Final Post (Week 8)

During the time that I have spent within this particular class, I have learned quite a few things, but the thing that I have learned that meant the most to me on a professional and on a personal level is becoming an advocate for children and families who are less fortunate. I have always wanted to do it, yet fear stopped me dead in my tracks. Doing the capstone project allowed me a chance to actually think about a plan of action and determine what typek of people I would use in my efforts to provide for these families. This is something that I am passionate about because I was once a child such as this. I grew up poor and my family and I received public assistance. Had it not been for the public assistance, I don't believe that we would have been able to make ends meet. I would like send a big thank you to Dr. Shephard for always being there for her students and I would like to thank all my classmates for responding to me and providing information that helped to contribute to my professional growth.

Week 6 Blog

The three international jobs that I would like to have or have considered doing in the future are as follows: teaching English in a foreign country, providing medicare as a nurse and I would also like to be able to be able to be a peace corp worker. The reason that I would like to complete these jobs because these jobs put you in a position to help people, they can all be found overseas in exotic places which puts you in a different environment, and these jobs also excite me because they are jobs that I have been afraid to try for a long period of time. The skills that I would need to implement these jobs would be to know a different language because I would be in a strange environment. Another skill that I would need to possess are interpersonal skills which would require me to be a people person. Communication skills would carry me a long way as well.

Week 4 Blog (Course EDU-6990)

One of the organizations that I chose was HUD. I am interested in this program because it makes living that American dream and owning a home while living in poverty a reality for families. Not only that, they pay rent and security deposits for those families that qualify. Another organization that has piqued my interest would be the free health clinics. In every state, families have access to these free clinics because very few families living in poverty can afford the cost of health care. It is important that they are able to afford health care due to illnesses that may occur that could be life threatening. Last but not least, the TANF program is a federally funded program that seeks to help families in poor communities. It has been instrumental in providing assistance to those who really need it. Currently, there are two jobs that I would like to have and those two jobs are mental health counselor or a school counsselor. I chose these two jobs because poverty can cause a child or the parents to be affected mentally and emotionally. It can't be easy going through life knowing that you can't feed your children. Furthermore, it can't be easy for a child to be sitting at school knowing that he/she won't eat when making it home. Poverty leaves an emotional scarring as well. Children at school are tease because they are poor. I would love to be in a position to help the children and the families involved. The skills that I would need is of course, be certified and more than anything, be empathetic and sympathetic. You must also be a good listener and a great communicator.

Week 2 Blog for (Course: EDU 6990-6)

The three organizations that appeal to me would be the Red Cross, the Literary Council, and Habitat for Humanities. I chose each of the three organizations for the same reasons and those reasons are that they seek to help those in need within the community. These organizations have been around for a while, yet many people aren't familiar with them because there are just actually people out there who haven't given/donated to these types of places. The job opportunities that I am interested in would be a social work, a case manager, and a sociologist. The skills that I would need in order to be competent at these jobs would be the fact that I would have to be a people person, be willing to go make myself visible within the community, be a good communicator and be proactive when it comes to providing assistance to those involved. The three jobs that I have listed doesn't seem to be ones that make a lot of money in my area, but money isn't my driving force--I honestly love working with children and families. These are three jobs that will fulfill that interest.

Week 8 Blog

This course has made me reflect a lot about my plans for the future and on those that I hope to come in contact with. For the most part, I hope to become someone who is more collaborative in my efforts to serve the families of "all" students regardless of their color or background. I hope to somehow include the parents in daily activities that involve the child so that the parent, teacher and student can interact on a one-on-one level. Not only that, but I am grateful that I got a chance to work with a group of students/professionals who were able to share insight into the discussions and the blogs. I appreciate you all and I hope to work with you again.

