Prior to this course, I would take comments about others in passing and not pay too much attention to them. This week I have reflected upon a couple examples of things I have overheard and have been said to me.
The Canadian
I overheard several people talking in a break room. One of the girls was sharing an incident of meeting a new guy who apparently was also interested in her friend but didn't realize the girls knew each other. The girl telling the story laughed about the situation and follows up with, "What do you expect? He's from Canada. They're just not that smart up there."
In this example, I wonder what the man would have felt if he had overheard this comment or if there were any other people in the break room who were of Canadian descent.
Age and Wisdom
I had a teacher who brought in excellent play based learning experiences and different projects with the kids. Our center has moved to individualized plans written by all staff including the assistants. In trying to work through this change, she shared with me how she has raised six children and they all have done well. She commented on her age and how paperwork wasn't her forte'. She explained that the paperwork was for the younger staff. All she wanted to do was play.
In this example, the judgment is made that only young staff can keep up with the demands of the paperwork. I also saw the correlation that her experience as a mother inadvertently made her a better teacher than the teachers without children. Both assumptions are untrue.
I do see that our society tends to find ways to share how they are better than others. There appears to be a limelight obsession with how great an individual is rather than celebrating the differences that make us who we are.
Friday, January 31, 2014
Friday, January 24, 2014
Diversity and Equity Interviews
I found this week's assignment very insightful and in the process, realized I needed to avoid some touchy items due to my cultural beliefs. I interviewed three of my staff this week on what their ideas of diversity and culture meant to them and the differences. While two of the people I interviewed were newer to the field, one was a veteran teacher who is compassionate about diversity and equity. The veteran teacher shared everything we have learned so far about the differences in surface culture and deep culture. She shared that culture is "everything we are and everything we aren't". To her, diversity is comprised of the differences amongst our characteristics, but she did not feel that special needs traits were included in diversity. I did not understand why she felt this way as a special need could also be considered a social identity. I knew I needed to acknowledge that we felt differently, but also needed to respect her thought process.
Interestingly, the newer staff members I interviewed focused more on the surface traits of culture such as food, clothing, ethnicity, and skin color. Each of them talked of the differences we possess in socio-economic levels, relationships, and beliefs, but equated that more to the term of diversity.
I had a lengthy conversation with my veteran teacher on the terms which caused me to reflect on some of my own beliefs. She shared with me how she is agnostic and wrote a senior paper on why God should be removed from the Pledge of Allegiance. I am a Christian and believe that the government rests upon His shoulders. I wanted to understand why she felt that way and she explained that she learned that God was added to the Pledge to help differentiate children and people on their religious beliefs. It was believed that if they did not say God, they were Communists and would be killed. I had not considered that this was a possibility. We also went on to discuss our country's foundational beliefs. She believes that America is the land of opportunity and freedom and that anyone from any country should be able to make a better life for themselves here. I see her point, but also see the strain that this puts onto our system. I shared that we cannot financially take care of the people who currently live here, but she retorted what if America felt that way when our ancestors came over? We wouldn't be here either. This exercise has made me question my own belief system. I was once the person who thought that culture was only what you can see. I am beginning to understand who much deeper culture actually is.
Interestingly, the newer staff members I interviewed focused more on the surface traits of culture such as food, clothing, ethnicity, and skin color. Each of them talked of the differences we possess in socio-economic levels, relationships, and beliefs, but equated that more to the term of diversity.
I had a lengthy conversation with my veteran teacher on the terms which caused me to reflect on some of my own beliefs. She shared with me how she is agnostic and wrote a senior paper on why God should be removed from the Pledge of Allegiance. I am a Christian and believe that the government rests upon His shoulders. I wanted to understand why she felt that way and she explained that she learned that God was added to the Pledge to help differentiate children and people on their religious beliefs. It was believed that if they did not say God, they were Communists and would be killed. I had not considered that this was a possibility. We also went on to discuss our country's foundational beliefs. She believes that America is the land of opportunity and freedom and that anyone from any country should be able to make a better life for themselves here. I see her point, but also see the strain that this puts onto our system. I shared that we cannot financially take care of the people who currently live here, but she retorted what if America felt that way when our ancestors came over? We wouldn't be here either. This exercise has made me question my own belief system. I was once the person who thought that culture was only what you can see. I am beginning to understand who much deeper culture actually is.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Three Items
In all honesty, I struggled with what to chose to bring with me to my fictitious new country. I have read about families who have left their worldly possessions behind to begin a new life in the United States and only had their clothes on their backs. At first, I thought about bring my genealogical research with me as I worked on this project for years and have my roots traced back to the 1700s. I wouldn't want to lose that, but does that represent our family? I was absolutely sure I would take my computer, but with not knowing about electricity and chargers, it may be obsolete in no time.
