One hope that you have when you think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds (any format and any length)
My hope for families is that as a society we become more open and accepting of others. I work with military families who are as diverse as they can be. Sometimes I feel sad when I see that children have to struggle with whom they are and do not get support. As early childhood educators, it is our responsibility to welcome all families and their children. It is important to accept all of them for who they are rather than their race or lifestyle. Therefore, it is my biggest hope that by learning more about diversity, we all go out and advocate for our families.
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)
If I had to choose a goal, I would choose advocacy. It is important to go out and educate others about the importance of learning and accepting diversity. Yet, I find that most programs just go through the motion and think setting up a multicultural week once a year is all that is needed. Welcoming families to our programs can only work if we educate ourselves about different cultures. We often ask some questions of our families when they first enter the program but we don't do anything with the information provided. We should always correspond with our families and invite them to share with us information about their culture. Teachers are often not trained in how to incorporate all the diversity into their culture and are overwhelmed. By advocating and teaching others how to become more inclusive can help everyone.
A brief note of thanks to your colleagues.
I want to take the time to thank all who participated in this class. I was amazed to see how much diversity is reflected within our small community and liked that everyone was so open about the things that affected their lives. It was great to be able to participate with so many of you and bounce of different ideas from each other. I definitely learned more about diversity and myself. Thanks everyone.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Welcoming Families From Around the World
Setting: Child Development Center
The name of “your” family’s country of origin .
Zimbabwe
At least five ways in which you will prepare yourself to be culturally responsive towards this family.
1) Internet research about different lifestyles in Zimbabwe.
2) Research of Family dynamics in Zimbabwe.
3) Contact someone from Zimbabwe that works in the early childhood field.
4) Research dominant culture and minorities in Zimbabwe.
5) Find pictures that display different families from Zimbabwe.
A brief statement describing in what ways you hope that these preparations will benefit both you and the family.
I hope that finding out more about different groups of people and families that live in Zimbabwe will help me understand more about the family in general. In addition, it will prevent me from making Microinsults because of not knowing how to approach the families. I would also try to find picture from the area to make my program more inviting for the family. Furthermore, I would try to contact an early childhood professional from Zimbabwe to find out more about what the educational standard is like. I would try to find out more about the dominant culture and the minorities in the area and maybe prepare a traditional welcome.
I believe that all the research and preparation described above will help the family feel more welcome in our program. Nothing is more difficult for a family then leaving their children with someone else. It is important for families to feel that their children are taken care of and accepted in early childhood programs. However, this can be difficult if we do not know anything about the families or their culture. We may offend them or their tradition out of ignorance. Therefore, it is important for early childhood professionals to learn more about all families before and after they enter a program.
The name of “your” family’s country of origin .
Zimbabwe
At least five ways in which you will prepare yourself to be culturally responsive towards this family.
1) Internet research about different lifestyles in Zimbabwe.
2) Research of Family dynamics in Zimbabwe.
3) Contact someone from Zimbabwe that works in the early childhood field.
4) Research dominant culture and minorities in Zimbabwe.
5) Find pictures that display different families from Zimbabwe.
A brief statement describing in what ways you hope that these preparations will benefit both you and the family.
I hope that finding out more about different groups of people and families that live in Zimbabwe will help me understand more about the family in general. In addition, it will prevent me from making Microinsults because of not knowing how to approach the families. I would also try to find picture from the area to make my program more inviting for the family. Furthermore, I would try to contact an early childhood professional from Zimbabwe to find out more about what the educational standard is like. I would try to find out more about the dominant culture and the minorities in the area and maybe prepare a traditional welcome.
I believe that all the research and preparation described above will help the family feel more welcome in our program. Nothing is more difficult for a family then leaving their children with someone else. It is important for families to feel that their children are taken care of and accepted in early childhood programs. However, this can be difficult if we do not know anything about the families or their culture. We may offend them or their tradition out of ignorance. Therefore, it is important for early childhood professionals to learn more about all families before and after they enter a program.
Friday, August 5, 2011
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?
I most striking incident that came to my mind was my mother. My mother is one of the first female computer programmers in the world. She worked very hard to gain supervisory positions that were usually dominated by male counterparts. When she turned 50, the firm she was working for was taken over by another company. She was not taken over and had to find new employment. However, due to her age, she got discriminated against by companies. Even though she had a great deal of experience and knowledge, companies often chose younger counterparts who just finished college over her.
In what way(s) did the specific bias, prejudice and/or oppression in that incident diminish equity?
My mother is very open about her age and is not afraid to share her age. However, in our society, once you have gained a certain age, companies often choose not to hire you because most people do not want to associate themselves with the elderly. My mother was often times the most qualified person who applied, yet she never got chosen.
What feelings did this incident bring up for you?
After talking with my mother about why she often did not get chosen made me feel sad because even though she did not admit it, it hurt her feelings. I often find that most of us do not appreciate age and feel that we have to look and act younger than we are. What I don't understand is why so many people are afraid of getting older. I remember that I had many friends who dreaded becoming 30. Most of them told me "Just wait until it's your turn." My 30 birthday came and nothing changed for me. That surprised many but I don't feel that a number tells much about how we perform in life.
What and/or who would have to change in order to turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity?
I think the only way to gain more equality with any "-isms," we have to change our point-of-view first. Oppression and inequity can only go on as long as we as a society allow it to happen. I never thought about ageism much because I do not care about getting older. That is why I treat everyone with respect despite their age. I try not to judge a book by the cover and I don't think age should be such a big deal. Why hide how old we are? I think we should let our performance speak for itself rather then judge someone for their age.
I most striking incident that came to my mind was my mother. My mother is one of the first female computer programmers in the world. She worked very hard to gain supervisory positions that were usually dominated by male counterparts. When she turned 50, the firm she was working for was taken over by another company. She was not taken over and had to find new employment. However, due to her age, she got discriminated against by companies. Even though she had a great deal of experience and knowledge, companies often chose younger counterparts who just finished college over her.
In what way(s) did the specific bias, prejudice and/or oppression in that incident diminish equity?
My mother is very open about her age and is not afraid to share her age. However, in our society, once you have gained a certain age, companies often choose not to hire you because most people do not want to associate themselves with the elderly. My mother was often times the most qualified person who applied, yet she never got chosen.
What feelings did this incident bring up for you?
After talking with my mother about why she often did not get chosen made me feel sad because even though she did not admit it, it hurt her feelings. I often find that most of us do not appreciate age and feel that we have to look and act younger than we are. What I don't understand is why so many people are afraid of getting older. I remember that I had many friends who dreaded becoming 30. Most of them told me "Just wait until it's your turn." My 30 birthday came and nothing changed for me. That surprised many but I don't feel that a number tells much about how we perform in life.
What and/or who would have to change in order to turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity?
I think the only way to gain more equality with any "-isms," we have to change our point-of-view first. Oppression and inequity can only go on as long as we as a society allow it to happen. I never thought about ageism much because I do not care about getting older. That is why I treat everyone with respect despite their age. I try not to judge a book by the cover and I don't think age should be such a big deal. Why hide how old we are? I think we should let our performance speak for itself rather then judge someone for their age.
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