I would just like to thank each and every one of my fellow students for taking this journey with me. I was a bit nervous when I set out on the path of online learning, coming from a totally traditional educaiton backround. I didn't know what to expect. Being able to communication and get to know each and every one of you through our discussions and blogs have shown me that it really is possible to get that classroom like atmosphere and collaboration without actually being in the same place. I appreciate the responces each of you have shared, not just on my work, but on everyones. I have learned so much from just reading through the responses of others and would not have been able to do this without all of you. Thank you and good luck on the rest of your journey and I hope we will talk again soon, in class or otherwise.

Contact information:
My person email is Swie2230@yahoo.com   and this is be best way to contact me for whatever reason.

Adjourning Stage of Development

Adjourning Stage:

I believe that the hardest part about leaving a group is when you have invested much of yourself and taken in the others you have been working with. What I mean is, that if I was going to do a job with a team of people, we come in for our day, we work, hardly talking unless it has to do with our project and at the end of the day punch out, and go home. There is no vested interest in the people i am working with, only the need to get the work completed. Those connections have been made so saying goodbye at the end, whether successful or not would not be difficult for me. I believe that many of us can say the same thing.

Being able to say goodbye to those you have built those strong connections with can be extremely difficult. You are involved with them on a personal level and it can create lasting relationships even after the project is over. Having rituals is important to saying goodbye. Some places have a small party, or sign a card to give to the person leaving. Sometimes it's going out to have a drink to celebrate a job well done. Whatever the case may be, the rituals we have helps to put a finality to the ending state.

I believe that it will be easier to leave this group of colleagues that I have here over say leaving where I work for a new job. Even though we have been engaged and working with each other for over a year now, those one-on-one connections are not as strong through an internet based course. I am not saying that this is how everyone feels, but this is just my feelings. I think I have to have those in person conversations when you can look a person in the eye when talking to them to help form those bonds. We have the commonality of going through the same experiences together, and working together but not the interaction and that is a totally different thing.

Conflict

So one conflict that I have recently had was a disagreement with my husband. We don't argue often but when we do it always seems to be over the same things. This time it was over the fact that my dog sometimes has accidents in the house. She has them in a room we never really go into, so it seems to me like she is hiding the fact that she does it. My husband gets all grumpy about it, but at the same time doesn't really ever do anything to fix the problem. I try to explain that it is just like children, consistency is key, but I can't do it alone.
One thing that I learned from this week, is that I need to stay calm and try to listen to what he is saying and how he is feeling. I usually go into automatic defense mode and my hackles are raised. This does not help, as I end up usually just end up disregarding what he says because I feel attacked, instead of just listening and sifting through the information.

The other thing that I learned, is that we really need to try and form a list of solutions and pick one that works for both of us. Getting rid of the dog is NOT an option, so we need to come up with something else that we are both willing to work with. Maybe that way we can work as a team, and not as opposing forces trying to get to the same solution different ways. I have also learned that this is easier said than done, but I really feel that if we take the time to do the steps in conflict resolution consciously, it will be easier to get through each time something happens and to work through it.

I have attached a picture of my sweet baby Sophie, so you can see why it is so difficult to stay mad at her, and then go for each other throats!!! She is JUST TOO CUTE to be grumpy with... don't you think??!?

Me as a communicator

         When it came to my personal results from the exams that I took, I was not really in the least surprised. I like to think that I am a very self aware person and know both my strengths as well as my shortcoming that could use some work. Being that I am constantly cognizant of these traits I believe that this leads me to have a better idea at what my results would yield, and I was correct.
    
       I did find that my husband thought that I had more anxiety with public speaking than I honestly really do. I am not sure why he felt this way, but it was only marginally higher than my score, but it did bump me from the lowest score (mine was 21) to a 34. It was significant enough difference to change what category I was in. When I asked him about it, he said he had a difficult time answering questions that had to do with the physical effect that one can get when speaking in public or in groups. This could have skewed the results to show to him I have a higher anxiety than I truly believe that I do. My co-worker who took the test was exactly online with my answers, except we were just a number or two off on the verbal aggression. She actually had me as less than I had myself.
 

