Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

As I listened and watched others in my environment this past week, I was able to pick out forms of microaggressions. One of them happened on Wednesday by a member of my family. A group of students from one of the local high schools left campus for lunch to go and get something to eat. This is exam week and students were allowed to leave campus with permission if they did not have an exam. The students include four Caucasians and one African American. When the father of the African American found out that his son left campus without permission he was very livid. One of the comments he made when he was telling family members about it was…”now if they had stolen something while out there, my son would have been involved or could have been left holding the bag”(Personal Communication, 2012). I considered this to be a microaggression of gender and racial forms. It was immediately assumed that since the people involved were a group of young males they would probably be involved in something illegal or would break the law. Also, the father felt that his son would be left holding the bag because he was African American and the others were Caucasian. From his comment the father has provided verbal and behavior indignities based on what he perceives our culture to believe about young men. The thing that was more alarming to me when I heard the story was that many others felt the same way as he did (Laureate Education, 2010). In the article “Test Yourself for Hidden Bias” ( n.d. ), our willingness to examine our own possible biases is an important step in understanding the roots of stereotypes and prejudices in our society. I think we have to be more vigilant about changing how we perceive others in our society based on what has happened in the past. Reference: Laureate Education, Inc. (2010). Microaggressions in everyday life [video]. Perspectives on Diversity and Equity. Baltimore, MD: Walden University. Teaching Tolerance. (n.d.). Test yourself for hidden bias. Retrieved May 25, 2011, from http://www.tolerance.org/activity/test-yourself-hidden-bias.

PERSPECTIVES ON DIVERSITY AND CULTURE

It is always fascinating to learn how people perceive the world around them. The assignment this week included finding out how three people in my network of family, friends, or colleagues feel about diversity and culture in our society. The three people I chose are my husband (age 44), an African American male, a family friend (age 25), a Caucasian female educator, and an acquaintance (age 48), a female teacher’s assistant from Ecuador. Kenneth, my husband, gave the following definition of culture…”culture is your beliefs, your religion, your upbringing and all that your parents has taught you combined with the way that you present yourself in your community. Diversity is the differences between groups of people who live together. Some groups are treated better than other groups…they have power because they join together in certain situations. These groups receive certain privileges that other groups do not because they are thought less of in society “(personal communication, 2012). Amy, my friend, said,”your culture is your way of life. It defines who you are and what you believe in. It is how you relate to others in society. Diversity is making sure that you are aware of the differences between people so that everyone feels valued when living together” (personal communication, 2012). Sylvia, an acquaintance from Ecuador, said, “culture is your family and traditions. It’s the stuff that families do with each other. It is your heritage. America is much different than Ecuador…we do lots of family things together. Your weather is different…we only have two seasons in Ecuador. We have summer and winter. We have much delicious fruit and no humidity. Diversity is difference. Some of the children in this class have a hard time understanding me…I’m trying to learn the language. They do give me lots of hugs…they are so sweet. In Ecuador there is more school work…children work very hard to learn about English too” (personal communication, 2012) Each of the three interviews reinforced what I have learned about culture. Kenneth, Amy, and Sylvia all share the belief that culture portrays a valuable part of a person’s life. It encompasses what you believe in and what you have been taught through your family, your experiences, and your environment. Kenneth and Sylvia both agree that diversity mainly consists of the difference that is reflected in each individual. While I agree with both of them, my perspective is more closely related to Amy’s view that diversity is making sure that you are aware of those differences in order to successfully guide your own thoughts and views. Sylvia looks at diversity on a much larger scale. Many things that guide her perspective on diversity are things that I have never really thought that much about…the difference in the weather and the difference in an everyday occurrence like the amount of homework that children complete. This activity helps to reinforce my belief that culture and diversity are a vital part of every society and it defines who we are as a people.

MY FAMILY CULTURE

If my family and I were told that we had to leave our country and move to a different country that had a totally different culture, this would most certainly be very hard. If we could only take three items that would be even more difficult since there are so many things in our home that represent our culture. However, I'm sure that we would agree that the following things would defintely have to go along with us...our Bible, a small family album, and a USA pendant. The Bible represents our strong faith in Jesus Christ and the Christainity that we practice each day. It is a daily guide that tells us how we should live our lives in order to be healthy and prosperous. The family album is a remainder of the family that has taught us values and what we strive to instill in our own children and grandchildren. It is a collection of memories from two families united as one. The USA pendant that was given to me by one of my students many years ago. It represents the country that we had a chance to live in that provides us with rights and privileges that others may not have because of the country that they live in. It also represents the love that a child feels for someone who has inspired them in life. If we were sent to a different country where the culture was different and once we got there we were told that we could only keep one of the three above items we would be heartbroken to say the least. The one item that we would keep would be our Bible. We have always been taught through our faith that you must be steadfast and hold on to your believe in Christ even when the way seems dark and all others around you fail. The Bible would enable us to continue reading and studying God's word which is the one thing that shall truly never fail. Our family memories we would have to hold in our hearts along with our love for the USA. This assignment really made me think about what is truly important in my life. There were so many things I would want to take with me that remind me of all that I have experienced and been taught. It also made me thing about people who have had to come to America against their will or because their homes have been destroyed.

When I Think of Research...

Research has provided the field of early childhood with valuable theories and ideas about how to work with children and their families. When I think of research I think about the emergence of new information that can be used to help someone's child or children. It could be medical, educational, or social. The fact is that research enables us to make our lives and world better.

