Farewell

I would like to thank all of my classmates for their contributions to my blog.  I have enjoyed working with you in this Communications course.  I wish everyone the best in their future courses.  I have enjoyed reading your blogs and hope to work with you all in the future. Again, thank you all and best wishes.

Stages of team development: Adjourning

Are high-performing groups hardest to leave? Groups with the clearest established norms? Which of the groups that you participated in was hardest to leave? Why?

High performing groups are very productive.  As a result, it is hard to leave because the group members work well together.  The group established norms that became part of the group members' behavior.  As a result, group members are used to working together.  I was  a member of group that worked with parents.  When the group adjourned, I kept in contact with the members.  

What sorts of closing rituals have you experienced or wish you had experienced?

One of the closing rituals during adjournment is to have a party.  Our group had a celebration to celebrate the group's efforts and accomplishments.  The group was positive and the adjournment was a happy occasion. 

How do you imagine that you will adjourn from the group of colleagues you have formed while working on your master's degree in this program?

I plan to adjourn with my fellow scholars at graduation.  I have been in classes with some of the people my entire time at Walden.  Therefore, I would like to meet some of them at graduation.

 

Why is adjourning an essential stage of teamwork?

Adjourning is the stage in team development that “provides the team the opportunity to say good bye to the members” (Abudi, 2010).  Adjourning signifies that the team has completed its tasks.  This finalizes the work of the team.  

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

Conflict and Communication

This week, I learned that nonviolent communication can help me to avoid or address conflict.  When conflict arises, nonviolent communication strategies can be used to "increase authenticity in communication, increase understanding, deepen connections and ensure conflict resolution" (Center for Nonviolent Communication, n.d.).  These strategies are useful because I can reduce the stress and tension that occurs during conflict by working with others and using language that encourages a resolution to the conflict.  Noviolent communication is also beneficial when working with diverse groups of people.

I have further learned that using "respect, reciprocal communication, and being responsive to others helps to improve communications and reduce conflict" (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2012).  I will use these strategies to become a better communicator and to work well with others.  I understand that showing respect and being responsive to others shows that I am listening and concerned.  As a result, I will use these strategies to become a more informed communicator.

References

Center for Nonviolent Communication. (n.d.). The center for nonviolent communication. Retrieved from http://www.cnvc.org/

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

Communication

This week, I evaluated myself as a communicator.  I believe that I have good communication skills and that I communicate well with others.  I also make an effort to listen to what others have to say.  I also use make an effort to see other people's point of views when I talk to them.  After evaluating my communication skills, I believe that I can use cultural diversity and cultural competence to communicate better with diverse people.

Others have pointed out that I use a lot of hand gestures when I talk, which is a form of nonverbal communication.  It is also reported that I communicate different with various people.  For exmaple, my coworker stated that I am very formal at work; however, I am more casual with friends.  This change in my communication style stems from changes in the context and situation.

Communicating with different cultures

I have noticed that I communicate differently with people from different cultures.  When communicating with people from my own culture, I tend to use more culturally relative terms and slang.  In a professional setting, I am more comfortable communicating with my own culture.  On the other hand, I am more tense when communicating with people from other cultures.  For example, when I work with people from the majority culture, I tend to be more professional and self conscious. 

I have also learned that cultural competence is important when working with people from different cultures.  It is important to assess how people from different cultures assess information and their values and beliefs.  This helps me to make some adjustments with my communication skills.  Therefore, I have learned that it is important to develop strategies for communicating with different cultural groups.

Week 2 Communication

This week, I watched my favorite show online called the "Tommorrow People".  I watched the show with the sound turned off, and I could tell when the characters were tense or upset based on their facial expressions and the situations they were in.  The characters had issues that caused them to be tense, which included fights and arguments.  In some scenes, the characters were excited or laughing. 

I watched the show with the sound turned on, and there were some scenes where I was correct about the facial expressions and body language.  In other scenes, I was a little off.  This helped me to understand how body language and nonverbal communication play a role in understanding others.  In face-to-face communication, I have the ability to read the verbal and nonverbal communication of others.  Therefore, I have learned that I must pay close attention to determine a person's mood or tone.

