Using Communication Skills To Enact Change

"You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can't get them across, your ideas won't get you anywhere." ~Lee Iacoca 

 Effective communication is the key to all forms of relationships, whether they are personal or business relationships. For instance, one might develop effective listening skills; good listeners are able to respond precisely to the speaker because they understood quickly what was being said in the conversation (Buzzle, 2015).  Furthermore, one might develop clear speaking skills to communicate; verbal communication and the skill to  speak clearly and precisely so one’s thoughts and views are understood are essential Buzzle, (2015). However, nonverbal skills are just as important because it allow one to use their body to talk, in other words, nonverbal communication might be just as direct and clear as other communication skills in a conversation. According to Helpguide.org. (n.d.) nonverbal communication use might help one connect, express, navigate, and build better communication with their party.

According to Laureate Education (2011) my strengths consist of feeling comfortable when communicating in most situations and feeling confident in anticipating such encounters with strangers and acquaintances.   

The description of my strengths for improvement in relation to listening, speaking, and nonverbal skills is to continue my current way of communicating. First,  I enjoy listening to other people talk and voice their opinions and concepts. Second, I allow them to finish their thought before I make a comment.  Third, when I speak, I speak with authority and passion about the issue at hand; and I do not mince words, or speak in-directly when I address an issue or voice an opinion. 

Finally, whether I am the listener or the speaker, my non-verbal communication is respectful.  In other words, arms are down by my side, and shoulders are back and head is directed toward the speaker or the listeners, and my facial expression does not exhibit boredom.

      

In conclusion, the skills listed are just a few of what might be important to effective communication, there is no doubt many more, nevertheless, these are the skills I find most effective. 

Social Media

"Social media is the ultimate equalizer.  It gives a voice and a platform to anyone willing to engage." ~ Amy Jo Martin.

   

The three social media sites I might use to communicate my policy issue are www.LinkedIn.com, www.YouTube.com, and www.instagram.com

LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking service that brings professionals, classmates, and those with similar interests together.  This site would allow me to create a forum explaining my policy issue and how might it benefit the early learning community, as well as, reach out to a community of professionals for support and advice.      
     The benefit of using LinkedIn is that I am reaching out to other early childhood education professionals that understand the the plus and minus of professional development practitioners workshops.  However, the challenge I face is making sure the content posted does encourage the professionals of early childhood education to seek a more productive format for professional development in early childhood education.  For example, LinkedIn has options to join forums where one can create a forum or join a forum. Each time a post is made one will receive an email to continue the conversation. 

YouTube is a video-sharing website that one might upload how to videos, class instructions,  health informational videos, or service announcements videos, and much more. My policy issue focus on practitioner's professional development workshops, this site would allow me to record the current format practitioner's professional development workshop and my proposed pd workshop. 
     The benefit of using YouTube is that I am reaching to everybody that does a search for early childcare, professional development, children, learning,  and teachers. My videos would display the good and the bad in professional development workshops, in hope non-early childhood education professional might understand the the plus and minus of professional development practitioners workshops.  However, the challenge I face is making sure the content uploaded encourage  professionals of early childhood education to seek a more productive format for professional development in early childhood education. For example, I posted a public service announce (PSA) on YouTube about bullying.  The video was viewed and and liked by many, giving information on other ways to overcome bullying. 

Instagram is an online mobile photo-sharing, video-sharing and social networking that allow one to connect with the world. This site would allow post pictures and videos on actual workshops and the lack of practitioner's participation in the workshops.
      The benefit of using Instagram is that I am reaching out to the medical and educational professions in hope the pictures taken show practitioners that are engaged in classroom activities based on professional development workshops the plus and minus of professional development practitioners workshops.  However, the challenge I face is making sure the pictures posted does encourage the professionals of early childhood education to seek a more productive format for professional development in early childhood education. For example, I posted pictures of a daycare center and the teachers as they worked with the children. The center received wonderful  phone calls from potential clients based upon the pictures.  

     The audience for LinkedIn  might include the community of professionals that teach, direct, or hire early childhood education teachers, the format might be how the skills of a better professional development workshop would benefit the practitioners opposed to the current format. This audience is directly connected to the practitioners and this audience know what is expected, or, what they expect in a professional practitioner. The audience for YouTube is an open audience, because the support is needed from those this policy might benefit as well as, those that can financially support this policy.  The audience for Instagram would focus on those that work with children in the medical and educational fields. 

   There is a percentage of supporters, professionals, practitioners, and parents in society that traditional networking might never reach, however, due to the many social media mediums networking will never be the same.

Professional Path's Four Goals

 “All great achievements require time.” – Maya Angelou

The four goals that might assist me in becoming more effective in my professional role consist of but not limited to the following:

 1. Become a member of NAEYC and DVAEYC ( local chapter of NAEYC)

2. Become a Technical Assistance (TA)

3. Obtain a doctoral degree in early childhood education

4  Work for Pennsylvania Department of Education~ECE Curricula

  

1. As known, NAEYC is a national organization that advocate and educate young learners, their families, and educators to reach greater levels of education for the success of the young learner.  Becoming a member with the national and local chapter of NAEYC might help me navigate  early childhood system and engage in public polices due to the unlimited resources, conferences, and professional development services that are offered both national and local. For instance, March 20 & 21, 2015 DVAEYC's  annual conference will be held in Philadelphia's Civic Center and the them is  "Early Learning~What's PLAY got to do with it?". I am looking forward to attending the two fun filled days of learning, entertainment, and rubbing elbows with many great early childhood educators.  In addition, DVAEYC has public policy events such as: Action Day, visiting Harrisburg in May of every year to inform one's state representative of the peril situation of early childhood education; Leadership and Advocacy/ LEAP.. Leadership Empowerment Action Project, a leadership-training program that provides components of leadership, skill-building exercises,  political issues in child care, and more.

  

2.  To become a (TA) wit SERK an organization that seeks to increase the capacity of providers to support children's learning and development: and increase educational attainment among practitioners according to their website, is an awesome organization to work as a TA, that might help me navigate early childhood system by the educating of teachers to help young learners and their families. For instance, SERK, offers workshops that are line-up with Pennsylvania Early Learning Standard to empower teachers with the tools to help young learners succeed.  Currently, I am a PDS
 professional development specialist contractor for the Council~ CDA ~ Child Development Associate. This position has limitations as to how much one can offer teachers, however, a TA would offer tools, materials, and resources for the teacher.

3.  The goal of obtaining a doctoral degree in early childhood education might help me navigate in early childhood system, public policy, administration, and so much more in the early learning community.  An Ed.D is not a degree that one might obtain under normal circumstances, it is a degree that one obtain from their passion. This is a prestigious degree with endless possibilities of success in one's desired focus. Which bring one to the final goal (at this time)...Early childhood curricula developer.

4.  The goal to work with an agency or the Pennsylvania Department of Education that oversee the early childhood curricula.  The passion of learning, educating, inspiring, empowering, and preparing young learners, teachers, and families burns inside like fire.  However, when the material is not lined up with the development of the child,  ability of the teacher, or the understanding of the family that is a problem.  To work along side other great educators to create and develop a curricula that remembers the child, teach the teachers, and inform the family would be paramount for early childhood education.

 Finally, these are the four goals for 2015, if one might add, these have been the goals since 2007.  It is very possible these might remain the goals until accomplished. More so, this policy and system class is exactly what was needed in order to take a more in-depth action on advocacy for better education for the young learner, education for their families concerning how children learn,  and eduction and support  for teachers as the strive for the success of the early learner and their family.

Final Thoughts

AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER…Wow, I connected with the plight of autism, through the children and their families.  ASD is so wide with numerous levels of functionality ; however, I was very surprised how some children were able to overcome autism, if that is a correct statement.  They received intensive one-on-one therapy and interaction at an early age and were able to become functional, mainstream young learners.

 I would like to investigate autism in twins, siblings, and investigate early detections of ASD for early intervention in children as young as 4 months. ASD  consist of many levels of learning and techniques to help the young learner become functional; more so, one is required to be taught how to empower and enable the young learner and not disable him,  therefore, ASD relate directly with my future aspiration of educating teachers on the different learning styles for early learners.   

The interview I had with Ms. Hall concerning her son with autism motivated me the most as a person, mother, grandmother, and professional. This mother never gave up, she never stop believing that her son would one day be able to function independently, from the age of three years old when he was diagnosed with autism to his current age of nine and has very little signs of autism, attending a mainstream school and is doing well.  This took hours of interaction with her son, training from the agency that addressed her son’s ASD’s needs. In addition, the love and support she received from family members and the community.   

Furthermore, the  research on how one-on-one interaction might assist a child with varying abilities and resiliency gave insight to families, and  the course work on how cultures are different and one must be respectful to all cultures for the success of the child, were paramount to my learning and understanding as a scholar gave insight on society. 

Finally, the knowledge received from this course gave one a different out-look on one’s doctoral pursuit. ASD, is very board, however, how communities, schools, teachers, classmates, families, and parents of children with ASD deal with ASD can be broken down into small leaning modules so that the child and every one in his life is empowered and knowledgeable to help him succeed.  Whether this will be a main focus of the dissertation of a subtopic, it does not matter, I have connected to ASD for life.