As I was going through the three communication evaluations for myself and then had another person do the same evaluations based on their perception of my communication, public speaking, verbal aggression, and listening skills, I wasn't truly sure how the results would compare based on my learning experiences over the past few weeks and knowing that image can speak a different language then what we may assume we portray. All three scores for all three questionnaires were in the same category - for the Communication Anxiety I am considered Elevated, for the Verbal Aggression I am considered moderate and well balance, and for Listening I am considered to be people-oriented. I was surprised after going through the questionnaires with one of the people I had assist in this assignment because as I was able to watch the answers they selected and some of them were completely different answers that I would have selected for myself. So I really thought their results were going to differ a lot more from my own than they actually did. Although their scores for me were a little bit higher then mine they were still considered in the same scoring brackets. I suppose I was also surprise at some of the answers that others selected for me. For example, I know that speaking in public especially to a large group of people is one of my least favorite things to do and I get extremely nervous, even thinking back to all of my classroom presentations I did as a student from grammar school all the way up through my undergrad. So I was surprise as well that for some questions that asked about my "shakiness" when speaking in public other people did not perceive my nervousness as much as I thought, and certainly not as much as I actually feel when I'm speaking to a large group of people.
Over the past few weeks and after completing this week's assignments so far, I am definitely learning more clearly how diverse communication can be. You can communicate by talking with someone or people, you can communicate by how your dressed, by your physical features regarding your skin color, hair color, or gender, and on the opposing end, your communication skills are also measured by your ability to listen and receive information that's both verbal and nonverbal. There are just many factors that come together in the simplest chat to a formal presentation that will effect the message you're trying to get across as well as the message you are receiving. The three questionnaires also provided me more insight about myself, how I feel about my own communication skills, and what others perceive from my communication. I think now that I know a little bit more about what I display there are some areas that I would really like to work on in both my personal and professional life. In addition to gaining some personal insight from this week's assignment, I was fascinated that the two people who I had asked to take the questionnaires on my behalf became very interested in discovering what their own scores would be and ended up taking the tests for themselves afterward. Maybe this shows that, as individuals, we are more concerned about our persona than we think and by acting on our curiosity we might gain more knowledge about ourselves and the ability to improve our communication where needed.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Cultural Communication
Considering cultural diversity, I do feel that I communicate differently depending on a person's cultural identity based on characteristics like race, religion, age, sex, orientation, political beliefs, etc. For example, during my family's annual holiday gatherings, my uncle, who I really only see a few times a year, and his girlfriend come into town. Her personality is very strong-willed and she's definitely not afraid to talk about her opinions with anyone, such as her political beliefs, her standpoints on how to raise children, etc. I personally don't need to agree with her viewpoints, but I tend not to begin "small talk" with her because of her argumentative and confrontation nature regarding politics or to raise children is extremely overwhelming. Now that might be more of a personal choice because of an personality clash, but I do also feel I communicate considering others background, knowledge, and culture in how our communication is conducted. I certainly don't mean that I look differently at a person's whose cultural background is unlike my own, but I do want to make sure that I consider personal and cultural differences and how these characteristics might create specific needs.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Communication in Action: TV Show
The TV show I chose to watch for this assignment was The Office.
While watching the show in without sound you could certainly relate to the environment and relationships between characters. Based on the scene and attire of the characters, you could tell that they were coworkers working in a professional place of business (also given from the title of the show). At the beginning of the show one character seemed to be showing a lot of strong emotional body language in a one-on-one interview as if he were frustrated or disgusted. For example, he used rapid and large hand movements and his facial expressions showed his emotions in his eye, eyebrow, and overall sour look. When he then came in contact with another coworker he again displayed some of the same physical reactions to them after some dialogue, moving his hands quickly with he words as if to get his point across more effectively and clearly. This example certainly showed that the relationship at that moment was more negative, maybe then usual, and their was some tension and frustration between them.
