Awareness of Microaggressions

This week, I heard a five year old girl, while playing, discuss the size of toy trucks.  She stated, “The smaller trucks are for the girls, and the bigger ones are for the boys.”  She was told that the size of the trucks have nothing to do with gender.  When she was asked why she said this, she replied that boys are stronger than girls; therefore they get the bigger trucks.  The message conveyed here was that boys are stronger than girls.

I am from the south, and have a Southern twang.  I was once a bit ashamed of this, but now I draw my words out with pride!  I was once told, “You talk funny!  Are you sure you have a college degree? Weren’t you taught how to speak correctly?”  The implication was that I was dumb because I was Southern and spoke differently, even though it was proper English, just a little slower than others!  This made me feel ashamed, and for a while, I tried to make my spoken language in public appear less than Southern, which was uncomfortable and unnatural.  Now, I am proud of this, and I feel that I can express myself freely.

Thinking about these microaggressions made me reflect on how these often unintended messages have lasting impacts.  I also have learned that it is important to empower children, families, and ourselves with the ability to combat microaggressions.  Education is a tool for this, as well as direct confrontation when microaggressions occur.

Definitions of Culture and Diversity

I asked several people their definition of culture and diversity, and only received four replies.

Here are the replies I received.

“Culture is a set of attitudes, rules of behavior and beliefs held commonly within a society. Diversity is the extent to which things differ.”

“Culture is defined as developing or improving the mind by education or training.  Diversity is accepting others for their differences.”

 “Culture has two meanings.  The first is refined, steeped in proper etiquette and good manners...as in "Scarlett O'Hara (Gone with the Wind) was a very cultured southern woman.
The second definition is the area and family in which you were raised that taught you a particular set of values...as in "He was raised in a good Catholic family and was taught to go to Mass every week and to be respectful of his elders."  Diversity was defined as, “Usually used in the context of a population that is different from one another...as in, "The town I grew up in had a lower, middle-class group of working-class, blue-collar kind of people as well as an upper-middle class group of professional people. Also, diversity can be thought as a wide-ranging group of ideas...as in "During our brainstorming session, we came up with a diverse amount of ideas for solving the problem." (*Suggested looking up definition in dictionary)

The last person looked up the definition in a dictionary and did not give their personal definition of culture and diversity.  It was interesting to compare and contrast the dictionary definition to the other definitions that were given.  I am not sure if this is from Webster’s or another online dictionary, but it reads, “Culture is the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations b : the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group ; also: the characteristic features of everyday existence (as diversions or a way of life; shared by people in a place or time ‹popular ~› ‹southern ~› c : the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization ‹a corporate ~ focused on the bottom line› d : the set of values, conventions, or social practices associated with a particular field, activity, or societal characteristic. 

I found it interesting that one person defined culture and diversity with a dictionary, and another suggested I research this myself in a dictionary, and these were the two oldest people I asked.  I found it interesting that the definitions were very broad and some included identities that some may associate with (i.e. religious affiliation, geographical location, and social class).  I did see an expression of the dominant culture, when working class was referenced.   

I think a working definition of surface culture is represented, not deep culture.  If you used these definitions to get to know someone, this would be surface level, and not really know about traditions, values, expressions of emotions, relationships, etc. 

Prior to this class, I would have defined culture and diversity in a very broad sense as well.  I think having such a broad definition of culture often limits us as we work with children, because we only apply surface level thinking, and do not go deep into the student’s culture.  I have decided to make every effort to go deep into the culture, not just scratch the surface.

Items of Importance

If I received word that I would be evacuating from my country, I would first choose my Bible.  I would explain that this is where I draw my strength from, and that I need it to help instruct my daughter in the Christian faith, as well as help feed myself spiritually.  I also have family events chronicled in the front of the Bible, and this could serve as a reminder of important family events (births, deaths, mission trips, spiritual decisions). 