Communication

The one person that I would like to emulate as a model for positive communication skills is my mother. I say this because she is a person who can go into any situation and feel confident that she can convey her thoughts aloud to anyone be it a group or one-on-one. She is a secretary for the state, and she communicates with everyone from students, to custodial staff, interns and resident/researching doctors. She has this amazing ability that makes everyone instantly comfortable and willing to talk with her no matter their station. She also has an eloquence about her that allows her to not just be able to speak with but actually carry out intellectual conversations with people with far more "education and status" that she has in the world. However, she can also talk to the "peons" of the world and not make them feel insufficient or uneducated compared to how she speaks! It truly is amazing.
She is also someone who when she asks questions (personal or not) she actually cares and wants to her the answers to what they have to say. She isn't one to just make polite conversation because it is the right thing to do in our society. She actually takes a genuine interest in what is being told to her, even if she doesn't fully understand the context (like some of the research the doctors are doing) but she listens and asks more questions to try to clarify.
My mom also has this ability to speak to people who are angry or unreasonable and help them to see they are being unruly. She speaks to them in a way that she actually drops her voice to a lower octave and speaks slower in a calm soothing manor. She works a personal mediator between my father and I who don't always see eye to eye and can come out in a yelling match. When I was younger and living at home this was a serious problem, but my mom was always able to handle the situation, I have NO idea how she did it. When I am upset or mad I call her and she is somehow able to look at situations from different angles and show me different perspective or talk me through different situations because of this ability. 

YES!! She is someone that I try  to model in my everyday life, and remember how she would feel if I communicated something in a negative way. If she is unhappy with the way I might handle something (communication wise) I would rethink my response or actions.

Professional Hopes and Goals

My hope for when I work with families in the future is that each of us will have the patience to get to know one another and the unique qualities that each side brings to the classroom. I want to be given the chance to get to know the unique traditions, values and beliefs that each child brings with them from their family and communities. I know that it takes a village to raise a child, that is why i feel their culture comes from more than just the immediate family that surrounds them. I want my classroom to feel welcoming and a place of acceptance for those to come in, share, and be a part of our classroom community.

One professional goal that I have for myself is to become more thoroughly acquainted with the idea of Microaggressions which we learned about in week 6. I want to know enough about this topic and the research behind it to compile a mini course specifically designed for all students to take at a college/professional level. I would make a case to the board that this is not just a course for teachers, or social workers, but for all students. We are all subjected to some sort of microaggression no matter who we are, but we also all give out microaggressions. Most of us are not aware we are making such a transgression, and knowledge is power. Giving people the self mindedness that comes from learning about microaggressions can help to create a more harmonious society and takes us further away from the ideas of discrimination as it should be.
I would have to say that the topic on microaggressions is one area that I would want to expand my knowledge about in a professional way. Seeing how I would like to one day teach a course on this topic, I should gain as much knowledge as possible about it. This is a topic that I knew nothing about for the first 27 years of my life, and I don’t like to think about how many indiscretions in this area I may have made in those years and not have had any idea. To me this is such a vital part of how humans function and categorize/empathize/sympathize that we are not even aware how it might be completely inappropriate. 

I wanted to thank all of my class mates for helping to expand my realm of thinking and push my limits to expand in the knowledge of this topic. Through our blogs and discussions, I have really had the opportunities to look at the world through your experiences and perspectives and that is something that I truly value! I wish you luck throughout the rest of your semesters and also your journey in the early childhood field, wherever you may go. 

Families from around the world

I would be teaching a UPK classroom and I decided to look up the country of Tonga.

First I would look up what language they speak so I know if I will need to get an interpreter somehow, or if we will be able to communicate. In Tonga, they speak both Tongan, which is an Austronesian language of the Oceanic subgroup, as well as English.