Week 7 Blog

After visiting the unicef page, I decided to bring my focus to Afghanistan. Afghanistan is a country that is war torn and education hasn't been a main concern for some of the people there. At one point, girls were expected to get an education and many of them are required to adhere to a group of rigid rules and laws passed down by the parents through the government. Because of this, there really isn't much for the female population to look forward to. Unicef has made advancements to help in the area of education as shown in the following: "Programmes provide women between the ages of 15-24 with basic reading, writing and numeracy skills, as well as vital information on health, nutrition, hygiene and sanitation that can benefit their wellbeing and that of their children and families. With one of the lowest literacy rates in the world, particularly among women, many people in Afghanistan lack access to critical information. Literacy courses empower women to actively participate in the social sphere, providing opportunities for them to gather together, share experiences and build self-confidence and esteem. This year, 72,500 women are acquiring literacy skills at 2900 literacy centres in 34 Provinces." I am sure that emotionally the children will be scarred, if nothing is done to insure that they have a chance in society, and they may also go through some sore of identity crisis, but unicef and other organizations are working to counteract the problem of education. Personally, my heart goes out to these families and to the female population because I can't even fathom what they are going through. I empathize with them in their time of need. Professionally, I sometimes wonder, if I am prepared to teach a child from such a diverse country. Not only that, as a professional, I know that I would make every necessary attempt to make the child comfortable. The website opened my mind to things and allowed me to see from a different perspective--the child's perspective.

Week 6 Blog Activity

My reaction to the article that deals sexualization of early childhood didn't surprise or shock me based on the fact that sex is everywhere you look. The television and magazine ads are filled with pictures of young girls and teens wearing provocative clothes which leave nothing to the imagination. It has me to the point where I began to question the intent of the ads. I have had more of a professional experience with sexualization, rather than a personal one because I grew up in a home where the adults made the rules and the children followed them. The adults made the decision as to what we wore and how we wore it; the children didn't make money to buy clothes; therefore, they didn't have a say-so in the process of buying clothes. Professionally, I see girls on a regular basis who choose to wear provocative clothing and frequently hang out in places where they have already been established as adult places. Not only are they dressing like adults, they are hanging out with people who are almost twice their age. These children are growing up too fast and this could be dangerous to them physically and emotionally. For the most part, a pedophile or a sex offender could take advantage of them and the long term effect of this could be that the child doesn't trust adults or it could leave them blaming themselves whereas they never get over this idea that someone has taken advantage of them. As educators, I believe that we ought to form an alliance with the parents so that we may help them talk openly with the children. I think that we should keep parents inform on what the children are doing at school. We could also make sure that we are not guilty of showing provocative images or allowing our children to have access to particular magazines and books.

Week 5 Blog Activity

As an educator, we take on various areas of responsibility;there, it is imperative that our mindset and psychological well-being are not in shambles. In my personal life, I have had to deal with a few bouts of racism. It hasn't hindered me to the point where it has caused me to be biased towards people of different races. I try to interact with everybody regardless of their nationality. I will admit that although I haven't been affected by my experience with racism, I do recognize that it could have caused problems with my job. My job requires me to be objective, but if I allow racism to consume me, then I can't honestly say that I could be objective in the classroom. Racism may cause a teacher (anyone) to mistreat children of different races. Many of the racist people in society have been brainwashed into thinking that some people aren't deserving of respect but the reality is everyone deserves respect. It doesn't matter what color or nationality they are. I also believe that emotionally, I wouldn't be able to connect with my students on a personal level. This would be a problem because we have to get to know our students in order to be able to teach them.

Observing Communication

The place that I chose to conduct my observation in was at a store. Needless to say, I enjoyed what I saw. I found it to be cute and funny. Let me share with you what I saw: A woman walked in the store with her four year old daughter. Women became fixated on the child because she was so cute. One woman in particular was talking to the mother about the child as if the child wasn't there. I am a firm believer that children understand more than what we give them credit for. The look on the child's face told the whole store. Her face went from smiles to frowns. She actually looked like she wanted to be a part of the conversation but she wasn't invited to join. I read an article from the resources entitled "Communicating with Babies," by B. Kovach. It states that "You may have witnessed this scene countless times. Most adults talk to other adults about the baby in front of the baby. The problem with this is that even though the baby is the focus of the conversation, he or she is being described as if she is not there." This is true. Children want to be in the conversation anwering questions that they can answer. They can't have sophisticated conversation but they know some things about themselves. I believe that this conversation could have been more effective had the child been able to participate and answer some things for herself. The child actually looked hurt. Her feelings were sincerely hurt. I have learned thi week that when it come to young children, I am not a good communicator. I am guilty of what the woman in the store did. I talk to the parents about small children without directly talking to the child. I grew up in a house where it was believed that young children are to be seen and not heard. In order for me to be a better communicator, I need to pay more attention to the child. I need to look at the child as an individual.