The next item I would take would be a quilt that my Grandmother made me that I have now passed down to my daughter.  It has seen a lot of my life, and holds many precious memories!  My grandmother was a very important woman in my life, and I still feel her influence.  Taking a quilt made by her would help me feel secure with all the changes that might take place in a new country.

The third item I would take would be family photos.  My husband and I both enjoy telling family history to our daughter, and this is a great way to share that history.  I would also like to take wedding photos and other photos of importance.

Wow!  What a difficult question in regards to what one item I would take with me.  After careful consideration, I would have to say that I would keep my Bible.  This is where I go for a source of comfort and words that I want my daughter to know and aid her in her spiritual growth.  I also can read guidance about being a mother and wife in the pages of God’s word.

I realized in doing this that most of my culture is closely tied to non-materialistic items.  I would not choose money over memories.  I also reflected on the importance of family in my life, and how our culture is meaningful to us.  

Reflections

Coming into this course, I was pretty much a novice at research.  I had never really studied this much beyond science class where hypotheses were tested as part of a lab course.  Taking this class has opened my eyes to the world of research.  I imagined research to be carried out by people in white lab coats, and while some may do this, this course helped me see that research is possible for everyone.  As I soaked up the knowledge in EDUC 6163, I began to see that research can be carried out by everyday professionals.

Most of the terms to me were new, so I had to really grapple for understanding at times.  However, I believe that I am much more prepared to conduct research, but really I am much more prepared to READ research.  Through this course I learned the importance and technique of conducting a literature review.  I guess I really gained a greater understanding of the research process.  I had no idea that quantitative and qualitative research existed (using those terms to define) and the mixed methods approach was new to me as well. 

I learned that there are many steps involved in a research project. I never realized the number of hours that a single project could take.  I also learned that above all, ethics must be maintained in all facets of the research. 

One of the biggest challenges for me was understanding the difference between dependent and independent variables.  I had to read and reread the examples, and read some other examples as well.  I think I have a better understanding of these terms.  Since most of this information was new to me, I really had to keep an open mind and seek to find the answers to my questions.  I think that the charts we completed really aided my understanding.

I will no longer see researchers as those mad scientists wearing lab coats.  I now see that research is an extensive process that individuals can accomplish and participate in. 

A big thank you goes out to all of you, as you have aided my understanding in this class!  Your thoughts and insights have been extremely valuable.  Thank you, Dr. Walker for seeing us through the end of the course!

International Website

For this blog assignment, I visited the Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) website.  This website gave general information regarding early childhood programs in Sub-Sahara Africa.  The goal is to create strong leadership in the Early Childhood Education (ECE) field by aiding those in the field with support. 

I found that a vast amount of research has been conducted.  On the ECDVUSSA website, there is a link to publications.  I found that research topics from several African countries are listed.  I saw topics ranging from the role of fathers in ECE in Nigeria, to the importance and ways of strengthening the role of grandparents as parents in Uganda. 

In looking at the topics that have been researched, I see that the concerns of children in other areas of the world are similar to those of other countries.  It seems that a desire to aid families in empowering through education is alive.  I also found in skimming a couple of the research articles that there was a sense that researchers were not trying to implement new practices, but strengthen existing ones, but at the same time tried to provide education to empower. 

Option Two

For this assignment, I chose option two.

To imagine no restrictions for a research project gave me a chance to really think about my passions in the field.  If I could research any topic, I would want to research family involvement in Appalachia and the benefits of being involved in children’s educative process.  I would design pilot programs that families could learn skills for helping their children succeed.  I know that research shows the positive benefits of family involvement.  However, being from Appalachia, I would be interested in researching how a program with family education, a family academy, if you will, positively affects graduation rates and college/vocational school attendance.  I think that families often do not know the resources available to them and beginning at an early age would help them not feel so boxed in, if you will, and know early on the options that can be given to them.  In doing this research, families would be empowered to help their children, know available resources, and serve as an encouragement to their children.  In doing this, I would hope to see that graduation rates and college attendance would increase.

