Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication

Our assignment was to view a television broadcast with the sound off and observe the communication styles. Then we were to turn the sound on and observe the verbal cues to give clue to the relationship of the characters. I chose a program I do not normally watch called “The New Normal”.

Sound Off

Based on the observation of non-verbal actions of the characters, they related to onaother and they were a family. The child in the situation was having difficulty at school and it looks like she was getting advice from the concerned adults in her life. I saw there were hugs and one on one communication between the child and the adults. In  one of the scenes there was a lot of body language modeled for the child to help her in her school situation. I suppose this child was to act out these body movements to the school children she was having difficulty with and that action would solve her problem.

Sound On

The observation of the episode with the sound on was very much as I had interpreted with the sound off. The child in the episode was surrounded by adults who cared about and they decided to give her assistance when she was confronted with mean girls at school. I did notice that when one solution to the mean girl problem backfired, the child went back to her adult care givers for more advice. This second round of solutions was more radical in handling the mean girl situation which involve curt language a very straight-forward tone of voice and the body movements that I had observed with the sound off.

Conclusion

My final thoughts on this observation assignment is that according to what he have rad from O’Hair and Wiemann, the skill of communication involves all the senses verbal, non-verbal, and cross culturally to deliver a message for understanding and to be understood. A sense of self is greatly factored into communication. As “the self-concept has incredible power to shape your communication with others”( O’Hair & Wiemann, 2012).

 

References

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

Welcome Communication

 

 

 

“Everything in me calls on me to teach”    

– Louise Derman Sparks

There is a professor I have become acquainted with while being enrolled here at Walden University, taking the Master of Science in Early childhood Studies courses.  This is a person I would even model my communication style after from time to time

That One such person is Professor Louise Derman- Sparks. I really love how she has such a soothing way about her communication. What she says and the way she says it just draws you in to her and the subject she speaks about.  She presents a pleasant expression on her face when communicating also coupled with wisdom and knowledge in the field of early childhood.  The one thing I must mention is that to me, she exudes tremendous passion when she speaks about the field of early childhood. It is not displayed in a boisterous fashion or a loud openly charismatic way, but it seems to me that it is communicated with love and purposeful intent because she is talking about what God has put in her to do… to love young children and educate them through nurturing their special unique little selves.

 

Louise Derman Sparks Professor Emeritus Pacific Oaks College

Research Areas: Louise Derman-Sparks’ research areas of interest are race and education and multicultural education. Activities & Honors: Louise Derman-Sparks is a long-time human development faculty member at Pacific Oaks College, now Professor Emeritus. Previously, Ms. Derman-Sparks worked with young children and families as an early childhood education teacher and program director. She is the author and co-author of several books, including: Anti-Bias Curriculum: Tools for Empowering Young Children, (National Association for the Education of Young Children); Teaching/Learning Anti-Racism: A Developmental Approach (Teachers College Press); In Our Own Way: How Anti-Bias Work Shapes Our Lives and Future Vision, Current Work: Lessons from the Culturally Relevant Anti-Bias Education Leadership Project (Redleaf Press), and numerous articles and book chapters. Her most recent book, co-authored with Dr. Patricia Ramsey, is titled “What If All the Kids are White?” Anti-bias/ Multicultural Education with Young Children and Families, (Teachers College Press, April 2006). Ms. Derman-Sparks speaks, conducts workshops and consults widely throughout the United States and internationally. A former member of the Governing Board of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (1998-2002), she currently serves on the National Board of Crossroads Ministry: An Interfaith & Community- Based Anti-Racism Training Organization and on the National Diversity Advisory Council of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Ms. Derman-Sparks is the mother of a son and daughter, Douglass and Holly Sparks, and has been an activist for social justice for 40 years.

Professional Hopes and Goals

Professional Hopes and Goals

One Hope that I have that have when I think about working with children and thir families who come from diverse backgrounds is that I am able to make a family feel welcome, gain their trust  and to help the family reach the desired goals that they have in place for the education of their young children. I hope to inspire children to embrace their own differences as well as the differences of others.

One goal that I have set related to the issues of diversity, equity and social justice in the field of early childhood is to reach out to fellow colleagues to examine themselves, the class materials so that we can all work together to present an anti-bias learning to our young ones.

I would like to thank all of my fellow colleagues in this course for sharing your views honestly and also for increasing my own understanding of how we might be successful advocates of equity, diversity and social justice in the field of early childhood. The following is a quote  from Raffi, a well known children's folk singer, author, and speaker taken from this week’s Laureate Media presentation. I think this statement is something that we can all adopt as our own covenant for honoring children.

 

"We find these joys to be self-evident that all children are created whole, endowed with innate intelligence, with dignity and wonder and worthy of respect, the embodiment of life, liberty and happiness. Every girl and boy is entitled to love, to dream and belong to a loving village and to pursue a life of purpose."

