Reflecting on Learning

My greatest hope for the future is that all parents would try to teach their kids the right way. Some parents believe that what they say is right and nothing is they say is wrong. As an advocate for the future of anti-bias education, I will continue to work tirelessly for the children to be taught the right way. We as anti-bias educator should always make it a point to keep up with all the things that will help to make a change for the kids of the future, this means all the laws and legislation that will affect our kids. Anyone who want a completely anti-bias education should make sure that they keep communication open between home, family and community.
To my colleagues, I have enjoyed reading your blog post and learning from each other. Hopefully, we keep in touch and continue to read each other blogs as we process through our college careers and afterward. Good to ALL OF YOU.

Impacts on Early Emotional Development on East Africa and the Pacific

The area that I chose to write about is East Asia and the Pacific. "Violence against children – “encompassing physical or mental violence, injury and abuse,
neglect or negligent treatment, and maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse”–
is prevalent in all societies (UN CRC, 1989; Gilbert et al., 2009; Krug et al., 2002; Pinheiro,
2006). Meta-analyses of estimates show that violence against children is widespread across the
region, with 17-35% prevalence for both boys and girls in low and lower middle income
countries and lower prevalence rates (1-13%) in upper middle and high-income countries.
Fairly consistent findings across the region highlight that nearly three out of every four
children experience violent discipline." ( http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/).This is really sad, these children have to constantly struggle everyday to survive. The abuse is having a very bad effect on the mental and physical health of these children, they are struggling with drug and alcohol abuse, as well as smoking at a young age. All of this can have a detrimental effect on their long term health and well being, they can have problems that can range from cancer to Hepatitis to AIDS to depression all because of continual use of drugs and alcohol at such a young age.
The situation with these kids sadden me deeply. I would like very much like to help these kids and do something to change the situation that they are faced with. Children deserve to be able to play, laugh and learn and these kids are not able to do that because they are constantly fighting everyday to survive instead of being children and leading a normal life.

East Africa and the Pacific retrieved on October 18, 2014 from  http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/.

The Sexualization of Early Childhood

"Children growing up today are bombarded from a very early age with graphic messages about sex and
sexiness in the media and popular culture." (Levin, 2009). Today children are exposed to so much sex it is ridiculous. From the shows they watch, to the songs they sing, to the friends they hang with. Children are constantly put in a position where they are exposed to sexy dance moves, kissing, hugging and sex. If they choose not to participate they are talked about by thier friends and treated bad. Some are ostracized and made to feel worthless. As a teenage, my mom did not let me date or watch the kind of shows that are on now, but I cannot keep my kids from being exposed when it is constantly all around them. I have tried to watch some of these shows and to tell you to truth i can't believe what I see. Kids as young as nine and ten are dressed or should I say half dressed and moving in a way that make me blush and leave the room. The things they are doing should be kept to the privacy of a bedroom and the moves should not be done by a child their age and they should not even know anything about them.

 These stats about teen pregnancy are amazing:

  Despite declines in rates of teen pregnancy in the U.S., about 820,000 teens become pregnant each   year. That means that 34 percent of teenagers have at least one pregnancy before they turn 20. 

• 79 percent of teenagers who become pregnant are unmarried. 
• Utah's teen pregnancy rate is high, as well as Southern teen pregnancy but these are areas where women still get married prior to the age of 20 with some regularity (although this is changing). 
• 80 percent of teenage pregnancies are unintended. 
• Nearly four in ten teenage girls whose first intercourse experience happened at 13 or 14 report that the sex was unwanted or involuntary. 
• The main rise in the teen pregnancy rate is among girls younger than 15* 
• Close to 25 percent of teen mothers have a second child within two years of the first birth.*  

Children should be able to enjoy their lives and teenage years and not have to care for a child when they are just a child themselves. My hope is that my children be as careful as possible and try to make the right decison amid all the peer pressure and media exposure.


