Professional Hopes and Goals

One hope that you have when you think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds (any format and any length)

One hope I have is to Personally, I hope to learn to be able to create unbiased opinions of cultural values and norms unfamiliar of my own. Professionally I hope to learn of issues in diversity and ways to respond to diversity to better my teaching and communication with students, parents and the community.

•One goal you would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice (any format and any length)

One goal I would like to set is to be to continue to educate myself and therefore can educate my colleagues and other individuals in which I encounter about issues and concerns related to diversity. I want my colleagues and other educators to learn of diverse issues that impact and create barriers for learning and communicating with students and parents. I hope to be an ally for groups that cannot speak for themselves.

 

•A brief note of thanks to your colleagues

 

I would like to thank my colleagues for giving me a bird’s eye view into their lives. Also for giving me a different perspective and ideas on things in which I had never considered. I have learned so much from you all in such a short amount of time. May your journey in education and promoting diversity be a success.

                             

FAMILIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

My child is from Venezuela. To learn information that would prepare me and be helpful to the student I would prepare myself by

·         Using the internet to learn as much information about Venezuela.

·         Decorate my home in Venezuelan inspired décor, in order to allow the child to feel comfortable in the setting.

·         Learn to prepare Venezuelan dishes so that I could attempt to cook foods that are culturally responsive to the student.

·         Learn and provide Venezuelan toys, and hobbies that are particularly enjoyed in their culture.

·         Learn and provide Venezuelan music and dances as to use to listen to and to use during celebrations.

I hope these things will help proceed the student with comforts of home. I want them to know how excited I am about their visit and how much I have prepared for their visit. In addition, I want them to know that they are special and that I respect who they are. I want them to understand that I am not trying to change them. I want to teach them our culture while still enjoying and celebrating their own.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

What memory do you have of an incident when you experienced bias, prejudice, and/or oppression, or witnessed someone else as the target of bias, prejudice, and/or oppression? Keep in mind that one can encounter such incidents in real contexts, including online environments, as well as in fictional ones, such as movies, books, television shows, and the like.

I spoke before about my first job at a country club. I was a waitress/banquet server and a Caucasian elderly women had lost her pocket book. Her daughter who was also an older lady spoke with the manager and had spoken very blatantly that I must had taken it because I was black and the only black person in the room. To her, because of my color, she labeled me as a thief.

In what way(s) did the specific bias, prejudice and/or oppression in that incident diminish equity?

This memory diminished equity because I was not treated fairly and was discriminated against based on the color of my skin. Later her mother ended up finding the purse. It was not where she had thought she had left it. An apology was never given.

What feelings did this incident bring up for you?

Its a hurtful memory. This was the first time that I had ever been profiled because of the color of my skin. I was raised a little sheltered and I remember feeling horrible that someone had actually thought of me in that way. I just remember not ever wanting to experience that feeling again.

What and/or who would have to change in order to turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity?

The elderly lady and her daughter would have to change their way of thinking. They need to learn that people of all races steal, not just African American people. In addition, next time, they may want to look around for something that they think they have lost before pointing their fingers at someone.

Practicing Awareness of Microagression

Describe at least one example of a microaggression which you detected this week or remember from another time. In what context did the microaggression happen? What did you think and feel when you observed the microaggression or when you found yourself as the target of a microaggression?

My mother in law watches CNN and other news shows every day all day long. Most of the time, she doesn’t even understand what is being said. She just always relates it to racial. While I will admit some of the news shows and views are very racial, the things in which he will comment on are not always racial. For example, anytime the republicans don’t support an issue or law in which Obama is trying to enact. That must mean that they are all racist. Not all white people are racist nor or all republicans racist. Just because they don’t support something that Obama supports doesn’t make them racist.

 

In what ways did your observation experiences this week affect your perception of the effects of discrimination, prejudice, and/or stereotypes on people.

. I don’t allow my children to go to her house very often because I don’t want my children growing up with this kind of attitude. I have very good friends of different political views, that doesn’t make them racist and nor have I ever thought they are racist. All people are different, raised differently and think differently. My opinion is going to be different the next persons. However, that doesn’t mean that I think any differently of them. This is important in stereotyping people. We must embrace and support each other’s differences.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

I spoke with my best friend, who is Baptist in her religion. She believes culture is what we are as people and diversity is limited to our community. She thinks culture is what we have learned from our parents about what not to do and what to do. She defines diversity as the different types of people and races that lives in your community.

