Time Well Spent

The first lesson that I have taken to heart during this program is to be aware of our own internal bias. Even without knowing it, we are raised and learn some types of bias that we may not even realize. We have to make ourselves aware of this so that it will not affect our decision making or the way we see the problems of others. A second lesson that I believe is very important is to learn about the children and families in our programs. It is important to know and understand the cultures, family structures, religion and beliefs of the children and families we are caring for. This will help us to understand what is important to them and how we can better assist them. A third great lesson I have learned is to not limit partnerships when looking at a community of practice. When in a field of helping others, there are no lengths to far to go in order to help people. If we have to lobby to the president of the United States, then that is how far we should reach.

My long term goal is to make the early childhood profession my second career and to help as many children and families as I can during that time. I want to be able to make a difference and be an advocate for children that need a voice to help them. I want to be the person that the children can trust and depend on and someone that they will remember helped them when they were young.

I would like to thank all of my colleagues for the support, advice and experience that has been shared throughout this program. It was a great learning experience being able to draw from the knowledge of those that are already in the early childhood field. I hope that each of you have great success in your career and life and achieve all of the goals you have set.
I would also like to thank the professor for his guidance and critique during this program. We have received valuable information and gained skills for our current and future careers. With his guidance we become more affective as early childhood professionals as well as acquired confidence that comes along with the education to assist children and families as needed.

Below are two quotes that I believe fit the early childhood field:

"No one has yet fully realized the wealth of sympathy, kindness and generosity hidden in the soul of a child. The effort of every true education should be to unlock that treasure." – Emma Goldman

"There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children." – Nelson Mandela

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

The first International interest that I found was that of our own President Barack Obama. “That is why I declared before heads of state gathered at the United Nations, "no country should deny people their rights because of who they love, which is why we must stand up for the rights of gays and lesbians everywhere." (Presidential Memorandum, 2011). I chose this memorandum because of the influence that our president has internationally and the contacts that he can engage on the issue. He states that “By this memorandum I am directing all agencies engaged abroad to ensure that U.S. diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of LGBT persons”. There is no higher authority to be involved in any of our communities of practice than the president of the United States. This same memorandum discusses organizations that operate overseas using federal funds and how that will affect the LGBT issue. The White House offers internships for young professionals that increase the knowledge of politics and government issues but there are no actual career opportunities listed in this site. The skills required would be a working knowledge of government as well a professional attitude and communication skills.

The second international community of practice I chose is called Global Respect in Education (GRIN) and can be located at: http://www.grincampaign.com/Home.html. “We are an awareness campaign to promote equality and respect in education, focusing particularly on the LGBTQ community and those who are “just different” primarily in the US and the UK”. This organization was actually founded by a teenager in response to the number of suicides in the UK and the US. I believe this is a great addition to a community of practice geared towards teenagers. It is an awareness campaign and could be of great assistance to other children that are experiencing the same type of bullying, harassment and discrimination that the children involved in the campaign have been through. This organization is geared towards raising awareness through social networking, photographic protests and trying to build allies for the cause. Due to the nature of this organization there are no job posting, only volunteer opportunities

The third international organization that I have decided to ally with is the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) and is located at: http://www.iglhrc.org/cgi-bin/iowa/home/index.html. “The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) is a leading international organization dedicated to human rights advocacy on behalf of people who experience discrimination or abuse on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity or expression”. This organization has been assisting all over the world to include Russia and the Middle East. They have been helping to fight for gay equality, family rights and even fighting against torture and abuse in some countries. This organization advertises ways to support through donations, corporate sponsorship and fundraising. I could not find any information on employment within the organization. There are opportunities for interns and the application process states:
To apply to be a Communications and Research Intern in the New York office, please e-mail a cover letter, resume and writing sample (no more than 5 pages) as separate MS Word or PDF attachments to iglhrc@iglhrc.org, with "Internship Program" as the subject header
 
References

Global Respect in Education (GRIN). Retrieved from: http://www.grincampaign.com/Home.html

International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC). Retrieved from: http://www.iglhrc.org/cgi-bin/iowa/home/index.html

Presidential Memorandum – (2011). International Initiatives to Advance the Human Rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Persons, Retrieved from: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/12/06/presidential-memorandum-international-initiatives-advance-human-rights-l

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

My first choice is the National Resource Center for Permanency and Family Connections; http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/socwork/nrcfcpp/info_services/lgbtq-issues-and-child-welfare.html. This organization is focused on all issues dealing with children and their welfare, not just one single group. Their issues are wide and range from bullying, Indian Child welfare issues, mental health issues, gay and lesbian issues, cultural competence and so much more. I believe the scope of knowledge and reach of this organization would make an excellent asset to any community of practice focusing on child welfare. I could not locate employment opportunities within this organization.

