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 that I have about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that I can meet their needs.  I hope that I will be able to make them as comfortable as possible to ensure that they have the best experience while their child is in my classroom and never feel left out because of their background.

•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 that I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice is that every child will be treated equally regardless of their background.  Everyone is entitled to their education and has the ability to learn.  It is our goal as educators to help them any way possible.            

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues who took the time to read my blogs and comment.  We sometimes learn best when I see our own perspectives through someone else’s eyes.

Welcoming Families Around the World

•The name of “your” family’s country of origin

The country that I chose is Korea since I do not know a great deal about it.

•At least five ways in which you will prepare yourself to be culturally responsive towards this family

1.       Find out any traditions or habits the culture has to ensure that I do not offend them.  If they do not make eye contact, I will make sure I follow their country’s traditions.

2.       Include various stories in the classroom library about the Korean culture and one’s that were written by people from there.

3.       Place a world map up in the classroom with emphasis on the countries of where the children are from.  Include pictures of the country along with brief information about what is shown.

4.       Research the country and become familiar with their holidays to incorporate them into lessons about diversity and culture.

5.       Find ways to invite the parent’s into the classroom and discuss their home lives.

6.       Learn key phrases such as wash your hands and do you need to use the bathroom in their native language to help them understand and feel comfortable.

•A brief statement describing in what ways you hope that these preparations will benefit both you and the family

In preparing for the family, I hope that the steps listed above will help make the family more comfortable in the new setting.  The child will walk in and see that they are respected as well as their heritage in school and should not be ashamed or embarrassed.  The family will feel more at ease knowing the steps were taken to ensure that both them and their child understood what was occurring and that someone cared enough to research their home land.  Hopefully the family would be willing to work with me and come in to share some of their traditions with the other students once they felt more comfortable speaking English.

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.

One incident that happened  where I witnessed people being bias towards someone of a different religion happens almost on a daily basis on a forum that I frequent about the current events occurring in my town.  Many people in the town are Orthodox Jews and have very strict and firm religious beliefs.  When they post references on the site about the town, many people, often those who are not from here will say remarks about their religion and how the town has been overcome.  The people have to constantly stand up for their religion and defend their right to live in the town as much as anyone else.  It truly is sad to see how one group of people is constantly being talked about in a negative manner.

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

The bias about the group diminishes equity by not allowing the town to come together as one and bond.  They stay with their own group of people due to the hateful words they hear and sometimes even the hate crimes that occur.  They feel safer being amongst their own and know they will not hear those words when they stay together.

•What feelings did this incident bring up for you?

The incident brings a mixture of feelings.  I feel sorry for both the Orthodox Jewish people as well as the one’s making the hurtful crimes.  The Orthodox Jews are trying to feel comfortable and practice their freedom of speech and are being treated poorly as a result.  The one’s committing the hate crimes are unaware of what feelings they are causing amongst the other group as well as allowing their own judgment cloud their thinking about others.  I also feel sad that a town cannot work together as a whole for the sake of the children who are hearing and witnessing all the hurtful words being thrown around.

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

The biggest thing that would have to change is the people who are saying the hurtful words.  They need to be more aware of what they are saying and doing.  The best thing for them to do is to place themselves in the others shoes and see how they would like to be treated.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggression

•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? The microagression that I remember from another time is microassaults. It happened while I was in high school and different individuals were walking through the halls yelling out racial slurs towards a group of people who were in their way. When I observed this happening, I was uncomfortable and wanted to get away from the situation. It was completely inappropriate and uncalled for. The individuals, who were being called names, were very upset and were unsure of what to do or where to go. •In what ways did your observation experiences this week affect your perception of the effects of discrimination, prejudice, and/or stereotypes on people. People are placed into stereotypes regardless of what they look like, what race they are, and what religion they are. My observations have led me to see that people can be cruel towards others who they know nothing about. Rather then get to know someone, they are quick to pass judgment and follow along with what they hear about different groups of people.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

