(6165-Communication) Nonverbal Communication

For this assignment I chose to watch, “The Millers” as this is a television show that I am not familiar with. It was quite challenging to get a grasp of the characters and their relationships not having any previous background knowledge as well as not having the ability to hear what they were talking about and only relying on what I could see. The show began with two people entering what I assumed to be an open house. I was not sure of the relationship of the two people, but based on the picture, I assumed it was a mother and son. The agent walked over to them and said something that made them both laugh. This gave me the information that something was funny, but I did not know the context of what she said that made it funny. After the mother and son left the open house, they went to a different house with other characters who I assumed were other family members. I assumed they were family as there was what looked like a mother, father, son, daughter, and granddaughter. There were a lot of things that were going on that I could not keep up with, but I knew from their body language and facial expressions that they were happy, at times confused as eye brows were raised, and something bad must have happened as arms were crossed. In the next scene, the mother and son were sitting in someone’s office. I could not tell you who the character was, but it must have been someone of authority as he was sitting at a desk. During this time there was laughter and the son seemed to feel a bit uncomfortable as his body language was indicating this. The next day, the son went back to office, but this time he was acting flirtatious and the man at the desk seemed surprised and awkward with how this person was acting. The man at the desk walked over to him and they began to talk and they looked at each other with mischievous eyes making it seem like they were scheming something.  The next day, you could tell that they were getting ready to play out their scheme and you could tell by their nonverbal communication that it was not going well.

After watching this episode again, but this time with the volume on, I was able to get a better understanding of the different relationships between the different characters as you could hear the words such as; mother, father, sister, friend, director of senior's living, and boyfriend. The volume enabled me to get the context of why there was laughter, awkwardness, embarrassment, anger, and frustration between the characters. Having the ability to hear them talk let me know that the son and the man at desk did in fact have a plan, but now I knew what the plan was about and how it was going to play out. There were times when I was watching without the volume that it looked like two of the characters where yelling at each other, but once I was able to hear what transpired, they were actually excited about something. The show is a lot funnier with the volume on!!! J

If I was watching a show that I was very familiar with such as Modern Family it would have been much easier to make better assumptions as I would have background information on all the characters and their relationships. I don’t think that it would still be easy to know exactly the context of their conversations if I could not hear the dialogue between the characters, but I would have a better understanding as I am more familiar with the characters and their personalities.

This assignment reinforced within me how important our listening skills are so we can ensure that we are getting the correct information and messages. Although some of the assumptions that I made were correct, it is probably not best practice to only rely on nonverbal communication. We need to use all other forms of communication to help us decipher what is being communicated more effectively. Nonverbal communication such as body language may give me some information, but we should not rely solely on it as it does not give the whole picture of what someone may be communicating. If we only rely on nonverbal communication then miscommunication could arise which could then result in mixed messages or conflict. 

(EDUC 6164 - Diversity & Equity) My Family Culture

If I lived through an experience such as a major catastrophe that has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of my country it would be shattering. Knowing that me and my immediate family were among the survivors and that we would be evacuating our country knowing that we would be transported to another country where their culture is completely different from our own would be something that words could not express. Being told that we could only take three small items that we hold dear to us that best represents our family culture would be a challenging and daunting task. My immediate family includes my husband, son, and daughter and I think that I would include them with choosing an item that is meaningful and that best represents our family culture. Together, my husband and I would choose a small photo album, my daughter said she would bring her stuffy, and my son would bring a small container of Lego.

My husband and I together would choose a small photo album that would include pictures that captured special moments that best portrayed our life together. It would include a photo from our childhood, a wedding photo and pictures of our children and other family members and the things we have done together throughout the years. The pictures in this small photo album would not let us forget who we are, where we came, and what best represents our family culture. My son is extremely creative and we have always supported his creativity especially when it comes to building Lego. He just turned 13 and he wants to be a Lego designer when he grows up, so he said he would bring Lego so he would not forget how about much he loves to build things. My daughter had a harder time as she has so many skills and talents ranging from gymnastics, knitting, sculpting, but looking beyond that,  she said that she would bring her stuffy named, “Buddy” who she got when she was a baby. This stuffy is her “go to” when she is happy or sad.

Once we arrived at our host country we were told that we could only keep one item and that we had to give up the other two items that we brought with us. I know this would be challenging, but I think as a family we would have to think objectively about what we should keep. As much as we would love to keep the Lego and “Buddy” these would be the two items that we would choose to leave behind. The photo album has memories about our family culture that will ensure that we won’t forget our family culture. As my children get older I would be afraid that they may forget their culture and not remember what made our family culture so special. The photos would help to keep the memories alive. I know my children would be saddened that they would have to leave what they brought behind, but they would understand the importance remembering who we are.

This exercise made me realize how important my family culture is and how crucial it is to have something that I hold close to my heart that best represents my family that no one could take away from me. I think I will now take more time to look at the little things that surround me and have a better understanding how they help to foster my family diversity. 

(EDUC-6165 Communication) Competent Communication

Someone who demonstrates competent communication……….