My second choice for a national organization is the U.S Department of Health and Human Services: Administration for Children & Families; http://www.acf.hhs.gov/index.html is another great resource to add to a community of practice. This organization also has a broad scope and great out-reach. The focal issues range from childcare, disabilities, parenting, family and way to acquire temporary assistance, just to name a few. There are many employment oppurtunities within this organization. Most of the open jobs were on the medical side of the house but the following is available:
Job Title: Contact Representative
SALARY RANGE: $38,790.00 to $50,431.00 / Per Year

• Identifies patients who are eligible for alternate resources and assist families and individuals in applying for alternate resources.
• Provides coordination of benefits to patients, Contract Health Service and Business Office for accurate Third Party Billing.
• Works with local County Department of Welfare and Human Resources, Tribal Offices, Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), Supplemental Social Security, Social Security Agency and other related agencies in verifying patient eligibility.
• Advise and assists patients with options and choices available, explain requirements place on customer, and resolve problems and issues.

My third choice for a National organization is the National Association for the Education of Young Children is organization that we are all familiar with. http://www.naeyc.org/. NAEYC is the world’s largest organization is assisting children and is instrumental in building and setting policy. They hold annual conferences that educate teaches and other professionals as well as allow for networking. This organization meets with Senators and other leaders in society to build public policy and focus on the interest of children and families all over the world. This organization and its contacts will make a great addition to a community of practice that assists children. One job opportunity that was listed is:
Major responsibilities of the Editor-in-Chief:
Salary: Competitive and commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits.
 Shape the program’s focus, taking into consideration the diverse learning needs of the larger early childhood community
 Expand the quantity and range of products published,
 Acquire publishable material of high quality,
 Lead the developmental editing work,
 Collaborate with the other departments on collateral materials (e.g., webcasts, online chats, journal articles, brochures), and
 Identify high quality books by other publishers to resell.

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

One local organization where I live is called Equality Texas and can be located at: http://www.equalitytexas.org/. This organization has established routines to Educate, Advocate, Volunteer and Donate towards the cause of equality in Texas. They work in such avenue as safe schools for all youth, relationship recognition, gender identity/expression and non-discrimination. This organization appeals to me because it fits all the criteria of diversity and equality. There are opportunities to serve as interns and volunteer. Employment is offered as well in research and grant development. The website states that “No Texan should fear that bias or prejudice will result in unfair treatment in classrooms, communities, or workplaces. These spaces should be safe for every person, regardless of that individual's sexual orientation or whether or not the person fits expectations for masculinity or femininity”

A second local organization is the San Antonio Human Rights Campaign (HRC). This organization states that is has “1 million members and supporters nationwide. As the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, HRC envisions an America where LGBT people are ensured of their basic equal rights, and can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community” and can be located at: http://www.hrc.org/the-hrc-story. I chose this organization because the Gay and Lesbian fight for basic rights is such a hot topic that seems to be so far behind the times. This issue is specific to my challenge this week and important to me because the children in these families deserve all the rights and opportunities that everyone other child does. Job opportunities include public education and outreach, operations and development.

A third organization is the Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG) in San Antonio. This is another organization that supports my particular challenge for this course and can be located at: http://pflag-sanantonio.org/. This organization “promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered persons, their families, and friends through: support, to cope with an adverse society; education, to enlighten an ill-informed public; and advocacy, to end discrimination and secure equal civil rights”. I could not locate any job opportunities with this organization but it is still a good resource for the local community.

The skills and experience needed for any of these organizations is a passion and dedication to the cause at hand. Also good communication skills are necessary to educate, advocate and draw attention to the cause to better the lives of the children, families and individuals that the organization was designed to assist.

Reflecting On Learning

I have several passionate hopes for my future as an early childhood provider as well as a parent. I want to remain an open minded person who is able to learn from those around me and continually learn. I hope to be able to teach my own children as well as the students that I will come into contact with. I also hope that I can show students the same type of love and caring that I have for my own children. I can recall the teachers that touched me when I was in school and the reasons I remember them. Some of those reasons were because I trusted them and felt a genuine caring from them. I want to make this same connection with children and make their lives better in any way possible. I want to be that person that makes a difference and shows the children that they are important and can be anything that they want to be.

