Week 8 - What I Have Learned

What I Have Learned

One hope that I have when I think about my work with children and their families from diverse backgrounds is that they feel respected, appreciated, and welcomed in the classroom. I want them to realize that they bring value to the classroom and that I learn as much from them as they do me. I also want to make sure that their needs are met through open and honest communication. I hope that when both the child and the family leave my classroom that they feel empowered to accomplish whatever they set out to do because I have done my best and have given them the tools to do so.

One goal I would like to set for the early childhood field in regards to the issues related to diversity, equity, and social justice is that the entire field comes together to realize the importance of anti-bias education. All early childhood programs should be in the practice of teaching tolerance and acceptance of all children and their families. Until we all see the value of all people, we will not see the social change we so desire. I look at early childhood as the foundation for all other growth. So as early childhood educators, we are working at the ground level where all great things will be built upon if we teach equity and social justice. If we show children that we know that they are smart and kind, then they will grow up to be smart and kind and will be more likely to thrive (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010, p. 1). Nothing is more important than making sure all children are able to succeed and are able to live in a more just world.

I want to thank each and every one of you for all of your hard work and dedication to the early childhood field. I also want to thank you for the kind words, input, and insights you have shared with me throughout this course. I have had many of you in every single course here at Walden and I have enjoyed sharing this journey with you. I wish each and every one of you continued success. See you in the New Year!

References

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children

and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Week 7 Diversity Poem-Creating Art

Diversity

Diversity is within us.

Diversity is around us.

Diversity is what makes us unique.

Diversity is what binds us together.

Diversity is what makes us whole and strong.

Diversity is to invite love and understanding and

Diversity is acceptance of our differences into our lives and into our world.

Diversity is work, resiliency, and perseverance.

I wrote this poem based on my perceptions of diversity and based on what I have learned during this course. In this course and throughout my coursework at Walden University, I have learned the importance of understanding my own diversity and biases and how they play a role in the way I perceive others and how I communicate with them. I have a deeper understanding that even though I want to be accepting of all walks of life, my biases can hold me back from acting or behaving in the most appropriate ways. This is why I mentioned acceptance, work, resiliency, and perseverance. I should have also added acknowledgment to my poem. I have learned that it is okay to admit you do not fully understand someone else's viewpoint or that you do not agree with that viewpoint but can still accept them for who they are. Harro's (2010) cycles of socialization and liberation really helped me to see the ways I have changed and the ways I need to improve to make positive changes. 

References

Harro, B. (2010). The cycle of liberation. In M. Adams, W. Blumenfeld, C. Castaneda, H. W.

Hackman, M. L. Peters, & X. Zuniga (Eds.), Readings for diversity and social justice (Figure 7.1 on p. 53, 2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

Harro, B. (2010). The cycle of socialization. In M. Adams, W. Blumenfeld, C. Castaneda, H. W.

Hackman, M. L. Peters, & X. Zuniga (Eds.), Readings for diversity and social justice (Figure 6.1 on p. 46, 2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

Start Seeing Diversity Week 6 EDUC 6357

Start Seeing Diversity 

It is natural for children to notice the differences around them. It is their way of figuring out the world around them and where they fit in. It is often our reactions to their questions that send them the wrong messages about what they see.

I witnessed a child asking her mother why another child was in a wheelchair. The mother did not answer her, Instead of answering her, she told her child not to stare at the child in the wheelchair. I had my youngest daughter with me and she immediately asked me why that mother did that. I told that my daughter that some people are not sure how to handle those types of situations. My daughter looked at the child in the wheelchair and the mother, smiled, then said and waved hello to them.

What I know from this experience is that children learn about our differences through what they learn from the adults around them. The child who asked why the other child was in a wheelchair was just noticing these differences and trying to make sense between what she knows and what she sees. The child had not yet formed any judgments/biases about these differences until the mother confirmed that noticing differences is shameful or wrong. It also marginalizes the group of people who are differently-abled by making them seem not “normal” and dehumanizes them.

If this child were one of my students and told me about this situation, I would have used what I have learned through my experiences and through what I have learned about anti-bias education to guide the child to better understand the differences around us and that it is okay to explore these differences. I would let this child know that he was not wrong in noticing that the child in the wheelchair was different from him (Laureate Education, n.d.). Instead of noticing differences as something shameful, we could begin to explore people with varying abilities through books, picture cards (Laureate Education, n.d.), and through answering children’s questions (Hall, 2008). Through my experiences with working with people with varying disabilities, I would be able to explain to my students how much they have in common with them. All children want to learn, play, and to be loved and appreciated. They have family, friends, and classmates. I feel by making these connections would help children see them as people rather than something taboo that they should not notice or talk about. We want children to feel that they are free to ask questions in order to create a world with less bias and prejudice. Until we show children we need to change how we value others, we will not be able to move towards creating change (Harro, 2010).

References

Hall, K. W. (2008). Reflecting on our read-aloud practices: The importance of including

culturally authentic literature. Young Children, 63(1), 80–86.

Harro, B. (2010). The cycle of liberation. In M. Adams, W. Blumenfeld, C. Castaneda, H.

W. Hackman, M. L. Peters, & X. Zuniga (Eds.), Readings for diversity and social

justice (Figure 7.1 on p. 53, 2nd ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Start seeing diversity: Physical ability and characteristics [Video

            file]. Retrieved from:

https://class.waldenu.edu

Laureate Education (Producer). (n.d.). Start seeing diversity: Race/ethnicity [Video file]. Retrieved from:

https://class.waldenu.edu