After looking at one relationship example and conflict between a few of the characters I concluded that the overall environment was unorganized and frustrating for these characters. While a few were unfocused they began to negatively influence another causing him frustration and stress with getting his own work completed. Most of the interruptions placed on this one particular character were done in nonverbal ways. For instance, one coworker decided to sit in his chair while another borrowed his phone without consulting with him first. Additionally, verbal interruptions were also used where two other coworkers were talking loudly nearby creating a disruption. In general my assumptions regarding their relationships and communication occurring at that moment were accurate, as much of the nonverbal language perceived was very clear and strongly emphasized. I think that if I had been following the show for some time that I would have a better understanding of the character's personalities and relationships with each other in this environment. This example just shows that importance of our body language and what is not said is so influential to how our communication is perceived by others.
While watching the show in without sound you could certainly relate to the environment and relationships between characters. Based on the scene and attire of the characters, you could tell that they were coworkers working in a professional place of business (also given from the title of the show). At the beginning of the show one character seemed to be showing a lot of strong emotional body language in a one-on-one interview as if he were frustrated or disgusted. For example, he used rapid and large hand movements and his facial expressions showed his emotions in his eye, eyebrow, and overall sour look. When he then came in contact with another coworker he again displayed some of the same physical reactions to them after some dialogue, moving his hands quickly with he words as if to get his point across more effectively and clearly. This example certainly showed that the relationship at that moment was more negative, maybe then usual, and their was some tension and frustration between them.
After looking at one relationship example and conflict between a few of the characters I concluded that the overall environment was unorganized and frustrating for these characters. While a few were unfocused they began to negatively influence another causing him frustration and stress with getting his own work completed. Most of the interruptions placed on this one particular character were done in nonverbal ways. For instance, one coworker decided to sit in his chair while another borrowed his phone without consulting with him first. Additionally, verbal interruptions were also used where two other coworkers were talking loudly nearby creating a disruption. In general my assumptions regarding their relationships and communication occurring at that moment were accurate, as much of the nonverbal language perceived was very clear and strongly emphasized. I think that if I had been following the show for some time that I would have a better understanding of the character's personalities and relationships with each other in this environment. This example just shows that importance of our body language and what is not said is so influential to how our communication is perceived by others.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Week 1 Effective Communication: Who Do I Admire?
When I think of someone I know who communicates well, I think of my husband. Not to say that he talks a lot, but when he does talk he is considerate of the receiving person and that he/she has a good understanding within the conversation. In our small school facility, I watch him meet with new and prospective parents and families that would like to see our facility, meet our staff members, and get an overall better feel for our programs. He always begins with a warm welcoming, which when communicating with a person, helps to set the tone of the meeting. Now I don't have a photo of him, but he's a big guy - about 6'5" tall and can definitely hold his ground. To a child he looks rather intimidating, so especially for him it's important to consider how he is physically perceived by others. It's interesting how most of what we communicate to others isn't words at all, but is in our body language. He consistently keeps that in mind when he communicates with others as a way of creating a warm setting.
Another thing he does well is sets an appropriate channel for which communication is received and uses a respectful and responsible method of doing so. Although I live with him and have to make hundreds of decisions with him and communicate as a spouse constantly, but when I have the opportunity just to overhear a conversation between him and a new parent to come to our facility for a tour, much of his communication falls under the category of control (O'Hair, 2009). He portrays our school and answers questions in a way to best show these parents our programs and how his/her child(ren) would fit into the environment. What I love most about his tours is definitely his ethics and his honesty. He doesn't want to dazzle parents and families just to reel them in to pack on our enrollment, but he really wants to show what we can offer and sets a picture for them to decide how best a fit we are, sometimes even suggesting to look at other facilities for their own benefit if he doesn't see a good match through his own experience as an educator. One last thing he does is shares his experience and knowledge, as an educator, in his communication. I think this helps to develop an affiliation, not for himself, but instead for his cause (O'Hair, 2009).
Overall, my husband has effective communication skills that come from his caring and considerate personality as well as experience, that I would love to learn from and be able to adopt into my own communication.