Design of Childhood Facility

After listening to the media presented for this week, the one thing that stood out in my mind was Adriana's remark about the children and families. She talked about the biggest problem would be children been separated from their families. It is common for children to not want to leave a family environment and enter into a strange environment where they don't know anyone (at first). If I had a daycare center, it would contain the following: *Each child would have a picture or something that represent their family/home life. This will be done to allow the children to remain calm rather than go through a period of hysterics. *Of course, my door would be opened to any child, regardless of their nationality or their color. *I would provide toys, posters and artwork to illustrate the fact that I promote diversity. *I would also incorporate activities that appeal to the multiple intelligences to demonstrate the fact that all children do not learn the same way. *The physical environment would also be one that is clean and sanitary. I don't believe that parents would want to send their child to a facility that is filthy and furthermore, germs are easy to spread. *I would allow my children to work in different groups so that they may have an opportunity to work with someone who isn't like themselves. *Last but not least, my facility would be cost efficient and would accommodate all families and all races.

Week 8's Farewell Blog--6357

One hope that you have when you think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds (any format and any length): One hope that I have is that people who come into contact with famillies who are different will welcome them with open arms. I am not naive to think that everyone will do this but this is a desire that I have. I know, with help, that many people will overcome their fears and discomfort. Taking this course has allowed me to do this as well. One goal you would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice (any format and any length): After studying the subject matter that pertains to this class, the goal that I have set for myself is to become more open-minded. When dealing with different people, I know that there are going to be a bit of culture shock. By me being open to all races of people, it will prepare me for the a more modern classroom. I know that there will a time when not everyone will get along, but that is the beauty of it, we don't all have to. The idea should be to have respect for all people involved. A brief note of thanks to your colleagues: I have truly enjoyed reading and responding to my colleagues and professor. I would like to thank each and every one of you for assisting in my growth as an individual. I am sure to remember you always.

In Response to Harro's Cycle of Liberation

As I was reading Harro's Cycle of Liberation, I wanted to explore the self-love aspect of the cycle because I do believe that before we can properly love anyone--students, friends, or significant others, we must first learn to love ourselves. This is a must. The poem that I have listed below is one that was inspired by all of the natural, African-American women out there who have liberated themselves and are not living inside of their own personal jail cells which can include their hair, high fashions and what other people consider to be beautiful. I got my permed hair cut off and I have only been natural for about a month but I love it. The poem is called "Hair Chronicles." Here it is: With every clip of the scissors, I feel myself growing weak. Weakness radiating from outside in, My tears provide solace after this event is over. On my golden locks, I can no longer depend. It feels that I have lost a piece of me. One essential piece--without it, I can no longer function. Looking within myself for an answer, No answer will come so I sink into a depression. My hair used to be my life, I think, as I try to find a new form of expression. I run my fingers through my little fro. And I become excited about my curls, I wonder, if this is what acceptance feels like When a misfits finally succeeds at joining forces with the popular girls. I smile inspite of all that has transpired. I am no longer bound to what I thought beauty was. I am beautiful. I am admired. I am a work of art--One that seeks to inspire

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

I can recall one time in particular that I used to point at the neighbor's daughter and ask why her eyes were that way. My mother, after spanking me, told me not to point and ask those questions because it was rude. The message that my mother sent to me was that I shouldn't ask questions nor she I express any type of curiosity towards people who weren't like me. Had anti-bias education been around, she could have used this as a teachable moment and taught me things about diversity and the differences that we shared as human beings. I would have loved to have known about my neighbor's daughter; I could have gotten to know her and we could have become friends.

Week 3 Response

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 avoiding gay and lesbian relationships do more harm than good. Children who don't have the ability to accept the differences of other people sometimes grow up with a negative opinion of people who aren't like them. I think that children should confront these types of relationships with the help of adults. Adults shouldn't let their own biases affect the teachings or the upbringing of children. 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 attempt to try to listen to the parents as they voiced their concerns so that I could have an idea as to where all this was coming from. I would also tell them that being gay or transgendered is not a disease. People don't become gay by being in the presence of homosexual or lesbian individual. The last piece of conversation I would have with that parent would contain me telling them to put themselves in the shoes of the person who is being discriminated against. Once they have done this, I am sure some of them would change their views because no one wants to be discriminated against.

Saying Goodbye

This is usually the hardest part of the program--the saying so long or goodbye to those who have made an impact on the lives of others. I have been fortunate enough to meet some great people online and I look forward to meeting many more. I hope that each and every last one of you have enjoyed working with me as I have enjoyed working with you. Take care and I hope to see you all in future classes. If there is by chance anything that is needed, please let me know. After all, we are in this together. Online classes are hard when you are not skilled in the area, but I am glad that I had the luxury of working with a great team of individuals. Again, it has truly been an honor.

Five Stages Of Team Development

Are high-performing groups hardest to leave? I don't think that high-performing groups are the highest to leave because it doesn't necessarily matter the rating of the group's performance because the close relationship that one feels when working along side of people can't be measured. Even in a low performing group, there are people within these groups who might not bring much in the area of job performance but they bring a lot to the table in other areas such as mediation between group members, an open-mindedness, a willingness to work, and a level of respect for group members. Which of the groups that you participated in was hardest to leave? The groups that I have participated in that was the hardest to leave were the ones where the people were responsive to my needs, and allowed me a chance to express myself. In a group, in my opinion, there has to be a give and take of information and ideas presented, otherwise, group members will become a little discontented. Everyone wants to feel valued and they also want to feel as if what they have to say matters. What sorts of closing rituals have you experienced or wish you had experienced? Th rituals that I have participated in were ones that involved a potluck. Everyone would get together over a dish/meal and just interact with the people that they have worked with. There was once a time where we had an assembly where we got a chance to express or give well wishes to those that we were leaving. As far as class is concerned, we usually just choose a few class members to express our gratitude to and let them know how much we enjoyed working with them. How do you imagine that you will adjourn from the group of colleagues you have formed while working on your master’s degree in this program? I think that we will do what we normally do and just let them know how much we enjoyed working with them and why. Why is adjourning an essential stage of teamwork? Adjourning is an essential stage of teamwork because just as something begins, it also has to end. Adjourning allows each individual to evaluate the effectiveness of the group and group members. Within this stage, the members can have a moment to reflect on what worked and what didn't work and what could be done differently the next time.

Conflict Resolution Strategies

In the past, I have had countless problems with co-workers who weren't able or didn't want to carry their workload. I am not the type of person who prefers to work in groups because I tend to be the one doing all of the work anyway so I just prefer working alone. I was in a situation where I had to team teach. I was under the impression that team teaching required two people who worked as a team. I was wrong. The lady stayed on her phone the whole time; she never wanted to teach; she never made any copies nor did she want to take the students to their bathroom breaks or to lunch when it was time. I kept getting mad at first but then I tried to put myself in her shoes and I decided to change my tone. Some of the conflict resolution strategies that I have learned are as follows: 1. Listen to the person as they are talking so that you can try to understand their point of view. You might not agree with their view points, but we can always listen. 2. Attack the problem or the conflict and not the person. I found this to be beneficial because I have a tendency of talking about the person and not the problem which causes more of a conflict. 3. When the confrontation is over, don't dwell on it. Move past it. It is counterproductive to keep dwelling on a problem once it has been resolved because you could quite possibly open past wounds. Although I am not an expert on this topic, I have tried these strategies and they have worked for me. They have worked for that particular co-worker as well because now we are able to get along and get the job done.