I spoke with my great-aunt who is 72. My aunt defines culture and diversity as it relates to race only. She doesn’t classify or see any differences as far as race, class, religion or any of classification is concerned. She feels that culture is your race. As a race, we are all united and classified under that one race. All blacks do this….. All white people do this…… all Hispanic people do this……

I also spoke with my uncle who lives a High class life in Washington DC- My uncle has been very fortunate. He is single, educated and has a very good job in Washington. He lives in a posh area of Washington and owns a high price home and drives high priced cars. He states that culture is what we surround and immerse ourselves in. That yes, we grow up in a particular culture and learn certain values from our family. However, once we are on our own, it is up to us to enhance our knowledge and create new cultural values within ourselves. Diversity is anything that is different. Diversity is not just race but can be foods, communities, cars, homes and etc. Diverse means a lot of different things to choose from or ways to look at things.

I think my friend’s definition was more along the lines of cultural diversity. Values and other ideas that we learn from our family is very cultural. Many of the learned behaviors or lessons learned have been passed down through generations.

I feel as though dominate culture was omitted. Dominant culture was a word that was new to me as well. Therefore, I didn’t think anyone would mention this as I spoke to them.

From hearing from other people, this just supported what I already knew. There are going to be many different definitions of culture and diversity. People are diverse in their culture; therefore, people are going to be diverse in the definitions and answers that they give based on their cultural experiences.

My Family Culture

·         Blog: My Family Culture

Imagine the following:

A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you. You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture.

The three items I would choose would be a

Ipad- so that I can always keep in contact and communicate with my husband, children, and other family members since the items are small things, my kids and husband are not included to bring. On the ipad, I can skype my family and stay abreast of other worldly news and issues.

The bible- I was raised on the bible and reading the word on a daily basis. I know that it will be my faith and spirituality that will bring me through the catastrophe. The bible will strengthen my mind and give me hope.

My glasses- Since I obviously can’t see without them.        

If I was told I could only keep one item, I would choose my IPad. My family is my heart and I would really like to keep in contact with them. Through my iPad I can read bible verses to keep my faith and mind strong.

This list helps me to prioritize and to determine what is important to me. My family of course is of utter importance but first and foremost is my relationship with God. In which, I still intend to keep. Because through him, I can do and make it through anything. I was exposed to my religion at an early age as a part of my family cultural upbringing. My religion and my faith in God has through everything remained steadfast. I always have my faith and trust in the Lord. I know that he will bring me through any catastrophe.

 

 

Final Blog

This course has moved sooooo quickly. I cant believe it is over already. I really must say that I have learned so much through this course. The blog assignments and learning how people
Three consequences of learning about the international early childhood field is:

1.  Professionally, I have been able to connect with and learn from another education professional from outside of the US.
2. In connecting with another professional, I was able to learn that all over the world, educators have the same goal for young learners to provide high quality child care for young learners.
3. Personally, I realized that I must continue and expand my relationship with my international contact and international websites in order to stay abreast of issues that are happening on a worldwide basis.

One goal that I am going to set for myself is to stay in contact with and stay aware of international issues. Their issues are the same as us issues and how we deal with these issues is a lot the same.

 

Getting to Know your international Contacts

New insights related to international early childhood and my professional goals that I gained from the website http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/ is:

Just like the US, the United Nations are taking initiative to provide access and qaulity early learning education for low income children. "Governments were particularly urged to expand equitable access to quality early childhood services underscoring the importance of instituting policy in favour of the poor"(UNESCO, ND).

 UN promotes high qaulity education. From the site, you can tell that they view the child's learning a whole and do not just concentrate on certain areas for testing purposes.  "Early childhood care and education programmes should emphasise the child’s holistic development and extend beyond assisting the child’s transition to formal schooling"(UNESCO, ND).

 In order to take the holistic approach to education, the different sectors that relate to children must all be in accordance together. "Coordination issues include coherent regulation, funding and staffing schemes and a common vision of care and education. Effective coordination must exist among sectors at both national and local level, and also between public and private establishments" (UNESCO, ND).

References
The United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture. (N.D.). Early Childhood Care and Education. Retrieved from  http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/

Sharing Web Resources

Following the National Black Child Development Institute there is a wealth of information that can be used to educate those in the education field.

Following a link the from the resources tab, I was able to connect to a newletter that is published three times a year that includes valuable ifnormation to families that includes things like saving for college to preparing healthy meals for your family.

There are articles that not only help educators but families too. I was particurly interested in one article which inluded ideas for fun and free family actvities to keep kids engaged and learning.

President Obama recently announced a budget in which he called for historic investments in early childhood education for children from birth to age five. This investment will provide availability and assess to high quality early education programs regardless of income. As part of the Strong Start for Children-Building America’s Future campaign, NBCDI is collecting letters from across the country to be delivered to the White House, and are asking educators, students, and anyone else to write or draw a letter of Thanks to the president.

I felt as though this was a great idea and a great way to show children appreciation and gratitude for others.

