Time Well Spent

Interconnections 

Walden University is the best place to go if you want to participate in a 21st-century learning platform. Walden offers a variety of programs that are designed to help students succeed and forge interconnections within the global arena. University Services, Academic Resources, and My Finance are all important services provided to students. As a student, I participated in courses that allowed me to grow, as well as areas of specialty that matches my immediate and long-term professional and personal goals, through University Services. Students may easily obtain books and other affordable materials. Academic Resources refer to the collection of information on programs, methods, and rules available to all students. Students may get tutoring, attend webinars, and podcasts, and learn about academics and how to achieve at Walden. Furthermore, Walden recognizes the value of excellent customer service, as seen by the availability of virtual learning environment navigation support via online chats and emails 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Special attention is given to students who are experiencing technological challenges. My Finance also allows students to take advantage of grants, scholarships, and payment plans, as well as successfully manage their accounts with transparency.
 

Walden University's online platforms seek to cement effective and efficient communication among students globally. Through weekly discussions, students of diverse backgrounds can share their perspectives and experiences with each other. Our Professors' timely and positive feedback cannot go unnoticed. This exchange of thoughts helps us to bridge the gap in cultural practices. Students all share one common goal. According to Laureate Education (2012), colleagues can “create and become part of a community of caring learners and professionals, support each other's growth.” 

Three deeply felt learnings from this program

 

As I reflect on the insights gained and the plethora of knowledge unearthed during my course of studies, three deeply felt learnings came from Communicating and Collaborating in the Early Childhood Field, Perspectives and Diversity and Equity, and Planning and Managing Early Childhood Programs

As we engage with our families, ethnic groups, and the dominant culture regularly, communication is unavoidable. Communication allows us to better transmit and comprehend messages, resulting in mutual understanding and long-term good connections. Within the communication process, listening is a universal skill. As a result, participants must pay close attention to this to build and maintain a grasp of the message's substance, as well as to give feedback or additional input as needed. Listening, as defined by O'Hair et al. (2018), is the act of recognizing, understanding, appropriately interpreting, and successfully responding to the signals transmitted by others. Furthermore, when someone is actively listening, they are really interested in understanding what the other person is thinking, feeling, or seeking, as well as what the message implies.

My understanding of how to be more attentive to others when conversing has substantially increased. Furthermore, I am aware that people communicate in different ways depending on their culture. As a result, I must be more flexible and adaptive in my communication as a mindful educator. In doing so, I must ensure that I apply the knowledge that I have garnered regarding how to interact with children, families, coworkers, and other essential stakeholders. 

Through my social identity, I am acutely aware of my individuality. These identities have paved the way for me to be able to work well with people while being aware of who I am as a person. Social identity is heavily influenced by one's behavior. The group or groups with which one is affiliated, as well as how one interacts with other groups, are highly influenced by one's behavior. Not unexpectedly, those who are more strongly connected with a specific group are more likely to carry out acts that are supportive of that group, writes (Deaux, 2001). This is extremely true since I find that I naturally gravitate toward groups that represent my own behaviors while being accepting of other groups.

Despite efforts to raise worldwide knowledge among various groups, some people or individuals will remain resistant to others' acceptance. Microaggression is not anything I thought I had personally experienced or observed or even knew existed before the course Perspectives and Diversity and Equity. However, having studied microaggression through the eyes of researchers, I am more cognizant of that behavior which has given me a unique perspective on what it is like to be subjected to such treatment.

Finally, I am deeply touched by the fact that perpetrators of microaggression tend to believe that their actions or remarks have minimal impact on the recipient in the long run. However, this is not the case, as such behavior contributes to psychological suffering. In our daily life, our attitude toward others is really important. As a result, I must have a favorable attitude toward others to encourage fairness and equality among those with whom I come in contact. Being aware of the diversity of groups within society, I make a conscious effort to learn as much as I can about them. All forms of microaggressions are all eliminated when you have such open-mindedness toward others. Discrimination based on ethnicity or socioeconomic class should be prohibited.

I am thrilled to have been offered the opportunity to design my own Early Childhood Program. As the director of a high-quality early childhood program, through this course, I am aware that having carefully crafted vision and mission statements that guide the program's goals, as well as a mission statement that highlights the relevance, direction, type, and quality of the service offered, is critical for achieving the best results. According to Hay (2010), having a clear vision and communicating it via a carefully crafted mission statement may help us escape the stress and uncertainty of day-to-day childcare job jobs by helping us to rise beyond boundaries and see the big picture. Furthermore, allocating finances and making well-informed decisions about how to best utilize our resources and be transformational as I go along. Thank you for the opportunity at Walden University!

This course has provided insights and information about how to help children and their families particularly, those who are immigrants in the early childhood arena so that they can grow into productive and efficient citizens. When working in the field, it is important to make sure that my everyday activities are in line with the ethical ideals that guide my work. As a result, I will devote more time to developing healthy mental habits to improve how I carry out my professional responsibilities and to passionately, effortlessly, and actively advocate for children and their families whenever the needs arise.

 

                                                      https://youtu.be/F727iU7jPOE?t=5

https://youtu.be/NkDNp4ATCso?t=251

                                                                            

      

Let's Keep In Touch!

Contact Info:

Sherida Richards-Malcolm

West End Road

Negril P.O.

Westmoreland

Jamaica W.I.

Tel# 876 392 1501

malcolm.sherida@gmail.com

 

References

Deaux, K. (2001). Social identity. In J. Worell (Ed.), Encyclopedia of women and gender (Vols.

        1–2, pp. 1–9). Academic Press.

O'Hair, D., Wiemann, M., Mullin, D. I., & Teven, J. (2018). Real communication: A

        introduction (4th. ed). New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.