 I would look up information on the place/history of where they live.

• Tonga is a small island in the middle of the South Pacific. This is a country that is still ruled by a Polynesian monarchy, and where most Tongans live in small villages not big towns or cities.  This is the only pacific island that was NEVER colonized by a bigger nation or power.

Next I would look up information on their education system to see where that falls into their list of priorities.

• Tonga provides for its citizens free and mandatory education for all. Secondary education with only nominal fees and foreign-funded scholarships for post-secondary education! Tongans enjoy a relatively high level of education, with a 98.9% literacy rate, and higher education up to and including medical and graduate degrees (pursued mostly overseas).

Then I would look at religious belief or customs.

•  Everyday life is heavily influenced by Polynesian traditions and especially by the Christian faith; for example, all commerce and entertainment activities cease from midnight on Saturday until midnight on Sunday, and the constitution declares the Sabbath sacred forever. 

After religion, I would look up any cultural "hobbies"(for lack of a better word).

• the most famous local craft is the making of Tapa, a decorative bark cloth painted with traditional symbols and designs. Tapa is usually offered as a gift of respect at weddings, births and funerals. Tongan arts and handicrafts, including bone carving, wood carving, basket making and fine weaving made using techniques passed down through generations of Tongan craftspeople.

Finally I would look at their traditions.

•  Food is the occasion for a family gathering only at the end of the day. But they can eat freely during the course of the day. The ritual of kava drinking characterizes both formal and daily events. It is nonalcoholic but slightly narcotic. People sit cross-legged in an elliptical pattern whose long axis is headed by the bowl on one side and by the highest-ranked participant on the other.
• People shake hands when they meet, and relatives kiss by pressing each other's noses against their faces and soundly inhaling through the nose.
• Most food is eaten with the hands, although silverware also is used. It is customary to wash one's hands at the beginning and end of a meal.  
• The gesture of raising the eyebrows in conversation expresses one's understanding of the speaker's speech and is an invitation to continue. It is difficult for people to admit failure in understanding or to respond negatively to requests.

  
  I would know that I should be able to at least communicate with them to a certain point because we would speak the same language. Although depending on how frequently they used English they might not have as much vocabulary, but we could work through it together! I would also know how to greet them when we met, some cultures don't like to touch while others are very touchy/feely. Also the child might not use utensils often, so they might eat with their hands when we get lunch/snack in the classroom.

  
  Reference:

http://www.thekingdomoftonga.com/

Personal Side

One very strong memory I have that still effects me to this day is from when I was a little girl I was taking out of my first grade class and held back on the reasoning that I was not teachable, and not intelligent enough to move forward. Granted my parents were informed of this during open house (3^rd week of school). I was placed in remedial reading, and when I was in school that was a separate classroom where the kids who wore helmets and bibs would go during the day. Talk about a blow to self-esteem! This is an absolute time that I felt powerless. Of course I realize it more now as an adult reflecting on how I felt back then, than when I was living it. I felt as if I didn’t really matter and they just swept me under the rug because they didn’t want to deal with the “problem”. That’s how this assertion of power made me feel, like a problematic outcast.

Equity was completely and totally demolished and power was taken away from me by those who made me feel so low.  It wasn't until recent years that I would even talk about this situation, let alone how I felt because I always felt that I would be judged by those who knew the "truth" .

Microaggression

So just this last week my husband and I went out for dinner with a few team mates of our from softball. We decided that we wanted to go to the Mexican restaurant in town, as it is one of our favorite (my husband and I). It was the first time both of our team mates have ever been. My husband and I are most likely considered regulars to their establishment, and as such I like to think we have developed a positive rapport with the staff (3 people). I have even started to remember some Spanish from back in my high school days and I use as much as I can when interacting with them, and the always smile approvingly at me even though I am sure to be butchering the dialect.  After we had another delicious dinner, we were walking out the door when one person in our company yelled "Adios, Mi AMIGOS!" and just started laughing. I turned right around to the hostess and apologized for their behavior and said we would be coming alone next time. I was completely mortified for his behavior and I found out quickly that he didn't even realize what he did. After we got out of the restaurant, I got a little hostile with him, and asked him what his problem was. He did not have a good enough excuse for me and I said that was not only embarrassing to my husband and I, but I am sure that they took offense towards the action. I told them that it was out of line, and they said they only wanted to communicate with them. I said then you do it in a more respectable manor, because that just looked like you were mocking them instead. My friend felt terrible, but not enough to go back in and apologize for his error.

