Prior to this week's assignment in my Master's program, I had never heard of the term"microaggressions". What are they? What do they mean? As I've come to learn, microaggressions are statements of bias, stereotypical beliefs, or unintentional racial slurs made by individuals without malice or ill-intent. For example, an Asian-American friend of mine says people are often surprised to find out that she was born in America. While that reaction hardly seems aggressive, it is, in fact, the cumulative effects of continually being questioned about her nationality that makes her feel like a foreigner in her own land; such sentiments can lead to feelings of inferiority or of being an outsider to the dominant group.
This week, we were challenged to observe ourselves and others in an effort to detect these types of microaggressions in everyday verbal interactions. It did not take long to see many instances of such behaviors play out in public areas, at work, and even on the phone with friends and relatives. However, I seemed to be observing others making microaggressions against others. It wasn't until I experienced it myself that I truly understood the concept.
A conversation began with a group of co-workers about growing up in the 50's. A white, 40 yr. old male co-worker turned to me and said, "Man, I would have loved to have lived in the 50's..wouldn't it have been so cool?" First of all, I'm a woman, and I hate being referred to as a man or dude. Second of all, my response was, "Uh, maybe...If I were a man." "What's that supposed to mean; why has it always got to be about being a man?!", he replied. I answered, "Because that's exactly what it was about...It wasn't such a great time for women or people of color." To which he came back with a big "whatever" and walked away. By doing so, he completely invalidated the struggle of women and people of color were going through at that time in history by instead focusing of some superficial aspects of society or pop-culture such as classic cars, musical or clothing trends and the like. The truth was that I felt he was actually oblivious to any of that struggle, and why shouldn't he be. He was born a member of the dominant group as an upper middle-class, white male. When in history has a member of his group been oppressed? As a result of the conversation, I was labeled by him to be a feminist (a term delivered with a derogatory tone). He at no time considered himself to be arrogant, racist, gender biased or aggressive during this conversation, but, regardless, his statements did not make me feel good. I found myself on the defensive needing to justify my argument and my stance in support of women, hoping to educate him on some different perspectives. However, it fell on deaf ears, and he walked away. So, this is microaggression. Now I know.
Truthfully, there are thousands of incidents that take place like this across America everyday. A gay friend is asked to help decorate your apartment because of the stereotypical belief that all gay men are good decorators. A Mexican-American girl turns down a ride with an Asian-American friend because she believes a stereotype about Asian driving skills. A person born in American is being asked yet again by another American what country they are from. These types of statements, bias, stereotypes and racial slurs have become so common place, how can we being to stop them?
Here is where our experience in ECE has the power to intervene. In preschool classrooms, we often talk about the power of our words and the impact they may have on others. Children have a right to choose their words and use them. Preschool teacher's have an obligation to help children understand how to choose their words wisely. By making children conscious of their choices when speaking to others, we help to establish in them a foundation of awareness about how their words and actions can impact others. In doing so, we help them develop perspectives, alternatives, respect and empathy that can lead to more conscious living in adulthood as well. We've all heard the saying, "sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me." However, this is not a positive rhyme for the times, in my opinion. Words have power. Words have an impact. Words can be aggressive. And, it's time we told children the truth about that. Through reflective anti-biased practices, anti-biased education, open communication and respect, we have the power to teach children a different way to interact with each other--one that is more consciously based on respect for others and their differences. Imagine...what kind of cumulative effect that could have on society?
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Perspectives on Diversity and Culture
This week, while working as a server in a restaurant, an interesting conversation emerged with some of my guests. A rich, white, heterosexual male made a comment to be about managing the restaurant. I explained that I was only working there part time to support myself through a Master's program in Teaching and Diversity in ECE. He responded to me in Spanish, "Yo soy perdido." I was both shocked and confused by his response as I'm a white woman who studied French but understands a little Spanish. "I don't understand", I said, "you're lost?" "No," he said as he corrected himself, "I am learning." However, he was unaware of the lesson I was about to teach him.
When I asked him out of curiosity why he chose to speak to me in Spanish, he explained it was because I said I was studying diversity. His wife and mother immediately chimed in with an explanation about how cultural diversity in America is about more than the Hispanic population. As a retired elementary teacher, his mother offered several references to ethnic diversity in her classrooms such as Asian-American, Russian and African-American. Obviously feeling a little uncomfortable, the man explained that he worked in the world of high finance and that many of his clients were Muslims, Sikhs, and Latinas. The mixed reference between religious groups, ethnic groups and (unintentional) gender groups actually made me a little uncomfortable as I realized that this highly educated man had never deeply thought of cultural diversity or it's many complex forms.
At the risk of my tip, I continued to engage in a challenging conversation with this man not because I needed to prove him wrong, but because I wanted to educated him on the importance of supporting culture, diversity and education at the preschool level. As a part of the dominant culture, he controls much of the social, political and economic power in society which in tern effects many aspects of early childhood education. When he commented that he did not have children, I took it as an opportunity to make him realize that his "Muslim, Sikh and Latina" clients probably do. As well, with minority populations on the rise in America, more and more diversity will be represented in positions of power and social influence; by teaching children to respect diversity and culture early in life, we prepare them for peaceful race relations and social compromise. ECE is not merely for individuals and their families, it is for the advancement of society at large. By understanding how we are all uniquely, individually and culturally interconnected especially through the world of ECE, we not only make great advancements toward positive outcomes for children, but efforts to restore tolerance, education and respect in society. The entire conversation was a wonderful exercise in relating my studies to real world scenarios for others outside the field and understanding how much a brief conversation with a stranger could impact their relation to young children and the ECE field.
When I asked him out of curiosity why he chose to speak to me in Spanish, he explained it was because I said I was studying diversity. His wife and mother immediately chimed in with an explanation about how cultural diversity in America is about more than the Hispanic population. As a retired elementary teacher, his mother offered several references to ethnic diversity in her classrooms such as Asian-American, Russian and African-American. Obviously feeling a little uncomfortable, the man explained that he worked in the world of high finance and that many of his clients were Muslims, Sikhs, and Latinas. The mixed reference between religious groups, ethnic groups and (unintentional) gender groups actually made me a little uncomfortable as I realized that this highly educated man had never deeply thought of cultural diversity or it's many complex forms.
At the risk of my tip, I continued to engage in a challenging conversation with this man not because I needed to prove him wrong, but because I wanted to educated him on the importance of supporting culture, diversity and education at the preschool level. As a part of the dominant culture, he controls much of the social, political and economic power in society which in tern effects many aspects of early childhood education. When he commented that he did not have children, I took it as an opportunity to make him realize that his "Muslim, Sikh and Latina" clients probably do. As well, with minority populations on the rise in America, more and more diversity will be represented in positions of power and social influence; by teaching children to respect diversity and culture early in life, we prepare them for peaceful race relations and social compromise. ECE is not merely for individuals and their families, it is for the advancement of society at large. By understanding how we are all uniquely, individually and culturally interconnected especially through the world of ECE, we not only make great advancements toward positive outcomes for children, but efforts to restore tolerance, education and respect in society. The entire conversation was a wonderful exercise in relating my studies to real world scenarios for others outside the field and understanding how much a brief conversation with a stranger could impact their relation to young children and the ECE field.
Saturday, January 17, 2015
My Family Culture
My Master's class, Perspectives on Diversity and Equity in ECE, has a special assignment for this week...
Imagine the following:
A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you. You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture.
I must admit, this exercise sparked some deep thoughts and feelings about the three items that I would choose to represent my family culture. Culture is not just about race or religion, it permeates every aspect of how we live, behave, and express ourselves from our language, gestures, food, clothing, traditions, music and so on. Having had some experience living overseas in communities very different from my own culture, I reflected on those experiences and what familiarities about my own culture I longed for the most.
The first item I would choose would be a seed pouch filled with various seeds collected from our family gardens. Food is such a rich aspect of any culture and is an important part of my family. Ever since I can remember, there has been a garden in my family that we used to grow many of the herbs and vegetables used in family recipes that not only marked our celebrations but flavored our everyday lives. Traditional southern ingredients such as corn, beans, squash, black-eyed peas, heirloom tomatoes and collard greens would certainly be included. While our traditional family recipes can be carried anywhere in our hearts and minds, having the ability to cultivate and sustain the ingredients necessary to re-create these dishes in a foreign country would certainly always allow us a familiar taste of home.
The second item I would choose is my Granny's cast-iron skillet. This particular piece of cookware has been in my family for generations and is seasoned with love. The foods we like to eat are just as much a part of family culture as the way we like prepare them. No matter where our family was displaced, foods prepared in a traditional way with a familiar family heirloom will remind us of many family gatherings, traditions, celebrations and special moments we have shared together and with those who are no longer with us.
The third item I would choose would be the family photo album. Photographs collected over our lifetime document many aspects of our family culture that I would want to preserve. Photographs often inspire stories about specific memories of events, timelines, and family values. By using the photographs to spark our memories and share our stories, we help preserve our family culture not only for ourselves, but for future generations.
If, upon arrival, I were required to give up all but one item, how would I choose? Given my experience living overseas, I recall the joy of finding a familiar food item in a grocery store and the pleasure of improvising to re-creating my family recipes so far away from home. However, Gran always said, "Never forget who you are and where you came from." Taking that lesson to heart, I would have to choose my family photo album. Having a concrete reminder of my family history, photos to jog our memories and inspire us to tell stories in our native language would give us all great comfort in a foreign land. For even though I longed for a taste of home while living across the world, nothing was more satisfying than re-connecting with my family through language, stories and photographs. By saving our family photo album, we are reminded of how united we are as a family, are able to celebrate our specific culture and traditions, and can preserve our memories of our heritage for future generations. In this way, hopefully, we can follow Gran's advice by keeping our family culture alive...no matter where we find ourselves.
This exercise helped me to see some of the tough decisions and realities facing many of the immigrant and refugee populations becoming displaced from their own culture. Recognizing how important it must be for their families to preserve and celebrate their own culture and sense of belonging in the world, I now also recognize on a much deeper level how comforted, appreciative and touched they would be to find that their child's preschool teacher is not only willing to work to help preserve, honor and celebrate it with them, but also willing to welcome their unique perspective into the community.
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Doing Early Childhood Research
First and foremost, I would like to congratulate all my colleagues on their completion of our Master's course in Building Research Competencies as well as all the hard work you have put into this program and your professional development so far. I don't know about you guys, but I found this course both intimidating and challenging. In fact, I found myself wondering in the beginning why we even needed to take this course. Why was it so important? How would this really be relevant to someone like me--a preschool teacher (after all, I'm not trying to be a scientist)? Am I alone in my thinking, or did others of you have similar feelings?
Well, to my surprise, throughout this course and the research simulation project, I have gained valuable insights as to the relevance and importance of acquiring practical skills in this area. I now realize that this skill is one of the basic reasons I decided to seek a Master's degree in the first place. When I think about it, the reason I decided to further my education was to be able to provide children and their families the best possible support and advice to further their healthy development. Over the years working with young children, I have gained valuable experience, honed my instincts and developed my skills, but at the end of the day, when parents would come to me for advice, all I really had to offer them was my opinion. By increasing my research competencies, learning how to efficiently extract useful information from scientific journals, judge the validity of articles, websites and resources, I will be able to support my opinions/arguments with valid, scientific facts. In addition, I truly appreciate learning how to properly design and engage in my own informal research projects within my classroom or school in an effort to help me better understand the community I serve as well as how to best serve them.
In fact, the biggest issue I had during this course was actually deciding which research question to focus on. There are so many areas of curiosity and interest to me in the Early Childhood field that it was extremely hard for me to narrow my thinking. I now have a new level of respect and appreciation for those committing themselves everyday to thinking through the intricacies necessary to achieve valid answers to so many of these questions. With the time and care it takes to answer each of these questions, dedicated researchers are helping us understand ourselves better, our roles better, our students better, our world better and how we can all contribute to creating a better society together. After all, as preschool teachers, isn't this the mindset we are working to foster--teaching the joys of exploration and experimentation, the process of trial and error it takes to master a concept, imaginative and inquisitive minds fueled by curiosity, imagination, and creative problem solving, questioning and testing aspects of our environment and how we can best function in it. Whether or not we become scientific researchers ourselves is beside the point, we are on the ground floor of supporting future researchers, scientists and professionals committed to making the world a better place for us all. Thanks to all my colleagues for your continued support and commitment to this end. You should be proud of yourselves!
