Time Well Spent

The first lesson that I have taken to heart during this program is to be aware of our own internal bias. Even without knowing it, we are raised and learn some types of bias that we may not even realize. We have to make ourselves aware of this so that it will not affect our decision making or the way we see the problems of others. A second lesson that I believe is very important is to learn about the children and families in our programs. It is important to know and understand the cultures, family structures, religion and beliefs of the children and families we are caring for. This will help us to understand what is important to them and how we can better assist them. A third great lesson I have learned is to not limit partnerships when looking at a community of practice. When in a field of helping others, there are no lengths to far to go in order to help people. If we have to lobby to the president of the United States, then that is how far we should reach.

My long term goal is to make the early childhood profession my second career and to help as many children and families as I can during that time. I want to be able to make a difference and be an advocate for children that need a voice to help them. I want to be the person that the children can trust and depend on and someone that they will remember helped them when they were young.

I would like to thank all of my colleagues for the support, advice and experience that has been shared throughout this program. It was a great learning experience being able to draw from the knowledge of those that are already in the early childhood field. I hope that each of you have great success in your career and life and achieve all of the goals you have set.

I would also like to thank the professor for her guidance and critique during this program. We have received valuable information and gained skills for our current and future careers. With her guidance we become more affective as early childhood professionals as well as acquired confidence that comes along with the education to assist children and families as needed.

Below are two quotes that I believe fit the early childhood field:"No one has yet fully realized the wealth of sympathy, kindness and generosity hidden in the soul of a child. The effort of every true education should be to unlock that treasure." – Emma Goldman
"There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children." – Nelson Mandela

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

The first International interest that I found was that of our own President Barack Obama. “That is why I declared before heads of state gathered at the United Nations, "no country should deny people their rights because of who they love, which is why we must stand up for the rights of gays and lesbians everywhere." (Presidential Memorandum, 2011). I chose this memorandum because of the influence that our president has internationally and the contacts that he can engage on the issue. He states that “By this memorandum I am directing all agencies engaged abroad to ensure that U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of LGBT persons”. There is no higher authority to be involved in any of our communities of practice than the president of the United States. This same memorandum discusses organizations that operate overseas using federal funds and how that will affect the LGBT issue. The White House offers internships for young professionals that increase the knowledge of politics and government issues but there are no actual career opportunities listed in this site. The skills required would be a working knowledge of government as well a professional attitude and communication skills.

The second international community of practice I chose is called Global Respect in Education (GRIN) and can be located at: http://www.grincampaign.com/Home.html. “We are an awareness campaign to promote equality and respect in education, focusing particularly on the LGBTQ community and those who are “just different” primarily in the US and the UK”. This organization was actually founded by a teenager in response to the number of suicides in the UK and the US. I believe this is a great addition to a community of practice geared towards teenagers. It is an awareness campaign and could be of great assistance to other children that are experiencing the same type of bullying, harassment and discrimination that the children involved in the campaign have been through. This organization is geared towards raising awareness through social networking, photographic protests and trying to build allies for the cause. Due to the nature of this organization there are no job posting, only volunteer opportunities.

The third international organization that I have decided to ally with is the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) and is located at: http://www.iglhrc.org/cgi-bin/iowa/home/index.html. “The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) is a leading international organization dedicated to human rights advocacy on behalf of people who experience discrimination or abuse on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity or expression”. This organization has been assisting all over the world to include Russia and the Middle East. They have been helping to fight for gay equality, family rights and even fighting against torture and abuse in some countries. This organization advertises ways to support through donations, corporate sponsorship and fundraising. I could not find any information on employment within the organization. There are opportunities for interns and the application process states:

To apply to be a Communications and Research Intern in the New York office, please e-mail a cover letter, resume and writing sample (no more than 5 pages) as separate MS Word or PDF attachments to iglhrc@iglhrc.org, with "Internship Program" as the subject header

References

Global Respect in Education (GRIN). Retrieved from: http://www.grincampaign.com/Home.html

International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC). Retrieved from: http://www.iglhrc.org/cgi-bin/iowa/home/index.html

