Time Well Spent!

After reviewing the resources for this blog, there are three significant keys that I learned throughout the program. (Resources: Merging Vision, Passion, and Practice

http://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/2dett4d/Walden/EDUC/6990/01/mm/ec_pres/index.html, Interconnections, Part III--http://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/2dett4d/Walden/EDUC/6990/08/mm/interconnections/index.html)

1. Passion.
     As Louise Derman-Sparks stated---when it comes to passion, we are always uncovering and discovering surprises about ourselves, especially about our own passion toward Early Childhood and the life in general. Through the program, I was enforced to analyze and reanalyze my burdened passion. I learned a quite few things about myself. For example, I realized that I loathe the information in relation to how deaf children must be "fixed" to belong in a hearing culture/community.  I was never "fixed," because I accepted my disability with gratitude. I also successfully accomplished many things in my life. Second, I also learned that I enjoy writing stories.

2. Value the person
     Throughout the resources, valuing the person is mentioned repetitively.  Value the person is like the oxygen that we cannot live without. We must value the people, because they are part of our lives.

3. A quote drew the determination out of me.
      "We must remember that one determined person can make a significant difference, and that a small group of determined people can change the course of history"  Sonia Johnson, American Feminist Activist and Writer.  Basically, this quote rings true.  We cannot do everything by ourselves.
"For with God, nothing is impossible." Luke 1:37  God gives us the strengths, the determination, and mind to achieve a goal that we set our eyes onward.  Through the program, we all have developed new friendships via cyberspace by sharing our common visions, goals, dreams and obstacles.

I have two main goals to hold onto and pursue.  First, I am currently working as a full time nanny for a hearing family and their hearing children. My goal is to educate the two children American Sign Language and to ensure that their language development is reaching beyond standardized age-language development. With this job, I hope to reach out to the hearing parents with deaf children throughout the state.  Second, I desire to see a book published and written by me.  Even though the book may not be related to early childhood, it is related to disability and that's a starting point. Everything else will unfold in time.

Never despite a meager beginning.

Every child who is deaf or hard of hearing does not have to be perfect in order to discover his or her purpose on Earth.

Here is a video (and caption).

"Hello everybody.. Thank you for taking the time to listen to what I have to say in sign language. I want to thank all of you for your support, encouragement, and the friendships that we developed through the courses.  I want to thank the instructor (s) for tremendous support in my writing skill. My writing skill has improved greatly through the program. I truly enjoyed learning more about different subjects, especially about culture, diversity, ethics, and how we can impact others with much of determination and passion.  I really enjoyed working with all of you. I hope to see all of you in "out there in the world"  with whatever dreams you have. I hope you all will success in everything you do. Thank you. Nice to meet you. Best of Luck! "

You may contact me through facebook or email at chrissievordavis@gmail.com

Job/Role in the ECE community: Internationally

The opportunities to advocate, and advocate children, parents, and others through international organizations.

Child Protection Specialist-Case Management at UNICEF

This position requires the ability to take responsibility in monitoring children’s development and progress in different areas as well as the surrounding. This  position is similar to what I have experienced---being intensive case manager for mental and behavioral health in addition to deaf consumers.

http://www.unicef.org/index2.php

Volunteer-Child Protection or Education at Save The Children

This position is non-pay and can be performed in homeland or oversea. However, volunteering oversea depends on whether or not I travel to a country for a long-term visit.  The position operates similar to UNICEF’s positions.

http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.8D6E/Official_Site.htm

Deaf Child Worldwide does not offer volunteer or career opportunities. It only asks for donations. This organization focuses on supplying educational support to the deaf communities in third world countries. I am disappointed that this does not advertise the actual life-experience opportunity for individuals like me to contribute through hand-on activities instead of monetary.

www.deafchildworldwide.info/

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

National Association of the Deaf

Advocacy opportunity to expose the dominant society that “curing” the deafness is not the ultimate answer. Acceptance is.

The skills I possess that allow me to be an advocate come from years of employment experience in mental health field where I constantly advocated for clients’ right to have full access to communication, especially within the medical field.

www.nad.org

Federal Support for Developing Language and Literacy: Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children

There is no job position available through this website that interests me; however, there is a potential position I would think GAO would benefit from---a specialist (policy maker or some sort) that focuses on advocating language and literacy developments for deaf and hard of hearing children by promote recognition of Deaf mentor program and early intervention

www.gao.gov/products/GAO-11-357

Department of Human, Health Resource—WV

West Virginia Birth to Three

No job opportunity at this time. This program does not provide Deaf Mentor Program to provide the support to the parents and their children who are deaf or hard of hearing. I would think Deaf Mentor Program greatly benefits all the people who are involved in West Virginia Department of Human Health Resource.  There is lack of information on hearing loss in its website.