NBCDI supports equity and excellence in early childhood. They provide information that helps to empower and provides knowledge to parents regarding high quality education for their children, as well as for educators. They have knowledgeable information for educators on ways to improve their teaching schools so that they may provide the most recent and quality learning trends and experiences for their students.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts

Haiti’s educational issues was made worse by its economic plight. Prior to the earthquake, Haiti's government funded a mere 10 per cent of Haiti's elementary and secondary schools. The rest are funded privately with foreign assistance. Parents earning two dollars a day cannot afford fees, materials and uniforms, and must choose which of their children attends school. Half a million children don't attend school in Haiti. Many stop and start throughout the year and only four per cent finish high school.Following the Jan. 12 earthquake, 1,263 out of 4,716 schools in western Haiti were destroyed and another 2,541 were damaged; 376,000 students were out of school and an unknown number of teachers and students were dead or wounded. The earthquake traumatized and affected their students and they saw grade averages and assessments frop tremendousely. However, the earthquake also affectted teachers. It left many of them homeless, sleeping in their cars and feeling unstable.

Currently many of the children receive education from free compulsory education accessible to all without discrimination. However, the representative for step by step commented that they would like to see a fully funded education system in Haiti.

Some educational programs that aim to improvew the education for students in Haiti are

Step by Step program which focuses on education and teacher training.

Haiti Education foundation- which accepts donations to helpfund education for Haiti children.

Hope Foundation of Haiti- Their primary mission is to provide financial assistance in education, health care and farming to the needy people in Haiti.

There are also several other programs and organizations that contribute to and assist in the education of children in Haiti.

Sharing web Resources

Through the past couple of weeks, I have gained a lot of insight into early childhood field as well as many websites that are related to early childhood issues and trends. 

The website that I find most appealing is the National Black Child Development Institute.

I am employed with Head Start. Professionally, one issue that i found particularly interesting and helpful to my profession is that they have valuable resources that seek to educate teachers on engaging African american students and families. In addition, I like that these resources also explores ways that educators can engage and communicate and understand African american  communities. I think this is important to me professionally. All of my students are African american. However, I was not raised in the same community as some of my students. Therefore, it is important to understand and communicate with people who do not come from the same background as you.

What information does the website or the e-newsletter contain that adds to your understanding of how economists, neuroscientists, or politicians support the early childhood field?

This website focuses on the whole child. They are partners and have research based on economist and scientist. Many of their reports depend upon the latest research. The most valuable information for me was the state by state community and fact sheet in which you can click on your state and find valuable information for your state and the communities within.  

Many of the issues are controversial. However, The article on unequal education really stood out to me. The article basically stated that politicians spend less amount of money educating students of color.  I think all children deserve a great education. No matter their race.  This is an insight that I will be exploring further. 

Getting to Know your International Contacts

Through the Global alliance for Early Childhood, I contacted through email a representative for Haiti. However, after several attempts to make contact. I was unsuccessful. The information shared here, is information that I received from their website.

Many people already know that Haiti is a country that is plagued with extreme poverty and uncontrollable population growth. However, I learned that Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere and has been ranked number 146th among 177th countries. From the Haiti's Global Alliance website, it states, "Haiti is marked by dictatorship and violence, plagued by illiteracy, unemployment and shortage of resources, extreme poverty and uncontrolled population growth"(GAEC, 2013). Due to politics and ordeals with their government among other factors, make food insecurity and hunger a very big problem in Haiti. Haiti does not produce enough agriculture and livestock to feed their people. Many Haitians are poor due to low income, low educational levels and limited social capital. The poorest groups of rural people in Haiti are:
• women who are heads of households
• rural workers who depend exclusively on wage employment
• landless farmers (sharecroppers)
• fishers who do not have their own boats
• charcoal producers with no other activity

The idea of so many families and their children living in poverty makes me feel guilty. Here I am complaining about daily things when there are families and children with no food, water, shelter, or clothing to put on their bodies. I learned to be grateful and to count my blessings. In addition, I learned that their poverty is very similar to our poverty here in America. Poverty stricken people here may not be without clothing. However, many do suffer from having no food, water or shelter. Poverty here is a result of weakened government, low income and high unemployment rates. I am glad that there are Global Alliance programs in place to help those in need. They cant reach everyone but just making small changes really does help.
Man Bathing from public Tap in an Alley

Children in Line to eat at a Soup Kitchen

Sharing Web Resources

The organization that I chose was the National Black Child Development Institute. BBCDI's mission is to improve and advance the quality of life for Black Children and their families through advocacy and education.
Their link www.nbcdi.org
However, I enjoyed visiting their facebook page as well: https://www.facebook.com/nbcdi


I subscribed to the newsletter but have yet to receive it via mail or email. However, looking at the webpape, I see that there are many issues and trends in which they promote. One trend is the early care and education program. I am eager to learn more about this program. Under Head Start, we have an early care program which allows children as young as 6 wks to begin education under our services. Therefore, professionally I feel as though this is a great trend to learn more about.