Research Simulation Topic

For some reason, for as long as I can remember, I have always had a difficult time narrowing my focus of topics.  As I read the text this week, I knew my topic was too broad, and it needed narrowed!  I knew I wanted to focus on the positive effects of play. Therefore, after much consideration, I have decided to narrow the focus of my topic, and thus, I want to research the role of play in aiding socio-emotional development in Pre-School aged children.  I feel very passionate about this topic, and I feel that learning more about play in relation to socio-emotional development will aid me as I advocate.  Just this week, I had a meeting with my supervisor and principal, both of whom are in defense of play, and are open to learning more about the positives of it (my supervisor was adamant about making sure we are getting in the substantial portion of the day in relation to play).  Researching this will also give me resources to give to families and others who may question why we have play for substantial portion of the day.  

 In the coming days, I know that I will need to decide if I plan to use an inductive or deductive method for gathering information.  Do any of you have any suggestions regarding this?  I know from your posts last week that some of you have research experience.  Any tips would be appreciated!

Also, do you have any research articles or information that you would be willing to share about play?  I look forward to hearing from you!

Thanks!

 

In conclusion...

To say that my horizons were broadened in this course would be an understatement!  As we have explored the issues that ECE educators face on a daily basis worldwide, I have certainly come away feeling that there is much work to be accomplished in our field!

From the podcasts, I have learned that even among terrible situations, there are those who are courageous to provide education for children.  Individuals such as Meridas Eka Yora and Maysoun Chehab have worked hard to educate children in the midst of destruction and war.  Personally, as I reflect on the contribution by these individuals, I ask myself, “What is my excuse?”  I am not faced by tragedy, destruction, or natural disaster.  I feel that I need to go above status quo, and make the effort to get to know the personal battles that my children may be facing.  Even though we have not been affected in my district by events such as these, each child probably has their own personal war, and I feel that I need to strive to provide them with the best education they can get, and give them the tools to cope with these battles.

I have never been much of a statistics person, as I am not a very good analytical thinker.  However, as we have visited websites in this course, and reviewed statistics about children in poverty, I must admit that I have been moved by the numbers.  In visiting the Global Fund for Children’s website, I was amazed at the number of children worldwide who are working (around 215 million).  Some of the jobs are harsh, and to say the least, children are being robbed of their childhood.  In America, I know that there are labor laws that protect children, but I also feel that I need to protect childhood for my students.  I have decided that one way I can do this is to advocate for the power of play in ECE.

I have always felt that I am no stranger to poverty.  As we have examined poverty worldwide, and the devastating effects, I must say that I am reminded how blessed I am.  I have often felt convicted as I read the information on websites regarding the ways children grow up.  I have always had a passion for abolishing poverty, and as I visited two countries in years ago, I was moved to do something for poverty worldwide.  The farther removed from those visits to China and Haiti that I am, the easier it became to get back in my comfort zone.  I’ve never forgotten what it was like in the two countries, but at home in my comfort zone, in my air conditioning with a well stocked pantry, I must admit that my passion had waned.  However, in visiting sites like UNESCO, and seeing what is being done for children in poverty, I have been moved to once again become involved.  I do not have a clear direction yet, but I cannot just sit back.    

As I have read postings from each of you, I have grown.  I want to thank you for all your contributions and comments, as they have helped me see the global impact ECE is making.  Also, I wish you the best on your journey, and maybe our paths will cross again!

:)  Kristi

UNESCO

I have become a stronger advocate of early childhood education.  I always knew that this was an empowering force in the lives of children, and I must admit that I sometimes only looked at this country, and thought about the lives of children here.  While this is important, I know that it is of equal importance to look at the children of the world.

