Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

This past week I have been cognizant of the many conversations around me and especially my own words. In my discussion post, I mentioned the comment I made to my sister in our exercise class. I never saw myself as one who would participate in a microinsult. It made me realize how vulnerable we are to making inferences that may hurt others and ourselves without really realizing, and do so on a daily basis.

In remembering my high schools years, physically, I was very thin. Others including my friends would refer to me as “toothpick legs” and other not so endearing terms. They thought it was funny and thought I should think it was funny. However, I did not think it was funny and it made me feel marginable and inferior.

I have not reflected on the past, that far back, for a long time. However, in doing so, I now have a better understanding of how people can take such power on a daily basis and make others feel less than they really are.

My goal from this day forward is to do my best to bring out the best in children and their families, my family, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances. I may not be able to change others, but I can improve myself. I must begin by being acutely aware of what I am going to say before I say it. If everyone would begin with themselves then conquering oppression would be so much easier.

Definitions of Culture & Diversity

Definitions of culture:
#1: A friend (60 year old male) responded that culture is related to the country of origin, how you are reared, your traditions and your heritage.
#2: A co-worker (40 year old female originally from Bosnia) responded that culture refers to music, customs, art, food and literature.
#3: A family member (65 year old male) responded that culture is all the aspects that make us who and what we are.

Definitions of diversity:
#1: Responded that diversity extends beyond cultures and involves all the differences within our country, different religions, differences in our workforce and other areas.
#2: Responded that diversity is being different in terms of culture, art, beliefs, social status, and age.
#3: Responded that diversity is the elements that make us unique.

Their answers included surface culture items such as traditions, music, customs, art, food, country of origin, etc. Even though some answers were not specific, I felt that they were striving to feel the deeper aspects of culture which entailed ideas that would reach below the “tip of the iceberg” and included how we are raised, and aspects that make us who we are. When talking about diversity, two spoke of “differences” and one seemed to make the term feel positive in using the term “unique”.

None of the explanations included political affiliation, stigmatized identities, nor were they specific when talking about ethnicity or religion, and vocations.

In pondering the explanations of my family and friends, I have recognized that they seem to be connected to surface culture, but are unaware of a deeper connection to their inner self. I realize that before this course, I might have had some of the same inklings, but now I feel a greater sense of myself and who I really am and what I really want from life. This deeper insight will hopefully help me to reach out to others so that they may also have a better understanding and acceptance of their own cultures and the wonderful diversity that surrounds us all.

My Family Culture

The scenario is this: There has been a major catastrophe and I must leave my home and country to live far away within a different culture and I can only take three small but important items that represent my family culture with me. Thinking about this is stressful. I cannot even imagine such an ordeal. However, I am well aware that there are many who have gone through such affliction and only have memories of their culture.

My initial thought is to take my family genealogy book as a continued link to the past that supports my roots and where I came from. Secondly, my journal which has written details of my life thus far and will allow me to write about my journey to this new land. Thirdly, I would take my scriptures which are comprised of stories that teach and explain ideas, values, and beliefs that have guided my family, extended family, and me through the years.

I hold these items dear as they represent parts of my innermost feelings, beliefs, and values. They are my connection to meaningful relationships. They contain stories from ancestors that have helped to motivate and guide me in my life journey.

Mixed feelings of fear, anger, and sadness would fill my soul if I was asked to give up two of the three representations of myself. I hope they would give me a little time to ponder and offer a sincere prayer asking for guidance in this decision.

This assignment has helped me to understand how connected I am to my culture and how I define myself. It has opened the door to a deeper appreciation for those and especially children who have had to give up much in the face of adversity. Most of all it has given me knowledge that culture resides within my being and cannot really be gaged by material possessions. They can take away my genealogy book, my journal, and my scriptures, but they cannnot take away my beliefs, values, or my memories as they are imbeded in my heart and soul.

Culture goes deeper than a person’s hair, eyes, or skin color. It comprises their deepest feelings and intimate beliefs and values. My extended realization is the fact that my culture is imbeded within me and taking away material cultural items cannot take away my what is in my heart and in my soul.

Mahatma Gandhi said it this way, “A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.

When I Think of Research...

First of all, I would like to thank my colleagues for an enlightening eight weeks. I have enjoyed reading your blogs and discussion posts. From them, I have learned to ponder the novel elicited from profound questions, be uplifted by words of encouragement, and gain modern insight from fresh philosophies. Good luck to you all!

This course has taken me above my familiar world as a teacher to a next step of putting my values, beliefs, and philosophies to the test. It feels great to be on the path to formulating my viewpoints into something that can be proven or disproven.

My ideas about doing research have become a little more grounded. At this point, research does not seem so far distance nor unreachable.

The lessons learned are many. Where do I begin? I have learned that there are many decisions to make and that those decisions need to be well thought out and requisite to what we would like to see in the end result of our research. I have become clearer on terms that I have heard but never really understood within their context. I have learned that what I had envisioned for my project in the beginning is not what I now perceive, and I know that those ideas and designs may change as many times as need be to have a meaningful research path. I have learned to be even more flexible than I have ever been.

Beginning challenges were aligned with understanding quantitative, qualitative, mixed method, triangulation, and other important terms and the direction they claim for research. I loved the application part 1 papers, as they supported my understanding and helped me make changes to my simulation study so I could continue on a correct path.