From this course I have learned about the different methods of completing research. I never knew that there were so many methods or types of designs out there. I have gained an understanding that research is definitely worthwhile, but we must keep in the front of our minds the steps involved with conducting research in the right way and above all else the ethical side of doing research.

The biggest challenge for me is actually realizing that I can be a participant in different styles of research. The projects and studies that I have participated in while working in school districts is all a part of research studies. The observations, interviews, checklists, and records that I have had to participate in were all part of a study that was used to benefit the education of a child.

The Building Research Competencies Course has enabled us to become active participates in research on our own. It is up to us to go out and put into action the knowledge that we have gained from our reading material, our professor, and each other. Good Luck to all of you as we uncover new possibilities for our children and families.

Research Around the World

I chose to learn more about the Early Childhood Australia website located at www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org. It is very similar to the National Association of Education for Young Children of the United States because it seeks to provide provision for the high-quality services for all young children from birth to eight years of age, along with their families. It supports parents and the roles that they play in the lives of their children. Early Childhood Australia is focusing research on some of the same issues that are facing children in the states...issues of good health, respecting diversity in the education system, bullying, young children and aggression, engaging families, and types of assessment. These were just a few of the research topics that were described in their Research In Practice Series which is a collection of practical and easy to read resources that offer effective new approaches for anyone facing challenges that affect the early childhood field. One of the topics that really caught my attention was the use of portfolios as a way of assessing children in kindergarten. A portfolio is a collection of organized, purposeful information about the individual student that provides insights and an overview of their learning and development over time. What is so great about the portfolio is that the student, as well as teachers and parents, can place things in the portfolio and discuss why it was placed there. From this website I have learned that portfolios provide a valuable way to strengthen the communication between the children, their parents, and the school. Finding ways to create strong partnerships with all those involved in a child's live builds a child's capacity for learning and development.

Reference:

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/

RESEARCH THAT BENEFITS CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

As a first grade teacher, I was disheartened at the beginning of each year when I received records for students from kindergarten that included children who were extremely below level, but they were sent to first grade anyway. It was beyond me how the administration expected me to “work a miracle” and get these children ready for 2nd grade when they had not even mastered kindergarten material. That is why the article “Holding Back: Retention Won’t Cure What Ails Students…” caught my attention.

Since the 1970s studies have demonstrated that retention does not have positive effects for most low-achieving students. Recent students have indicated that grade retention does not improve students’ chances for educational success down the road. In fact, research shows that retention is often harmful to academic development. Sometimes retention is suggested for nonacademic reasons…the student may not be mature enough or lacks social skills. Also children who are retained may not do better academically later in life. A study of 1, 539 Chicago school children who graduated from public kindergartens in 1986 indicate that children who are retained do not improve their academic performance as compared to other students their age or the other students in their grade. It was found that over time the students fall further and further behind. Grade retention also has the unintended consequence of contributing to the dropout rate.
Present research shows that retaining students greatly increased the likelihood of their dropping out of school. When comparing students with similar academic profiles in the early grades, it was found that 30 percent of those in the sample who were retained had dropped out of school by age 17. Only 21 percent of students who were not retained had dropped out by the same age. However, promoting low achieving students is not the answer either. School districts and administrators have to come up with creative ways of providing a long lasting quality education for its students. An example of a successful alternative strategy is the Chicago public schools’ Child Parent Center and Expansion Program. This program is over 30 years old and is a comprehensive intervention program for students in preschool to third grade. It emphasizes basic skills, parent involvement, and small class sizes. The good thing is that students who participate in this program are less likely to be candidates for retention.

In the experiences that I have witnessed, most of the parents have never truly agreed with retention and viewed it as a negative alternative. A few have just gone along with it because of not knowing what else to do. This article provides a positive outcome to an otherwise sad situation. No parent wants to hear that their child is behind and is not making adequate progress. However, if they have positive alternatives like summer tutoring or enrichment programs instead of retention for the next year, they may be more apt to listen to what the school has to say.

Reference:

Reynolds, A., Temple, J. & McCoy A. (October, 1997). Holding back: Retention won’t cure what ails students : North sports final edition. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved from http://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/docview/418337227?accountid=14872.

MY RESEARCH JOURNEY

Our course text(Mac Naughton, Rolfe, & Siraj-Blatchford, 2010) states that when you are choosing a research project you first need to choose a topic that interests you personally. Immediately I knew that I wanted to learn more about educating children with special needs/learning difficulties while incorporating music/poetry and parental connections. My last three years of teaching have left me perplexed about how our high functioning autistic children are being educated in the public school system. I also want to learn more about the different types of learning disabilities as well because I always had students who did not qualify for any type of special education services but could not function day to day in a regular education classroom. Americans have always put their faith in the power of education to enrich the lives of children and make our nation stronger. One of the biggest challenges facing education today is providing the best, most effective education possible for children and youth with special needs or learning problems. For many years pull-out programs have been the approach to serving these children. In many instances these programs have failed to meet their educational, and social needs (Will, 1986). This week I have found many articles and websites that support the idea of inclusion teaching methods. What I have found out through my own personal experience is that inclusion works only if all parties involved...teachers, administrators, parents, and students know what is expected daily and what the ending goals are.

References:

Mac Naughton, G., Rolfe, S.A., & Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2010). Doing early childhood research: International perspectives on theory and practice (2nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Will, M.C., (February, 1986). Educating children with learning problems:a shared responsibility. Exceptional Children. Retrieved from http://eden.rutgers.edu/-nork/SNS/Educating%20Children%20with%20learning%20problems.pdf.