Self evaluation with Peer Evaluations; EDUC 6165-6

After taking the evaluations and comparing my results to those of my two peers, I was pleasantly surprised to see that in each of the categories my results were the same as those that assisted in the project and completed the task.

In the listening styles profile, it was said that I am "empathetic and concerned with the emotions of others.  This listening style helps you to build relationships, but it can interfere with proper judgment because you tend to be very trusting of others."  I thought this to be accurate, as I do build relationships quickly by listening and understanding, although I never considered that it would cause a lack of judgment as I believe I am able to listen intently but also decipher between what is factual and what isn't.  Seeing that my two peers had the same responses, I will need to consider this and remove myself from given situations at times and review if this is accurate. 

In the Verbal Aggressiveness test, in all reviews I received the same response.  "You maintain a good balance between respect and consideration for others' viewpoints, and the ability to argue fairly by attacking the facts of a position rather than the person holding that position" I am relieved that my peers thought this of me, as I try very hard to be respectful and considerate of their thoughts, opinions, and if I disagree on a topic to disagree on the facts instead of a person's view.  Within my professional life, handling indifferences like this assists in a more healthier work environment.  My struggle at times, within my current employment, is that my knowledge at times is beyond that of others (as I work in a county run program within a child development center.  I am required to hold higher degrees than those that work in the day care side of the facility.  Without putting down their experience and trainings!)  When there are disagreements, tempers flare and emotions are brought into discussions and usually there isn't a resolution instead more hurt feelings and gossip that runs so deep.  Lately, my thought has been "how can I help to make the work place one that people can respect others' views and accept the differences then work from it?"

It's always a great experience to see how others relate and accept your personality.  Being able to accept criticism and decipher what areas in our professional and personal life could use some adjustments will only help to make us each better communicators and people.

Uplifting Research Stories - EDUC 6163-6

Share a positive example of the effects of research on children and/or families: Perhaps you can provide real-life examples of research benefits to children and/or families; maybe you are familiar with stories of people who have been positively affected by research; or you came across a published research article concerning children or families which you find exciting and would like to share with your colleagues.

Personal Reflection

I memorized each of the road signs on the highway like the back of my hand by my senior year of college, not from bi-weekly visits home.  But instead by the distance traveled so frequently to see my niece that was passing away from a very rare disorder.  A disorder that would take away the privileges of a mother and father watch their daughter take her first steps, go to Kindergarten, graduate high school, and walk her down the aisle to be married. 

I recall my sister taking her to urgent care when Alie was only 2 months old.  Urgent care rushed her to the ER.  The ER rushed her to Children's Hospital by air.  And within a matter of hours, my sister sat hearing news about her daughter that changed our lives forever.  Her husband, then serving our country in war, heard about it through skype.  Can you imagine?  No, I can't!

At the hospital we were told that Alie would probably not make it to be 3 months old.  It was that moment that life became, do whatever you need to do in order to keep her alive.  Try whatever you need to try to keep her alive.  Through these studies and research trials, Alie lived to be 16 months old.  My senior year of college, I spent 3 months driving home twice a week thinking "this is the last time I am going to see her."  Horrific.

While a cure has not been found for Alie's disorder, we were given a gift of an extra year that the doctors didn't think we would have due to research studies and explorations.  While some research benefits are monetary, when you are a family of a loved one that has been diagnosed with an incurable disease; some research benefits become another breathe. 

Culture and Communication, EDUC 6165-6

Culture and Communication

     Do you find yourself communicating differently with people from different groups and cultures?

 I have been blessed to have traveled to many places around the world.  Spent numerous hours speaking and communicating with people from other cultures.  Even in college, when I took Arabic classes, I made friends with a worker at a gas station that spoke Arabic and I went to visit him for an hour each week where we solely spoke Arabic to each other.  It was the only way I survived that class!

It is one of my passions, I am drawn to communicate with people from other cultures.  I don't think there is a difference in the way I communicate with people from different groups.  Instead there is a different approach to speaking with every person, whether it is the same culture or different, that gives respect to the other involved when you speak to them with inquiry and care within your conversation.  When I speak with anyone, I want them to know I care about what they think, say, and are concerned with.  In each culture there are different approaches to take, although before I change my approach with a person I communicate about proper etiquette with them.  I don't consider with communicating differently, instead communicating with respect for each other.

Based on what you have learned this week, share at least three strategies you could use to help you communicate more effectively with the people or groups you have identified.

1.    Applying the Platinum Rule (Beebe, Beebe & Redmond, 2011) with all communication areas will assist in strengthening and communicating more effectively.  Approaching communication with respect for each individual involved will assist and enable each party to exchange a few words within their thoughts.

2.    Knowledge, Francis Bacon said that "Knowledge is Power". One strategy in understanding  cross cultural communication is to understand what culture you are combining with.  When you gain knowledge, then you gain an understanding into the available lines of communication as well as the process for communicating within the culture and diverse relations that might be present.