I think that this week's readings really helped to affirm my belief that he did something wrong that could be construed as offensive, and next time I am in a situation like this I will be more vocal about my feelings, and make people be aware that what they say DOES matter to someone!

Definitions of culture/diversity

Friend #1

"My definition of culture would be everything that I see around me. My own personal culture is the family that I surround myself with. We all are a little different when it comes to our families and no matter how different we may seem that is where we come from, that is our culture. It doesn't have to be the same as everyone else.  As a teacher I would say that diversity is the differences that we hold on to from our culture is what helps to make up diversity. It is not just the color of your skin or your religious beliefs, while that is an important part, diversity is much more than just what is on the outside much like that of culture."

Friend#2:

"Culture is the beliefs that people hold dear to themselves. They might be religious beliefs, they might be traditional beliefs passed down by your family. Culture means different things to different people. Diversity is understanding that you are different from the people around you, but also respecting the differences you see in other people."

Friend #3:

"An upbringing. The way you are raised, and culture has to do with what you are exposed to throughout your lifetime. Having culture is respecting things like are and music, and looking at the other intelligences of the world and appreciating what is around you. Diversity is the difference between cultures. Although I am a liberal i do agree it has been taken to an extreme. People don't understand that other people's cultures do not need to be forced upon others. All that is needed is simple recognition."

My friends all had an idea what culture and diversity are about but many of them had to take classes of diversity in college as it is a requirement. I did not have the opportunity to ask someone I knew who did not go to college so I do now know if their answers would be similar or different. 

Relocation

       First of all I would be taking my dog Chad with me. I know that he isn't a "small item" but I feel he is note worthy as my immediate family and would have survived the catastrophic event. I say this because he is more than my dog, in my family culture he is my child. My parents treat him as a grand child, and the family treats him as any other member of the family. My husband and I do not want children of our own except that our child is our pup Chad. I would explain that even though he isn't from my physical body, Chad holds a piece of my soul that can not be replaced as a assume a mother feels about their child.

       The next that I would have to take with me is the last picture of my family all together. I think that it is important to have a visual reminder of those we have lost. If I can't take them with me because they have long since past, and will be unable to visit their grave I want to be able to always remember what they look like. Memories fade over time and sometimes those memories are not as crisp as they once were.
    
      Other than what I mentioned above, as long as I have my family with me then nothing of material value really matters. I can start from scratch and build up our lives again even if it is in a strange country. My family means more to me than anything else could so there is not much that I would run back into a burning building to get as long as I have them. My grandma's recipes that she will never cook again would be nice to have in her writing but to be honest, they were taught without writing it down so they are in my head. There is no telling we would even be able to get the supplies to make them where we are going.

The Idea of Research...

When I first thought about research before this class started it was just something that I had to do in order to get through school. I have learned through taking this class that research is so much more than that, and it can be so easy to get too amerced in an idea. I had the best of intentions in the beginning of this class and my idea was great. However, I learned that I was way too general and really had to focus my thoughts on a much smaller scale to make research even a possibility.
    I have learned that you really need to be invested in your idea for research and not just something you thought about of the top of your head. When doing research you are completely surround by it. Choosing a topic or area that you are passionate about is key.
     The hardest challenge for me when it comes to research is all the vocabulary. There always seems to be so much terminology that just don't' flow for my way of comprehension. I never want to read journals or research articles because it is something that seemed tedious and time consuming because I would have to keep rereading passages to make sure I understood what they were talking about. I have found that after doing some basic research on the words that I didn't have a clear understanding before, it has been a much easier endeavor to get through readings/research needed and I can appreciate it more.
  

