Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

Merriam-Webster (2011) defines culture as "the customary beliefs, social forms and materials traits of a racial, religion or social groups; also the characteristic features of everyday existence (as a diversion or a way of life shared by people." Merriam-Webster (2011) defines diversity as "the condition of having or being composed of differing elements. The inclusion of different types of people in a group or organization." In this assignment, I discussed culture and diversity with member of my family and my husband's family to gain a better understanding of how others define culture and diversity. The people that I chose were from various racial backgrounds, cultural backgrounds and age groups for a better understanding of how others view culture and diversity.

Their definition of culture.

1. People that come from a background that is not American. ~84 year old African-American Grandmother
2. People that have different values and different beliefs. ~49 year old Italian sister-in-law
3. People that belong in a certain group because of their appearance and language. ~24 year old Caucasian brother-in-law

Their definition of diversity.

1.  People that look different and talk different from you. ~84 year old African-American Grandmother
2.  People that believe different ideas and beliefs. ~49 year old Italian sister-in-law
3.  People from different backgrounds that come together and accept the differences. ~24 year old Caucasian brother-in-law

Which aspects of culture and diversity that I have studied in this course and included in the answers I received-what are some examples?

      This course has described culture as more than surface features like looks or traits mentioned by many of my family members above. Culture also includes religion, beliefs, values, language and how we function in society daily.

What aspects have been omitted-and by what are some examples of such omission?
     The aspects that were omitted from above were religion and daily existence in society. They touched on the surface objects like differences in appearances and languages.

In what ways has thinking about other people's definition of culture and diversity influenced my own thinking about these topics?
    I can relate to their definitions because prior to taking this course, I only considered culture as things that I could identify on the surface such as appearances and birth countries. This course has expanded my knowledge base that culture encompasses so much more including beliefs,  religion, values and life in general. It also is important to respect a person and accept differences in order to create a world that is comfortable and diverse for everyone.

References

Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online (2011). Retrieved on July 16, 2011 from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary

My Family Culture Exercise

The overall purpose of this assignment/exercise was to imagine that my country was devastated by a major catastrophe and the emergency management instructed everyone to evacuate to another area. My family and I are only allowed to carry three 3 small items in addition to one pair of clothes. The new country is completely different from the life that we are accustomed  and might serve as our permanent location. Follow me on this journey as I share my family culture, significance of the items and the feelings about this new transition.

The objects that I would carry with me on this new journey include: the heavy white family bible, the black  family album with pictures from the past and an extra notebook with paper. The family bible was chosen because it has birth dates and detailed family history that I can share with others about my family. The family album supports the information in the family bible and it can be used to store the new memories from the new area. The extra notebook would serve as a journal to document the new life and the new experiences in the new countries.

Life in the new country is a transition and learning the new ways is interesting until we received devastating news that we would have to let go of two personal items. We were slowing adapting but keeping close to our family traditions of meeting and spending time with each other. We tried to make the transition easier by reflecting on the past days and share our new daily experiences with each other. After much deliberation, we decided to part with the pictures and the empty notebook rather than the family bible. The reason that we decided not to part with the bible is because of the family history written in the book and the comfort that the Bible provides in times of distress.

This exercise solidified what I have already come to learn about myself, which is that my family history is very important to me. I would rather let go of all my materialistic belongings than to let go of the information about my family. My mother and grandmother raised me to be proud of the family history whether they were slaves or millionaires that each individual contributed to my family in some form or another. I tried to provide my children with the same experiences and share information about the family through pictures or stories so that they will learn have the same pride that I have about my family. The insights gained about my family culture is that we are unified and very accepting of any or all changes/ challenges that we encounter. The insights gained diversity and cultural differences is that "variety is truly the spice of life". We can learn from each other and enhance each others lives in so many ways because of our background and cultural experiences.

When I Think Of Research......

I would like to take this time to send a special "Thank You" to all of  the followers of this blog. Thank you for your words of encouragement and feedback on the ideas posted throughout this journey so far. I look forward to continuing to post and share my new found knowledge with all of you.

When I think of research, I cringe! This is definitely not a topic that is one of my favorites but being in the field of early childhood education, this fear must be conquered. Research always seemed foreign and very uncomfortable for me. I have more confidence in my ideas in research projects and gaining the experience to produce a simulation research project to become more acquainted with the entire process. My ideas about doing research having not changed too much but I am more aware of the process that it takes in order to conduct an research project.

Before taking this course, I never considered the planning and design that it takes to put together a research project. The planning component of a research project requires extensive study and being familiar with the subject that you want to study. The designing portion of the simulation project was not a favorite because of the massive amount of detail and other consideration of outside factors that must be in place prior to completing the project. Conducting the experiment is the most interactive component and the part of the project that you must make sure the participants are actively involved in the process.

The challenges encountered in the research simulation was the failure to add more detail and consider all possible outcomes of the situation. The manner that I overcame this challenge was to try to think of how I would handle the situation if placed in it. I had to think as the parent, teacher, director and other professionals in the early childhood field.

