What I Have Learned

My one hope that I have when I think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds it that I have the knowledge about others and myself to help them feel welcome. I want to provide them with a place where they feel comfortable and a part of. I want to provide an appropriate and safe environment for children to learn, develop and grow. An environment where all families feel welcome and a place that represents each of my family’s cultures. To do this I need to understand myself first. I need to peel away my layers and figure out who I am and how I became the person I am. “No one escapes learning stereotypes and misconceptions…These lessons begin when we are very young, taught initially and most powerfully by our family…all of us still carry inaccurate and negative messages-even if we no longer believe they are true-that can keep us from seeing each person as a unique, whole person fully deserving of our respect” (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2012, p. 23).  If I want every one of the families in my care to feel excepted and welcome I need to uncover my personal biases, discomforts and misconceptions.

A goal I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice is to educate parents, caregivers and other professionals on anti-bias education. What it is and how you can accomplish it. Every person has misconceptions, biases, and discomforts, no person can say they are free of these things. Many people do not even realize they have misconception, biases and/or stereotypes. Anti-bias educators hope that the “day will come when the ‘anti-bias’ part of that journey is no longer needed because all children are growing up fully nurtured and able to be fully who they are, with no barriers of prejudice, discrimination, poverty, or war. Then learning about and valuing one another’s diversity will be a natural part of growing up” (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2012, p. 157). It all starts with ourselves. If more people looked inward at themselves they would begin to stop the perpetuation of biases, stereotypes and misconceptions.  

I would like to say thank you to all of my colleagues. These last 8 weeks have been a very rewarding learning experience from me. I have enjoyed reading your blogs and discussion posts. They have helped me look at many topics from a new perspective. A perspective I would probably never have thought of! Thank you again and I wish you all success in your educational journey for your Master’s Degrees and in life!

Brandie

References

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2012). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Creating Art

Take time to think about what you have learned in this course about children's identities and development and the ways in which each is impacted by bias, discomfort, and trauma. What you have learned about anti-bias work, yourself, and others. Then create a piece of art that illustrates your key learning's from the Start Seeing Diversity media segment and your blog discussions. Art means very different things to different people and you are encouraged to create art in a median most comfortable to you. The sky is the limit with this assignment as long as you can upload your artwork with your colleagues (co-artists). You have the freedom to define what art means to you and select your own medium:

Some live in a world of darkness and pain
Not having enough to eat
Were will they sleep
Who will take care of them
Dad is drinking again and mom is gone
Please look at me, I am right here in front of you
Please don's hurt me again
All it takes is a little light in the darkness
I can be that light
Light is hope
A little kindness goes a long way
Cope, work through issues and succees
Resilience
Break the cycle
Happiness, love, kindness, and patience
By Brandie Madrid

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

• A time when you witnessed an adult (or yourself) reprimand or silence a child after he or she pointed out someone they saw as different (e.g., "That lady talks funny," " That man only has one leg!" "Why is that man so pretty!"). Include what the child said and what the adult did or said in response. (Note: If you cannot think of a specific time ask a friend or family member.)

     I was walking through the store one day, it was before I had children, and this little girl points at a man that has a prosthetic leg and says "Whats wrong with his leg?". The mother turned really red and rushed the child off, scolding her as they went about how it is not nice to point or say things like that to other people. I was shocked that the mom handled it that way. The mother made it seem like their was something really wrong with that man.The message communicated to the little girl was that their was something "wrong" with people who are different than her. "Stereotyping and bias influence children's self-concept and attitudes towards others" (Pelo, 2008, pg.7). How we act and react to the people around us can influence a child's beliefs and attitudes with other people. We need to make sure we are send children the right message and not perpetuate bias/stereotypes and discomforts.

