What I Have Learned

What I Have Learned

When I think about working with children and families of diverse background my wish for them is that despite their various diversities that they purse their dreams and accomplish all they desire in life.  Everyone deserve to live a fulfilling life working toward their dreams, accomplishing them and living them out-their diversities shouldn’t stand in the way of their aspiration.

As early childhood educators our primary focus in regards to diversity, equity and social justice should be to learn all that we can about these matters so that we will be better equipped to handle situations pertaining to these issues if they arise.  It should be our ultimate goal to be of service to the child and families that we serve.  And I feel that the most effective way to accomplish this is by continuing our education to learn all we can about these matters-through attending classes, workshops and in service training. This challenge is extended to all my colleagues.

To all my fellow classmates I can truly say I enjoyed this class. I have gained so much valuable information that will definitely benefit myself, colleagues and the children and families I serve.  I would like to wish each of you good lucky in all your future endeavors.  Have a safe and Happy Independence Day.

Start Seeing Diversity Blog: Creating Art

Creating Art

  

My learning experience in this course has truly been an extraordinary journey.  Along this journey I have encountered many bumps in the road that were sometimes unbearable but were smoothed out the more I traveled.   As I rode along on this exceptional excursion I obtained some valuable information.  I picked up that children identities are formed constantly and influenced through multiple social and cultural contexts.   Even though children identities are impacted by multiple sources I feel that family is the most influential of all.  What families cultivate early on makes an indentation into children thoughts, ideas and notions.

Art to me is a representation/expression of ones views or how they feel about something or someone.  I chose to use an image of a family surrounded by books. This image was created by my daughter who is always eager to assist in any way that she can. This family always illustrates that family doesn’t always consist of a mother and father-sometime there’s only a mother or father, two mothers or two fathers. The books are a depiction of life (a child’s life) each book represents a different chapter- each chapter represents the mark the family has left with the child. Some of the impressions made upon the child via the families are morals/values, teachings/lessons, traditions/customs, and confidence/self-respect.

Start Seeing Diversity Blog: "We Don't Say Those Words in Class!"

Start Seeing Diversity Blog: "We Don't Say Those Words in Class!"

A couple weeks ago my daughter and I were attending a graduation party hosted by my friend for her daughter.  In attendance was this young man whose face was made up beautifully and also wore bracelets, earrings in both eyes and a necklace.  Additionally, he also carried a purse.  My daughter who is ten ask me, “Mom why is that man wearing makeup, jewelry and carrying a purse.”   Instantly I told her to be quiet and not to talk so loud-I told her that because I didn’t want him to hear us and think we were judging him.  Once my daughter got silence I told her we will talk about it when we get home.  I wanted to ensure that I would be able to speak to her without interference and that she would be able to speak freely and ask questions if needed.  The response that I gave may have been received by the daughter as being that this is not okay or that it is a bad thing. 

One goal of the anti-bias educator is for, “each child to express comfort and joy with human diversity; accurate language for human differences; and deep, caring human connections (Derman-Sparks, 2010, p.4).”  And the manner in which they approach this is, “by encouraging children to learn about how they are different from other children and learn about how they are similar go hand in hand. These are never either/or realities because people are simultaneously the same and different from one another. This is at the heart of learning how to treat all people caringly and fairly (Derman-Sparks, 2010, p.4).”  In other words I feel that the anti-bias educator would have first ask my daughter to express how the individual is like her and how is he is different from her. This will in a sense give her some sort of image of that the individual and that he is not that much different than her.    This exercise will enable my daughter to treat everyone that they she sees with love and respect because deep down inside we are not all that different.

Reference:

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children