Professional Hopes and Goals

When working with children and families from diverse backgrounds I hope that I can be a welcoming face for them as they enter a new environment. I hope that can look at me as see that I am here to help and assist them in anyway possible and for them to know that regardless of their background and culture, that I understand and respect them. The one goal that I have for early childhood professionals and institutions is that we continue to respect, trust, and support every child and family that we work with. The three elements are needed to foster good relationships not only with these families but in communities as well.

I would like to take this time to thank each of my peers in this course for all your feedback this semester. I have come to learn about each of you in small personal way and I want to wish you the best in your academic future as well as your professional careers. I look forward to working with each of you again in the future.

Welcoming Families From Around the World

The country of origin that my family will come from is Paraguay. Paraguay is a small country located in South America with a population of approximately 6.5 million. The language of this country is a mixture of Spanish and Guarani' which is recognized as the official language. Majority of its population is Roman Catholic followed by Protestant.

In the United States I have come to realize that we are a huge melting pot of different cultures, religions, values, and beliefs. As a professional I have to comfortable with families who may not speak the same language as I do or have the same belief system. I will become knowledgable about my new family by reading books, researching articles, as well as find resources within in my community in reference to the language. I will also do my best in finding ways for the child as well as the family being able to make a smooth transition into the American culture. I believe by becoming informed about my student's culture I can develop and positive bond with him/her and their family. Positive bonds can help break the stereotype barriers that can be hinder a child's success in education.

Reference
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/pa.html

Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

As I reflected on the assignment for this week, I tried to recall a time when I witnessed out right prejudice and oppression and I could not picture a time when I have. I have watched several televsions shows and movies where this type of inequity took place but none that I can say that I personal witness from my own eyes. As I pondered on about this assignment I remembered a book that I enjoyed reading over and over when I was younger and I also was able to watch the movie that was filmed because of the book. " The Color Purple" written by Alice Walker in 1982 was a fictional novel that won the Pulitzer Prize. The story was about an African American women named Celie who grew up unloved by everyone in her world excepet for her sister Nettie. Celie was raped by her stepfather and through these sexual assaults she bore two children who were taken away from her by her stepfather. Celie was sent off to marry a man by the name of Mr___ (his real name Albert is finally known towards the end of the novel) who beats Celie as a way of controlling her. Another character of the story named Sofia is also an African American woman but she is more assertive and demands respect everywhere she goes. Sofia marries Celie's stepson (Harpo) against Mr____ wishes. Harpo feels emasculated in his marriage to Sofia because he does not have the same control over her as his father (Mr____) has over Celie. Harpo tries his father's method of control by beating Sofia and Sofia returns the blows right back to Harpo. After years of violence and 5 children later Sofia leaves her husband. Celie still longing for love has never heard from her sister Nettie because Mr____ refuses to give Celie any of the letters Nettie has written to her, Celie assumes that her sister is dead.  Mr___ reminds Celie that she is black, poor, ugly, a woman, and that she is nothing at all. Sofia comes back into town and is confronted a lady named  Miss Millie. Miss Millie is a White woman who is the wife of the county's mayor and she asked Sofia if she would work for them as their maid. Sofia dismisses the woman's offer by replying "Hell no". The mayor slaps Sofia in the face and calls her an "ungrateful nigger" which lands her in prison for 12 years. Once Sofia is released from prison she is forced to work for Miss Millie as a maid to add more insult to injury.

This novel depicts some of the most clear signs of racism, sexism, and oppression against African  Americans and women. The in era that this story describes women were seen as less than man and completely worthless, except for sexual needs. African Americans  where being called racial names such as gal, boy, and nigger to show that they were considered less than the White race. As I read the novel, I remembered feeling more enraged about how African American men treated their wives than the way that Whites treated Blacks. I felt that African American men understood how it felt to be considered as less than and could not understand why a man would treat his wife in the same manner. The only way for change in all of the events could have occurred would have been if African American men would have given their wives more respect and not beat them or treat them as sexual slaves, housekeepers, and babysitters. White Americans would have to change their way of thinking towards the African American race and begin to view them as human as well. Even though this was a fictional novel I believe it showed the truth when it comes to the history of our world.