International Research

The website that I chose to look at was the Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The topics of research seemed to be separated by country wherein the study had taken place or effected directly as a result of the research.

Zambia: Pilot Study of the Adaptation of an Established Measure to Assess the Quality of Child Services in a Selected Orphanage in Zambia: The Inclusive Quality Assessment (IQA) Tool

 
Ghana: Parents’ and Other Caregivers’ Perception of Early Childhood Development Needs and Quality: A Study of the PLAN-Assisted Programmes in Bawjiase, Ghana

Uganda: Utilizing Indigenous Stories in the Promotion of Early Childhood DevelopmentPrograms in Uganda

Nigeria:

Involving Fathers in Early Childhood Care and Development

These are just a few of the articles that I looked at while browsing through their extensive list.I was surprised that the list was written by country. I guess because I never really thought about it since I live in one large country made up of small states; not one large continent made up of many countries! It was very interesting to look at the list and go down through country to see where the interests are and what they are investing time and energy into delving into. Also it makes me wonder why there are many countries not represented? Is it because there are no credible works published to put into this site? Or are there other possibly political reasons why they are not listed? This was kind of a strange website to navigate as it was more for educational purposes, but I had a hard time really understanding what was going on here. Besides for that, I thought that it was very interesting that this seemed to be a website geared towards Early Childhood Development (adult education) yet the entire website is in English, and I know that there are many languages in Africa. My assumption would be that since it is in the University in Victoria then there must be a substantial amount of people who speak English!

My experience with research

My introduction to research was sort of horrific as a young child. My mom and aunt worked for a hospital that did research on animals, dogs in particular once they were successful on smaller lab animals (like rats). I remember how upset I was when I would see the care takers bringing the dogs outside and they would have issues walking or couldn't use the bathroom properly. I would ask my mom what was wrong with them, and my mom would tell me that they made the dogs sick so that they could practice making them better. If they were able to make them better then we would help little boys and girls get better too. At the time all my mind was capable of thinking about was, those poor puppies, and how I wanted their testing to STOP so they could go home and play with their toys and eat their bones. I carried this feeling with me of animal testing until I was about 23 years old when a very close friend's child was diagnosed with cancer. All I could think about was, why did this poor little girl have to get sick, and how much I hoped that she would beat this horrible disease. After 2 very long years of fighting Kaitlyn was cancer free, and it was all due in part to the research that was going on at my mom's old work. They had developed the treatment that helped to kick her cancers butt, and I was never more grateful for those dogs than I was when I got the news. I have since learned that sometimes the risks really are worth the benefits that can come from research! I have attached a picture of my best friend and her cousin who kicked cancer's butt, she is my inspiration and my reminder that without research she wouldn't be here today. (ps she just graduated collage this past weekend!!!)

Simulation Reflection

For my simulation I decided to take a look at how children use play to learn. I wanted to learn about not just why we play with our students and have them play in order to learn but also how it effects all areas of their development. I have found that the most helpful things so far have been the charts in helping me to organize the information that I am looking for, but also to organize my thoughts and keep me on track. It can be so easy to get side tracked reading different articles, even if it has nothing to do with my topic. I seem to get sucked in. So keeping my research goals in front of me it really seems to help. I also find that it takes me a LONG time to read through any articles that I am looking at. I think that much like everything else; practice makes perfect, and I will get better at getting through the information the more I do it. However, it still can seem to be a tedious process for me at this point.

Final Blog for EDUC 6162

Three consequences of learning about the international early childhood field for your professional and personal development:

1. Undertanding that some countries are able to see the importance of EC education, and support their programs.

2. Using this understanding as a model for how we might be able to improve our education system and funding.

3. I found how much the US is behind on what we can be doing for our EC programs. I didn't realize how far off the mark we really were until talking with other professionals in the field from around the world.