In visiting the UNESCO website, I was interested in the section that dealt with poverty reduction (http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-agenda/education-for-sustainable-development/poverty-reduction/).  By 2015, there are goals that hope to be met that are targeted at reducing poverty and reducing death rates for mothers and children.  In reading information about this, I followed a link to the United Nations, and one of the links led to me the status of this.  If projected trends continue, many of the countries that need assistance will not meet these goals by 2015 (http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/2012_Progress_E.pdf).  There is much work to do.  I think that advocating for those in poverty gives a voice to the voiceless.  I was surprised to discover that there is a plan in place for helping worldwide poverty.

Further, UNESCO offers Technical and Vocation Education Training (TVET) for groups of people by teaching job skills and learning skills.  A database that gives information about countries and the work of TVET is available.  Out of curiosity, I looked at this, which can be found at http://www.unevoc.unesco.org/worldtvetdatabase.php .  I looked at some of the information about the countries and found it refreshing that there are things being done to grow the workforce and abolish poverty.

Last, I was moved by the push for “Education for All,” as I view education as a tool of empowerment.  At the World Education Forum, 164 countries decided to make advances toward reaching this goal.  Six goals are to be met by 2015.  Education is so important that everyone deserves this, I feel!

For the podcast, I listened to Barbara Jones.  She is the founder of Pine Grove School in Falmouth, Maine.  As a student in college, she felt that alternative education means were for her.  She traveled to California, first, and began learning the Montessori approach.    She was there for two years and decided to complete the Montessori training.  In Falmouth, she decided that she would begin a program in an old building, a former schoolhouse, and began the wait for the building to be sold.  She opened the program in 1984, and has been working for 25 years in her program.  I was inspired by her apparent passion.  You could hear her beaming as she discussed her work!  I think also that I was inspired by her tenacity-to try to reach your dreams wherever they may lead you!

Sharing Web Resources

As I explored the global Fund for Children website further, I decided to look at the “Get Involved” tab.  Being an avid reader, I was interested in the “Bookstore” section.  I further clicked and read about resources, and discovered several links.  I visited one in particular that gave an annotated bibliography for children’s books that celebrate crafts from other parts of the world, all with the motive of teaching children about being a global citizen.  There are other books that discuss religious diversity and environmental concerns, as well as a listing of periodicals.  The website link is https://www.globalfundforchildren.org/store/resources/

While further exploring this portion of the website, there was a section that was titled “Online Resources.”  I looked at this section extensively, as there were several links.  Topics included The Best of the Best Online, Activism and Service Learning, Games and Kid Friendly Websites, Global Citizenship and Stewardship, and Tolerance, Anti-Bias, and Diversity Education.  I decided to look in depth at the Global Citizenship and Stewardship section.  I particularly enjoyed the Oxfam Education link.  This highlights four children from around the world and children can compare and contrast their life to that of other children.  (http://www.oxfam.org.uk/education/resources/your_world_my_world/?2)

I visited the GFC’s blog for a recent entry.  I found an interesting entry about how sports are bringing equity to children in Tanzania.  For children living in extreme poverty, with below standard schools, a group called Future Stars Academy seeks to teach children how to become model citizens and try to inspire them to rise above poverty.  Children in poverty are not the only ones served.  Affluent children participate as well.  Participating in sports has been an equalizer for them. In short, this group inspires children to dream!  By participating in sports, children have not reaped only physical benefits, but they also learn life skills and are more likely to stay  in school, as they have a “No school, no play” policy. (https://www.globalfundforchildren.org/empowering-youth-through-sports/)

The Global Fund for Children seeks to create equity in education, by sponsoring grass root organizations that equalize opportunities for children.  Some organizations provide schooling for girls rather than them becoming a slave or on the streets.  Some organizations provide housing.  In reading more of what they strive to do, I guess I am inspired to dream about the impact that can be made if one person takes a chance.  I also realize that this world is large, and equity is a global issue.  (I know that may seem a little strange, but I tend to get caught up in my little corner of the world without focusing on global issues).  I guess you could say that my eyes continue to be opened.