Presidential Memorandum – (2011). International Initiatives to Advance the Human Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Persons, Retrieved from: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/12/06/presidential-

memorandum-international-initiatives-advance-human-rights-l

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

My first choice is the National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections; http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/socwork/nrcfcpp/info_services/lgbtq-issues-and-child-welfare.html. This organization is focused on all issues dealing with children and their welfare, not just one single group. Their issues are wide and range from bullying, Indian Child welfare issues, mental health issues, gay and lesbian issues, cultural competence and so much more. I believe the scope of knowledge and reach of this organization would make an excellent asset to any community of practice focusing on child welfare. I could not locate employment opportunities within this organization.

My second choice for a national organization is the U.S Department of Health and Human Services: Administration for Children & Families; http://www.acf.hhs.gov/index.html is another great resource to add to a community of practice. This organization also has a broad scope and great out-reach. The focal issues range from childcare, disabilities, parenting, family and way to acquire temporary assistance, just to name a few. There are many employment opportunities within this organization. Most of the open jobs were on the medical side of the house but the following is available:
Job Title: Contact Representative
SALARY RANGE: $38,790.00 to $50,431.00 / Per Year

• Identifies patients who are eligible for alternate resources and assist families and individuals in applying for alternate resources.
• Provides coordination of benefits to patients, Contract Health Service and Business Office for accurate Third Party Billing.
• Works with local County Department of Welfare and Human Resources, Tribal Offices, Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), Supplemental Social Security, Social Security Agency and other related agencies in verifying patient eligibility.
• Advise and assists patients with options and choices available, explain requirements place on customer, and resolve problems and issues.

My third choice for a National organization is the National Association for the Education of Young Children is organization that we are all familiar with. http://www.naeyc.org/. NAEYC is the world’s largest organization is assisting children and is instrumental in building and setting policy. They hold annual conferences that educate teaches and other professionals as well as allow for networking. This organization meets with Senators and other leaders in society to build public policy and focus on the interest of children and families all over the world. This organization and its contacts will make a great addition to a community of practice that assists children. One job opportunity that was listed is:
Major responsibilities of the Editor-in-Chief:
Salary: Competitive and commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits.§ Shape the program’s focus, taking into consideration the diverse learning needs of the larger early childhood community§ Expand the quantity and range of products published,§ Acquire publishable material of high quality,§ Lead the developmental editing work,§ Collaborate with the other departments on collateral materials (e.g., webcasts, online chats, journal articles, brochures), and§ Identify high quality books by other publishers to resell.

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

One local organization where my sister lives is called Equality Texas and can be located at: http://www.equalitytexas.org/. This organization has established routines to Educate, Advocate, Volunteer and Donate towards the cause of equality in Texas. They work in such avenue as safe schools for all youth, relationship recognition, gender identity/expression and non-discrimination. This organization appeals to me because it fits all the criteria of diversity and equality. There are opportunities to serve as interns and volunteer. Employment is offered as well in research and grant development. The website states that “No Texan should fear that bias or prejudice will result in unfair treatment in classrooms, communities, or workplaces. These spaces should be safe for every person, regardless of that individual's sexual orientation or whether or not the person fits expectations for masculinity or femininity”.

A second local organization is the San Antonio Human Rights Campaign (HRC). This organization states that is has “1 million members and supporters nationwide. As the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, HRC envisions an America where LGBT people are ensured of their basic equal rights, and can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community” and can be located at: http://www.hrc.org/the-hrc-story. I chose this organization because the Gay and Lesbian fight for basic rights is such a hot topic that seems to be so far behind the times. This issue is specific to my challenge this week and important to me because the children in these families deserve all the rights and opportunities that everyone other child does. Job opportunities include public education and outreach, operations and development.

A third organization is the Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG) in San Antonio. This is another organization that supports my particular challenge for this course and can be located at: http://pflag-sanantonio.org/. This organization “promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered persons, their families, and friends through: support, to cope with an adverse society; education, to enlighten an ill-informed public; and advocacy, to end discrimination and secure equal civil rights”. I could not locate any job opportunities with this organization but it is still a good resource for the local community.