4. Allows me to collaborate with other EC professionals on an international level.

One goal that I have for myself as far as my international relations and education, it I would like to be able to travel and study some of the way other countries EC programs run. I absolutely want to go to Reggio Amelia. I hope to keep in contact with Annegrethe and also be able to visit her classroom, and programs in Denmark!  

International Connections III

This week I was unable to get a response back from my contact, as she is on vacation to Florida. So I decided to ask my cousin Tara if she could talk to me about schools over in Ghana. She was there as a teacher for over 2 years and I figured she might be able to give me a little insight this week for our assignment. She said that the programs that she taught were math and science. She had one class that had both girls and boys, although there were much fewer girls in the class, and she had another class of boys. The classrooms varied in age range, as they only taught on class each a day so the kids just came to school when they could. Not all of her students came every day, and she said that that was very frustrating to her because some could fall very behind just because they couldn't get to class that day. Many children had to travel in order to get to the school, and there was no reliable transportation like the buses we use.


When she first got there she was required to go through a 4 week training course to go over the material that she would be teaching. Then at the beginning of the second year, she had a 2 week training course just to go back over the curriculum, and expectations. There wasn't much as far as professional development besides these trainings that were offered as far as teaching went. However, throughout the year they would receive different cultural development trainings and classes. They would also take language classes so that they could communicate in their native language instead of always in English. Tara said that this is the hardest part of her two years there because it was so different than English.


One of Tara's professional goals was to connect with her students on a level that would make them feel engaged, excited, and comfortable in the classroom with her. She strived to make their learning experience one that would make them see the value in education, and want to pursue it. Most children don't finish their education where she was working, so she wanted to try and instill the importance of it. She also tried to talk to parents as much as she could, and help them understand why education is important for their children, not just going out to work.


She hopes that she made a difference in at least one of their lives, for them to have the desire and drive to want to complete their schooling as she was only there for 2 years. Also she hopes that she helped their families understand the benefits of education. The major challenge was not always having the children come to school and the unreliable modes of transportation. It was either walking, some had bikes, or they tried to take the local van to travel close enough to walk the rest of the way. But sometimes those vans took all day just to get the kids there, and by then school would be over. She said it was extremely frustrating but there was nothing that she could do about it.

Profesional Development

Professional Development on the NAEYC page is a very important section. They have a separate tab with many different links, articles and conferences listed. The NAEYC understand the importance of teachers being life long learners right along with the children we teach. EC teachers should be ready to constantly refresh their knowledge and gain new insights through conferences and other trainings within the field. NAEYC offers online classes and learning sessions. They sell training DVD's and offer NAEYC’s Annual Conference and Institute for workshops, networking among other things. 

One thing that I took interest in was their national conference as well as the regional conference. I went to their two day conference in central NY last year and I was learned so much information that I was able to incorporate into my classroom and home visits! I would really love to be able to attend again this year if it is close enough. This year the annual conference is going to be in Washington D.C. at the end of November, I think that it is total possibility for me to attend!

There is a section on the website that is specifically for Early Childhood Research, but you have to sign up for the journal in order to read it. That was a little bit disappointing as I would like to read a sample or two before I went ahead and ordered it, as it was over $50.00 for the year. There is also another section that has updates and alerts in federal developments with a list of them by date recent to oldest. The most recent one was 3/25/14 Child Care & Development Block Grant Moving Through Congress.

I really like this website and am seriously considering becoming a member. I hope you all enjoy taking a peek or at least getting some information about this site from my blog.

Poverty In Denmark

First I would like to apologize for the late post this week. I have had some family issues that have kept met away from my computer and I was unable to check my email for the correspondence with my contact in Denmark. I did not get her email until this evening when I came home.The following is Annegrethe response to my questions, I hope you enjoy as I have learning about a new country's policies.