I really wanted to choose a family member, but when my family is together, everyone talks at the same time, everyone interrupts one another, and as much as I love my mother, she is trying to listen to multiple conversations at one time. You get the feeling that you might have been heard, but did anyone really listen? So, I had to look beyond my family to find a person who demonstrates competent communication. Just wondering, are all families like that or just mine? J

When I think of someone who really demonstrates competent communication the first person who came to my mind was the chair of the department that I teach in. This individual exemplifies what it means to communicate effectively. Every time I have a meeting with her she is always welcoming and greets me with a smile. She never gives me the impression that I am bothering her or that she is too busy to talk. When I am in her office, her attention and focus is all mine as she does not share herself with her phone or other distractions that may come her way. Her eye contact is always on me showing me that she is listening. The way she communicates makes me feel empowered as she values the things I say or share. She pauses before she comments back and then she smiles and says, “I hear what you are saying.” Her office is quite large and can be intimidating, like a principal’s office, but you never get that feeling when you come in talk to her. Although she is the chair of the department, when she communicates, she never talks down to you or misuses her power when she communicates. When you leave her office, she acknowledges the time that you spent with her and reminds you that you are welcome at any time.

I would definitely model some of my own communication behaviors after this person as she demonstrates the qualities that make an effective communicator. She modeled that everyone should be valued and listened to. This person demonstrated that there are many components to being an effective communicator and that even the little pieces such as a smile or head nod are just as important as eye contact and listening. I meet with my students on a daily basis, sometimes after class or at times I meet them in my office and modeling after this person would ensure that I am being an effective communicator where students feel comfortable coming to talk to me. I have a great relationship with my students, but taking a deeper look at how this person makes me feel valued, empowered, and important reinforces within me to think about all the different components even the little things that could ensure that I am being an effective communicator.

When I Think of Research......

If I am going to be honest, when I first started this course I felt a little like this….

It did not help that when I told my colleagues at work that the course that I was starting in the fall was a research course and they all responded with the dreaded, “EEW!!!” Their response did not help with my reservations! I think that the word “research” in itself can be daunting, but as this course progressed each week it did not seem as daunting as I thought it was going to be. There were times that I did feel like this ……..

but, with the support of my peers through our dialogue on discussion board and the feedback and encouragement from Dr. Parrish, the fog lifted. I would not say that I am a rock star when it comes to research, but my knowledge and confidence has definitely blossomed and grown. Now that we have almost finished this course, I would say that I feel more like this…….

Before I began this course, I was always intimidated by research and kept it at an arm’s length as for some reason I always associated research with old men like; Piaget, Vygotsky, and Maslow! J  I never felt that I had the mindset for research as I thought it was too complex, but the fact was, that I was never taught how to do research properly. Dr. Parrish reinforced within me that I do have a mind for research. I have come to the realization that I just have to change the way I think and approach research and believe in my new found skills

Throughout this course I have learned that there are many layers to research and it is much more complex than I could have imagined. When you learn about the process of research like we did, by taking it step by step, it makes it easier to understand. This process has taught me that one important aspect to research is that the more you remain specific, the more successful you will be. We learned throughout this course that there are many components to planning, designing, and conducting research. Throughout our research simulation, we got to experience the many aspects of conducting research. 

When I reflect over the past eight weeks, there were definitely challenges that I faced. Every week brought forth the challenge of understanding new terminology and then came the challenge of applying this information to our research simulation. The challenges that I have faced throughout this course have been overcome with hard work, learning from one another, taking feedback, and lots of reading.  I never viewed these challenges in a negative way, rather I embraced these challenges as they gave me the opportunity to learn and expand my knowledge with regards to research. I am leaving this course with the knowledge and confidence, so there is no need to keep research at a distance any longer!!

WE DID IT!!!

I would like to thank all of my colleagues and Dr. Parrish for this great journey through research. Every encouraging word that was spelled out in our discussion boards helped tremendously. I wish everyone nothing but the best in your courses to come!

Cheers!

Take care,
Stephanie

Research Around the World

There are times when I get focused with the current research that is happening around me that having this opportunity to discover the important and valuable research that is happening world-wide is a great learning opportunity. There is so much that we can learn from one another on a national level. In my course Issues and Trends, we had the opportunity to make international contacts with professionals in the field of early childhood and I was successful with making contact with an educator in Australia. I came across obstacles with maintaining consistent contact, but the spark it ignited within me was enough to want to further my knowledge of what research is currently happening in the field of early childhood in Australia.

The website Early Childhood Australia is flowered with an array of useful information regarding the field of early childhood that is not only useful for professionals but also for parents. Their passion for children can be seen on the homepage as it states, “Early childhood Australia advocates to ensure quality, social justice and equity in all issues relating to the education and care of children from birth to eight” (Early Childhood Australia, 2014).

Research Topics in Australia

When navigating through the website to find current research there is a tab, “Our Publications” which leads you to the topic “Research in Practice series.” This series provides resources for anyone interested in the field of early childhood which is easy to read and are very practical. This year their topics focus on; “Ways of thinking, acting and relating about sustainability,” “Pedagogy” Programs and relationships in practice” and “Professional partnerships in children’s services: Working together for children.” Anyone can subscribe to their 12 month, four-issue subscription.