After completing this research simulation, my perceptions of early childhood professionals has been modified especially for those that conduct research within the field. It is amazing the amount of time that these professionals take from their lives and the dedication to the field that they provide in order to make sure that other early childhood professionals can strive to do better.

Research Around the World

1. What are some current international research topics?

The website that I studies was Early Childhood Australia (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au) advocates "to ensure quality social justice and equity in all issues relating to education and care of children from birth to 8 years old" (Early Childhood Australia, 2011). Many of the current topics focused on emotions, emotional development and child development in preschool children. One of the current research topic is a series entitled "The Early Years Learning Framework" which has many parts but it focuses on a new framework for early childhood that focuses on many topics like beginning the framework and assess student learning using the framework.

2. What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website?

I like the "Everyday Learning Series" because it provides chapter resources for parents and teachers that can be used daily on topics like emotions, bullying, friendships and coping with changes to name a few. The Early Childhood Australia Web Watch is a an e-newsletter that discusses child development and researchers in the field keeping current information on new trends and latest development in the field of early childhood education. In the current issue of ECA Web Watch, there is an article on "National Reconciliation Week" which promotes a book called "Building Bridges" documenting what parents view as important and their beliefs of what their child should learn in a preschool setting.

3. What other noteworthy information did you find on the website?

The website has an abundance of information about early childhood education throughout Australia. There is also information on code of ethics for the organization, branches for the ECA, ECA conferences, Australia state reports and ECA forums that provide early childhood educators to expand their knowledge and network with others in the field.

Reference

Early Childhood Australia (2011). Early Childhood Australia. Retrieved June 4, 2011 from http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org/au

My Research Project

The research topic that sparks my interest is Preschool Classroom Learning. The reason that I decided on this topic is because I currently teach 4-year-old class at a local Head Start Center. It is amazing to find new and creative ways to bring new information or teach new skills to eager young minds. Preschool teachers are often labeled as "babysitters" by many people outside the field that don't understand the training required to make or build on the skills of children. I enjoy bringing new experiences to all children and watching them grow into healthy individuals with a love for learning.

The subtopic for this research project will focus on Special Education in a Preschool Setting. I decided to focus on this because children develop at different levels and different times but there are some children that encounter delays requiring special education. I also have experience working with children with cognitive delays/physical impairments and would love to learn more about special education in a preschool setting.

The information that gained from constructing this research chart is that it allowed me the opportunity to organize my ideas and narrow down the subtopics to streamline the projects. I plan to gather more information from Walden University Library, National Association for the Education of Young Children website, National Head Start Association website and Zero-to-Three website for more information. I would also like to recommend the above websites to share with colleagues because they provide useful information on all topics related to child development and early childhood education.

International Contacts Week 8

I have really enjoyed learning and expanding my resources for working with children and families in the Early Childhood field through this courses. I have been able to use many resources from this course and share them with my families and co-workers. The consequences of working with my international contacts:

• Consequence 1: I learned that the push for successful early childhood education is important in other countries or regions of the world just like the United States. For example, my contact in Beijing, China informed me that enrollment was steadily rising and is currently at 51% for children attending or receiving preschool services.
• Consequence 2: I learned that throughout the world, poverty is steadily rising and that many countries are finding ways to combat this issue using education and community resources. The community is teaching families how to become self-sufficient using some farming techniques to assist the family in learning more about proper nutrition/healthy lifestyles.
• Consequence 3: I learned that teacher preparation is a key issue in all regions of the world in early childhood education and that every region is pushing for excellence in early childhood education. For example, UNICEF China is developing a classroom protocol for preschools to determine the training needs using assessments and teacher resource packages. They are also working on a parent education and finalization of a national framework for early preschool quality.

I believe that a global goal for early childhood education would be a national framework that is used by every region of the world and work education into the government budgets so that every child will have a solid foundation when they enter school.

Getting to Know International Contacts Part 3- Week 7

I did not receive a response from my international contact this week despite the fact that I sent the email for this assignment about a week and half ago, so I had no choice but to study the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizational website.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization website provided tons of information under various tabs but the tab for this assignment was " Strengthening Educational Systems in the Early Childhood Care and Education" (2011) where I learned:

• "When government resources are limited the last year of pre-primary is placed in school setting or there may be efforts to lower the entry age."  Government drop the entry age for preschoolers to 3 years old and place the programs in public elementary schools in effort to secure funding for when funding is low. Mississippi currently participate in this program with a Pre-K3 and Pre-K4 in selected schools throughout the state which allows a smoother transition and adjustment to public school.

• "There are no universally agreed for quantifying: pedagogy material, personnel training, service setting, and parental education and involvement." Preparation for early childhood field does not vary depending on the country or area because to properly prepare our children we need to provide the right materials, a qualified staff, a safe place for the program and active ways to involve the families.

• "Governments were particular urged t expand equitable access to quality early childhood services underscoring the imperative of constitutional policy in favor of the poor." In many countries, where children can not afford to attend certain schools for various reasons, the government or agencies finds methods or ways to bring learning experiences to children affect by this but these programs are often not stable or dependable (which means they can stop or cancel with little or no warning).

UNESCO (2011). "Early Childhood Care and Education." Retrieved April 15, 2011 from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood