Effective communication is the key to success in so many ways. It’s important that when we communicate to others that we make sure that it is clear and precise. They have a great understanding on what is been said or asked of them. Before speaking I feel that it is important to think first on how you are going to say something because the way say truly determines how others receive the information.

Two communication skills that are important to embody when leading policy change is watching nonverbal cues and being assertive. When it comes to watching nonverbal cues it allows you to determine if your audience is engaged in what is been said. Also, I have to be careful with my cues as well. My actions or how I express my concerns allows the audience to know how serious I’m about the policy. Body language and voice tone is something that I will have to personally work on to be effective in my communication skills. Being assertive and direct is the next important factor when it comes to communication. This allows me to take in consideration for others thoughts and opinion. Being open minded at all times allow my sure that my policy is effective and precise.

     As a child growing up in the 80s and 90s the mass of communication was very limited and it didn’t reach everyone at the same time. These form of communication was mostly in print through newspapers or magazines, letters, or your local news. The world communication as changes dramatically and will continue to changes throughout or life time. In these days and time many people rely mainly on technology for everything. Social media plays a very important factors when it comes to decision making, building awareness of a topic, or keeping of with family and friends.

     I feel that Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, blogs, Instagram, and Snap-chat are just a few site that everyone use across the world. So it is very hard to determine which two social media site to use to communicate about my policy issues. For my policy I will like to build awareness on the laws and how to determine if your child needs Early Intervention.  Facebook and YouTube will be two social media site that I can effectively use to build this awareness.

      

       By using Facebook I will be able to create a page on my policy and invite people in to discuss the topic. When discussing the topic I will be able to determine the pros and cons on Early Intervention and what people truly know about this form of education. Also, I can uploads pictures, videos, and make daily posts on this topic. The one disadvantage of using Facebook is reaching a lot people due to privacy act that they have on the site.  Next, I would used YouTube to create or upload videos on my policy. By have video people will be able to see the importance of Early Intervention. When I use YouTube I have to make sure it catches my audience attention to they can share it with others. 

 

 

As an educator I have many professional goals that I feel will help me to be an effective teacher and leader in the world of education.  These goals will allow me to build a connection with the families that we serve and policies that we have in place for early childhood.  My first goal is to be effective in my passion. By being effective I will continue to research different strategies that can be implemented in the classroom to make sure I’m reaching all learns. I know that all children learn differently, so this why it’s important to have differentiated instruction at all times. The second goal is to gain more knowledge on policies and systems in early childhood.  I feel that this course will help me gain that knowledge in these two areas because this something that I know that I’m slightly puzzle on. The third goal is to bring awareness of early intervention for the families that we serve. I want to supply families with information on services that are available can help them cope, learned, and meet others families that have children with learning disabilities.  

 

Looking Through Others Lens

      This journey through this course allows me to see that there are two sides to every story. As an educator working in an urban school setting it is important to make sure I focus on the whole child. It is important as educators to go those extra steps when it comes to being an effective teacher. I feel that this course has helped me broaden my understanding of building a positive relationship with my families. These relationships will allow us to work together to better that student. Throughout this course, we focus on not being bias to the situations and that there are always two sides to every story. So we have to gain an understanding of our families based on their cultural beliefs or their past experiences.

      In the reading, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down was very insight full and eye opener with the things that are going on around me. This book allowed me to see social bias and how I can overcome it. In our society, we are faced with so many different assumptions and beliefs that we have to stay aware of the things that are going on around me. I  learned a lot from this book how to interact with the families that we serve.

       My topic in this course was how to allow students with developmental delays feel a part of a regular education classroom. The research that I conducted on this topic was a true eye opener how student are judged quickly before allowing them to show you that they truly can succeed. It's important that we understand their environment and make accommodations that will help them feel a part of the classroom. Building a relationship and open a great line of communication with these families will allow them to involved in the education process that is set in front of them.

I feel that my future aspirations in the field of education is making sure that I make a difference in the lives that I come in contact with. Showing teachers that every child can learn but it how we teach them that makes the differences. Being a competent teacher motivates me the most in my profession because I feel that what I was born to make a positive difference in someone life. 

References

Fadiman, A. (2012). The spirit catches you and you fall down: A Hmong child, her American  doctors, and the collision of two cultures. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus,  and Giroux.

Hanson, M. J., & Lynch, E. W. (2013). Understanding families: Approaches to diversity, disability, and risk. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

Interview Process: Developmental Delays

Interview Process: Developmental Delays 

When it comes to interviewing people about developmental delays I felt that I choose someone that works in close collaboration in this area. The two individuals, I chose to interview, were two women in the early childhood and elementary setting. The first lady, that I interviewed, was Mrs. Tracey Jones, Special Education Coordinator. The second lady is Ms. Jerin Towns, Pre-K Family Service Advocate.  These two women were helpful when it came providing answers to the questions that I asked during their interview process.

During the interview process with Mrs. Jones was very useful because she shared her experiences as a teacher and coordinator working with students that have developmental delays. She supplied excellent examples to show pros and cons for students that have developmental delays. She feels that all teachers should have professional development training on skills/strategies that can be used in regular education classroom for adaptations for all learners.

When it comes to challenges for these interviews it was scheduling time frames but when I was finally able to meet them it was a great experience and eye opener. It allowed me to understand the importance of a building relationship with my students. By building theses relationships it helped me see signs that might trigger my students to act out or noticed signs for developmental delays. 

Some of the questions that I asked during these interviews were:

1.      What does a successful family/professional relationship   consist of in your line of work?

2.      When you first started working in this field, what assumptions, biases, or values did you have in working with these families? How has this changed over time?

3.      What challenges and triumphs have you experienced in your position?

Notice some signs of Learning Disability

Project Topic: Learning Disabilities and Developmental delays

Subtopics: Understanding Learning Disabilities and Developmental delays

 Many people question rather or not teachers are effectively teaching students that have a learning disabilities or developmental delays.  Children with learning disabilities have to be in an instructional learning environment that is structured and not too busy.  It is important that they are in least restrictive environment and that meets the needs of their Individualized Educational Program goals.

As a regular educational teacher, I feel that we sometimes lack the knowledge when it comes to including our students that have learning disabilities or developmental delays in a mainstream classroom.  By having a learning disability the student might act out or grades are below average. This is why I feel it is important to understand what your students already know and how to reach them. Students that are developmental delayed can have difficulty expressing their feelings
and thoughts. Also, with developmental delays I will like to focus on the social and emotional strategies that can be implemented into a classroom.

  Even though these issues might be challenging for a teacher; it could also affect the parents. Having a lack of knowledge on how to handle a child with a learning disabilities and developmental delays can cause a parent to be stressed.  Parents should attend informational trainings on how to handle that particular disability. 

The participants in this group will be students ages 4-10, families, and the teachers.  I will focus at one particular elementary school.

 Links to great resources and blogs that I have find that are very helpful when it comes to ideas to teach the whole child and understanding each domain for child development:

 http://www.urbanchildinstitute.org/

http://www.naeyc.org/

https://oldschoolteach.wordpress.com/category/elementary-education-blog/

http://mscassidysclass.edublogs.org/

http://4theloveofteaching.blogspot.com/