New Insights Into Communication

Knowing how to communicate will help us in the workplace and in the classroom. After doing the assessments and evaluating how others saw me, I was fascinated because we never know how people view us while we are having a conversation. I never knew that I was as aggressive as I was when dealing with people through conversation. Now that I know, I will try to be more understanding. Some other insights that I have gained this week is to try to match my body language with my mode of speaking. Sometimes your body language says one thing and your words are saying something different. They are contradictory of one another. I also need to show that I am interested in the conversation because I have a tendency to drift off. People can tell if you are bored just by looking at how you conduct yourself while speaking. One way of showing that you are interested in conversation is to nod and smile. Overall, I believe that through conversation, we can build bridges to other worlds, but without knowing how to conversate, you can alienate many people.

Communicating Among Different Groups of People

The question is whether or not I find myself communicating differently with different groups of people. For the most part, I do communicate differently with different groups. The truth of the matter is, I believe that everyone does. When with friends or people who have a few commonalities, the conversations are more relaxed. It is not tense and it doesn't feel as if you are walking on egg shells the whole time the conversation is going on. Not only that, there are certain topics that you can discuss with friends, relatives, or people that you have something in common with. People of different cultures or nationalities might not share in some of the things that you think is funny. There is also a chance that you might offend someone without even trying to. If I am dealing with my boss or co-workers, my whole attitude and personality is different because these are people whom I work with. As a teacher, I have to present myself in a more professional and dignified manner. When I am dealing with parents, it too, is a situation where professionalism is a must because after all, the parents expect us to exhibit the right type of behavior, have respect for them and their children and make the right decisions for all people involved. In order to be sure that no one is offended by your nonverbal cues or conversaitons, I would suggest using a few strategies such as respecting all parties involved (their opinions matter, keeping an open-mind when dealing with those that you come in contact with and last but not least, be sure that you do not have any preconceived notions about people before coming in contact with them.

Television Show Activity

The show that I chose to watch was "House of Payne." This is a show that I don't normally watch because of the time which conflicts with the day to day running of my household and night time schedule. When I turned the sound off, the character (Curtis) seemed to be this type of guy who was always yelling and trying to exert his male domination or energy onto the people that he came in contact with. Basically, he waved his hand a lot, and he pointed his fingers at everyone as if to delegate the jobs or tasks within the household. His nonverbal cues suggested that those around him knew that when he pointed and waved those hands, that whatever he wanted them to do had to get done. When I turned the volume up and I was able to hear Curtis's voice, I realized that my assumptions had been wrong. Curtis does yell, but the yelling is actually humorous to those around him because they appear to be used to him doing this. Also, I found out that Curtis is one of those animated characters who uses his hands to express his feelings, whether it is to demonstrate happiness or sadness. Overall, after turning the volume up, I realized that Curtis's sense of humor and animated gestures were the basis of the show. My assumptions would have been correct had I been watching a show that I normally watch because I would have known what to expect and who to expect it from. I also would have had background knowledge of the characters involved. I think that this activity opened my eyes to a lot of things. For the most part, it is preparing me to be more objective within the classroom because there are a lot that is going on within the classroom that is based on my perceptions. Perceptions can be wrong which is why we should investigate the matter before going on what we perceive to be true.

Competent Communicator

After carefully thinking about the characteristics of a good communicator, I chose my friend, Tarneca. I think that Tarneca is a great communicator because the type of person who listens to the person that she is speaking with, whether she agrees with them or not. She also maintains eye contact in the middle of a conversation to show the other person that she is being attentive to what is going on or what is said. Another thing that she does is she doesn't entertain any negativity. There are some people who try to invite her to conversations that are not productive to anyone involved (gossip); she is very subtle and polite when she maneuvers around the negative conversation. I think that these are things that I need to learn to become a great communicator because unfortunately, I find myself being very snippy when people try to invite me into negative talk about something or somebody else. I don't have a poker face. I am very animated when I am bored out of my mind of listening to someone else. It would be nice to pretend that I am a great communicator but I am not. I know that there are things that I have to and need to work on in order to be successful in and outside of the classroom.