3.    Body language.  Learning how to control emotions and supply a level of professionalism needs to include body language.  In order to communicate effectively, we must include the way our body is speaking as well as the words that are being said. (O'Hair & Weimann, 2012)

Beebe, S. A., Beebe, S. J., & Redmond, M. V. (2011). Interpersonal communication: Relating to others (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

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

Communication is not always straightforward, EDUC 6165-6

For this assignment, again consider what you have been learning about communication skills and styles. Then record an episode of a television show you do not normally watch. Watch the show with the sound turned off.

I chose to watch a show called "The Big Bang Theory."  My in laws love this show and talk about it a lot.  Frankly my life commitments right now do not luxury the capabilities of watching much television and I've never watched this so I thought I would double duo this project and see if I could connect with them along the journey.

I was so confused on what was happening throughout the entire episode.  I felt more lost than when I travel to other countries and don't speak their language because at least live in person I can hear the tone of their voice and laughter or hurt or pain.  I gathered that one person left to another location as he called in through video chatting a number of times.  One girl seemed really excited each time a video chat would come in, is this his girlfriend?  Who knows, I have no sound!!!!  I think it's Christmas because they're decorating a Christmas tree.  The person that left, did he go to a distant place?  The others, I think they are his friends as they are all the same age and appear to be similar in style of clothing (nerdy t-shirts and other non-trendy clothing items).  In some phone calls, the friends seem like they are excited and other phone calls the friends seem like they are annoyed.  There is also a lot of flash backs that include everyone except this guy at the hospital. 

NOW AFTER WATCHING THE SHOW WITH THE SOUND ON

Do I ever feel silly!  So it was a guy having to be at his sister's home as she was giving birth and her husband was in a motorcycle accident so he couldn't be there to help so this Sheldon guy has to be there to help deliver the baby.  Does this guy have major social skill problems?  He seems to have no feelings towards others or events that occur.

My assumptions about the characters were half and half.  They were friends and these flashbacks were images of them if this guy "Sheldon" were not in their lives.  I guess evaluating how much love and joy he has brought into their lives despite his crazy behaviors.  If I was able to watch a show I knew well without the sound, of course I would have made better assumptions as to the dialogue and the context behind each scene.  Anytime we know a person or group of people (or in this case know the characters) we make a better judgment on what their conversations might be about.  Although I'm sure we've all been wrong a time or two thinking we knew what another was saying or thinking!

Attempting to make an assumption as to what a person is saying, feeling, or thinking is really a hard task to make, especially when you don't know anything about them.  Within my professional life, I don't ever make these assumptions.  It is far better to not know sometimes what others are thinking than to desire to know and make an attempt in finding out or worse going off of body language. 

Within my personal life, of course I think I always know what my husband is thinking, wanting to do, or etc.  It's always funny when we talk about it and if I'm wrong, I would blame him on lying in an attempt to make me look like I don't know him.  (I truly hope this isn't just in my marriage).

(Adapted from O'Hair & Wiemann, 2012, p. 154)

The Big Bang Theory, "The Cooper Extraction" 7th season 11th episode

Personal Research Journey EDUC 6163-6

The topic I have chosen for my research is Understanding the benefits to quality early childhood education opportunities.  The topic I chose for the simulation was " Identify research subtopic and review related research literature."  I chose this topic as I have been encouraged and challenged to know more and get started on this big paper soon!  I am finding great resources on the NAEYC site.  There are also many state sites that I have visited comparing the standards for Early Educators skill requirements as it directly relates to teacher qualifications.  If you are a teacher within an early childhood program, what are the necessary requirements you need to have obtained in order to be "qualified" to teach within your state?

Doing this simulation is helping to understand the literature at a different level.  While there are big words, like big words I can't even retype correctly when attempting to document, these big words I look up their meaning and by the time I am half way through the definition I am lost.  Forcing myself to re-word these definitions is helping to gain a deeper understanding of the topics and text.  What do you do when you don't know a word.  You know, those big words that have too many consonants and not enough vowels to sound it out.  :)

Resources this week that I found that were helpful:

http://www.naeyc.org/policy/excellence - NAEYC makes a Call for Excellence within Early Childhood programs.

Competent Communicator - EDUC 6165-6

I attend a church within our community.  Having went to a Christian college, and sitting through chapel 5 days a week with guest speakers each day, I have heard A LOT of messages preached.  A person that I believe demonstrates competent communication within a particular field or context is the pastor at the church my husband and I are members of. 

Pastor Ralph Campbell, Senior Pastor at Bethel Assembly of God, speaks with composure and is able to execute his thoughts from the pulpit that many communicators lack the skill in.  He has a strong voice and speaks with authority, before his messages he researches the topic in great length in order to communicate factual support behind his thoughts. 

I would want to model in my own communication behaviors like this because I believe in knowing a topic before you speak on it.  Within the setting of a church, I believe strongly that a person should research, gain knowledge, and speak from the heart.  Conviction on topics should come first within before speaking to urge a church to think about their personal lives; and if a topic is well researched the person doing the research cannot help but feel compelled and challenged in their own lives.  Pastor Ralph speaks with passion and purpose, and I hope when I speak the same is interpreted.

You too can hear Pastor Ralph Campbell speak at:  http://www.seebethel.com/#/media