Awareness of Microaggressions

A few weeks ago my husband experienced a form of microaggression right in front of my home. My husband was in the yard doing some landscaping ( which is a loved hobby of his) and staining our outdoor bench area when a police officer passed by. He looked up at the officer and waved his hand and went back to doing his work. The police officer came by 15 minutes later and told my husband that he was doing a really nice job and thought the work was beautiful. He then asked my husband how much does he charge for work like that because his wife would love it. My husband stated, "Oh I don't do this for a living, I just like to give the front of my home a makeover from time to time." The officer laughed and said, "Yea this is your home....right". My husband stood there and repeated that this was our home. The officer looked surprised and stated that he assumed that we were renting the home. I was insulted at the remark and walked away.

Through this experience I believe that the officer was not trying to discriminate in any way but he figured that an African American family owning a home in that particular neighborhood was surprising. The fact that he laughed at my husband insisting that we owned the home was the most hurtful. The funny thing about this whole ordeal was that the officer was African American himself and I think that he believed the stereotype of the culture that we live in. He made an assumption about our living situation just based on the neighborhood and the color of our skin.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

For this assignment I spoke with my mother who is a licensed practical counselor, my co-worker Tara Frederick, and my friend April Flugence who is a realtor. I asked each of them specifically what their definition of culture and diversity was. My mother stated, “Culture and diversity a very unique topics and I believe that culture has to do with traditions of family as well as religion. It is the clothes that we wear, the food we eat, and the language we speak. Diversity is what makes us different from one another; it’s our own unique qualities.” My co-worker Tara explained, “Culture is a way of life….your way of life to be specific. It is your beliefs, morals, and your perceptions of the world. Diversity is the difference from one person to the next. It is different races, genders, and it helps to separate us once we have been categorized within a group.”  April stated, “Culture is understanding the roles of family members and family traditions. It is important to understand that what I may feel is normal in my family may be taboo in another. Diversity is what make us who we are, why we laugh, what makes us smile or upsets, and how we handle the world around us.”

After speaking with them I have learned through these conversations and my course readings that we all have the same base line understanding of culture and diversity but we each pulled out our own examples. Some of us realized that the basics of food and traditions while another realized that it has to do with our morals and beliefs. I believe that this exercise helped me develop a better understanding of the way we think as individuals when it comes to culture and diversity and no aspects were omitted in any way. We have to be accepting of differences and respect another person’s traditions, morals, beliefs and languages. My co-worker Tara is the most culturally different from me because I am African American and she is Native American, and I am married with a child on the way and she is a single woman with no children. Although we are different in these ways I felt more connected to her definitions of culture and diversity.

My Family Culture

My Family Culture

The three items that I would bring with me if my family and I had to evacuate would be my family album, my grandmother’s crocheted and last I would bring the families stock pot. The photo album holds pictures of the majority of my family members both present and deceased and in the back of the album is a very detailed family history tree. This album holds information about my family that I would never be able to uncover it were lost or destroyed it also helps to teach the next generation of where they come from. My grandmother’s blanket is something that I hold near and dear to me because as a child and young adult I remember her taking naps with this blanket laid across and when she passed away in 2004 it was the only item I requested from my father to have. It’s like always having a piece of her with me. Last but not least is the family’s stock pot, my family has gathered at my grandparents’ house many Sundays after church to socialize and enjoy a Sunday meal. I remember only good times when it comes to cooking and I how my grandmother still loves to cook for us on Sundays. I would want to bring that same tradition wherever we go.

If I were told that I could only keep one item from my family I would be completely hurt and devastated. Each of these items represents what my family is all about and that is unity, history and tradition. At first I did not consider myself as a person that would hold on to items because I felt that memories was all that I needed but I realized how important certain items are to me because it gives the history of my family. Through these items I would be able to teach my children and future grandchildren about their history and the importance of family.

When I Think of Research

What insights have you gained about research from taking this course?

Before taking this course I will admit that I was completely intimidated when it came to research. I felt that I did not have the experience or enough knowledge to speak about research. After taking this course I realized that research is just another part of learning about our social environment. In reference to children, it helps us to be able to learn different ways to interact with them, the way they learn, what affects them, and how we as professionals can do a better job with helping them. Without such research, we would know less about children's points of view, their wants and needs and their possibilities (Mac Naughton, Rolfe & Siraj-Blatchford, 2010).