  As an anti-bias educator I would have handled that situation totally differently and have so with my own children. Children are so curious about the world around them and we need to feed that curiosity. I would have first told the child that it really is not nice to point and that there was nothing "wrong" with his leg. Each of us are born different and some difference you can see and some you cannot. That man has a difference that we can see. Just like I need help to hear so I wear hearing aids, that gentleman had something happen to his leg and now he has a prosthetic (fake leg) to help him walk. We need to teach children about how each and every person is different and that different is not wrong or bad. "It is not the differences in themselves that cause that problem, but how people respond to differences" (Pelo, 2008, Pg. 9).  We need to teach acceptance and understanding. 

Brandie

Resources

Pelo, A. (2008). Rethinking early childhood education. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Basic Book

EDUC 6357 Blog Wk. 3 Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation

·     ·         Your response to those who believe that early childhood centers should avoid the inclusion of books depicting gay or lesbian individuals such as same-sex partnered families.

My 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 is that you are you do not have to agree with it you just have to respect it. Many people confuse that teaching or including books on different types of families with teaching about sexuality. “But learning about gay/lesbian-headed families is no more about sexuality than learning about a heterosexual-headed family is” (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2012, p. 123).   We live in a very diverse world and we will encounter many different family structures we may or may not agree with. For example, I may be in the mindset that mothers are the ones that stay home with their children and fathers are the breadwinners and go to work. If a family came into my class where the father was a stay at home dad am I going to exclude them, no. If there were single parent families am I going to exclude them because I believe each child should have two parents at home, the answer is again no. So why should a family be excluded or made not to feel welcome if they have two moms your two dads. The answer is they should not. As early childhood professionals it is our job to make children’s potentials a reality. “Family is central to the life of every child. It is through this earliest relationship that children come to view themselves and others and find their place in the world. To truly reach all children, early childhood educators must acknowledge, make visible in their programs, and respect all the family structures that are real in children’s worlds” (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2012, p. 112). For children to thrive within our classrooms we need to not exclude books depicting gay or lesbian individuals such as same-sex partnered families but to include them with books about all the other types of family structures.

·         Any other related situations, thoughts, concerns, questions, and/or areas of discomfort you would like to share related to children, gender, and sexual orientation.

If you have every walked into a toy store you would see the aisles situated by gender. The “girls” aisles are all dress-up clothes, dolls, Barbie’s, girl Legos and things to play house. In the “boys” aisle you have cars and trucks, action heroes, Legos, tools, and kits to build things. This separation is not just found in stores. This is not only found in stores you can find this separation of the sexes in many homes, centers and schools. Boys who play dress-up or with dolls are frowned upon. They are told they are girls toys and that they should play with cars or blocks. I have been very gender natural with my children. I have a boy and a girl but I have even herd it out of their mouths. “This shirt makes me look like a boy” and “That toy is for boys”. They are picking this information up through what they see on TV and what they hear from other adults and children at school. “By age 3 or 4, children’s comments and interactions reveal the influence of family and societal attitudes about gender behavior, coupled with children’s own developing attempts at understanding the world. These ideas about what is and isn’t ‘normal’ for a particular gender are powerful” (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2012, p. 92). Many times adults can inadvertently convey messages of stereotypical gender behavior in their communications with children. It is important for teacher to “model a range of roles and interests that transcend traditional gender stereotypes, they encourage and support children in exploring a wide range of cognitive, social, and emotional learning experiences” (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2012, p. 93). Children should be encouraged in activities that interest them not on activities based on gender. I want my son and daughter to grow up to be well rounded individuals. I do not want them to be limited by societies predetermined gender roles of how and what they should do.

Brandie

                                                             References

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2012). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

EDUC: Blog Wk. 8

I would like to thank my fellow classmates and Dr. Pickens for making these last 8 weeks so much fun and interesting. I really enjoyed reading your discussions and blog posts. I loved being able to read everyone’s different takes on the same subject and questions. I have really learned a lot from this course and I know I will utilize this new knowledge about communication in future endeavors. I wish everyone luck as they continue on their journeys for their Master’s Degrees and hope to see you all in future courses.