 

I chose this website due to the fact that I work for Head Start. Where I live, the majority of Head Start students are African American. However, I felt as though through this organization I could learn a lot of insight about ways to reach out to the afircan american students as well as to communicate effectively with children and their parents.

Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

For part 1- Through the Global alliance for young children page, I got the contact email for the Step by Step Program which is in Haiti. I then emailed the director of the program to see if there was a newsletter or way that i could gather more information about their program.
I have not heard back as of yet. However, if I do not hear back by the end of this week, I will choose an alternative organization. I decided to choose Haiti because I am interested in their people, history and how they help young children.

For Part 2- I chose the National Black Child Development Institutue. Through their website. I was able to submit a form on their webpage to subscribe to their newsletter by email. No particular reason for choosing this organization, besides the fact that I thought it would be interesting to know more about the organization.

When I Think of research

Wow, I can't beleive how quickly this class has flown by. I have learned so many new things about research. I learned a lot of new terms that I didnt even know existed and also learned the meaning of a lot of terms in whcih I had already heard. My idea of ealry childhood ahas remained the same. The study of early childhood education is on a whole different scale than of any other research area. There is a lot of red tape when dealing with children. This course has taught me a lot about reasearching. Mainly, it introduced me to the basics of researching an idea and starting a research project.

The insights that I have gained have a lot to do with research definitions. I learned a lot of research terminology in this class. I also learned a lot about the type of resources that can be used for researching such as online, library and print sources. As far as planning designing and conducting research, I learned that it is important to research the area in whcih you are studying. Look for previous research done on the subject and use that as a guide to help plan and conduct your research.
 
The challenges were the defintions and terminology and not getting a full understanding at times even after reading them many times. To gain better understanding, I completed my weekly assignments and read discussions to better guide me. Sometimes, its easier to understand when other classmates explain the subject matter.


 

Research Around the World

 Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)

What are some of the current international research topics?

There were many topics regarding early childhood education located on this website. I saw many research topics focused on Early childhood education programs and how it relates to the quality of care within the education programs. Also there were many articles related to the improvement of ealry childhood programs. 

What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website?

The research papers located on this website are from papers and theseis that were written by actual students from Victocia University.

What other noteworthy information did you find on this website?

This organization is a huge global organization. I like that there is a link to Victoria University where the site is operated through the the division of child and youth care which focuses on human and social development .  In addition, there is also a link that helps to finance the education and international connections and links.

Research that Benefits Children and Families

I would like to share a research article that I came across about the The Pediatric Cancer Foundation’s (PCF’s) Sunshine Project. In the article, it discusses how the PCF program and The Sunshien Project research has has made positive strides in pediatric cancer research. "The Sunshine Project has helped to fast track three new drugs into clinical trials in ten hospitals. Focus is on less toxic treatments and the 20% of pediatric cancers that are most virulent and for which traditional treatments have failed"(FitzGerald, 2011).

I enjoyed this article and wanted to share it with my colleagues because if I could conduct research studies on any topic, the research and cure into childhood cancer would be my top pick. I feel as though positive contributions would include medicines that help with the treatment and cure of pediatric cancer.

References:
FitzGerald, Sumei. (2011). Spearheading Chance in Cancer Research: The Pediatric Cancer

        Foundation's Sunshine Project. Positive Impact Magazine. Retrieved January 21, 2013 from

        http://www.positiveimpactmagazine.com/2011/02/01/spearheading-change-in-cancer-research-

        the-pediatric-cancer-foundations-sunshine-project/

Your Personal Research Journey

Social factors such as play that impact early learning and development- I chose this topic because a lot of people don’t view play as a means to learning. Before working at Head Start  and taking early childhood classes, I too did not see play as a means of learning. However, working with early childhood and learning through the courses, I have witnessed first-hand the positive impact that play has on early learning. Just like me a lot of parents and other educators are ignorant to the fact that play enhances learning. Researching this topic on play would be of importance to parents, educators, and any other person who directly has contact with early learners. Therefore, they can learn the importance of play, how to facilitate play, and providing tools for play.

Colleagues, Do you feel as though this topic is narrow enough for research? If not, in which ways can I make my topic more narrow. If so, what recommendations can you give me in researchign this topic. Any comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated.

I am gaining a wealth of information that will be extremely useful to me in guidign me in this research process. Both discussion and application assignments for the last two weeks have been very helpful and necessary on my voyage to learning how to research.