Competent communicator

My supervisor is a very competent communicator.  My supervisor communicates with a variety of people within the organization.  She works with people from other cultures and other organizations, and she is able to communicate effectively with each group.  One of the behaviors that makes my supervisor a competent communicator is that she uses inclusive language.  She is also a culturally competent person who understands how to talk to diverse groups.  Whenever we have meetings, she takes the time to speak to people to clarify information. Therefore, I would like to model my communication after my supervisor.

Professional Hopes and Goals

My hope for diverse families is that all families will receive equity and access to high quality early childhood programs.

My goal is to become an advocate for all children and to ensure that the learning environment is inclusive of all cultures. 

I would like to personally thank all of my fellow scholars for their contributions to my blogs.  I wish you all the best in your future goals and hopes.

Welcoming Families From Around the World

Welcoming Families From Around the World

I would work with a family from South Africa.  The family consists of two children, the mother, and the father.  The oldest child is in my class.

To better serve the family, I would:
1. Research the country of origin.
2. Research the family's culture.
3. I would interview the family to learn more about religious views, values, and beliefs.
4. Work with the family to learn more about the child and the child's needs
5. Establish communication with the family to create an ongoing process of parental involvement in the class and in the child's education.

My overall goal is to ensure that the child benefits from the development of an inclusive environment.  My goal is to promote inclusion and diversity in the classroom.  As a result, researching the family's background will provide me with the information that I need to be more productive as a teacher and to ensure that the child's culture is represented in the classroom.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

I grew up in Mississippi, and most of my life, I heard people talk about prejudice and racism.  My family is African American and they would talk about things that happended to them.  However, I did not directly experience racism or prejudice until I was 15 years old.  On this day, a white woman called me the N word.  She stated that "she was tired of you people" and asked me to leave her store.  I was shopping for a dress and did not have enough money.  When I asked the lady if I could put the dress up and come back later, she asked me to leave the store in a nasty manner.  On this day, I felt degraded and less than a person.

If I could go back to that day, I would have thanked the woman for her time and explained that I would return for the dress.  I would have overcome the mistreatment with courtesy and kindness.  I would also have held my head up and walked out instead of crying.  This incident has stuck with me all my life, and it was one of the first moments when I realized that prejudice people were still in the world.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

I experienced a microagression this week at work.  A coworker stated that I did a great job on the last group project.  He further stated that most women are bossy or mouthy; however, I was a pleasure to work with.  The microagression made me feel that I was being accepted as a woman who played by the rules of the boy's club.  It was almost like I was not worthy of being a team member because I am a woman.  I have learned this week that microagressions take many forms and it is easy to offend someone based on the exclusive language that is used.  Therefore, people should be careful about the way they speak to others.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

After talking to three friends, I received mixed definitions of culture.  Two friends believe that culture is based on ethnicity and race. As a result, people's culture is tied to their family and heritage.  The third friend believed that people are raised into a culture, and that people who are adopted or raised in different regions will adapt to the culture.  Therefore, culture is attained through socialization.

I also asked my friends about diversity.  Again, two of them believed that diversity stemmed from cultural and racial differences, and one stated that the United States was the melting pot of diversity.  One male friends' explanation of diversity was similar to the definition in the course material.  He believed that diversity included the differences between people based on different skills, physical characteristics, and culture.

Reviewing other people's definitions of culture and diversity helped me to understand how culture and diversity plays a role in society and education.  Diversity and culture are key elements of the early childhood learning environment.  Therefore, educators must develop cultural competency to work with a diverse group of children and families from different cultures.  I have also learned that people from the same culture are diverse.

My Family Culture

I would take my family photo album.  The photo album shows the family history and explains the family culture.  I would also take the family bible.  My great grandmother started keeping a birth history of family members in the bibles opening pages.  Also, the bible provides an understanding of the family’s dedication to religion.  Lastly, I would take a quilt that my great grandmother made.  The quilt has been expanded over the years with patches added by family members.  The quilt tells the story of my family’s history through slavery up to today.

If I could only have one item, I would keep the family bible.  The family bible is a record of the family history and religion will be important to future generations, especially during a disaster and hard times.  After carefully choosing the bible, I realize that religion is an important part of my family’s life and culture.

Welcome

Welcome to my new blog.