I then reflected upon what our daily routines are and life in general and came up with these three items:
1. My Bible - Not knowing what would lie ahead in the new country and what belief system would be instilled, I would find comfort in knowing that God is with us and will help us make sense of the new surroundings. We have recently began attending church on a regular basis and have learned so much over these last few months. I want to continue in our faith walk.
2. Our dog Zoey - We have had her in our family for 4 years. She has had some anxiety issues and we are her rock. She is like having a fourth child. My children believe the sun rises and sets with her and we could never leave her behind. I would hope no one would attempt to eat her.
3. A soccer ball - My husband is an avid fan of soccer and has instilled the love of the game into all of our children. Many nights we head outside just to kick it around.
If I were told I needed to give up 2 items upon arrival, I would be devastated. I do not know how I would chose as each of these items have a huge significance to who my family has become. I'm sure we could improvise with something to make a soccer ball, but giving up my Bible and my dog are out of the question. I sound like a country song!
The exercise this week truly hit home. I felt the connection and loss of identity in reflecting upon what to take and how I would feel if I were forced to give items up. I felt protective of my items as this would be all I would have left of a life once lived. Even now that I have chosen 3 items, I feel anxious about that decision and wonder if something else would have been better. How can we equate our lives to three items? The panelists in our video this week were right....culture is everything of who we are and what we represent (Laureate Educ., Inc., n.d.).
Reference
Laureate Educ., Inc. (n.d.). Family cultures: Dynamic interactions. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_4210478_1%26url%3D
I then reflected upon what our daily routines are and life in general and came up with these three items:
1. My Bible - Not knowing what would lie ahead in the new country and what belief system would be instilled, I would find comfort in knowing that God is with us and will help us make sense of the new surroundings. We have recently began attending church on a regular basis and have learned so much over these last few months. I want to continue in our faith walk.
2. Our dog Zoey - We have had her in our family for 4 years. She has had some anxiety issues and we are her rock. She is like having a fourth child. My children believe the sun rises and sets with her and we could never leave her behind. I would hope no one would attempt to eat her.
3. A soccer ball - My husband is an avid fan of soccer and has instilled the love of the game into all of our children. Many nights we head outside just to kick it around.
If I were told I needed to give up 2 items upon arrival, I would be devastated. I do not know how I would chose as each of these items have a huge significance to who my family has become. I'm sure we could improvise with something to make a soccer ball, but giving up my Bible and my dog are out of the question. I sound like a country song!
The exercise this week truly hit home. I felt the connection and loss of identity in reflecting upon what to take and how I would feel if I were forced to give items up. I felt protective of my items as this would be all I would have left of a life once lived. Even now that I have chosen 3 items, I feel anxious about that decision and wonder if something else would have been better. How can we equate our lives to three items? The panelists in our video this week were right....culture is everything of who we are and what we represent (Laureate Educ., Inc., n.d.).
Reference
Laureate Educ., Inc. (n.d.). Family cultures: Dynamic interactions. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_4210478_1%26url%3D
Thursday, December 19, 2013
My Research Journey...
I must admit that I was terrified about taking this course. I had pictured the homework to be reading endless research studies and pouring over statistics and charts that I did not understand. I must admit that I am pleasantly surprised at what I have learned over this 8-week journey. I now understand that research often begins with our background experiences and is centered on wanting to learn more. I have learned that when I am reading research, I do not need to get caught up in the details and process of the study, but can understand the purpose and results by reading only a few key sections. This has been a relief and now I do not feel anxious about reading scholarly articles!
Prior to beginning this course, I also had the notion that only doctorate level professionals could conduct research or would even want to. Now I understand that I have topics that I am interested in knowing more about and if my skills were refined, I, too, could conduct my own study. I now understand that not all research needs to have a wide spread reach and end up in a national journal. Even small projects are noteworthy and can make a difference.
When reflecting upon the research process, I also feel that this has been a journey. I never considered reading other articles as a starting point for my own study. I had believed that once a topic was decided upon, I was to be off on my own. It's reassuring to know that the wheel does not have to be reinvented each time a topic presents itself. I still believe that I do not have the knowledge base to truly pull off my own study and would be caught up in the details of how to select a participant pool and the legal matters of consent. I do feel that I am a person who leads more with my heart than my head, so I believe qualitative research would be my specialty.
My first challenge was to embrace the research process. This was an unknown world to me and I was intimidated by the process. I felt research was more about white lab coats and clinical settings than the actual people and processes. I found support from my classmates on the discussion board helpful to work through these feelings. It was helpful to read about the passions of each classmate. We all want what is best for children, but may have a different way of getting there.
I attend meetings in Harrisburg and listen to the "big" people in the "big" offices talk about changes that are coming down the pike. More often than not, there is a mention about data and how they LOVE data. In the past, I cringed when I heard them make these comments. I now understand why the data is important and how it drives change. I also feel that I can look at their results with a more open mind and understand their process which has reinstated my support for the field. I had become jaded for a period of time and felt our children were just numbers on a report. I do still feel that we have lost the personal touch in the process, but understand the necessity of the research and securing funding for quality improvement.
Prior to beginning this course, I also had the notion that only doctorate level professionals could conduct research or would even want to. Now I understand that I have topics that I am interested in knowing more about and if my skills were refined, I, too, could conduct my own study. I now understand that not all research needs to have a wide spread reach and end up in a national journal. Even small projects are noteworthy and can make a difference.
When reflecting upon the research process, I also feel that this has been a journey. I never considered reading other articles as a starting point for my own study. I had believed that once a topic was decided upon, I was to be off on my own. It's reassuring to know that the wheel does not have to be reinvented each time a topic presents itself. I still believe that I do not have the knowledge base to truly pull off my own study and would be caught up in the details of how to select a participant pool and the legal matters of consent. I do feel that I am a person who leads more with my heart than my head, so I believe qualitative research would be my specialty.
My first challenge was to embrace the research process. This was an unknown world to me and I was intimidated by the process. I felt research was more about white lab coats and clinical settings than the actual people and processes. I found support from my classmates on the discussion board helpful to work through these feelings. It was helpful to read about the passions of each classmate. We all want what is best for children, but may have a different way of getting there.
I attend meetings in Harrisburg and listen to the "big" people in the "big" offices talk about changes that are coming down the pike. More often than not, there is a mention about data and how they LOVE data. In the past, I cringed when I heard them make these comments. I now understand why the data is important and how it drives change. I also feel that I can look at their results with a more open mind and understand their process which has reinstated my support for the field. I had become jaded for a period of time and felt our children were just numbers on a report. I do still feel that we have lost the personal touch in the process, but understand the necessity of the research and securing funding for quality improvement.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
International Research Topics
I chose to review the Early Childhood Australia site located at http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/. In looking over the research topics listed under "Research in Practice Series", I found links to articles involving play and high quality child care attributes. Another area was linked to abstracts from the Australasian Journal of Early Childhood (AJEC) which surprisingly is the world's longest running journal for our field of early childhood education. Under this resource, the articles appear to be more scholarly than those under the "Research in Practices Series", but still need to be purchased.
The majority of the links provided additional information on the EYLF (Early Years Learning Framework). While this is an initiative solely in Australia, many of the supporting documents tie into what we find as issues and trends in the U.S.I would have liked the option to be able to read the articles, but each of them had a cost associated with downloading.
One of the items that stood out to me what their Code of Ethics. In reviewing the context behind why the Code was written, I found that Australia's Code and NAEYC's Code are very similar and based on the same pretexts. Both believe that a code of the ethics brings a level of professionalism and is supported by the values of the field.
Another interesting tidbit was a link for a toolkit on how to include technology in your ECE business. The site will continue to provide updates and information and appears to help those with all knowledge levels of conducting digital business.
The majority of the links provided additional information on the EYLF (Early Years Learning Framework). While this is an initiative solely in Australia, many of the supporting documents tie into what we find as issues and trends in the U.S.I would have liked the option to be able to read the articles, but each of them had a cost associated with downloading.
One of the items that stood out to me what their Code of Ethics. In reviewing the context behind why the Code was written, I found that Australia's Code and NAEYC's Code are very similar and based on the same pretexts. Both believe that a code of the ethics brings a level of professionalism and is supported by the values of the field.
Another interesting tidbit was a link for a toolkit on how to include technology in your ECE business. The site will continue to provide updates and information and appears to help those with all knowledge levels of conducting digital business.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
My dream research project...