Reference

 Levin, D. E., & Kilbourne, J. (2009). [Introduction]. So sexy so soon: The new sexualized childhood and what parents can do to protect their kids (pp. 1-8). New York: Ballantine Books. Retrieved from: http://dianeelevin.com/sosexysosoon/introduction.pdf

Teen Pregnancy Statistics - Teen Pregnancy   

retrieved on October 12, 2014 from

www.teenhelp.com/teen-pregnancy/teen-pregnancy-statistics.html

Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

The ism that I encounter everyday is racism. Everyday everyone say that it is getting better or that I don't exist anymore this is a story. "Racism has existed throughout human history. It may be defined as the hatred of one person by another -- or the belief that another person is less than human -- because of skin color, language, customs, place of birth or any factor that supposedly reveals the basic nature of that person. It has influenced wars, slavery, the formation of nations, and legal codes." (www.adl,org, 2001).Racism is still a major problem from trying to purchase a house to trying to get a job or promotion. On my job it took a long time for the supervisor to recognize the work I do and give me credit for a job well done and a promotion. Whites don't want to think that a African American is as smart as or smarter than them.
My experience with people on my job may cause me to believe that all Whites are this way and cause me to treat my students of this race with disdain and even loathing because of the way I am being treated. I may not give them the time and attention that I know that I should and may give them all the benefits of my knowledge. We, as educator are suppose to treat everyone the same and show respect for all, but if all you encounter everyday from a certain race is racism and you are feeling like you are being looked over and looked down at that will sooner or later start to affect your mind, body and soul. No child is to blame for what thier parents feel and think and I would try my best to get past my feelings and give the best education I can.

Observing Communication

The place that I observed a parent and child was at a gas station. The child was about 7 years old and seem to be very used to getting his way. The child wanted some candy and kept going over to the rack and picking it up. The parent took the candy away and told the child that they could not have it because they was going home to have dinner. The child start to cry and stomp his feet. Everyone started looking at them and you could tell that the parent was becoming embarrassed, she finally purchased the candy and took the child back to the car. This was not very good at all because the parent should have made a point of letting the child know that just because he cry and stomp his feet that he cannot get everything that he wants. According this article,  "Do not reward your child's tantrum by giving in. This will only prove to your little one that the tantrum was effective. Instead, verbally praise a child for regaining control. Also, kids may be especially vulnerable after a tantrum when they know they've been less than adorable. Now (when your child is calm) is the time for a hug and reassurance that your child is loved, no matter what."(Heath, 2010).  "Effective parent-child communication is the basis of positive parent-child interactions and high self-esteem in children. Furthermore, effective communication between parents and children prevents problematic behavior and helps children understand how to interact effectively with others.(kidshealth, 2014). If this parent learn how to communicate effectively this child will go up to be a very productive adult.

References
Effective Communication with Children | Education.com retrieved on September 20, 2014 from
http://www.education.com/reference/article/effective-parent-child-communication/

Temper Tantrums - KidsHealth retrieved on September 20, 2014 from
kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/tantrums.html

Creating Affirming Environments

For my family care home, I would have everything needed to make sure that my surrounding is completely suited to everyone.  The definition of a family care provider " is a person who uses their residence to provide paid child care on a regular, ongoing basis. Children are brought to the caregiver's home for care (vs. a caregiver who goes to the child's home to provide care).(www.about.com, 2014.) My house will consist of everything from books that depicts stories about different races and cultures to stories of struggles, triumphs, and tragedy, so that kids can learn about and be proud of their heritage. We would play music from different countries and watch different types of movies and videos that teach different languages for the kids to learn. We will have fun by playing with dolls, coloring pictures, doing plays to the girls and boys will enjoy. No one will be made to play with different types of toys according to their age or sex. If a boy want to play with a doll, he can and if a girl want to play with a car, she can without feeling like they will be teased or ridiculed. We will play, laugh, sing, dance, read, build and talk about whatever we are feeling. My house will feel like their house and no one will ever be made to feel like and outsider. In my family care home, everyone is family.

References
What is a Family Child Care Provider? - About
childcare.about.com  › In-Home Child Care

What I have learned

The one hope that I have when working with children and families from a diverse background is that they are all given a chance and opportunity to learn. I want these children and their families to be treated the same as kids from a more privilege background who may have better resources and people to help them. I hope that the educators will not show them any bias and they will treat them equally and fairly and help them to develop the self-confidence to handle any situation that they may encounter. I wish that early childhood leaders and instructors will pay more attention to the fact that diversity is something that is not going away. People of all types, groups, colors, and blended families are having kids, teaching, and opening day cares, so more laws and rules need to be made so that some of these children and families will not be made to feel like they are outcasts and treated different because of their diversity.
To my classmates, good luck and god sped, it has been a pleasure to get to know you through our blogs and discussions post. I enjoyed seeing pictures of your family and home life. I hope that you complete this course and get your degree and make all of your dreams come ture.

Creating Art

"We Don't Say Those Words in Class!"