My perceptions about being an early childhood professional have not really changed. I still believe that true professionals are committed to causes that they see as beneficial for children and families. However, I do realize that it takes even more dedication than I ever anticipated; grandiose studying from books, from scholarly articles, and continued listening and pondering from other early childhood professionals.

European Early Childhood Education Reserach Journal

I visited the EECERA (European Early Childhood Education Research Association) site.  I was able to easily navigate and find many and varied research topics.  Back research articles could be viewed via “Full Text” or “PDF Download”. 

A few of the topics I reviewed are listed below:

Balancing between Heritage and Host Languages in Bilingual Kindergarten: Viewpoints of Russian Speaking immigrant parents in Germany and Israel. 

Play, Drawing, and Writing:  A Case Study of Korean – Canadian children

Chinese and German Teacher’s Conceptions of Play and Learning and Children’s Play Behavior

Playing and Learning in Another Language:  Language Revitalisation Programme

Sharing Attention and Activities among Toddlers

All were very interesting.  However, I found one article in their 2011 journal that made reference to children participation in research.  The article was titled Children’s Perspectives and Participation in Research by Deborah Harcourt and Johanna Einarsdottir.  Since this issue deals with a particular area of research I took additional time to fully engage in what it had to say.  The article takes into account settings of children in Sweden, Iceland, Italy, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, and Australia and the outcomes of involving and listening to children during research.  The conclusions showed that social context and primary caregivers and adults are key factors in the lives of children.  Also of importance to the research arena is the fact that children are competent to be part of research projects and that their opinions and understandings are vital to really knowing them as dynamic individuals.

The site outlined some dos and don’ts for getting published, how to get your research read along with other helpful research points.  Also listed were current and past conferences, how to become a member, the history, their “Aims”, and a current link to their partnership with, The Korea Institute of Child Care and Education. 

References

European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA): This international early childhood organization publishes a well respected journal. All back issues are accessible from this site and are fully searchable without charge.http://www.eecera.org/journal/

Harcourt, D. & Einarsdottir, J. (2011). Special Issue: Children's perspectives and participation in reserach. European Early Childhood Education Reserach Journal, 19(3), 301-307. Retrieved from EECERA website, http://www.eecera.org/journal/

An Uplifting Article about the Benefits of Early Head Start for Children and Families

I can still remember the many families that I came to know as a home visitor and family educator for Early Head Start (EHS) prior to 2006. Deep down, I always felt that EHS was a wonderful program that provided many avenues of betterment for families with young children.

Not too long ago, I ran across an article explaining the results of a study on the benefits of EHS. This national study was conducted by Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., and Columbia University’s Center for Children and Families in conjunction with Early Head Start Research Consortium. The study clearly showed that EHS had a positive influence on children’s (three-year-olds) cognitive, language, and social emotional development. It was also reported that the parents of those EHS children scored higher than the control group in aspects of home environment, parenting behavior, self-sufficiency, and benefits proved better for EHS fathers.

I am not surprised. I watched many single EHS mothers gain in confidence as they took part in their child’s development. I also believe that part of that improvement came from knowing that someone cared about them and their child and I believe that supporting the relationships between the parent and child is primary factor for such improvement.

I will never forget my years with EHS and I will always be thankful for the opportunity to grow as I strived to lift others.


Reference:

Administration for Children and Families. (2006). Early head start benefits children and families: Early head start research and evaluation project. Retrieved from http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/ehs/ehs_resrch/reports/dissemination/research_briefs/research_brief_overall.pdf

My Topic for Simulation: English Language Learners (ELL)

I have spent many years working with ELL children and their families. My years in Head Start and Migrant Head Start became the beginning of my association with children and families whose backgrounds extend beyond the backdoor of America. They embody culture, values, and ideas that are critical in assessing who they are.

I have so often seen children from immigrant families feel the urgings from their parents to lose the “old ways” and become American so they can succeed. Immigrant parents often desire their children to trade their first language with their new second language, English. I am of course, speaking of Latino children.

Having another language other than English should be seen as a blessing. However, most families do not usually see it that way. Just today, I encouraged a student to write a poem for their mother in commemoration of Mother’s Day in Spanish instead of English, because the mother speaks, reads, and writes Spanish only. This particular student was adamant that they were not going to do such a thing. In fact, when I initially instituted learning a daily Spanish word for everyone in the class, my Spanish students seemed a little embarrassed even though the rest of the class were excited. The school year is almost at its end and the previous feelings of embarrassment have gone by the way side and the ELL children seem to feel proud to help the other students learn Spanish.

I continue to work at gaining an understanding of the many barriers these children face, developing an environment that will help them through their learning process, and learning how to recognize and support positive self-images for them. I feel that those points are important in helping such students feel worthwhile and included in their new culture.

Constructing the week one research chart, has helped me to understand the correct path for finding out all that I want to learn about my topic. I think I finally realize that I need to search deeper within the research field. Instead of reading articles that have some correct ideas, I need to direct my search to find qualified information. In order to make noted headway with my ELL students, it is essential to require supported evidence of what works best with those children and their families.

I am open to any suggestions that will help me find my way through this course and put me on the correct route in working with ELL children.

Thanks in advanced to anyone who has great ideas they are willing share!