Farewell to my classmates...

It is always exciting when entering into a new class and making new friends--some that you are sure to stay in contact with for a period of time. Teaching is the exact same way. We meet new people all the time as teachers and through this meeting, we learn to respect them and value them as human beings. The one hope that I have for teachers, when dealing with diverse children is to remember to always respect them. They may not be like you or I but they have been placed in your care; therefore, you must respect them and handle them with care. My goal is to practice the same thing that I have been preaching to others and that goal is to maintain some type of culture responsiveness to my students who are different. As I end this particular class, I would like to say Thank you to my professor and classmates because you all have truly made this a wonderful experience.

"El Salvador"

For week 7's assignment, I was to select a country that I was unfamiliar with and prepare a fictional place for an emigrated child's arrival. I chose to place myself in the position of a teacher in a middle school setting. The child who is in my care comes to me from El Salvador. The country of El Salvador is rich in history and I was amazed at some of the facts that I found out. While reading the history of El Salvador, I thought of ways that I could become more culturally responsive to the student who has been placed in my care. Listed below are ways that I plan to become culturally responsive:

1. Design an instructional method whereas I am incorporating some type of background knowledge of the student in questioning. I think that by doing this the student will feel more comfortable being in the classroom setting.

2. Incorporate books and other activities for that particular student's enjoyment. Again, this will allow the student to see that my getting to know him/her is imporant and this will build a repor with teacher and student.

3. Implement cooperative learning groups so that the other students may become involved in the "getting to know" the new student process. It is intimidating being in a classroom where everyone knows everyone there except you.

4. Incorporate show and tell in the classroom will allow that particular student in the classroom to bring in a piece of himself so that we can all partake in the sharing of ideas and culture.

5. Collaborating with the family is a great way to find out more about the student's customs and traditions so that some of these can be celebrated rather than denied with the classroom.

I chose to put the main focus on the child in the classroom because it is here that I will more than likely have the most contact with the student. Also, I think that these things will help the student to become successful within the classroom. There has been a time where the students have become so enthralled in a lesson that they have gone home to share it with the parent. The parent is need for academic achievement and student success.

Response to Questions For Week 6

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?

I was in a situation where I was teaching a summer course and this particular parent thought that I shouldn't be allowed to teach her daughter due to some lies that her daughter told to get out of that particular class, because she stuck out like a sore thumb. Instead of the parent telling her daughter that she could drop the class or following through with the class because she committed herself to it, the parent chose to make problems for me. Before this happened, I and the parent were friends which made this a sad event. I told my dear friend that we would never be as we were and we are not.

One fictional character was Perfect. The character was from a book called Perfect Peace. The book was wonderful. Perfect was born a boy but his mother wanted a girl so she sought to transform this boy into a girl. When he was eight, she finally told him the truth and tried to force this child into being a boy. They even tried to beat some male tendencies into this child. He grew up finding other boys attractive and not being able to share his feelings with anyone, he kep his feelings hidden which caused him the greatest pain. I love the character, Perfect, because here we gave fiction imitating life. Society has made it hard for people who love the same sex to explore and be themselves. It is truly a sad occasion. Here it is 2012, and we haven't progressed in this particular area of discrimination.

In what way(s) did the specific bias, prejudice and/or oppression in that incident diminish equity?

Each of the situations described above shows a lack of equity, because we weren't treated fairly. We were judged based on someone else's opinion of what we were/are. No one took the time out to try to accept us for what we were nor did they try to find out if the rumors that circulate about us were true or not. We were tried and convicted because we were different and that is the bottom line.

What feelings did this incident bring up for you?

I was hurt that the parent, who I had been friends with for twenty years, believed her daught, who was a known liar. I understand the need to believe your children, but teaching has taught me to be patient and look at things from every angle.

What and/or who would have to change in order to turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity?

For the character in the book, some of the people in the community did finally change after this young man grew up and became successful. He didn't change who he was; he prayed for acceptance and the Lord granted him acceptance but not from others, but from himself. The young man learned to accept himself, because there wasn't anything wrong with him--people made it appear to be that way because there was something wrong with them. The incident afforded him an opportunity to live out his dream and prove others wrong.