Last year, when we went to the water park, there was a lot of people of different colors and nationality. My daughter saw a little boy who skin was as dark as hers and pointed to him and said "look mama, he is the same color as me, but he talks different." I politely smiled at the child and her parents and apologized for my daughters outburst and took her to the side and explained that the child talked funny because he was from a different country, but he still deserve respect and not to be singled out just because he talked funny. I tried not to make her feel bad for being outspoken and expressing her opinion, but I was a little embarrassed myself because I felt that I should have did a better job of teaching her about diversity. It is our job as parents to teach our kids about diversity first. "Bring into your home toys, books, TV programs, and records that reflect diversity.  Provide images of nontraditional gender roles, diverse racial and cultural backgrounds, and a range of family lifestyles. Show that you value diversity through your friendships and business relationships.  What you do is as important as what you say. Make and enforce a firm rule that a person's ethnic background is never an acceptable reason for teasing or rejecting someone.
Provide opportunities for your children to interact with others who are racially or culturally different and with people who have disabilities.  Look for opportunities in the neighborhood, school, afterschool and weekend programs, places of worship, camps, concerts, and other community events. Respectfully listen to and answer your child's questions about people's differences. If you ignore questions, change the subject, sidestep, or scold your child for asking, you may suggest that the subject is bad or inappropriate.
Teach you child ways to think objectively about bias and discrimination and to witness against these injustices. Set an example by your own actions."(ncpc.org,2014)
As anti bias educator, I would respond to the child by showing her pictures, drawing, movies about people from different races and explaining to her just because they are the same color, it does not make them the same. There are many people from different country who may look like her but their cultures and values may be different but we must not make fun of them, we can learn many things from them and them from us.

References

How Parents Can Teach Kids About Diversity — National Crime ...retrieved on June 14, 2014 from

www.ncpc.org/topics/hate-crime/diversity

Start Seeing Diversity Video" Blog: Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation

Your response to those who believe that early childhood centers should avoid the inclusion of books depicting gay or lesbian individuals such as same-sex partnered families
I believe that everyone has the right to be who they are regardless or whether they are gay or straight. Being homosexual is a big part of the world today as anyone can see be the number of television shows, movies, books that include gay couples as well as the number of states that has passed the law for these couples to be married. Excluding books from these centers that depict homosexual couples will not make the issue go away, if the kids are not exposed to this type of literature at school, they are likely to come across this knowledge some other way and be given the wrong type of information. If they are guided in the wrong way or taught the wrong way they will develop bias against this group of people and as they grow older this bias could grow into hate and resentment.

How you would respond to a parent/family member who informed you they did not want anyone who is perceived (or self-reported) homosexual or transgender to be caring for, educating, and/or interacting with their child. I would let the parent know that just because the teacher may be homosexual does not mean that they will abuse their child or that they are a pedophile. Everyone has a right to choose who they want to be with whether it is a person of the same sex or opposite. I would let them know that the teacher is well-trained, certified, great with the kids and the kids love them and that I believed in letting my teachers be who they are not who someone else want them to be. I will politely informed them that I would not be getting rid of the teacher based on this attitude, and if they didn't like it and if they so choose they could take their child someone else.

Professional Hopes and Goals

One hope that you have when you think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds
When I think about working with children and families from diverse backgrounds, I think about what I can do as a educator to make the world better and easier for these families. Some people in the world can be so cruel and callous and will do things to hurt others whether it is intentional or unintentional. I hope to try to do something tho make these families feel better, to bring a smile to their face, and happiness to their lives. I hope to be able to teach them as much as I can and learn as much from them as possible.

One goal you would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice  I would like the early childhood field to continue to do whatever is necessary to advocate for the families that are diverse, to continue to train the employees on the issues of equality and social justice an to make sure that everyone is treated fairly at all times.

To my colleagues, I would like to say thank you for all of your stories and comments and I hope that you have much success as you continue on your path of learning.

Welcoming Families From Around the World

The country I chose is Cambodia,situated on the Indochinese peninsula, Cambodia is bordered by Thailand and Laos on the north and Vietnam on the east and south. The Gulf of Thailand is off the western coast. The size of Missouri, the country consists chiefly of a large alluvial plain ringed by mountains with the Mekong River to the east. (factmonster.com,2014).
To be culturally responsible I would find out all I could about the government, language spoken, food eaten, climate and communication methods. I would try to find out if the resident speak any English or what language do they speak. And what is Khmer. What is their mode of dress? What kind of food do they like to eat or not eat? What is type of communication do they prefer, telephone, telegraph, email? What kind of things do they import or export? What kind of crop do they grow?
This type of preparation will help me and my family realize that their are people in the world who have very little communication skills. We will learn that other countries speak different language and dress quite differently from us, but some of the things that they grow and get into their country are the same as ours.