I would like to thank all of my fellow classmates for all of their responses and suggestions. I love learning from you all and look forward to joining you in this exciting career field when I retire from the United States Air Force in the next 2 years!

Sorrow In Afghanistan

I chose to look at Afghanistan because in my job that is currently the country we visit the most. When we travel there, our troops take clothes, blankets and candy to hand out to the children. It is amazing to see how excited children in that part of the world are over receiving a single piece of candy. Children take care of each other in this part of the world. It is common to see children around the age of 6 or 7 carrying infants through the villages with no adults around. According to the UNICEF Fact sheet, there is 26% child labor in this country. “ Decades of conflict have eroded the physical and social fabric of Afghanistan and continue to impact the lives of children by hampering their access to school and basic services, exposing them to increased violence and abuses and jeopardizing their very survival” (UNICEF, 2011, p.1). Children essentially have no hope for the future with no school or opportunities to develop.
One challenge this country encounters is fear and insecurities. The country is in such turmoil and violence that the villages are afraid to allow outsiders in to assist or evaluate what is needed. One huge challenge is the attitude that the country owns in regards to women and children. They are not considered important or a priority. There are no laws to protect children or women and they have no rights in this country. “In July 2011, 40 religious leaders attended a workshop led by scholars from Al-Ahzar University, where they discussed topics including: early and forced marriage, child labor, breastfeeding, birth planning, under-age recruitment, domestic and sexual important in this country.

All of these issues have very real and obvious consequences on the lives and development of the children. Without protection these children are left to raise and defend themselves. They are not given the chance to learn to better themselves and are raised with no sense of self-importance or self-esteem. Their medical needs are not met and they are not educated to know any better. One huge insight I have when looking at these children is the difference between the United States and other countries. We seem to have so many issues here yet the issues that other countries have almost make ours seem trivial. Any issue with children is serious and it is important for us to help our own children as well as those who have no one to advocate and help them

The Sexualization of Early Childhood

I have to say that I have experienced the exact same concerns that Dr. Levin and Dr. Kilbournes discuss in “So Sexy So Soon”. I have a 3 and a 4 year old daughter and I am due with my 3rd in the next 12 days. Society today scares me when thinking of my girls and all the sexually oriented songs, movies, costumes and media we are surrounded with. This past Halloween shocked my husband when we were searching for the girls costumes. Most of what we found would have made a pedophiles dreams come true. The costumes designed for these toddlers were more sexy and risqué than anything I would even wear. My daughter loves to dance around and just the other night she said “look mommy, I can drop it low”! I know that some of this she learned from her siblings at her dad’s house but she came home from school singing a Lady Gaga song that I don’t even know. She can sing every word to every Justin Bieber song and says he is her boyfriend. I try to explain that boyfriends are for when you are much older but it does not seem to sink in with my little ones. My four year old already wants to wear makeup and knows how to apply it. She told me “mommy, even though you don’t wear makeup, I want to”. I am still not sure how she learned about makeup. She has also already asked me several times if she is fat or pretty. Those are issues a 4 year old should not be concerned with. “A narrow definition of femininity and sexuality encourages girls to focus heavily on appearance
and sex appeal. They learn at a very young age that their value is determined by how beautiful, thin, “hot,” and sexy they are”. (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009, p.2). We try to surround our children with Disney yet the sexually oriented concepts still seem to find their way into their little minds. We took our girls shopping to the mall a few weeks ago and the mannequins were wearing undergarments. My girls went up and touched the “private parts” of the male mannequin and giggled thinking this was funny. We cannot even walk through the mall without seeing ads for Abercrombie that have teenagers with only half their clothes on. As any early childhood professional or as a parent, these are difficult topics to discuss with young children. The pool of innocent and acceptable role models seems to be few and far between so it is hard to redirect the children. This makes it important for us to instill self-worth in all the children we teach. Building a string foundation that they are beautiful, unique and perfect the was God made them will be the initial fight against this sexually charged world.

Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

Most of my jobs have placed me in a situation where I have been the minority as the white female in the office. I am currently in a position where I am the only female and also surrounded by Hispanic co-workers. One time I was in an office with all African American females and males. I was the ranking person and was brought into the office to be in charge and run the programs. When I arrived I could not figure out why the others seemed so cold and were not very accepting of me or my ideas right from the start. It was rough for a few weeks. Finally one of the junior Noncommissioned officers told me they did not need another racist white female in charge of them. I could not believe that this group of people would automatically assume this about me without ever having known me. Of course I talked to them and through time, proved that I was in no way the type of person they had so quickly assumed I was. They then confided in me that the previous supervisor was a white female who treated them very badly and they were afraid I would do the same. That group of females became some of my best troops and I still keep in touch with them.

I believe being treated this way would and has made me much more sensitive to racism and that it is not always the perceived dominant culture imposing this bias on someone. I would probably be more prone to watch how others interact and ensure that this type of racism is not happening anywhere else. I hope not to concentrate too much on the dominant culture to ensure that “reverse racism” is not occurring there due to what parents are teaching their children.

Observing Communication

I was allowed to observe the 3 and 4 year old class at my daughter’s school. I thought it was so interesting to see these little people interacting with each other. Some of them were best friends one minute, mad at each other the next and then hugging when it was time to say good bye. At one point one little girl came crying to the teacher “Maddie wants me to be in a friendship with her and I don’t want to be inside a friendship!”. The teacher smiled and asked the little girl if she knew what a friendship was. The little girl replied “no”. The teacher explained that being in a friendship simply meant that you are friends with that person. At that the little girl laughed and said “I do want Maddie to be my friend”. It was so funny how the children did not really understand what they were saying and must have heard it from adults at some point. This might be an overly simple example of communication but the teacher did a good job in explaining friendship and teaching the children that it was something good that they were already involved in. The child thought that a friendship was something bad or scary because she did not understand and now she is happy and has an understanding of another level of personal relationships. I believe the child’s self-worth was improved as she realized that the other child just wanted to be her friend.
I have always loved communication with children. Yes, sometimes it can be frustrating when you can’t seem to get them to understand a certain concept, but the honesty in which they communicate is precious. It brings humor into our lives when we get to see how they interpret the world around them and try to make meaning of what they see and hear. I think that for myself to be a better communicator I need to work on ways to explain meaning to children at the level they can understand and make sense of.

Creating Affirming Environments

First I would like the entrance to be welcoming to any child and parent that enters the facility. Children and parents can both be pretty stressed at the prospect of being separated from each other and I believe this is an important first step in creating comfort. Having the sign in sheets individualized to each child might be a good first start. This could be as simple as having a family photo of each child laminated on top of the sign in/out sheets. Adriana has the one small cultural collection on her wall and this could also be something could help children feel more comfortable. Having something visible that reminds the child of their own home and culture could create a sense of belonging and assist the child in feeling safe.
Something else I have seen done is to have laminated pictures on the tables that the children use for eating and activities. At his eye level the children can easily see the photos of all the different families and share with each other about their own photos which stimulate diverse conversation.
There were several aspects of Adriana’s childcare that I did not agree with but some that I did. I did not like that she created a bed to have the children jump on when she knew that parents did not allow that at home. I believe this will confuse the children. Instead I would have some other diversion activity such as bubble blowing, play doh center or equally fun activity that could distract and capture the interest of the child. I do not think it is best for the child to be made to cry it out. In the video we were told that the children would be brought to a room to cry it out and express their emotions. I have to disagree with this. Children are scared and stressed to have a parent leave them. If a caregiver interacts, shows concern and love, it eases the child’s emotions and makes him or her feel more comfortable allowing the parent to leave. It also alleviates the anxiety and stress of the parent having to leave a crying child behind which can cause sadness and distress for the parent.
I love the idea of having activity centers separated into reading areas, arts and crafts area and a play area. My reading area will have bean bags for the children to relax in and be filled with books that any child can relate to. As the text book states “In response to the social justice efforts of many Americans, including early childhood teachers, publishers now pay greater attention to the social diversity of the children and families in their reading audience, and there are many books that combine fine storytelling, rich language, and beautiful artwork to depict diversity”. (Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p. 46). The craft area will have supplies of all colors and children will be free to create to their imaginative limits. The play area will have an array of toys from gender neutral to gender and race specific to represent each child.