Happy Holidays,
Angie Oliver
Well, to my surprise, throughout this course and the research simulation project, I have gained valuable insights as to the relevance and importance of acquiring practical skills in this area. I now realize that this skill is one of the basic reasons I decided to seek a Master's degree in the first place. When I think about it, the reason I decided to further my education was to be able to provide children and their families the best possible support and advice to further their healthy development. Over the years working with young children, I have gained valuable experience, honed my instincts and developed my skills, but at the end of the day, when parents would come to me for advice, all I really had to offer them was my opinion. By increasing my research competencies, learning how to efficiently extract useful information from scientific journals, judge the validity of articles, websites and resources, I will be able to support my opinions/arguments with valid, scientific facts. In addition, I truly appreciate learning how to properly design and engage in my own informal research projects within my classroom or school in an effort to help me better understand the community I serve as well as how to best serve them.
In fact, the biggest issue I had during this course was actually deciding which research question to focus on. There are so many areas of curiosity and interest to me in the Early Childhood field that it was extremely hard for me to narrow my thinking. I now have a new level of respect and appreciation for those committing themselves everyday to thinking through the intricacies necessary to achieve valid answers to so many of these questions. With the time and care it takes to answer each of these questions, dedicated researchers are helping us understand ourselves better, our roles better, our students better, our world better and how we can all contribute to creating a better society together. After all, as preschool teachers, isn't this the mindset we are working to foster--teaching the joys of exploration and experimentation, the process of trial and error it takes to master a concept, imaginative and inquisitive minds fueled by curiosity, imagination, and creative problem solving, questioning and testing aspects of our environment and how we can best function in it. Whether or not we become scientific researchers ourselves is beside the point, we are on the ground floor of supporting future researchers, scientists and professionals committed to making the world a better place for us all. Thanks to all my colleagues for your continued support and commitment to this end. You should be proud of yourselves!
Happy Holidays,
Angie Oliver
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Who Says?...International Research Topics in ECE
This week's assignment was to take a look at current international research topics and to find out what questions are being asked in different parts of the world that can contribute to our understanding of the best practices in care and education for young children. The first website I chose to review was the European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) http://www.eecera.org/.
I specifically chose this sight because I was interested to see what questions scientists from distinct cultural backgrounds are coming together to research. Although I was only able to review abstracts by clicking on the Special Issues tab without purchasing a membership, I was still surprised at how many articles centered on the subject of play, social/emotional dynamics in a preschool classroom, and issues of diversity in ECE.
As I could not go much further with this site, I decided to also check out the Early Childhood Australia website http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/. I was once a nanny in Australia, and know that their longitudinal study of early childhood is often referenced, so I was very interested to see what topics they are researching today. I immediately bookmarked the page for myself because of the wealth of information and resources I found there. Under the "Our Publications" tab is a link to the Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, a publication of many research articles you also need a subscription to fully view. However, a review of the research topics and abstracts lead me to find that studies are also being conducted in this area of the globe around cultural diversity, the importance of play, and social/emotional intelligence.
The insight I really gained from this assignment was the realization that scientists from around the world are all asking some of the same important questions about early childhood. It helps me realize that although we may share different languages and cultural backgrounds, we are all still striving for the same goal--best possible outcomes for care and education of young children. Certainly there are schools in Europe and Australia dealing with diversity issues in many configuration. In fact there are school around the world trying to discover the best ways to contribute to the social/emotional intelligence of a child in hopes of making positive contributions to society as well as their specific community. Certainly others around the globe are discovering the importance of play in the development of young children's brains and bodies and working to create policies and practices that protect time and space for young children to experience play. What a relief! Everybody is on the same page. While these questions are being asked in different ways, in different languages, using different methods, and resulting in many new and different discoveries/insights/understandings, the outcome is a collective amount of scientific research and knowledge that is useful to anyone working in the EC field.
So, the next time I am faced with a line of conversation about why we need more academic standardized testing in our preschools, I can respond with valid scientific information that supports the importance of play in a young child's life to foster academic skills, it's contribution to healthy development, and how we must work to protect it for both our children and the future of society. When they ask me, "Who says?" I can respond, " the International Scientific Research community says..."
