiative

The Children's Global Initiative which was founded in 2006, seeks to: reframe the discourse around child health and development, supporting innovative, multi-disciplinary research and demonstration projects and building leadership capacity in child development research and policy. (http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/. Through its global work, the Children's Global Initiative provides children and their families with assistance that focuses on children's health, learning, development and behaviors.

One aspect of the Children's Global Initiative that I found interesting is that in Brazil, the premier of the Nucleo Ciencia Pela Infancia which is established to help children of the early childhood age and their families by investing more in children and strengthening policies. By collaborating with five different early childhood entities. The goal of this program is to foster a more prosperous, sustainable and equitable society (http://developingchild.harvard.edu/activities/global_initiative/applying_the_science_of_early_childhood_in_brazi/

Sharing Web Resources

This week I continue to research the website www.zerotothree.com. This website offers parents, professionals and others with information on the development and health of infants, babies and toddlers. This week, I found two sections of the website that are relevant to my current professional development and these sections are: Safe Babies Court Teams: Building Strong Families and Healthy Communities and Brain Development. The Safe Babies section discusses how children are negatively affected once they have been removed from their parents/caregiver's homes and placed in foster care and how the developing of court teams helps these children. The court teams educate and train others on the negative impacts of child abuse and neglect on children and ways to prevent such abuse.

One subject on the website that piqued my interest was learning of the father's role in a child's life. In a podcast interview with Kyle Pruett, M.D. a discussion of how the role of the father is changing over the years. For instance, men are becoming more active and involved in child development and in the lives of their children. Dr. Pruett further speaks of the current expectations of the father "will be a co-parent" than fathers were forty years ago. He also speaks of how it is beneficial of children to have both parents be an active part of the lives of their children as: the mother is the nuturer and the father is the parent that to have fun with. The roles of fathers are vital to their children and this podcast allows me to educate both mothers and fathers on their roles with their children. This topic I found most interesting as most households are headed by single females and fathers are not active in the lives of their children. I hope to gain more information on this topic in the future as I continue my journey into being an early childhood professional.

International Contacts-Part 1

Unfortunately, I have not been able to establish international contacts however, in opting for the alternative blog assignment I was able to obtain valuable information on the effects of poverty to those residing in Mongolia which is featured on the website www.childhoodpoverty.org. In general, there is an estimated one in four children that live in poverty worldwide and the Childhood Poverty Research and Policy Centre attempts to prevent worldwide poverty especially in childhood as childhood is the most vulnerable and vital time in a person's life.

Due to a social change from being a socialist society heavily dependent upon the former USSR's Soviet aid, COMECON, to a multi-party democratic state with a liberalised economy (www.childhoodpoverty.org) However, many people are living below the income poverty line, which equates to approximately 36% of the Mongolian population and most most of the aforementioned percentage are children ranging from the age of 0-16 years old. Poor healthcare also attributes to the increasing poverty level as most households are headed by females whose children never enroll in school or drop out of school to enter the workforce. To reduce poverty, a Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper was developed to focus on the following factors: economic growth, rural development, human development (including social welfare) and good governance (www.childhoodpoverty.org). This paper will hopefully provide all Mongolian children with access to better education to assist in improving poverty.

Web Resources

The website that I would like to share is a "national, nonprofit organization that informs, trains and supports professionals, policymakers, and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers." This website provides information to viewers such as: behavior and development, maltreatment, care and education and public policy as they relate to children from ages zero to three.

A current issue that I found interesting and would also provide an opportunity to learn more of the early childhood field and young children is the National Training Institute. This Institute which is in its 27th year is designed to provide health care professionals who work with young children and their families with practical information and tools to address a range of critical behavioral and developmental issues that they face during routine care. This year the Institute will be held from November 29, 2012-December 1, 2012 in Los Angeles, CA.

Please view the general website at http://www.zerotothree.com and for more information on the Institute http://www.zttnticonference.org/the-institute.aspx

My Supports

There a variety of supports that are apart of my daily environment and these supports are instrumental in how I function from day to day. Some are an intregal part of my life while others have a small role but may be just as important. The emotional supports include: my family and friends, my co-workers and my faith. My family and friends make themselves available to talk when I need others to listen. They also provide guidance and words of encouragement. My co-workers are supports as they ensure that I am getting my "me time." With such a busy schedule, I am usually travelling and tend to neglect myself because I am taking care of others. My co-workers push me to, as they call it, take a time out. My Faith is a support as it keeps me going and a constant feeling of rejuvenation and a reminder that things will work out in due time. Practical supports include my to-do-list and calendars/schedules. My to-do lists allows me to stay focused on tasks and to prioritize my work and personal life. Calendars/schedules also allow me to remain focused as they keep my daily interactions, meeting and etc within acceptable timeframes. They also help me to stop and be mindful of when to quit something and to move on. Physical support include the computer and a telephone, each piece of technology helps me complete tasks such as: having contact of any form with others, completing work and school functions and helping others. I tend to use both supports to help others if it means trying to find housing, offering advice or hailing a cab.