Had the parent changed or treated the incident differently, the situation would be one that could have been fair to all parties involved. She could have been fair to myself and her daughter had she investigated before accusing. Had this happened, the child would have known that lying wouldn't be tolerated and the parent and I could have kept out friendship.

My Experience with Microaggressions

I have had a few experiences with microaggressions but they haven't been that many. One incident in particular that stands out at the moment would be the time that I was sitting in a college classroom completing a test. The following day, the teacher was able to grade the test and hand it back to us and this Caucasian, young woman looks at me and says, "How did you make that?" I was proud of my grade but this woman made me feel that there must have been something wrong because my grade was better than hers. It was as if people think that African-American women (in particular) aren't capable of excelling in the field of education. Having this experience makes me not want to ever subject my students to anything of this nature which is why I am mindful of the words that come out of my mouth.

"Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

I have a great deal of family members and friends that I could have pose the questions to but I decided to talk to someone whom I had nothing in common with other than the fact that we worked at the same place. *Tim is Caucasian; has parents who are racist and his friends are mostly African-American. My interest in Tim continued as I found out Tim's age which is 54. He is 21 years older than I am and for all of these reasons I decided to ask Tim the following two questions: How would you define culture and diversity? I wasn't prepared for Tim's answers but I believe that when dealing with challenging individuals, it builds your character.
Tim told me that diversity relates to those people whom he grew up in the vicinity of (Caucasian). He didn't have the luxury that most of us had which would include growing up around people of different races and ethnic backgrounds. As for culture, his response was kind of vague because again, he didn't have access to other cultures. His ideals about culture is limited which is acutally kind of sad. I think that ,as adults/parents, we have a tendency to force our own beliefs onto children which stifles their growth such as it was with Tim. Tim, although he didn't admit it to me, shared some of the same beliefs that his parents did. Also, I think that when I asked these questions of him, his mind probably began to wander about all of those people that he came in contact with who weren't Caucasian and how nice and friendly those people could have been. By him being close-minded, he omitted or left out the ability to learn about others. Perhaps, it could have made him a better person. I believe that when we observe and investigate others, it forces us to look at ourselves and examine the type of people that we are and who we want to become. Tim's answers influence me because I am now looking at myself in a different light--needless to say, I am embracing who I am and what I am and I am putting my view of myself before what everyone else thinks I am.

My Family Culture

I have been recently given the task of sharing certain information about my family culture with others. There are some things that are a part of my culture that is very important to me. If I had to evacuate my country or my place of residence, these things would be something that I would most definitely take on my journey. The three items that I would take with me would be photos of family, friends, and students that I have taught, my collection of poetry, and my shoe collection. Each of these things have a story behind them. In the following paragraphs, I will explain the meaning/story behind these items.

My photo collection is important to me because these are people who have shaped and transformed my life. My family has always been there for me no matter the situation or the circumstance. The friends that I have made over the years have begun to look and feel just like family in so many ways. They have given me strength and support to complete my education and they have also provided a listening ear when I have needed advice. My students have made me realize my potential as a teacher. They push me to succeed by being themselves regardless of what that consists of. We all know the type of things that middle school children do and in the midst of it all, I rise to the challenge.

My poetry collection is one that is a true representation of who I am as a person. My poems speaks volumes without me having to say a word. I enjoy writing and I have been writing poetry since I was ten years old.

Last but not least, I would take my shoe collection. I am not a vain personality. I love shoes because as a child, my parents weren't able to afford a lot of them. We weren't rich and we wore mostly clothes that were handed down from one sibling to the next. I never want to be placed in that situation again.

If I had to choose one item to keep, it would be my poetry collection because one day, I plan to be published and those faded pages will be ones that I use as inspiration. The pictures of my family, friends, and students will forever live on in memory and in my heart. I doubt if these things will fade from existence. As for my shoe collection, I would give them up because I know that it is about time that I break this cycle. Although vanity is not my motivation, mentally, I need to get passed my childhood poverty and my outlook on the whole situation.