Thank you again for making this course so enjoyable,

Brandie

EDUC: 6165 Week 6

For your blog this week, complete the following activity:

This week you read about the five stages of team development: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. Consider the adjourning phase for several of the groups in which you have been involved. Think about which aspects of the groups made for the hardest good-bye. Are high-performing groups hardest to leave? Groups with the clearest established norms? Which of the groups that you participated in was hardest to leave? Why? What sorts of closing rituals have you experienced or wish you had experienced? 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? Why is adjourning an essential stage of teamwork?

            I think the hardest groups to leave are the ones with the clearest established norms. The groups that I participated in that were the hardest to leave were the groups that I really connected with the group members. During the forming, storming, norming, and performing stages we cohesively worked together to complete our goal and when we reached the adjourning stage it was bitter sweat. “In the "adjourning" stage the project is coming to an end and the team members are moving off into different directions. This stage looks at the team from the perspective of the well-being of the team rather than from the perspective of managing a team through the original four stages of team growth” (Abudi, 2010, p. 4). People who reach stage four usually end up becoming friends and staying in touch even though the project has ended.

            One of the hardest groups that I had end that we made it through to the fourth stage was when I joined a Relay for Life Team. It was such a wonderful experience and the lady’s that were on my team we are still friends to this day. We all instantly clicked. We met at least once a month to go over our strategies for raising money for such a wonderful cause and set goals for ourselves to reach, we had such fun doing it. It also had one of the best closing rituals every. For relay we raise money throughout the months and the final meeting is an event where we as a team decorate a popup tent with the theme and we walk the track. The event goes from 6pm Friday to noon on Saturday and the goal is to have at least one team member walking the track for the whole event. They had themed laps and gave prizes to motivate you to continue walking throughout the night. For my team we decided we all would stay up all night walking the track. We had fun laughing, crying and at times just being silly. It was the perfect ending to our hard work and we made plans to do it again the following year.

            I think that I will be happy when I adjourn from the group of colleagues I have formed while working on my master's degree in this program because I will have completed my goal of earning my Master’s Degree. I will also be sad and more than likely a little lost because I have become so a customized to “meeting” with my colleagues every week. The adjourning stage is essential stage of teamwork because it gives everyone closure. It gives everyone a chance to say good bye to everyone. With the closure it allows people to feel the work they were on was completed and lets them feel open to pursue other projects.

Brandie

References

Abudi, G. (2010). The five stages of team development: A case study. Retrieved from https://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.php

EDUC: 6165 Week 5

Think about any disagreements, or conflicts, you have recently experienced or are currently experiencing at work with a supervisor or colleague, or someone in your personal life. Share at least two strategies you have learned about that might help you manage or resolve the conflict more productively, and why these strategies might be effective. For example, could you suggest a compromise? Could you look for a broader range of solutions to your disagreement? Could you use some of the principles of nonviolent communication or the 3 R's to better help you resolve this conflict?


Two strategies that I have learned about this week that might help me manage or resolve a conflict more productively is to use some of the principles of nonviolent communication. "Nonviolent Communication skills emphasize personal responsibility for our actions and the choices we make when we respond to others, as well as how to contribute to relationships based in cooperation and collaboration" (The Center for Nonviolent Communication, n.d, pg. 1).  It is important when in a disagreement to remember why and what you are disagreeing about, not bring in personal issues in to the argument. It is vital to remember that your actions and words have consequences. 
Nonviolent communication is about learning "to hear our own deeper needs and those of others, and to identify and clearly articulate what 'is alive in us'. When we focus on clarifying what is being observed, felt, needed, and wanted, rather than on diagnosing and judging, we discover the depth of our own compassion. Through its emphasis on deep listening—to ourselves as well as others—NVC fosters respect, attentiveness and empathy, and engenders a mutual desire to give from the heart" (CNVC, n.d., pg. 2). When in an argument or disagreement it is important to remember that being right is not the answer. It is crucial to think of the other person, why are they arguing. It is important not to judge and really listen to what the other person is trying to say.
Brandie

Resources
The Center for Nonviolent Communication.[CNVC] (n.d.). The center for nonviolent communication. Retrieved from http://www.cnvc.org/