The benefits of these supports allow me to maintain a strict schedule while maintaing a well-rounded lifestyle. Possessing the abilities to utilize these supports allows me to effectively manage my time between my work and personal life. I believe that without these supports, I would not know what I would do with myself, especially my emotional supports. I think I would feel all alone if I did not have these supports. Pondering the absence of these supports saddens me because it makes me think of those who do not have supports and my empathic side jumps in and my heart cries for these people.

One challenge that may affect me is the disease, diabetes. This disease has plagued both maternal and paternal sides of my family. I have had a grandfather who had both feet and one of his legs amputates and I also have a cousin who recently spent a considerable amount of time in the hospital and eventually had one foot and one leg amputated. In addition to family members with this disease, I also have co-workers and close friends who live with this disease; I have been tested for this disease as well, but do not have this disease. If I was diagnosed, I would continue to want the support of my family and friends and my coworkers to encourage me to eat healthy and exercise. The practical support of calendars to remind me of appointments and when to take medications or check my blood sugar. Also, medical staff as physical support as they assist me in learning to use the equipment to maintain health. Using these supports will help me combat the disease while learning to take care of myself and provide me with the information to educate others on these disease. Without these supports, I would rely on myself for all sources of support and this would be difficult as the feeling of hopelessness and loneliness would flood my brain. I believe that everyone should be allowed some forms of support as we all need someone or something to support us.

My Connections to Play

Play Quotes:

 "A child loves his play, not because its easy, but because its hard." -Benjamin Spock; pediatrician and author

"Play builds the kind of free-and-easy, try-it-out, do-it-yourself character that our future needs." -James L. Hymes Jr; child development specialist, author

Play Items:

Basketball is the sport that I love. I have been playing basketball since grade school and played while in college. I am a true fan as I continue to follow this sport. Playing basketball has allowed me to make life long friendships with my close friends.

Easy Bake Oven as I love to cook and eat. This is where I first got my first start to cooking especially chocolate chip cookies!

 Circle of friends. My friends are so important to me. My closest friends have been my friends for over half of my life and we have been through so much together. I think of my friends as my sisters.


The support that I received as a child was from the supportive adults within my family, school staff and those who assisted me in sports, Girl Scouts, Orchestra and etc. I have always been active in activities that not only benefit me educationally but in other activities such as; basketball, softball and Girl Scouts. With these activities, I have been afforded to learn the life lessons of discipline, teamwork and dedication.

My parents supported me both financially and also provided me with encouragement by attending many of the activities that I participated in. My parents continue to be my most active supports and have taught me to never give up.

Play today is so different as children are more sedentary as they are more prone to watch television and play videos without the benefit of exercise. I have observed that children play outside less and have less friends as the television and video games are the new "friend." I remember that as a child, I was always outside playing sports and childhood games with the other children on our entire block. Now, I see children playing alone or streets are vacant of children's presence. I look at my mom's neighborhood and realize that there are almost no children on her street.

Relationship Reflection

Relationships and partnerships are important to me as they provide a deep connection with others that I feel is built on several key life values. These values include: trust, respect, love, loyalty and stability. These values can also be considered as special characteristics that maintain one's relationships with others. The aforementioned values or special characteristics are important to me as they each play an intricate role in each individual relationship that I have. I value each relationship and feel that each relationship is responsible for me being the person that I am today and the better person that I am becoming. Such relationships include: my parents, my brothers, my nephews and my close friends.

My parents and I have a great relationship as I can easily talk to them at any time and about anything. They have helped me grow into the strong, loving, intelligent and respectful woman that I am today. I visit and talk to my parents daily. The relationships with my twin brothers is unique as they were my first introduction into caring for children. Although, they are only three years my junior I continue to be the overprotective big sister. My relationship with my nephews is special. I do not have any children biologically and these two hold a special place in my heart. They actually inspired me to further education and obtain a Master's. They bring so much joy and life into my life while bringing out the big kid in me. My close friends and I all have a special relationship as I do not have any biological sisters but they are considered my sisters. These friendships have been established from two to twenty-two years; we have gone through everything together and continue to. I consider my friends my fictive kin.

I have found that developing and maintaining relationships can be difficult as interaction with others including dealing with different personalities, strengths and weaknesses of others. Having shared interest usually bonds people together as well. In my personal relationships, I feel that communication or lack thereof and change are challenges in developing and maintaining relationships. Communication is key in life and in any relationship, yet; relationships are continuously being severed due to miscommunication. I have observed that when some people commit to change of any form in their lives, others are not accepting of that change and relationships are also severed.

My experiences in my relationships and partnerships with others impact my work as an effective early childhood professional by allowing me to utilize the values that I was taught as a child and incorporate them into a well-trained, knowledgeable and professional environment that I will be afforded the opportunities to assist others.