Emotional Art

I Have only taken one art class in my life and I was absolutley no good at it. I have no artisitc talen what so ever but decided to try anyway. My daughter loves to paint so I decided to paint with her. This picture doe snot look much different than that a 4 year old would paint but this is what I did. To me the colors and erratic scheme of the paint represent the emotioanl trauma that children expereince in thier lives. The colore represent calm, anger, frustration, hurt and love. Children interpret the world in such unique manners and experience the world in such a different way than adults and are deeply affected by all that they see, feel and interpret. This was my attempt at portraying how all these experiences are turned into emotiona and feeling....

"Mom, look at those men"!

We just moved from Alamogordo NM to San Antonio Tx. While we were in NM there was only one place to go shopping in town and that was Wal-Mart. One night my daughter and I were waiting in the line at the check-out and she was noticing the people in the front of the line. All of a sudden my 3 year old screams out “Mommy look at how fat those men are”! There were two extremely large men in overalls directly in front of us. I immediately felt bad for the men and hushed my daughter. I explained to her that although what she saw was the truth, it hurt people’s feelings to point their characteristics out in public. I explained to her that people were all shapes and sizes and that is the way God makes us. I also explained that sometimes people have medical conditions that make them the way they are and that we never want to hurt anyone’s feelings.

Gender Identity

I believe it is ridiculous in today’s society to try and censor books that depict gay and lesbian families. These families are becoming more accepted and are a part of our society that should not be hidden. We need to recognize that they are actual family units and teach our children the diverse concept of family. I have gay friends that have adopted 3 children and were just named the adoptive family of the year for Oklahoma. Children need to be loved regardless of the gender of the parents and others need to understand that this is just as normal as their own family. It should be no different than recognizing and accepting the family unit of other cultures.

If a parent expressed a concern over a caregiver who might have a same sex partner I would have to ask them to explain to me how a loving care giver that supported and taught their child should be questioned on whom they love. We do not bring our personal lives into the classroom whether we are straight or homosexual. Children should be taught about different family structures so that it is not some hidden secret. Fear is what causes so much of the conflict in our society. Education is the key

Final Communication Blog

I would like to say Thank you to everyone for all of their shared knowledge and wisdom. It is nice to hear from those who have been in the field awhile and learn from you all. I look forward to seeing you all in our next class.

Adjourning Groups

The adjourning phase of a group is a time for reflection on what has happened during the time together. It is a time to look at success and failures and decide whether the group will simply now depart each other or perhaps take on another project. If the team built trust there may be lasting relationships and networking that are taken from the group. It is an essential part of the process because it not only adds closure but can provide a clear record of things learned for future groups.
In the military we form groups for so many things. I have been on groups that we call “process improvements”, designed to improve the way we support our staff and patients to better serve our patient and give top notch care. I have been on groups to plan promotions, awards, retirements and sadly many to organize memorial services for fallen soldiers. We form groups to make decisions on how to spend morale funds and improve base services for our young military population as well as their families. Depending on the type of group, we may adjourn by having a dinner, party or maybe even a BBQ.
Groups with clear goals that result in high achievement are always the hardest to leave. These groups make you feel like you are really accomplishing something and adding to the mission. These are also the groups that we tend to build bonds, friendships and network for future needs. The groups that lack this feeling of accomplishment seem more of a waste of time and are very easy to leave.

Conflict Resolution

I recently experienced a conflict with the Director of my daughter’s daycare. The day care lost one of my automatic payments so I had to go in person and give them a hardcopy check. I asked them to please discard the “misplaced” check if found and gave them the check number. A few days later the check was found and the daycare tried to cash it regardless of the fact that I asked them not to. The director is trying to make me pay for the charge they incurred trying to cash a cancelled check. I tried to explain to the director that it was the staff that misplaced the check and that they were informed not to cash it so I should not be charged for their two mistakes. The director would not listen, argued over me and even gave me other parent’s personal information which was very unprofessional. Trying to speak to her was obviously not going to work. I then went back home and typed up the scenario and made a copy of all my payments including the check that the day care lost and the one that I replaced it with. I am hoping that this factual information will help the director to understand, without being able to argue, what took place. I have learned that written communication can sometimes take the face to face confrontation out of a disagreement and allow time for contemplation. I have also learned that if a person is intent on arguing with you and will not listen; arguing will not resolve the issue but only make it worse. I am still waiting on resolution of my situation.