Reference:
I specifically chose this sight because I was interested to see what questions scientists from distinct cultural backgrounds are coming together to research. Although I was only able to review abstracts by clicking on the Special Issues tab without purchasing a membership, I was still surprised at how many articles centered on the subject of play, social/emotional dynamics in a preschool classroom, and issues of diversity in ECE.
As I could not go much further with this site, I decided to also check out the Early Childhood Australia website http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/. I was once a nanny in Australia, and know that their longitudinal study of early childhood is often referenced, so I was very interested to see what topics they are researching today. I immediately bookmarked the page for myself because of the wealth of information and resources I found there. Under the "Our Publications" tab is a link to the Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, a publication of many research articles you also need a subscription to fully view. However, a review of the research topics and abstracts lead me to find that studies are also being conducted in this area of the globe around cultural diversity, the importance of play, and social/emotional intelligence.
The insight I really gained from this assignment was the realization that scientists from around the world are all asking some of the same important questions about early childhood. It helps me realize that although we may share different languages and cultural backgrounds, we are all still striving for the same goal--best possible outcomes for care and education of young children. Certainly there are schools in Europe and Australia dealing with diversity issues in many configuration. In fact there are school around the world trying to discover the best ways to contribute to the social/emotional intelligence of a child in hopes of making positive contributions to society as well as their specific community. Certainly others around the globe are discovering the importance of play in the development of young children's brains and bodies and working to create policies and practices that protect time and space for young children to experience play. What a relief! Everybody is on the same page. While these questions are being asked in different ways, in different languages, using different methods, and resulting in many new and different discoveries/insights/understandings, the outcome is a collective amount of scientific research and knowledge that is useful to anyone working in the EC field.
So, the next time I am faced with a line of conversation about why we need more academic standardized testing in our preschools, I can respond with valid scientific information that supports the importance of play in a young child's life to foster academic skills, it's contribution to healthy development, and how we must work to protect it for both our children and the future of society. When they ask me, "Who says?" I can respond, " the International Scientific Research community says..."
Reference:
Early Childhood Australia:
http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/
http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/
European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA):
http://www.eecera.org/
http://www.eecera.org/
Saturday, November 15, 2014
The Science Behind an Attitude of Gratitude
Who among us isn't looking for the road to a happier, more enjoyable and stress-free life? If we, as parents, teachers, caregivers, and early education professionals, were able to find that road, what effects would it have on our lives and the lives of the young children around us?
As we approach the holiday season--the most wonderful time of the year, we all have warm, fuzzy visions of families coming together to share good food, love and laughter while sipping hot cocoa in front of a fire. However, the reality of the holiday season--most wonderful and stressful time of the year, often turns out quite differently. Many families suffer through this time worrying about money, feeling the pressures of busier than normal schedules, drained energy levels, long lines, travel delays and short fuses as they focus on trying to 'make' everything perfect and everyone happy. In turn, children's lives are overloaded with stressed out adults and an avalanche of commercial marketing strategies setting them up to not only want and need more stuff, attention and entertainment, but also make them feel entitled to it. As I began to wonder about the true, true meaning of the holiday season, and how I might convey some thoughtful ideas to the young children and families in my life, I came across this website that I thought was perfect to share.
"The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley--in collaboration with the University of California, Davis--launched a $5.6 million, three-year project, Expanding the Science and Practice of Gratitude"(The Greater Good Science Center, 2014) http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/expandinggratitude. Scientist have now proven that an attitude of gratitude really will change your life, your health and your stress levels. "They're finding that people who practice gratitude consistently report a host of benefits:
-Stronger immune systems and lower blood pressure;
-Higher levels of positive emotions;
-More joy, optimism, and happiness;
-Acting with more generosity and compassion;
-Feeling less lonely and isolated" (The Greater Good Science Center, 2014).
The website also provides a look at both research and public education initiatives, links to other resources and a short video that helps explain their cause and purpose as well as ways to get involved in the project. I found many of the resources useful especially for sharing with children in preschool classrooms and as supportive parent education.
Think about it, if more adults were able to improve their quality of life through the benefits reported by the Greater Good Science Center, what would that do to the quality of the lives of the children who surround them? If more adults could model this attitude, children will also be more likely to adopt similar notions. Imagine the long-term mental, health and emotional benefits for children who can learn to engrain gratitude into their belief systems regardless of religious affiliation. Fostering gratitude, thankfulness, and appreciation in our children takes work, and that work begins with us, the adults. Please check out this wonderful resource for yourself, your family, your classroom and co-workers. I was certainly grateful to find it!