Some websites pertaining to the field of early childhood may not seem “parent” friendly as the information on these sites can be more formal and the articles can be lengthy and wordy. I like how there is a parent resource tab as this makes it inviting for parents. The topics under this tab are very relevant and meaningful which enables parents to gain knowledge with how to better support themselves and their children.

The tab, “Learning Hub” really caught my eye. They use their hub as web-based platform where they offer different learning resources for anyone working with young children (Early Childhood Australia, 2014).Their Learning Hub includes videos, webinars, written resources, and online forums (Early Childhood Australia, 2014).  A hub is a modern concept that is devised as a one-stop access point where you can gain information. I teach at a college where we have incorporated these learning hubs around our college campus. Our students can use these hubs to become part of the college’s culture and enables them to access information, events, workshops as well as many other features. I guess “Learning Hubs” are a great way to embrace technology!

Websites such as, Early Childhood Australia shows that whether we are a neighboring country or  a country that is half way around the world that we still have the same passion which drives our research. We all strive for quality care where children can grow and develop to their fullest, so it is powerful to know that research is happening around the world which gives us the tools to gain more insight in the field of early childhood.

Reference

Early Childhood Australia

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/

Research That Benefits Children and Families

How wonderful would it be to possess the means and knowledge to conduct a research study on any topic that impacts the field of early childhood! The choices are endless and I know that many of us would choose child related cancers and diseases, so I thought I would take my research to a place that affect many children on a daily basis. My choice would be hunger. We tend to think of hunger as something typically associated with underdeveloped countries, but in fact hunger is a living and ongoing issue worldwide.  It would be luxurious to research a topic such as hunger, so we can finally eradicate such an issue that truly shouldn’t even exist. Hunger has an impact on a child’s development, learning, and growth (World Hunger Education). It is crucial to find the answers with ways to ensure that children’s tummies are fueled with nutrients they need so they can develop to their fullest.

Poverty is a main contributor to hunger (World Hunger Education.) so without the financial means to fulfill all expenses needed to live; many households are left with empty plates for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We need to think about how hunger can impact a child’s ability to learn and concentrate so they can meet the expectations and demands of school. My research study would find ways to eliminate hunger and it would also educate parents with the resources needed so family members are not dealing with hunger. 

Hunger played a significant role throughout my husband’s early childhood. His parents moved to Canada from Germany when he was just a baby and they did not speak English. His parents struggled financially and there were many countless days where he went hungry. He remembers not being able to focus in school as all he could hear was his tummy rumbling. At that time there were no “breakfast clubs” as this was seen as an issue for developing countries, not in our community. His preoccupation with his talking tummy labeled him as a child who couldn’t pay attention and couldn’t focus. The teachers never identified the true reason for his lack of concentration.  His experience as a hungry child has impacted him now as a father of two children. He goes above and beyond to make sure that all of their wants and needs are met.  This experience also gave him the internal motivation to continue with his education and obtain a good job, so he wouldn’t have to experience a rumbling tummy ever again! I never question our grocery bills as his relationship with food and the lack of is something that I could never relate to. 

Research that would help to eliminate hunger would ensure that children wouldn’t have to go to school hungry or come home after school hungry. This research would ensure that families have the means necessary to end hunger so their children can develop to their fullest.

References

World Hunger Education Service:

http://www.worldhunger.org/articles/Learn/world%20hunger%20facts%202002.htm

Your Personal Research Journey

At the beginning of this course we were all given the undertaking of choosing a topic that we want to investigate. The topic that interests me is the importance of family involvement and how building partnerships with families have a positive impact on children’s learning. It is important for educators to not only understand the needs of children, but to understand that we need to be mindful of our families’ needs as well. As a professional working in the field of early childhood, I have become cognizant of the fact that many educators do not feel that they have the skills needed to build partnerships with families. The best way to support children’s learning is to provide environments where families and educators feel comfortable working together.

I recognized that my initial topic was too general to research effectively, so I worked on the task of breaking down my topic into three sub topics that would in the end make it a bit easier to research. I had to ponder and take time to figure out how I was going to break down my topic.  As I tried to think of sub topics, I began to think about the benefits of family involvement, how a number of educators feel that they don't possess the proper skills to build partnerships, and how many educators do know how to work effectively with the diversity that families bring.  I finally broke down my topic into three sub topics, but then came another challenge....which sub topic was I going to pick to do my research simulation for the remainder of the course?

When deciding on which path to follow, I reviewed Dr. Parrish’s feedback and thought about how I could turn theses sub topics into research questions. I reviewed each one carefully to examine which sub topic would bring out the best questions and although it was challenging, I did in the end choose a sub topic that I will use for my research simulation. My focus will be ways to build positive partnerships with families. I came up with an array of questions that will help guide me through researching this topic. The first question which I feel is a good starting point is; "What is a partnership and how do educators and families define partnerships?" 

I look forward to your feedback and will embrace any insight that you have on this topic! I wish everyone the best throughout this research journey and it is great to know that we are here to support one another!!!! :)