Who I am as a Communicator

I was not surprised to find that the way I view myself and the way others view me differ. That is normally how human nature works. I have always had a fear of public speaking but have had to speak in public quite often throughout my career. I scored myself at a 48 on the communication survey while my husband scored me at 38 and my coworker scored me at 31. My husband knows I do not like to speak in public yet he also has seen me do it for my job and be successful at it. My coworkers have seen me speak and do not know that I have that fear. Therefore my coworker scored me as if I didn’t have this great fear.
My listening styles did not surprise me at all. All of the career and personality tests I have taken throughout my life have indicated that I am a people person. I have always been sensitive and my feeling hurt for others when they are in pain or need. I always mother people and love to help people with their problems. We all grouped me into Group 1 during this survey indicating the same people oriented personality. I love being around people and talking and learning about them.
I do not like confrontation yet I will stand up for what I believe in and let my opinion be known. I scored a 64 on the verbal aggressive survey yet my coworker scored me at a 56. This is because I listen to everyone’s point and do not belittle anyone because we all have different opinion. On the other hand my husband scored me higher with an 81. This is because we have a very different relationship and obviously will argue our points more aggressively than professionally.

Communication and Culture

I have been around a diverse group of people my entire life. I have deployed and traveled around the world with the military where I have had the opportunity to communicate with people of all cultures and languages. In my squadron we have folks that range from Hispanic, Caucasian, Jamaican, African American, African, Indian, Russian and so many more. It is impossible to not be diverse in the military. The military also offers courses in diversity constantly to make sure new members integrate well and seasoned members have refresher courses. I am scheduled to attend a diversity course next month to learn the difference in Army and Air Force culture because we are integrating the two services here in Tx. Even in my own personal life, my daughter is half Filipino and my husband is Hispanic. I have gay and lesbian friends as well as friends of all different religions to include Catholic, Mormon, Muslim and Wiccan. I have found that other than an obvious language barrier, communication is no different no matter who I am speaking to. If you always have a conversation and respect the other person, communication can occur naturally and amicably. If I do not understand the intent of what the other person is saying, I merely ask "what does that mean?" and give them a chance to explain it to me instead of assuming something that might not be true. I find that the most difficult time to accomplish succinct communication is when corresponding to colleagues via email. Email tone and intent can quickly turn into miscommunication and cause problems in the workplace. I find that often times I have to overly clear and polite in an email to the receiver does not mistake rudeness. The only time I have found where communication has to altered has been in places like Saudi Arabia. This culture has such a different view of women that it made communication difficult. I had to have a male with me at all times to speak to the local nationals there because they do not speak to women. The few Saudi Army guards that would speak to me were fascinated by Western culture and intrigued by women in positions of power.The three strategies that I consistently use are Respect, Active listening and having an Open mind. Without these three our reception will be blocked before we even begin to communicate.

Non Verbal Communication

The television show that I chose to view is called Bones. We recorded an episode on Direct TV so that I could decipher the nonverbal cues. There seemed to be one group of main characters that worked in a huge lab doing some sort of autopsy on the remains of deceased bodies. The two main characters that we in the field and traveling together seemed to have some conflict. Their body language seemed to be telling each other that they did not agree with what they were saying. There were two other characters in the Lab together and they seemed very close. The female was pregnant and the male was always lingering around so I assumed that is here husband. An African American female would appear in and out of the office and seemed very much in charge. Once I turned the sound on, I found out that the first two characters who seemed to disagree a lot were Bones and Booth and they really have an old crush on each other and a high respect for each others opinions. I was correct about Angela and the man with her, they were married. The woman who exuded so much confidence was indeed the boss as well.
Although nonverbal cues normally speak loud and clear, it is obvious that they can still be interpreted incorrectly. This assignment reiterates the importance of our non-verbal cues in daily communication and how they can defiantly make a strong point.

Communication

• My stepmother is a conference coordinator for Tennessee State University and has excellent communication skills. She always makes it a point to research the group that she is coordinating for and becomes knowledgeable on their charters and issues which allows an insight into their needs. Knowing your audience is a key factor in effective communication. She has always been very articulate and this shows when she is speaking to her conference groups. She has an ability to always be calm no matter what chaos is storming around her and this translates into confidence and competence. She has great skill in avoiding and resolving conflict which is great to have when you are constantly facilitating large groups of people with their own bias, opinions and needs. Her conversation skills make people feel welcome and comfortable enough to join in and feel a part of the group. I believe that mastering all of these skills are important and necessary and communication and strive to obtain them myself.