The skills and experience needed for any of these organizations is a passion and dedication to the cause at hand. Also good communication skills are necessary to educate, advocate and draw attention to the cause to better the lives of the children, families and individuals that the organization was designed to assist.

Final Communication Blog

Classmates,

For the last eight weeks, I admit that I have finally found a common ground with all of you---Communication, which seems to be an on-going challenge for each one of us. I greatly appreciated each one of you and your willingness to share your experiences and opinions.

One thing I learned that communication comes in different form, sensation, and meaning for each one of us. This makes our lives more interesting and challenging in positive ways. To encourage the up keeping with communication skill, I encourage you to connect me through facebook.

I enjoyed working with you and am looking forward to continue.

Deborah

Week 6: Team Building

Not all groups make the adjourning process difficult to do.  However, I remember one in particular that made me very sad when it ended and that was the planning of my 10^th year class reunion.  I remember at the end of reunion everyone shared stories of planning the reunion and how everyone began to laugh at the various hurdles we endured throughout the planning process.  Although they were not funny at the time, we were able to look back over them and laugh.  The entire process took about a year to plan and during this time we had created new memories that I had not realized until the last night of the reunion.  We had begun to connect not only with each other but with each other families as well.  It was very difficult to tell my friends good-bye and watch them go back to their individual worlds after staying on the phone until wee hours in the mornings, attending long planning sessions as we drank numerous cappuccinos,  and   hours and hours of licking envelopes, making phone calls and searching the web trying to contact over 400 hundred classmates. 

I feel that high-performing groups are hardest to leave because they represented unity.  Everyone on the team was dedicated and motivated; thus, striving for a common goals.  We had an awesome leader who promoted mutual trust and respect.  She shared her vision for the reunion and was open to suggestions from all the team members.  Everyone respected what the others had to say and in the end we voted on any and all major decisions before they were implemented.  

At the end of the reunion everyone exchanged phone numbers and e-mails so that they could stay in touch.  Some of us hugged, cried, and vowed to stay in touch as well as visit if we were ever in their area. We also took photos to remind us of our time together. 

I imagine my adjournment from my colleagues will be very emotional for me, because we have encouraged each other, shared our experiences and knowledge and supported each other’s ability to learn, grow and develop both personally and professionally.  It is one thing to express our inner thoughts on the discussion board or through our blog, but it will be another to finally meet face-to-face at graduation.  I look forward to meeting each and every one of my colleagues so that I am finally able to put a face with the personality behind the words of articulation.  I think that adjourning is essential because of the need of closure.  The adjourning process gives the members a chance to conduct an after action report so that they can discuss what was effective and what was ineffective for future projects.  This also gives them the opportunity to say good-bye and wish each other well in their endeavors (Abudi, 2010).

Reference

Abudi, G. (2010). The five stages of team development: A case study. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html

Nonviolent Communication and Conflict Management

This week lesson on conflict has really been surreal for me.  A few months ago my company decided to close operations at my childcare center and combine with another center that was close to us.  They had placed a new director there and wanted me to mentor her and help her get the center at the same quality level as my center was.  Unfortunately the director did not welcome my help and would undermine things that I had put in place.  Staffs that were used to working in an atmosphere of quality childcare were now in a place that was not being operated with quality in mind.  The tension between the director and me came to the point that I decided to just step away from the center to let her have full control.  I informed my supervisor about the uncomfortable situation.  Although I am no longer at the center, I still feel a commitment to the families and staff and feel that I have abandon them. 

The strategies that I was trying to use in this situation is to not provoke the new director anymore with a conflict and that is why I decided that mentoring her was not in my best interest or hers.  We have incompatible goals - mine is quality childcare and her goal is being financially stable with the company.  My motto has always been that if you provide quality childcare, you will make the money.  I tried to reassure the director that I did not want her job but wanted to help her be successful.  I feel that I communicated my intent effectively but apparently not and so that is why I decided to walk away from a potential conflict that probably would have escalated.  By learning this week about non-violent communication has helped me know that I did the right thing by walking away.  Please pray that I will overcome this bitterness that I have towards her.