References
Another thing he does well is sets an appropriate channel for which communication is received and uses a respectful and responsible method of doing so. Although I live with him and have to make hundreds of decisions with him and communicate as a spouse constantly, but when I have the opportunity just to overhear a conversation between him and a new parent to come to our facility for a tour, much of his communication falls under the category of control (O'Hair, 2009). He portrays our school and answers questions in a way to best show these parents our programs and how his/her child(ren) would fit into the environment. What I love most about his tours is definitely his ethics and his honesty. He doesn't want to dazzle parents and families just to reel them in to pack on our enrollment, but he really wants to show what we can offer and sets a picture for them to decide how best a fit we are, sometimes even suggesting to look at other facilities for their own benefit if he doesn't see a good match through his own experience as an educator. One last thing he does is shares his experience and knowledge, as an educator, in his communication. I think this helps to develop an affiliation, not for himself, but instead for his cause (O'Hair, 2009).
Overall, my husband has effective communication skills that come from his caring and considerate personality as well as experience, that I would love to learn from and be able to adopt into my own communication.
References
O’Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2009). Real communication: An introduction. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Professional Hopes and Goals
Over the past eight weeks I have really been exposed to a variety of topics and experiences in diversity. Our society is definitely growing in diversity so working as an educator in early childhood education will continue to bring new faces and cultures into my work with young children and their families. As I continue through my professional career in education, I hope to take with me my new awareness of how culture and diversity can affect people within a dominant culture different then their own. Looking at the community where I live, I do consider myself a member of the dominantly white area, but as I see more and more families enter our school. I think it's important to be opened minded about others and even though I may not fully understand every culture different than my own, I do want to continue to learn about how I can best work with individuals, taking into consideration their personal needs.
One goal that I would wish for the early childhood field in relation to diversity and equity would be that as we become more exposed to new cultures that our early childhood curricula standards also become more diverse to allow children to experience different cultures. I think that a positive exposure to diverse curriculum would help children to consider our society's differences in a positive light and hopefully learn to value and respect the differences we can share with each other as a culture.
Thank you to all my colleagues and Professor Kien for providing comments, responses, stories, and suggestions throughout the course. Best of luck to all!
Caitlin
One goal that I would wish for the early childhood field in relation to diversity and equity would be that as we become more exposed to new cultures that our early childhood curricula standards also become more diverse to allow children to experience different cultures. I think that a positive exposure to diverse curriculum would help children to consider our society's differences in a positive light and hopefully learn to value and respect the differences we can share with each other as a culture.
Thank you to all my colleagues and Professor Kien for providing comments, responses, stories, and suggestions throughout the course. Best of luck to all!
Caitlin
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Welcoming Families from Around the World
If I were working in an early childhood care facility and a family was immigrating to the United States from China and will be enrolling their young daughter at the facility, I would definitely need to prepare myself to learn about their family's culture and how to best welcome this young girl into a new environment.
In order to become more familiar with the Chinese culture, I would begin by taking time to read about the country through professional resources free of any biases, prejudices, or oppressive opinions. How families live, any traditional customs, and any other important factors about this country. I think that as a teacher to this young girl I would want to better understand how the education system and teacher-student relationships are conducted in China and incorporate those factors into my relationship with her. According to Chinese Culture, Social Work Education and Research the teacher-student relationship is hierarchically determined which makes learning and knowledge building more difficult, often times students do not receive adequate respect for their creativity or innovations, and because teachers are expected to have experience and wisdom, it is difficult for them to accept students’ ideas when they contradict their own (Chan & Chan, 2005). Experience is valued much more than creativity in China's education system, which is very different than what I have learned in the U.S. educational field (Chan & Chan, 2005). As a way of preparing the environment, I would bring in books and items for the other children in the class and myself to read together about her family's culture. One method of introducing this new student's culture into the classroom might be having her bring in just a few items from home that belong to her to share with the class. Although this is a hypothetical scenario, if language barriers come into play it would benefit both myself, the young student, and her family if I were to study about the Chinese language so that I could more adequately communicate with her and her family. One other stride I might take to help welcome this family would be to meet with them and talk about their expectations and needs for their daughter and provide any appropriate resources for their use at home to make their daughter's transition to the school smoother.
As we have discussed throughout this course, understanding diversity with respect to early childhood development can have so many beneficial aspects for growing children and their families. By becoming more culturally responsive in preparation for a young child moving from a different and unfamiliar culture would allow for more positive experiences for the child entering a new environment, more adequate communication between myself, the student, and the family, and would help to eliminate any preconceived biases or untrue assumptions about a new culture.