In what ways have your ideas about the nature of doing research changed?

My ideas have changed to be more open minded when it comes to research and less fearful. I have realized that I have learned a tremendous amount of information through this course and I have also learned that research is about putting together ideas with other professionals.

What lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood did you learn?

I have learned that being organized is a key part of being successful in research. You have to take your time plan out every detail of research to make sure that there is no room for error and no room for being bias. Make sure that all sources and information are valid and up to date with current findings. The design for the research must be planned out and you must decided on what methods to you  when investigating your topic.

What were some of the challenges you encountered—and in what ways did you meet them?

I had some difficulty in being specific in what I wanted to focus my project on. I had problems trying to narrow my subject down to one idea to investigate. In research I learned that being to broad with an idea can lead to errors in research and conflicting data.

What are some of the ways your perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course?

Early childhood professionals have an opportunity to change the direction of where the next generation is heading. We have to remain focus on assisting children and their families with providing the best care and advice we can give when it comes to education. By assisting the children we help the families and by assisting the families we can help the children. It is a continuing link that connects children to a positive future.

Mac Naughton, G., Rolfe, S.A., & Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2010). Doing early childhood research: International perspectives on theory and practice (2nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Research Around the World

European Early Childhood Education Research Journal (EECERJ) holds the most prestigious early childhood journals in the world. It is one of only four early years journals indexed by the Institute of Scientific Information. As I looked thru the website I noticed how this journal holds specific criteria to decide which journal topics to write about, how the conferences are developed and placed, as well as who and what organizations they will link and do partnership with. The current links/partners are with the Korea Institute of Child Care and Education and the Pacific Early Childhood Education Research Association.

As I looked through the several journal topics I learned how much this organization focused on young children. One article that caught my interest was the their most recent issue (Volume 19 Issue3) on children and their participation in research. Because this semester is focusing research and children I felt the need to read this article to see their point of view. The article stated that children are more than capable of participating in research and it valued the type of information that can be received from children.

www.eecera.org

Research That Benefits Children and Families

When it comes to the countless hours someone has put into research to benefit the families that we love we as professionals will most commonly think of deadly diseases that have either been eliminated or there is a vaccine available to the public. Yellow fever is a viral disease spread between humans as well as between certain other primates and humans by the bite of infected mosquitoes. The term yellow fever comes from the jaundice that takes over the entire body of an infected person. The disease cannot be transmitted from human to human and it is mainly passed through and area where there are high level of infected mosquitoes. In history several adults and children have been infected with yellow fever and died before a vaccination was discovered.

The first outbreaks were documented in Charleston, Virgina and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1699. A 1793 outbreak in Philadelphia killed about 10% of the city's population. Once a person  was infected the virus, within 3-4 days it was possible for that person to recover. In some circumstances those who contracted the virus went into a second phase of illness after recovery and died. Vaccines are now available and widely used  that can protect a person as soon as one week after injection and protect for the next 30 years. Sadly however, countries in Latin America and Africa still suffer with this disease and it claims the lives of 200,000 people per year.

www.hisotryofvaccines.org/content/articles/yellowfever

Topic Selection

The topic that I chose is "What is play?". I chose this topic because I have heard all too often parents state that there is no need for play in the classroom because their child needs to learn instead of play. Parents fail to realize that while their children are playing they are learning as well. They are learning about the similarities and differences between them and their classmates and sometimes other cultures. They have the opportunity to learn about music at a young age and the appreciation for art. Yes it may seem like doodling on a piece of paper but in acutality the child is learning how to control their hand for wrting as well as making certain shapes. Play is just a gudie for children to be able to explore.