•Call, write to, or talk to at least three friends, family members, acquaintances, and/or colleagues. Include at least one person who you believe is in some ways culturally different from you (a different gender, race, class, religion, abilities, age, etc.). Maria – Culture is the background that people have and share with their family. It is what they are a part of. For example if they are Puerto Rican like me, we have specific ways we celebrate holidays with our family that are different from people of other cultures. Diversity is when people of different backgrounds and culture come together and unite as one. Jon – Culture is where people are from and what traditions or holidays they bring with them. They are celebrated within a family setting. Diversity is when others can accept people who are different from them. They can look past their differences and still find things in common. Janice – To me, culture is what we celebrate and what we are a part of. Diversity is when we come together as a society and look past our different backgrounds to celebrate our lives together as one whole community. •Which aspects of culture and diversity that I have studied in this course are included in the answers I received—and what are some examples? Culture and diversity have different definitions no matter how many people are asked and what their race, religion, or genders are. One aspect of culture and diversity that I received in the answers and is similar to what I studied, is that everyone is different. Culture and diversity are something we must accept as a community and find ways to work together to make them function as a whole. The definitions I received from my colleagues briefly described that along with the fact that culture is something that is encompassed through family and traditions. •Which aspects have been omitted—and what are some examples of such omission? I didn’t find anything to be omitted. Everyone had a similar definition or meaning behind the terms culture and diversity. It all revolved around acceptance and finding ways to make it work with everyone regardless of their background. •In what ways has thinking about other people’s definitions of culture and diversity influenced my own thinking about these topics? Upon listening to others definitions of culture and diversity, I have taken the time to review my own definitions and see how they fit. I agree with what everyone said and the definitions they gave me. It allowed me to see the words from others perspectives and get a deeper understanding on the topic.

My Family Culture

•A description of the three items you would choose The three items I would choose are: Italian Horn necklace: The necklace was passed down to me and means a great deal to my family. It is an Italian heirloom and represents a good luck charm. Ireland’s flag: I am very proud of my Irish background and would want to show others my background. American Flag: The symbol of my home country and where I grew up. I am very honored to be American and would want to display the colors to allow others to see where I am from. •How you would explain to others what each of these items means to you I would have to explain each item individual in order for others to fully understand why each other is important. Together, all three items represent who I am as a person as well as my background. It would also explain my family’s traditions and why we are proud of the flags I carry. The necklace would be explained as something that not only is from my Italian roots but also from my father who is no longer with my family. I am proud of the necklace and would be devastated if I had to leave it behind. The flags represent who I am and demonstrate what my heritage is, something that I would never forget or leave behind. •Your feelings if, upon arrival, you were told that you could only keep one personal item and have to give up the other two items you brought with you I would be completely devastated and would be unable to part with any item. Each one describes who I am and where I am from. The most important item would be the necklace and I would find a way to hold on to it for as long as possible. •Any insights you gained about yourself, your family culture, diversity, and/or cultural differences in general, as a result of this exercise, One insight that I gained about myself and my family culture is how proud we are of our background. I never noticed how much heritage we included in our daily lives. I hang Ireland’s flag in my bedroom without even thinking about any other aspect of it other than that’s where my ancestors are from. The Italian horn necklace is my proudest heirloom and never thought about how much it truly means to me until now.

When I think of Research

•What insights have you gained about research from taking this course? Research is an important part of further developing the early childcare field. One insight that I gained about research from taking this course is by understanding how to conduct research stimulation an issue that is important to me as professional in the field. I now have a clear understanding of how to not only conduct the stimulation but also how to present the material in the highest way possible to ensure the accuracy of the findings. •In what ways have your ideas about the nature of doing research changed? My ideas about the nature of doing research have changed by now having a deeper understanding of how they work. I now see how important research truly is for the field of early childcare education. I will also look at the material that I find with an open mind and truly to ensure that there is no research bias presentation. •What lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood did you learn? I have learned how to properly develop a research topic and plan it accordingly. With the new information, I feel more confident in my ability to develop a research topic and follow the appropriate steps. I am also about to design a research study using various techniques such as quantitative and qualitative. The research is important in further the field and conducting the research will show various new techniques to help future students and children. •What were some of the challenges you encountered—and in what ways did you meet them? Some of the challenges that I encountered was developing a strong research question. I had a lot of trouble developing exactly what I wanted to find and how to properly explain that through the form of a question. It took a great deal of time and analyzing of the purpose of what I was trying to do in order for me to meet that challenge and properly manage it. I feel strong about my research question now and would love the opportunity to find the answer to the question of parent involvement and the affects it has on young children’s education. •What are some of the ways your perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course? One way in which my perception of an early childhood professional has been modified as a result of this course, is my understanding of research and the importance it has on the field. Upon completion of this course, I now have a firm background and understanding of how exactly the research benefits the young children. Another way in which my perception of an early childhood professional has been modified is through the use of various research methods. Before the course, I thought there was only one way in which to perform a research study. I now have a sense of different methods and have a clear view of how each method adds to the research itself. The various methods provide an opportunity to observe the research from various standpoints.