"I live in a country that takes very good care of all people and poverty can be hard to find. Here in Denmark the state will give you Money if you Loose your job or cant find any.....You will reseve Money as long as you do what they ask of you....that Means you sometimes have to take a not so good job, but if you dont you will not get payd.

 

Hospitals and doctors are free because we pay very high taxes but that Means everybody can get help.

When you are a student here in denmark you get Money from the state while you study, it is not much but enough to get by you can also get at very cheap studentloan. 

 

In my Work with children ofcourse some of the parents have more Money than others and you can see that in the clothes the children were. Sometimes children are mean and tease if you dont weare the rigth clothes, but that happens more often in school and not in the kindergarden where i Work.

We do have people WHO live in the streets, but they are often alcoholics or drug addicts

I personally pay to a child in Benin every month so he can go to school and his Family can get help to, i feel it is important to give when i have more eventhoug i dont get very much Money as a single mom, though the state helps me pay for my childs place in kindergarten"

Website

I chose to look at The Association for Childhood Education International. I chose this website because, of their mission statement:

"Our mission is to promote and support the
optimal education, development, and well-being
of children worldwide. We have consultative status
with the United Nations."

They are a group of educators and advocates worldwide who come together with the knowledge and passion for the education of children. I think that this would be a great group to follow, and gain knowledge from. I am already a member of NAEYC (national association for the education of young children.) So I thought that the next step would be to take a look at a group on a global scale. This might also be important reference for future assignments when communicating with our professional contacts from other countries. 

Here is the website in case anyone would like to take a closer look.
https://acei.org/about-us/about-us.html

 

UPDATE: professional contacts

I just wanted to give an update, that I had GREAT luck with my Facebook friends. I really was never a person for social media, but it sure came in handy for this assignment. I had several people with contacts for me, the first one is a woman named Vicky from Thailand, Annegrethe from Denmark,  Lars is from Kosovo/Denmark, and I have another friend putting me in contact with someone from Shri Lanka. I hope that this will help me gain a good glimpse of what other countries are doing for their children.

I also forgot to put the website that I was interested in looking at more. I chose to do zero to three, because I work with 2 year olds, and feel that if would be very beneficial for not just me but the kids I work with.

Estabishing contacts

So when I first took a look at this Blog assignment I was completely blown away and felt way out of my element. I had no idea where to start when I was looking through the global contacts. I felt absolutely clueless when glancing through trying to figure out I was going to choose. As I was scrolling through the list the first thing that popped into my head was the my cousins were in Ghana for 2 years with the peace corps and I decided that if they had a contact for that country then I was going to start there since it has personal interest to me. I did in fact find that they had a contact Rev Charles Arko-Nunoo. I liked this for a couple of reasons, Rev. Charles has an email address along with mailing address and a telephone number. I am not sure how in-depth we are going to have to get with our new contacts so I thought it might be helpful to have multiple ways to get in touch if I needed to.

The second person I chose to try and get a hold of was Siobhan Fitzpatrick from Ireland. I chose this person for a few different reasons, the first being that I know that I can have an open line of communication with this person based on our language similarities. I know that you can use the translators online, but when asking questions and trying to get ideas across, from personal use, they are SO not correct. The person reading can get the gist of what is being implied/said but it is not accurate. I also wanted to have someone in a country that I might be able to visit in the future. I have family friends who live here and have more of an opportunity to be able to go observe later in my life's journey.

The hardest part for me this week was trying to figure out a professional way to introduce myself to a total stranger, who has no idea that I will be contacting them. I sent out emails to the ones that were provided on the website asking them if they would be okay with giving knowledge of their education system and helping me to better understand the policies, expectations and programs that they offer in their countries. After I figured out how to construct what I wanted to say, I sent out about 6 emails, all of which were returned as bad email addresses. This worried me, until I realized that I know several people who live in other countries and I decided to get a hold of them to see if they had an contacts that I could pick their brains. I am waiting for responses at this time, but I will update once I have an answer. FINGERS CROSSED!