If I could choose any topic to research and had the means to do so, I would research the effects of what an open ended educational system would be to our society. I have chosen this topic because I believe in the benefits of play and open ended learning. I then see children are expected to transition into a structured Kindergarten setting that lacks learning centers but includes enough worksheets to save a rainforest. The reports I have received from many of our families who have made this transition have explained that their child has had a difficult transition because they have been accustomed to free choice. By the 2nd quarter, these children are farther ahead than their peers, but often receive notes home about self control and needing reminders of rules.
I feel passionate about the foundation of future learning is being set in Pre-K, but often the love of learning is diminished within a structured Kindergarten setting and the children lose their excitement to learn more and explore. I think back to visiting my son's Kindergarten and watching the teacher tell the children they were going to color Indian corn. She instructed them to bring out only their purple and brown crayons then proceeded to show them which sections were which colors. I was floored! What if they wanted red in their picture or wanted to draw something else? Where does the 5 year old who loved to explore become a 5 year old who has little to no opportunity to do so?
I would find it interesting to see where this research would lead our field and the education system. I believe our failures as a nation have a direct root cause to not being able to think outside the box. What if the entire educational system was like that of Pre-k? I believe this research would help to improve the educational system and reverse the effects of No Child Left Behind.
I feel passionate about the foundation of future learning is being set in Pre-K, but often the love of learning is diminished within a structured Kindergarten setting and the children lose their excitement to learn more and explore. I think back to visiting my son's Kindergarten and watching the teacher tell the children they were going to color Indian corn. She instructed them to bring out only their purple and brown crayons then proceeded to show them which sections were which colors. I was floored! What if they wanted red in their picture or wanted to draw something else? Where does the 5 year old who loved to explore become a 5 year old who has little to no opportunity to do so?
I would find it interesting to see where this research would lead our field and the education system. I believe our failures as a nation have a direct root cause to not being able to think outside the box. What if the entire educational system was like that of Pre-k? I believe this research would help to improve the educational system and reverse the effects of No Child Left Behind.
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The more the toy does, the less the child learns.... |
Friday, November 8, 2013
Beginning my journey in research...
After completing my course on early childhood issues and trends, an article stood out for me that discussed the inequalities in teacher education. For my entire career I have been told that teachers who possess college degrees in early learning will provide better childhood outcomes than those who lack formal education. One of the articles I had read in that course also shed light on the differences in programmatic approaches to learning. Essentially, colleges turn out numerous graduates in early childhood education across the United States yet each graduate brings a different skill set and beliefs to our field. I have also observed teachers, who were parents, conduct the most meaningful activities with the children which has made me ponder if the degree is truly more important than experience with children.
All things considered, my subtopic will be to determine if teacher education is more important than experience with children. I have spent many hours researching the library and looking for articles on this topic and realize that I need to learn how to effectively search for the right criteria. I have entered several variations of the subtopic into the search bar and have come back with results from all fields of study including surgery and technology through higher education. If anyone has any tricks on how to effectively search for articles, I would greatly appreciate it! I feel it has been difficult to locate specific articles that focus on early learning teacher quality. I have had the most success in searching the ProQuest database and creating a "My Research" account that has saved my chosen articles to reference later.
I have found the construction of the research chart to be a meaningful experience as it has helped me to truly focus on the material presented. I see myself inductively researching this topic especially since I have come across other articles that tie into my subtopic but are not specific to the topic. I located one that went on to compare a two year education with that of a four year education. This was something I had not considered prior to researching.
All things considered, my subtopic will be to determine if teacher education is more important than experience with children. I have spent many hours researching the library and looking for articles on this topic and realize that I need to learn how to effectively search for the right criteria. I have entered several variations of the subtopic into the search bar and have come back with results from all fields of study including surgery and technology through higher education. If anyone has any tricks on how to effectively search for articles, I would greatly appreciate it! I feel it has been difficult to locate specific articles that focus on early learning teacher quality. I have had the most success in searching the ProQuest database and creating a "My Research" account that has saved my chosen articles to reference later.
I have found the construction of the research chart to be a meaningful experience as it has helped me to truly focus on the material presented. I see myself inductively researching this topic especially since I have come across other articles that tie into my subtopic but are not specific to the topic. I located one that went on to compare a two year education with that of a four year education. This was something I had not considered prior to researching.
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