International Learning

Out of all the websites that I have studied and all of the viewpoints that I have read about, I have come to the understanding that there are both positive and negatives influences that I have learned from all of this. First, now that I have read about other countires and their struggles it leaves me with a sense of "will we as people every put education first?" It almost has a point of being discouraged because so many countires suffer with issues within education. Second, I know compare our educational system to others. I know that comparisons won't really help and it can only make me feel powerless over the issues that I face within my own community, instead of focusing on what good I can do. Finally, the last consequence when learning about other countires is the overwhelming feeling of sorrow for those countries suffering from extreme poverty. Our country suffers from poverty as well but not as severe as other countries who are less fortunate. One goal that I would like to take from this entire experience is that I hope to one day be able to share my educational experience and knowledge with those across the globe to bring a community of global awareness for all children of this world. With this community I hope to develop a linkage from one country to the next who can aid each other in specific needs to assist children and their families. I beleive that every nation has something the next is lacking and if we link together then we can make a better world for our future generations.

UNESCO Website

When reasearching this website I ran across a section titled "What are the three most important skills a child should learn?" UNESCO Bangkok Director, Gwang-Jo Kim, said " One of the greatest challenge for education systems today is keeping pace with the skills they will need in an increasingly knowlwdge based economy." He stated that children need to learn culture, become critical thinkers, and also need to obtain life skills. I agree with the ideas and beleive that if every child possessed these skills they will grow as individual. Another insight I found was that only 60% of Nigerians educators possess the qualifications to teach. In order to improve education we must first improve leadership qualifications worldwide. The last insight that I gained was how well the UNESCO's website is put together to give quality information to all professionals across the globe.

(http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/)

Exploring Our Resources

I find that the NAEYC's webiste is a great website that will help many people who are in the profession of working with young children and their families. On the actual website under the Professional Development tab there is information to help prepare those who are in the process or begining the career of working with children and their families. NAEYC offers online learning opportunities, training or trainers, as well as opportunities to gain more continuing education units (CEU's) for the job or personal practice. I believe that this webiste is extremely important because it gives current information on the issues as well as the improvements with the eudcation of children. It also gives an idea of what changes are to be expected and where we are heading in the future.

Global Knowledge

Harvard University’s “Global Children’s Initiative” website   http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/), was a very interesting website to review and it is filled with a plethera of information on many of the global issues as it relates to young children. The growing attention that has been given to early childhood health has opened the opportunity for countries all over the globe to begin transforming the health og their children. While  large  number of studies have inverstigated the impact of early childhood expereince on children's develomental, health, and educational outcomes in developed countries, relatively little evidence is available on early childhood development in sub-Saharan Africa (Global Children's Intiative). On this website I have learned that all though the world has made great strides to help benefit young children, that many of them (the poorest countries) are still struggling to get the basic needs. On going studies in Zambia are being performed to address the lacking evidence of improvement. The ZECDP (Zambian Early Childhood Development Project) has made a collabrative effort to research the different health issues of Zambia.

Sharing Web Resources

The website that I chose to research was the National Association of Child Care Resources & Referral Agencies (www.naccrra.org). One area of this website that I found interesting was the tab titled “About Child Care”. It has information on the cost of child care, school readiness, poverty, and parents perspectives just to name a few. This tab also has information on child care information on each state, the state’s current governor as well as what ranking it holds across all of the states. This information is important to try and assist my state with its child care laws as well as any policy changes that need to be made. This information also shows how our state needs improvements when it comes to child care and how early child hood education needs to be made a priority again. The website also has information for parents, providers as well as military families who may need information on how to help their child or help someone who has a child. Another helpful tool I found was a “Child Care Options Calculator” which allows families to be able to budget how they can afford child care and what changes they need to make to their expenses. One insight I was able to gain after exploring this website was that poverty is an issue that they focus on as well as adequate child care. The website provides numerous resources on different agencies in your area, information on membership, as well as services for military families and providers.

Poverty Issues In India

Poverty is an issue that every single country suffers with in some sort of way. Poverty has taken a toll on families and children specifically for some time now. 600 million children across the globe are currently living i n poverty. In many countries, rates are much higher with over 60 percent of children living in households with incomes below international poverty lines (CHIP). Poverty affects all ages and races and it continues to climb. Children in poverty often suffer from malnutrition which can cause life-long difficulties in development, poor health, and/or death. As of 1999-2000, India had 260.2 million people living in poverty and it is considered home to the majority of poor people in South Asia. India social service area and education system continues to face challenges with the amount of people in which they are trying to serve. The percentage of children entering primary school has increased but still considered a daunting task because of the 33 million children needing to be enrolled. An estimated 400 million of the population are between are between 0-18 years of age (UNICEF).