As we approach the holiday season--the most wonderful time of the year, we all have warm, fuzzy visions of families coming together to share good food, love and laughter while sipping hot cocoa in front of a fire. However, the reality of the holiday season--most wonderful and stressful time of the year, often turns out quite differently. Many families suffer through this time worrying about money, feeling the pressures of busier than normal schedules, drained energy levels, long lines, travel delays and short fuses as they focus on trying to 'make' everything perfect and everyone happy. In turn, children's lives are overloaded with stressed out adults and an avalanche of commercial marketing strategies setting them up to not only want and need more stuff, attention and entertainment, but also make them feel entitled to it. As I began to wonder about the true, true meaning of the holiday season, and how I might convey some thoughtful ideas to the young children and families in my life, I came across this website that I thought was perfect to share.
"The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley--in collaboration with the University of California, Davis--launched a $5.6 million, three-year project, Expanding the Science and Practice of Gratitude"(The Greater Good Science Center, 2014) http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/expandinggratitude. Scientist have now proven that an attitude of gratitude really will change your life, your health and your stress levels. "They're finding that people who practice gratitude consistently report a host of benefits:
-Stronger immune systems and lower blood pressure;
-Higher levels of positive emotions;
-More joy, optimism, and happiness;
-Acting with more generosity and compassion;
-Feeling less lonely and isolated" (The Greater Good Science Center, 2014).
The website also provides a look at both research and public education initiatives, links to other resources and a short video that helps explain their cause and purpose as well as ways to get involved in the project. I found many of the resources useful especially for sharing with children in preschool classrooms and as supportive parent education.
Think about it, if more adults were able to improve their quality of life through the benefits reported by the Greater Good Science Center, what would that do to the quality of the lives of the children who surround them? If more adults could model this attitude, children will also be more likely to adopt similar notions. Imagine the long-term mental, health and emotional benefits for children who can learn to engrain gratitude into their belief systems regardless of religious affiliation. Fostering gratitude, thankfulness, and appreciation in our children takes work, and that work begins with us, the adults. Please check out this wonderful resource for yourself, your family, your classroom and co-workers. I was certainly grateful to find it!
Happy Holidays!
Reference:
The Greater Good Science Center, (2014), Expanding the Science and Practice of Gratitude, University of California, Berkeley.
http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/expandinggratitude
Reference:
The Greater Good Science Center, (2014), Expanding the Science and Practice of Gratitude, University of California, Berkeley.
http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/expandinggratitude
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Issues and Trends final post
I gained a new level of awareness about Issues and Trends in International Early Childhood Education through my own research and the information provided by my colleagues in this course. The three major consequences of this study for me are:
1. learning the importance of understanding different cultural perspectives on early childhood education before trying to relate to immigrant and non-English speaking families being served in my classrooms.
2. increasing my own multicultural understanding both personally and professionally as well as gaining some new ideas of how to incorporate more international studies into my classroom curriculum.
3. identifying and learning to access resources locally, nationally, and internationally that can benefit young children of diverse cultural backgrounds in my classroom.
If I had to identify a major goal coming out of this course, it would be to start a blog or a website dedicated to assisting EC professionals in addressing issues and improving relations with immigrant and non-English speaking families within every community by outlining policies, attitudes, issues and trends related to every country in the world. It is a small world after all...and preschool is the perfect place to foster the peace and understanding that can unite humanity.
1. learning the importance of understanding different cultural perspectives on early childhood education before trying to relate to immigrant and non-English speaking families being served in my classrooms.
2. increasing my own multicultural understanding both personally and professionally as well as gaining some new ideas of how to incorporate more international studies into my classroom curriculum.
3. identifying and learning to access resources locally, nationally, and internationally that can benefit young children of diverse cultural backgrounds in my classroom.
If I had to identify a major goal coming out of this course, it would be to start a blog or a website dedicated to assisting EC professionals in addressing issues and improving relations with immigrant and non-English speaking families within every community by outlining policies, attitudes, issues and trends related to every country in the world. It is a small world after all...and preschool is the perfect place to foster the peace and understanding that can unite humanity.
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