6165>WEEK 1 BLOG: INDIVIDUALS WHO SHOWS GREAT COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Whether the person comes from the entertainment industry, political industry or are “regular” people that I have encountered along the way there have been many that have stood out to me and admire. Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama are two individuals that I admire and my choses are not geared toward race. I say them for completely opposite reasons. I, even, disagree with a lot of their beliefs and customs but what I do like about them is that have accomplished a lot that they have set out do in life. Just like Warren Buffet said, “He would not even help a person who has not failed at least ten times toward building their businesses” and Oprah said she was turned down a lot and failed many times before getting where she is in life.

Despite what is said about them, they may get upset but they will never retaliate in a hostile manner. Even I do not agree with their beliefs or the way they handle a lot of situations. Nevertheless, they keep their composure throughout all tough situations –in front of the camera. Now, I am quite sure that they may scream behind closed doors but those outside of their home will never know it unless they want to tell it. Even through challenges, they persevered to make their passions come to life. Both of their behaviors are calm but confident. They stand and walk tall. Barack is smooth and endearing, as well as, a man who takes care of his family and the world, as best as he sees fit. He has a rhythmic speaking pattern that demands attention and individuals want to hear what he has to say, whether they like him or not. Oprah is friendly. One strong factor that sticks out to me is how people feel comfortable enough with her to open up in front of her and the country and may even cry. They both are givers, great listeners and excellent at giving confidence to many. They exude wonderful examples of what I want to possess or model after, on a daily basis, when it comes to my communication skills.

                                                                                                           

6164 blog Last Professional Hopes and Goals

This course has been a very enlightening one for me. Partly because I have learned so much new information that I have seen but overlooked many times. The one thing that I did not know much about or at least did not know what to call it was the grouping of micro-aggressions, such as LGBT-ism, ageism and classism. I have gained a deeper appreciation about wanting to understand individuals more and more and have learned to show others not to judge others before getting to truly no a person. One “hope” that I have when I think about with children and their families, who come from diverse backgrounds, is that children will learn to adore themselves and not allow others to make them feel less about themselves. Despite what society deems as superior, a child must understand that they uniqueness will not make them any less of an individual. I would want each child to begin to be more outgoing and not be standoffish because of worrying about what others will think of them. With each child loving themselves, the love can spill out into the world, in my opinion, and may erase hatred as much as possible.

If I could set one goal for diversity, equity and social justice in the early childhood field, it would be that in each community-based schools or private school there would be a diverse collection of well-trained teachers. In order for them to be trained, they would need to have resources available for them at all times, even after they are hired for the job. I would like to envision that each teacher will have knowledge about diversity, equity and social justice and realize its importance. If they recognize how important it is for children to learn and comprehend, then they would be willing to incorporate some lessons within their classrooms.

Last but certainly not least, I want to say a good-bye to all of you -my fellow classmates. I enjoyed reading each of your blogs and discussions. You helped me see things from point-of-views that were different than my own, which has helped me learn and think much deeper in each of my courses –thus far. Good luck in the next course and hope to see you all in it.

Week 7> Welcoming Families From Around the World

Sorry, I do not know why my first post was not posting correctly. I hope you can read this one.

WEEK 7 BLOG

In the next two weeks, I will have a new student from Cyprus coming to my class. To prepare for her arrival I, first, took the time to find out more about their area and its culture. Just to get a feel of its location, I find out that “Cyprus’s capital is Nicosia and has 0.8 million people. It is the largest island in the eastern Mediterranean and is situated south of Turkey. Cyprus has long been a crossing point between Europe, Asia and Africa and still has many traces of successive civilizations – Roman theatres and villas, Byzantine churches and monasteries, Crusader castles, Ottoman mosques and pre-historic habitats. The island’s main economic activities, like tourism, clothing and craft exports and merchant shipping. Traditional crafts include embroidery, pottery and copper work.
 A traditional local dishes include the meze. The Republic of Cyprus gained its independence from Britain in 1960 and is known as the
 island of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, who, according to legend, was born here” (European Union, n.a., para. 1-5). Their
 culture is adapted toward learning Greek Cypriots but everyone speaks English, thus she would not feel left out language-wise moving to
 the United States. The religions there are Muslim and Christian, which we have both so they would not feel left out. Fishing and tourism
 is important to their area. Most things that we would find on their dinner tables are yogurt, bread, dips, vegetables and salads. They do 
celebrate holidays that we do not and so I would definitely take that into consideration. Everyone is very laid back but extremely
 respectful to their elders and professional lives.

After learning all about their culture and beliefs, secondly, I would focus on their educational process. I found out that a child’s parents
 are very involved with the whole process of education. They value it as very high. They are there to cover all expenses from early childhood
 education until they graduate from college. This area I would not have to worry about with my new student and their parents, which will
 seem to be a very pleasant experience. YEA!!! Their educational system encourages education all the way up into adult learning. The
 European Commission stresses key competencies, such as knowledge skills and gathering an attitude to help learners feel fulfilled to
 later get a great job. They encourage learning the mother’s native tongue, other foreign languages, digital skills, literacy and basic math 
and science skills. They also teach horizontal skills, such as learning to learn, social and civic responsibilities, initiative and entrepreneurship,
 cultural awareness and creativity. So, by knowing these things, I know that the child will be very well-rounded when he or she arrives to my
 class.

Reference

 European Union. (n.a). Cyprus. Retrieved October 18, 2014, from
 http://www.europa.eu/about-eu/countries/memebr-countries/cyprus/index-en.htm