I have the knowledge and skills that allow me to work with all kinds of people and being a deaf role model for the deaf or hard of hearing children.

www.wvdhhr.org

Blog Assignment: Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

Three local, or state/communities of practice organizations that appeal to me are primarily serving the deaf and hard of hearing population.

First, Beginnings for Parents of Children who are deaf or hard of hearing, Inc. offers excellent position opportunities where I could be involve in early intrevention. This is a state organization (North Carolina)  Here is the website address: http://www.ncbegin.org/early_intervention/professionals.shtml.

The positions that this organization offers that interest me: Service Coordinator and Teacher for deaf or hard of hearing.  Service coordinator is responsible for providing the resources to the parents; to assist the parents with identifying the resources that best fit their needs, and to work with the parents, organization(s), and other resources. The skills that are needed for this: college degree in education, American Sign Language, knowledge of Deaf culture, great interpersonal skill, communication skill, organizing skill, and multitasking skill.

Teacher for deaf or hard of hearing requires college degree in teaching and in Deaf Education, fluent in American Sign Language, skills in communication, interpersonal, instructional management and design, and resourcesfulness.

Second, West Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind, Romney, WV offers job positions from time to time. This school is a state school that serves the deaf population as well as blind population.  This is an educational setting. Currently, the school is advertising a position that may interest me and that is parent educational counselor.  This position requires masters degree in counseling (preferably), must be knowlegeable about deafness, deaf culture, and be able to demonstrate fluency in American Sign Language. This position focus on working with parents and their deaf children on different aspects of their lives that deafness has an impact on to work out the differences, to help them gain knowledge and skills, and to advocate the families. Website: http://wvsdb2.state.k12.wv.us

Third, West Virginia Birth to Three Early Intrevention that serves all children between birth to three across the state. Website: http://www.wvdhhr.org/birth23/Default.asp  This program assists families in finding resources that best fit families' needs. The program has affliation with other networks such as children's doctor, hospital, education settings, and so forth to promote positive learning experience for parents and their child. Its current job opportunity:  Service Coordinator--which is the same as what Beginnings provides (mentioned earlier). 

Those three programs focus on working with deaf or hard of hearing children between birth to 3 and that completely relates to my passion. I would like to work with parents, othe professionals, and children to ensure that children are not falling behind in language devleopment as well as the parents not being drowned in new environment.

Final Communication Blog

Classmates,

For the last eight weeks, I admit that I have finally found a common ground with all of you---Communication, which seems to be an on-going challenge for each one of us. Regardless how many of us are deaf or not, communication continues to be main vehicle for a clear information. I greatly appreciated each one of you and your willingness to share your experiences and opinions.

One thing I learned that communication comes in different form, sensation, and meaning for each one of us. This makes our lives more interesting and challenging in positive ways. To encourage the up keeping with communication skill, I encourage you to connect me through facebook.

I enjoyed working with you and am looking forward to continue.

Chrissy

Team Building Part 1-Blog

To be frankly honest with you, I have not yet experience a stage where it was hard to say good bye to the team. I am a job hopper, so I leave before I experience the final stage of team development. Perhaps, this is because I am used to leave a place or people frequently. Perhaps, this is because all of my good friends live far away and that is part of Deaf culture. The only experience that I found to be the most difficult to say good bye, which was saying good bye to one of my former students who I worked very hard with.. someone I greatly invested... In the end, this student was still angry with me and I had to leave without a closure.

Communication-Week 5

There are two persons in my life who I have disagreements with the most frequent. My mom and my husband are the most sensitive people I have ever met and this becomes an intruding subject in the disagreements. Sensitivity does not allow any of us to be remain objective.  Admittedly, I usually am a strong opinionated person who will say what I needed to say right out loud and right at the spot. 

Growing up, my father told me to learn to "bite your tongue."  I never understood what it meant until I was much older and had disagreements with my mother and husband frequently.  Two strategies I learned to use when I attempt to soften the disagreements. First, I had to learn to allow mom or my husband to express their opinions and thoughts even though I knew they were misinformed at times.  Second, I learned that sometimes it is better to not continue the debate until we all have clear minds to continue. I would like to add a third strategy, which is easier to say than to do. The third strategy is to apologize and accept the blame, especially when it is not even your fault or when you did not have anything to do with it. This is the challenging task.  I learned that people relieve their anger quickly when I apologize for someone else's mistake without stating or pointing whose fault. In some disagreements, it is better to let it go.  In others, it is worth fighting for. 

I believe I could gain my skill using NVC and 3R's by applying them more in disagreements with my mother and my husband.  I would like to see the results of using these strategies.