MASTERING A MASTER’S IN ECE:

I Did it!

EDUC 6990

·         INSIGHTS

THROUGHOUT THIS COURSE I HAVE GAINED NEW KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS THAT CAN DEFINITELY HELP MY PROFESSIONAL GROWTH. BY COMPLETING THIS COURSE, I HAVE LEARNED WAYS OF CONNECTING WITH COLLEAGUES, CREATING MY OWN STANCE AND SOCIAL MOVEMENT REGARDING EARLY CHILDHOOD, AND ALSO HAVE RECOGNIZED THE CHALLENGES THAT CHILDREN, FAMILY, EDUCATORS, AND THE FIELD ITSELF OFTEN ENCOUNTERS. THIS CALLS FOR HARD WORK, COMMITMENT, CONTINUOUS CONNECTIONS, AND A FOCUS FOR CHILD LEARNING FOR CHILD SAKE.

·         A THANK YOU TO COLLEAGUES

I WANT TO INSERT A THANK YOU RIGHT HERE TO MY COLLEAGUES AND PROFESSOR. I WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS THE GRATITUDE AND TIME YOU HAVE GIVEN TO ME. IT HAS BEEN SUCH A GREAT EXPERIENCE THROUGHOUT THIS MASTER’S PROGRAM BOTH PROFESSIONALLY AND PERSONALLY BY 1) ABSORBING COLLEAGUE FEEDBACK 2) TO LEARN THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF SOCIAL CHANGE IN ECE AND 3) UTILIZE RESOURCES TO KNOW MORE OF MY TOPIC AUTISM AND ITS CHALLENGES IN ECE. THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT AS I AM AIMING TO PROMOTE A LONG TERM GOAL TO INCLUDE TRANSITIONAL AIDES AS EDUCATORS AND TO ASSIST MAINSTREAM EDUCATORS IN CLASS CONTEXT IN ACKNOWLEDGING AUTISTIC BEHAVIOR AND LEARNING.

PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME AT CASSANDRA.LYNN630@GMAIL.COM

-BEST REGARDS,

                 CASSANDRA RICHARDS

“It’s time to say goodbye, but I think goodbyes are sad and I’d rather say Hello. Hello to a new adventure” –Ernie Harwell

AROUND THE WORLD IN ECE

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The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is a non-governmental organization I find worth sharing to the early childhood community. This organization not only supplies the protection and healthcare for children but demonstrates a powerful global outreach that expands to ALL children, even children in under developed countries like Nigeria where sanitized water is scarce for children or in Indonesia were poverty inhibits 48% of school enrollment.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is based in 190 countries which I see as remarkable. Making sure that children all over have medical, food, and education where survival is unbearable the UNICEF declares a mission; to “advocate children’s rights, to help meet their basic needs, and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential.” This is what educators like you and I want to see happen! Work for children to see their potential!

Furthermore, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) helps fund health clinics, school districts, and other child related organizations worldwide to obtain their mission- their provisions of protecting children who need the help. This contributes to the rise of members. Internships, training programs, volunteer work, and professional positions are offered to audiences who have the same goal to help children in need –who want a piece of this pie.

Understanding that the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) works for under developed countries (and so many) I would like to travel myself to places like Nigeria or Indonesia to see what I can do personally and professionally to help this humanitarian act for children. Passion, communication, leadership, motivation, and teamwork is all it takes!

Below is the link to UNICEF. Please take a look and see what ways you can join too!

www.unicef.org

EXPANDING THE PIECES OF RESOURCES: AUTISM

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The National Autistic Society is a leading organization found in the United Kingdom that aims toward improving the lives of autistic children and families providing the essential tools and practices in order to promote advocacy of autism. Tools such as educational services and qualified educators, The National Autistic Society is a great international reference simply for its participation toward designing a safe learning environment for autistic children and families.

The Autism Science Foundation, located in the United States, supports the ongoing research and discussion regarding autism. From this source, The Autism Science Foundation trails better developments and awareness for the general public, school programs, and individual families experiencing the effects of autism.

Lastly, the American Academy of Children and Adolescent Psychiatry is a great organization that focuses on the well-being and behavior of autism offering treatment, observations, and therapies to autistic children and families in order to monitor research efforts.