UNICEF Country Statistics: India (www.unicef.org/infobycountry/india_statistics)

NAEYC's Position on Young Children

The organization that I researched was the National Association for Education of Young Children (www.naeyc.org). The National Association for Educational of Young Children is the world's largest organization whose mission is completely focused and centered around young children. NAEYC's mission is to serve and act on behalf of the needs, rights, and well-being of all young  children with primary focus on the provision of educational and developmental services and resources (NAEYC Bylaws, Article I., Section 1.1). The goals of this organization are to improve the working condition within education, be supportive of educational programs for children, and build a strong foundation of individuals who strive for high quality education and promote excellence.

On the NAEYC website I noticed a link titled " Bringing Boys and Girls Together". The article  discussed how most preschoolers play with children that are the same sex as them. Mostly it is because of their need to place things in categories that match so it is common that they play with the same sex because of similarities. An Arizona worker decided to find a way to link children of the opposite sex to play with one another. Gender can be considered as a part of diveristy and that it why I found this article interesting.

Establishing Contact for Professional Growth

Linking with other professionals can seem like a simple task of just picking up the phone to make a call but when trying to establish contact with someone who does not live in the same country as can seem intimidating. To complete this task, I decided to visit NAEYC website and look for information on how to connect globally. I came upon the Global Alliance for Education of Young Children and decided to pick two contact from Asia and one contact from Africa. I chose these three because I am curious to learn what are their specific cultures as well as job duties. I composed and email explaining why I was reaching out to them and what I hoped to gain from having them as a professional contact. I am not sure how successful and email will be but I know it is a starting point for me. In regard to organization of interest I decided to study the NAEYC's website as well as the National Head Start Association's website. I decided to chose these because their missions are not only focused on the children and bettering education but also on the amount of professional and reliable credibiltiy each one holds.

The National Association for the Education of Young Childrenhttp://www.naeyc.org/
National Head Start Associationhttp://www.nhsa.org/

My Supports

Within my daily routines I receive so much support from family and friends that I truly appreciate and I do not know what I would do without them. My husband who is my rock and my fountain of reason when I have a bad day is my #1 supporter. I truly feel that he is special and unique but I am sure that every woman feels that way about the man in her life. The everyday life of cleaning and maintaining a home can be overwhelming at times. Sometimes it feels as though I do not have enough hands and hours in the day to complete all that I have on my "To do" list. My husband tries assists me with daily house chores like cooking and cleaning (I know...a shocker right?!) to allow me time to complete my homework assignments and I am grateful for that. My friends keep pushing me forward to complete my dream of graduating with my Masters as well as my dream of one day opening up my very own childcare center. They have often come over for a girls day for us to talk, laugh and sometimes cry about the frustration of work, family, and life. My parents and sister live two hours away from me and wish that they lived much closer so that I could see them more often. We talk on the phone almost everyday and I feel that they aslo give me that emotional support I need.

I thought about what life would be like if I had a physical disabilty like being wheelchair bound and the thought of that is horrifying. To be completely depending on my husband to help me cook, cleaning, bath, dress, and drive me to work would be a difficult task for him I am sure. With the mindset I have I know that I would be determined to be as independent as possible because I hate the idea of having to completely depend on a person. I know I should not feel that way about my husband but that is the kind of person that  I am. I would need to the support of my husband physically, emotionally and financially but I would also need the support of my parents as well to limit the burden off of my husband. I would probably appreciate the simple task of brushing my teeth because I know that I take that for granted now because I am completely able to do it on my own. I have often heard from people with disabilities say how appreciative they are for the simple things in life.

My Connections to Play

“Creative people are curious, flexible, persistent, and independent with a tremendous spirit of adventure and a love of play.”

Henri Matisse
French painter
1869–1954

“Play, while it cannot change the external realities of children’s lives, can be a vehicle for children to explore and enjoy their differences and similarities and to create, even for a brief time, a more just world where everyone is an equal and valued participant.”