By completing this activity, I was made to look within myself and pull out some things that I thought I had forgotten. It made me think...

Week 8 Blog Questions Answered

What insights have you gained about research from taking this course? I have learned that while doing research, it is important to be remain as objective as possible which is hard for me when conducting observations; therefore, I know that it would be hard for me if I was doing actual research. Other insights include the fact that there are different ways of doing research. I was only aware of the two that are the most prevalent. I was exposed to the mixed method of research through my reading.

In what ways have your ideas about the nature of doing research changed? In my opinion, research can be a tedious job--proving and disproving hypothesis can be time-consuming. I have always been weary of doing research because there are so many steps to consider and if you don't know what you are doing, then of course, that could pose a problem.

What lessons about planning,designing, and conducting research in early childhood did you learn? The planning of the research is the most difficult for me. During the planning stages, there are a couple of things that has to be done before designing any portion of the research. For the most part, I learned that I must identify a problem or a topic. The problem has to be one that is researchable. Sometimes it helps to see if the problem or the topic chosen has been researched before. If it has, that information may be used as a resource. After that, a hypothesis should be formed a research proposal is constructed.

What were some of the challenges did you encounter? The one thing that challenged me was the hypothesis. I had to reword the hypothesis. I also had to determine which method would render me the best results. I also had to constantly keep in my mind that subjectivity is the key factor. It is all about the facts and not emotions.

What are some of the ways your perceptions of an early childhood professional has been modified? Of course, my perception of becoming an early childhood professional has been modified because I never realized that there was a great deal to take under advisement. I didn't take into consideration that there was so much research in this particular area of education but then again, if we are to get the besdt practices, then there has to be a great deal of research.

"Analysis of International Websites"

The international website that I chose to explore was http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au. This website was interesting to me because it dealt with early childhood in Australia. It is not everyday that we hear about Australia so I felt that it was necessary to expose some of the great things that was found on the website. Some of the hot topics that were featured were code of ethics, best practices in early childhood education, and teaching through play. Of these hot topics, the one that I think is important and is a topic that plague most of today's classroom is the teaching through play topic. Teaching through play is important because it is one of the most beneficial ways in which children learn. If we take the act of play out of the school system, we are doing the children a disservice.

The new insight that I gained was centered on the concept of emotional and social skills and how it contributes to the overall learning experience of the child. "Emotional skills are about learning to manage and express feelings appropriately. Social skills are about relating to others." In the classroom, I think that if the child's emotional and social well-being isn't on the level that it is supposed to be on, then there will be problems in the classroom.

The other noteworthy thing that I learned--not really learned, but it sparked my interest because code of ethics is important in the job and in a school setting. Obeying the code of ethics helps to keep us in line so that we can continue to serve our students.

"Chosen Researchable Topics"

I chose option 2 and the topic that I chose to research was Asperger Syndrome. I chose to this topic because my cousin was diagnose with the condition and what I found out was the fact that it was a social disorder. My cousin is not able to function socially and that created a problem in the classroom because he is surrounded by people. At one point, they took him out of the general classroom setting but I have been told recently that he is back in. He has had people to coax him into trying to talk but any progress is minimal if any. I think that if we, as educators, were trained on how to interact with students such as these, we would be better equipped in handling them. More research would make assessing students who are this way easier and it would help the teachers and the students know what to expect.

"Topic Chosen for Simulation"

I originally chose student and teacher interaction. I narrowed that down to three subtopics and the one subtopic chosen was incorporating real-life scenarios into the classroom. I think that this chosen subtopic is one that will allow the teacher and the student to get to know each other and by doing this, they may be able to create a more positive learning process. On a personal level, I find that there are times where teachers become so busy with preparing students for the test that they lose sight of the big picture. The big picture is the idea that children learn more when they feel as if they are a part of the learning process. I can also remember sitting in class and feeling as if the lesson was not relevant to me as a child. I would like to make my own teaching more relevant to the life of the student rather than being driven by the information found within the textbook.