I share these three organizations with you because the articles from each site provides a helpful understanding to the challenges of disabilities like autism as well as contributing an outreach to those needing the information for their individual journeys regarding autism and education.

Each organization offers job positions whether for volunteer work or professional lead. From marketer to supervisor, volunteer to researcher it is very settling to know organizations like The National Autistic Society, The Autism Science Foundation, and The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry provide opportunity to those who have or want the experience and skills to play a role toward the challenges and discoveries of autism.

Below are the links to the organizations mentioned above. Please take a moment to look as we thrive to help and educate effectively in the field of Early Childhood.

Works cited

www.autismsciencefoundation.org

www.autism.org.uk

www.aacap.org

A Share of Interconnections in Early Childhood Education

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WHO TO CHOOSE AND WHY

In the ECE community, having interconnection with colleagues is not only vital but participating with childhood organizations outside familiar school facilities is imperative working as a whole –as a community. This leaves the process of childhood development empowering.

Three organizations that I want to share that exemplify interconnection is:

1)      The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

2)      The National Child Care Association (NCCA)

3)      Association for Child Education International (ACEI)

These three organizations focus around child educations and learning achievements. Each provide the necessary information and procedures to ensure that learning remains continuous. Lastly, I chose to share these organizations because they promise to promote a social change to make sure children, educators, and families are given the right information and accessibility to succeed the ambience of ECE’s mission.

OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN AND SKILLS

As I search further into these organizations the offer of employment is actual. The NAEYC offers professional positions such a management and advertisement that require knowledge of early childhood and social outreach. Each position requires specific credentials, experience, and ability. This appears to be similar to the other organizations that I share.

Below are the links so that you can explore the interconnections that ECE encourages…

NAEYC – www.naeyc.org

NCCA- www.nccanet.org

ACEI- www.acei.org

GOTTA STICK TOGETHER

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HOW MY COLLEAGUES HAVE SUPPORTED ME

1) Emotional support

          My colleagues have shown offerings, acceptance, encouragement, and trust that has helped me grow more confident as I journey through my EC Master's Program.

2)  Cognitive Support

            My colleagues have given me new insights, strategies, and clear thinking that I find works for me both professionally and personally. Through group discussions and BLOGGING it is a good network of cognitive support and a good partnership to the art of effective communication with others.

HOW I SUPPORT MY COLLEAGUES

1) I remain positive, open to ideas and stories. I always love a good story to relate to, to empathize over, or make a friendly suggestion. I hope this feeds effective communication and offers future interconnections with my colleagues.

2) Remain available so if the support -any type of support- is needed I am able to help, suggest, guide, or just be present. As a student and/or a professional having a team, a confidant, or a friend makes a world of difference and makes any challenge, project, or issue less troublesome. So, I want to be available to show ALL my support.

MY CONTACT

Cassandra.lynn630@gmail.com

713-876-9770

“Tuckman’s Stages” to Team Work

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According to Bruce Wayne Tuckman, former theorist and researcher of group dynamics, believed that in order to achieve effective communication in the context of team work it takes 5 stages. These stages consist of:

1) forming- group selection and introductions

2) storming- shared visions and goals

3) norming- agreement and accepting visions and goals

4) performing- progression

5) adjourning- completing goals.

                                     (Abudi, 2010)

Each stage shows audience that positive motivation, feedback, support, and active listening can in fact transit effective communication. Not one stage is more important than another because without forming there is no storming and without norming there is no adjourning (for example). It is a structure that needs all its parts.

Tuckman suggested in his research that as team work kicks off, orchestrates, and ends members of the team begin to feel a closeness to each other which makes adjourning possibly the most difficult stage since emotions become involved and take control. As Dr. Randi Wolfe states team work is relational therefore, yes, emotions are involved and can empower effective communication as visions, goals, and completion avail (Laureate Education, 2011).

I remember crying my last day of 3^rd grade, excited to leave Jr High, and scared to graduate high school. I cried happy tears when I was accepted into my first college, excited I made Dean’s List, and scared to begin online classes for my Master's…. Because I believe I had or have a team behind me as I have journeyed through education I feel now that Bruce Wayne Tuckman’s ideal stage of adjourning is the hardest only because there is a comforting sense of self and inclining rewards as team support and build progress with relationships, visions, and common goals in mind. Ending a relationship- a journey- is difficult.

Emotions have carried me thus this far and as I am nearing my Master’s Program this year I can admit I feel just as sad and excited as I felt when I was younger. My friends, family, and colleagues have showed team work and value of team work to me. I have learned that in anything we do personally and/or professionally we are part of a group- a team- whether we realize it or not no matter context. My educational experiences have involved tremendous amounts of team work and I thank all those involved.

Works Cited

Abudi, G. (2010). The Five Stages of Team Development: A Case Study. Retrieved from http://projects-mart.co.uk/the-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html

Laureate Education (Producer). (2011). Team Building Strategies [Video File]. Retrieved from http://class.waldenu.edu

THE THREE LITTLE PIGS AND THE BIG BAD WOLF:

CONFLICT & COMMUNICATION

EDUC 6165

The Three Little Pigs is a childhood story that has stuck with me for years. When I think of communication I think of measures each pig took to settle conflict taking action and how they show both unproductive and productive communication with the big bad wolf. One pig uses straw on his home to shield from the huffs and puffs of the big bad wolf as the second pig uses sticks to try and  protect him and his brother. Both pigs lost their homes to the wolf... However, the third little pig was able to defeat the huffs and puffs using sturdy brick to protect himself and his brothers after the wolf lost his breath and determination to take over the pigs' home. Eventually the pigs and the big bad wolf were able to find some sort of communication to resolve conflict of safety and security… and power.

   

Considering conflict and communication, this childhood story reminds me of daily struggles individuals’ encounter that involve fighting for what is theirs or fighting to hold down their own post (or position). Though the concept of The Three Little Pigs is figuratively used in this blog I would like to share a personal conflict I have been experiencing which involves higher power, work ethics, and different perspectives of management. All in all, a “brick home” and sense of self security due to cruel treatment by a particular coworker who, to me, acts as the big bad wolf huffing and puffing as if it were a hobby of hers shows conflict within communication -unproductively .

According to authors O’Hair and colleagues (2015), I see there are types of conflict individuals face that involve bad “characters” who appear or make a poor impression to others. Unproductive conflict (O’Hair, et al., 2015) is conflict that has no open window for positive resolutions or relationship. Like the first two pigs who made their homes of straw and sticks the big bad wolf was able to destroy what they built with no mean of good communication or any hopes of relationship –obviously.

Like the pigs, unproductive conflict has also left a rift in my communication efforts and any potential work relationship with my coworker who plays the role of the big bad wolf brilliantly. But, like every story, there is always room for reconciliation mentioned by O’Hair and colleagues (2015) that suggests apology, forgiveness, collaboration, and mutual friendship that stems from productive conflict. 

Productive conflict is when different sides, like the pigs and the wolf or my coworker and I, find compromise such as respecting space, work ethics, and accepting exchanged feelings toward management that benefits each other’s outlooks (O'Hair, et al., 2015). This is a great strategy to help resolve ongoing conflict in the work place or even in society. The Three Little Pigs and the big bad wolf is a childhood story that I find relevant to communication and conflict and the idea that conflict can have successful endings. This applies to real life situations as I am concluding. Therefore, another strategy I find helpful toward conflict resolutions is finding a common agreement that both sides cannot be right all the time. Having strong work abilities and knowledge I would like my coworker to walk in my shoes as I am trying to walk in hers. If this is not plausible, walls will come down and a vicious cycle of unproductive conflict will harvest bad communicative behaviors in the work place. 

So, being an active listener, finding agreement and or compromise influences nonviolent communication. This helps my goals as an aspiring educator to recognize different roles, ethics, and different behaviors that can induce conflict which is no good for anyone. We all look for that happy ending as I see in the story The Three Little Pigs who lived happily ever after once the big bad wolf found that conflict was useless and relationship was more appropriate in effective communication.

Works Cited

O'Hair, D., Wiemann, M., Mullin, D. I., & Teven, J. (2015). Real communication (3rd. Ed). New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.