References
Chan, K.L. & Chan, C.L.W. (2005). Chinese Culture, Social Work Education and Research. International Social Work 48(4): 381–389. Retrieved using the Walden University Library SAGE Publications database.
In order to become more familiar with the Chinese culture, I would begin by taking time to read about the country through professional resources free of any biases, prejudices, or oppressive opinions. How families live, any traditional customs, and any other important factors about this country. I think that as a teacher to this young girl I would want to better understand how the education system and teacher-student relationships are conducted in China and incorporate those factors into my relationship with her. According to Chinese Culture, Social Work Education and Research the teacher-student relationship is hierarchically determined which makes learning and knowledge building more difficult, often times students do not receive adequate respect for their creativity or innovations, and because teachers are expected to have experience and wisdom, it is difficult for them to accept students’ ideas when they contradict their own (Chan & Chan, 2005). Experience is valued much more than creativity in China's education system, which is very different than what I have learned in the U.S. educational field (Chan & Chan, 2005). As a way of preparing the environment, I would bring in books and items for the other children in the class and myself to read together about her family's culture. One method of introducing this new student's culture into the classroom might be having her bring in just a few items from home that belong to her to share with the class. Although this is a hypothetical scenario, if language barriers come into play it would benefit both myself, the young student, and her family if I were to study about the Chinese language so that I could more adequately communicate with her and her family. One other stride I might take to help welcome this family would be to meet with them and talk about their expectations and needs for their daughter and provide any appropriate resources for their use at home to make their daughter's transition to the school smoother.
As we have discussed throughout this course, understanding diversity with respect to early childhood development can have so many beneficial aspects for growing children and their families. By becoming more culturally responsive in preparation for a young child moving from a different and unfamiliar culture would allow for more positive experiences for the child entering a new environment, more adequate communication between myself, the student, and the family, and would help to eliminate any preconceived biases or untrue assumptions about a new culture.
References
Chan, K.L. & Chan, C.L.W. (2005). Chinese Culture, Social Work Education and Research. International Social Work 48(4): 381–389. Retrieved using the Walden University Library SAGE Publications database.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Personal Experience with Bias, Prejudice, or Oppression
When I read through the blog assignment this week, one story that came to mind was one told to me and experienced by my husband's mother (my mother-in-law) who began an early childhood school 50 years ago, the same school that I work in today. Fifty years ago, she was working in the local public school district and saw that there were no facilities available for children to attend before the first grade level. She wanted to create a place for children to come during their early childhood years to help prepare students for their grammar school experiences as well as provide care for parents and families for their young children, being a single mother and widow in her mid-thirties. Although her intentions to open an early childhood school were more than admirable she was confronted and approached with criticism by some of the local public saying that she was stepping outside of the boundaries meant for women and providing a new method for women to leave the home and step into the workforce. All of the comments and disgust she received came from the male members of the community who, at the time, were biased against women working in a "man's" position, a time when the oppression of women was the dominant culture of society. Despite the confrontations she dealt with during the beginnings of her private school, she pursued her dream and developed a high quality and the most well known early childhood program in the area 50 years later. In this particular scenario, those people that would have to change would be those male members of the community who felt that women should remain as housewives rather than members of the workforce. Obviously times have changed dramatically as women have entered the workforce, opening business, and pursuing their personal employment goals.
Mentally placing myself in her shoes at that time, I can only imagine how difficult it would have been to follow a goal that it being outright put-down and frowned upon by other members of the community, her peers and colleagues. I think I would have felt suppression of my personal goals and desires to make a change in local education for the better. I can only hope that I'd find the same courage to step past the norm to do something that would bring a new idea and benefit to society.
Mentally placing myself in her shoes at that time, I can only imagine how difficult it would have been to follow a goal that it being outright put-down and frowned upon by other members of the community, her peers and colleagues. I think I would have felt suppression of my personal goals and desires to make a change in local education for the better. I can only hope that I'd find the same courage to step past the norm to do something that would bring a new idea and benefit to society.
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