-Raffi

Families From Around the World

My family is from the country of Eritrea! 

 I learned that a family of five includes a 12 year old a ten year old and a young daughter of the age of three. The parents will enroll her at my center. They were referred to my center by relatives that live in the community.

 

Five ways I will prepare to receive my new family and demonstrate cultural responsiveness is to;

1. Label everything in the class in the child’s native tongue- and try to get the children in the class to be come familiar with the labeling as well. I would display lots of pictures as well.

2.  Learn some simple phrases of the language to communicate with the family

3.  Encourage the children to learn simple greeting phrases in the language like, hello, goodbye, want to play?

4.  Read stories or tell folk tales that originate from the family’s culture

5.  Encourage the family to share as much about themselves to the class regarding their culture by having them to let us borrow music, sharing literature, or inviting them to share family traditions.

The preparations I would have in place are to greet the family in the child’s native tongue and to label every day material in the native language to ease transition to English speaking. I would study the customs and cultures of this country and try to initiate some parental support from the existing parent roster for them. As an educator for the young children I am also acting as an advocate for the family to help their move to a new country be as smooth of a transition as possible.  I hope these preparations will be of assistance for the benefit of the new family so that they will feel welcomed, the child will feel safe, and begin to become a part of our Learning Center Family!

 

 

        

 

 

 

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

On the Catwalk  

The memory I have of experiencing bias is during my early college years. All of the students were to be placed within an internship for the college program I had enrolled in at the time which was fashion design. I noticed that my white colleagues got better job placements than I did. These placements were to give each student work experience and could lead into employment after graduation.

This job bias diminished equity by way of limiting my chance for gainful employment within the industry. The feelings that came into my mind were feelings of inadequacy; I began to question my skills and learning. I did not doubt myself as I had the courage and fortitude to move along and persevere.

The job placements were assigned by the department internship coordinator. I had been previously told that the industry was not favorable to blacks at that time. The change would have had to take place with the department heads toward the students that did not fit the “look” of the industry. I understand now from other sources that the department of this university is all about diversity and is vigorously seeking out individuals to show diversity within the department. I think with this shift in thinking by the design department of this university, there is now a greater opportunity for equity and fair play among the students that are currently in attendance.

Microaggression; To be Aware of it is to be Rid of it!

Add Insult to Injury

My eldest daughter is entering a fantastic time in her life! She has recently become engaged and is in the midst of planning for the big event …. Her wedding day!

She said "Yes!"

 My daughter Autumn and her longtime best friends since kindergarten,  Jackie and Anik (A-neek), were attending a bridal show.  Take note that my daughter is a beautiful, plus size girl and her friends are pretty, petite girls.

Jackie, Autumn, Anik

 The girls had stopped to look at the wares of a bridal vender. Anik was standing to the side as Autumn was leafing through the information that was on the table. The gentleman manning the booth looked in Anik’s direction and said “so, you must be the bride!” Autumn, looking the man in the eye and matter-of-factly said “no, I am the bride sir” she laid the materials she had picked up back down on the table and she and Anik walked away. To say the least, Autumn was insulted especially since she was the one actually looking at the materials on that table.

This man did not intend to cause harm but the microaggression in this instance was based on a physical appearance. The microinvalidation committed in this scenario, implied that brides are slim; big girls do not get proposed to because they do not fit the image of the blushing bride. My daughter is not at all sensitive about her weight she is dealing with her  situation to get it  down before the wedding date. It was just what was implied by this man. He did indeed lose a potental client that day!

We must be cognizant of the stereotypes of people and cultures we may have in our minds. We cannot make assumptions by the way a person looks that they are or will behave in a certain way. The assignment of observations for microaggression has forever put me on alert to watch my comments when speaking to others also to even let others know of the hurts and mindless insults we can inflict towards people due to our own biases we are unaware of.

 

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

 I Owe it to Mom on Diversity and Culture

 

 I want to dedicate this blog post to my Mom. Culture from her perspective was a living thing. She saw that culture and diversity meant embracing the family and heritage that God had surrounded you with; from the sounds and rhythms,  the dress, food, love , worship; to her culture encompassed all and so much more. Diversity for her meant love of all persons from every background.  She had many friends from varying ages and ethnicities. She also befriended and embraced individuals that had physical and mental disabilities. She lived well, and loved well and would have been 73 years old today. She was the first one to love me and told this little brown girl that she was “her doll baby”.

I Happy Birthday Lillie!

Of course in many ways, my mother’s perspective on diversity and culture affected and influenced me.  I find that I am not afraid or repelled by cultures that are different from mine.  I am curious and find myself searching out the culture in a way to become familiar with it. I am not afraid to ask questions of one’s culture, and I think that if persons would show curiosity rather than rage, fear or mistrust what a better world we would have!