Reference
Countries of the World | FactMonster.com
http://www.factmonster.com/countries.html

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? Keep in mind that one can encounter such incidents in real contexts, including online environments, as well as in fictional ones, such as movies, books, television shows, and the like.

My personal experience with prejudice and bias occurred in my job. Even though I had been for at the time almost three years and had managerial experience, I was passed over for a promotion last year and they bought in a person from another race who had quit from there about a year and a half before.

In what way(s) did the specific bias, prejudice and/or oppression in that incident diminish equity? This diminish equality because I was not given the chance for the position or even asked did I want to try for the position. They did every thing under the table and just brought the lady back in and told us she had been given the position.


What feelings did this incident bring up for you? This incident made me realize that no matter how some people may preach about not being prejudice, they are they just don't show it openly. Prejudice is something that is buried deep in some people and no matter how much they try to pretend like it is there, it is .


What and/or who would have to change in order to turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity? In order to turn this incident, the people in charge of hiring need to realize that people of all colors can do any job as well as someone of their color. They need training on diversity hiring practices.

Microaggression can be very damaging to a person in many ways.
 There are basically three types of microaggression:

Microassult: A form of verbal attack. “Why do you need a wheelchair? I saw you walk… You can walk, right?” to a person who uses wheelchair for long distance travel. “I don’t like how dogs smell” to a blind person using a guide dog.

Microinsult: A form of verbal or silent demeaning through insensitive comments or behavior. A person may exhibit an obstinate, begrudging attitude with recalcitrant slant but say in all professionalism, that they will accommodate your needs for accessibility. The verbalization is appropriate but the tone is insulting.

Microinvalidation: Essentially degrading a person’s wholeness through making false assumptions about the other’s ability, causing a sense of invalidation. “You have a learning disability? How can you be a lawyer?” to a person with learning disability.
One day when I was at the movies, a teenager in a wheelchair came in. The kids were laughing and pointing and saying what are you doing here?" You can't even sit in one of the chairs". Make sure you don't block the aisle with your chair and make me fall." They were being very rude and I wanted to just get up slap them and tell them don't you have any respect for anything and anybody, but I knew that this this would make him feel even worse and he was already embarassed about the attention that he was getting. Some people can be so insensitive and do things without thinking sometimes. This is a major form of bullying because this child did not cause his disability and he could not defend himself and fight.


Reference

Micro-Aggression: It's Bullying. - AAPD retrieved on February 1, 2014 from
http://www.aapd.com/resources/power-grid-blog/micro-aggression-its.html



















Microaggressions in Everyday Life

: Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

The three friend I talked to all defined culture in a different way. One friend said that it was that hers "was a product of her environment." This included the language that they have acquired, the way that they act and being classed and identified in a certain way. They said that diversity is different types of people and different races and cultures who have different ways of doing things, sometimes they are in groups and sometimes they are alone.

The aspects that were included were the belief that culture is a way of life that as been adapted and that people pick up different behavior and attitudes through their culture. One friend says that a "racist learned racism from the society that they grow up in and the group that they are surrounded by." Another say that a  person may change their language according to the people they are with, they may start cussing if they are around people that cuss a lot, they may start calling people names if they are surrounded by or so-called hanging with someone who is doing that. A person may change they way of dressing if they join a certain group of people. If they have friend that dress trashy they may start to dress trashy.

Their thinking and comments made me realized that a lot of what they saying was true and that I have never really thought of it like this before. My friends gave me a lot of ideas and food for thought and made me realize that we are all from a diverse and different culture.

My Family Culture

The three items I would take would be a family bible, a small painting of African dance, and a tape of a gospel program. These things each represent my culture in different ways. The Bible has information on the birth and deaths in my family beginning with my great great grandmother and ending with my kids and brothers and sisters kids. The painting was given to me as gift from my aunt and it shows African people dancing. The third thing the gospel tape represent the type of music and singing of my religion.
If I was told that I had to give up these items I would be very upset and devastated I have just lost my home and everything else that was dear to me and now I have to give up the two of the three things that represent my culture and my past and the past of my ancestors
From this discussion so far, I have discovered that diversity is a very important thing. We all have things that are a important part of our life and our culture is one of those things that shape our personality, and the way that we see that world as a whole. Every one should make an effort to learn as much about their past as possible because it will indeed shape their future in one way or the other.