Patricia G. Ramsey
Contemporary American educational psychologist

When I was younger my parents supported me a great deal when I had my play time. My mother would sit at the kitchen table and allow me to cook special meals for her as if I was at a restaurant. My famous dish was soup, which as nothing more than dish water that I poured in small bowls with a plastic spoon. I remember when my dad would come home after working offshore for two weeks at a time and he would sit and play with me for a few hours. We would make all kinds of things out of play-dough and often used my mother’s cookie cutters to make different shapes. It was a way for us to bond and spend quality father and daughter time and I truly loved it. I used to love to play with my magic troll dolls and pretend that they were a huge family in a vacation house in Florida. I would use the tub as my ocean, popsicle sticks as surfs and I would imagine that they were surfing on the waves in the ocean. Play was extremely important to me growing up because it allowed me to express my imagination without and boundaries. My parents have always stated that I was creative and full of life and I am glad they allowed me to express that.

As a child I remember everyone supporting childhood play. In elementary school my kindergarten teacher would allow us to dress in costumes and when often played games to learn the letters of the alphabet and numbers. She incorporated play into our learning time which I feel is very important for young children. In a way I believe that play is similar in some ways that I remember when growing up. Teachers are still engaged in learning and the understand play is needed in order to enhance a child’s learning ability. For example, some teachers have attached songs to help students remember their time tables or help them remember a part of history. I remember my teacher telling us “Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in the year 1492”. By her rhyming blue and 2 it helped me remember the year he discovered the “New World”. My hope for the future is for the states to give teachers some breathing room when it comes to standards, and allow their love for teaching and a child’s love for learning to shine through.

Relationship Reflection

Relationships are important to me because I believe it allows to me to have a healthy normal life. I take pride in all the relationships that I have with my husband, parents, siblings,friends and co-workers. Above is a picture of my co-worker who recently as of this year became my friend and a great workout buddy. Because of her I have  found the energy to put my health first again and I thank our wonderful friendship for that. Relationships can help to ease the pain of grief, give you extreme excitement through events like wedding or the birth of a child, or (like me) allow you to realize what it really important in life and help you reach that goal. I currently have positive relationships with my husband (Jonathan), father (Phil), mother (Carmalisa), sister (Yaka), nephew (Dillon), brother in law (Gershom), best friend (Pam), and my newest buddy (Tara shown above). Included in this list of positive relationships I can not forget about my four legged children Mia and Lucky because I do feel strongly that dogs bring great joy to human lives.

My husband gives me the push that I need every day to complete my goals and he never forgets to tell me how much he loves me and how proud he is of me. My parents sacrificed so much for my sister and I growing up and education was always something they pushed for. My mother decided to go back to get her degree when I was in the 8th grade and I admired her for that. My parents remind me that it is never too late to try new things and have supported me in all of my endeavors. My sister and brother in law or my comedian when I need a good laugh. My sister has always been there for me and even though she only has a high school education I am so proud of her for where she is today. My nephew is that little spark of sunshine that I love. The day he was born I felt that my heart had melted and I love him as if he was my own. Even though I am his aunt he gives me the greatest support out of my entire family because he always makes sure that Nanny's "homework" is done. Pam has been my best friend for 16 years and she has seen me at my best and my worst and she loves me just the same. Tara has been my biggest fan since my journey on living a healthier lifestyle. She has helped me to be open and honest with myself and I love her to death because of that. That is why she is pictured above, she helped to realize that although I focused my energy on work, family, and school that I deserved to put that much energy into myself.

In life we all have faced challenges in relationships with family as well as friends. Yes aunt so and so comes to grandma's house every year for Christmas every year with her drama but you must find a way (if possible) to make the experience positive because you may be the support that she needs. My mother's sister used to drive me crazy with the stories (lies) she would tell about how much money she had and how people were beneath her. I thought she was rude and inconsiderate until I realized that she was looking for attention and acceptance for what she did not have. One day I told her that although I did not like the way she acts from time to time, that she is family I still love her. Since then she is not as boastful with her comments and has learned how to say the words "thank you" when someone does something nice for her. With all of the positive relationships that I have I know it will assist me with building and developing working relationships in my career as the years go on.