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        Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

     Since learning about microaggressions, my awareness of it seemed to have been heightened. I am realizing that microagressions occur everyday and many times go unnoticed. This evening  I attended one of my friend's baby shower. She is of African descent and is very dark in complexion. Her husband is of mixed races and is very fair in complexion and has soft wavy hair. One of the games that we played is ' Guess what your baby looks like' . One of the attendees drew her representation of the baby with a black crayon, which indicated that she believed that the baby will be dark skinned like its mother. My friend's husband's mother and sister were upset by this. They said that the baby should look like its father because dark babies are not as attractive as fair ones. Well the game broke into an argument between those who disagreed and those who agreed with the statement.  Though it was done in friendly chatter I observed and wondered how the mother of the unborn child felt about the comments. I wondered if she was suffering from the Catch 22 dilemma. I asked the group if they did not think it was disrespectful to put down people of dark complexion while elevating persons of  a fairer complexion. I asked them to think about the psychological damage that could occur over a period of time to someone being told that he/she is not good enough because of the colour of their skin. They said that they were only referring to babies and that I was getting too philosophical and therefore spoiling the mood of the party.
     I continued to observe the mother to be after the discussion ended to see if there were any observable traits of pain but, I found non. I guess she has learnt how to cover the hurt felt from those microagressions  over time.  My observation experiences this week on microaggressions has caused me to realize that people can be insensitive. We hold prejudices and discriminate, sometimes totally unaware of how much pain we cause others.

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Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

Common in all of the definitions  of culture that I have heard in the responses  is that culture refers to our way of life, our values our traditions and practices and food. These definitions of culture all signal that the persons that I spoke with have some idea about what culture involves. However, I realize that the complexity of culture is not fully understood. I would have probably defined culture similarly a few weeks earlier. As I listened to the definitions of diversity I realized that they had some insight into what diversity is about. Many of the responses included: differences in race, differences in culture, gender, wealth, attitudes and excreta.
 During this course I have learnt that culture involves everything that we do, from the way we stand to the way we walk or talk, etc. The definitions that were shared limited the concept of culture. Culture is wider and entails the finer details of our lives that we may not even pay attention to. What was ommited from definitions shared is the concept of deep culture. Deep culture goes beyond surface culture to highlight the intricate details about culture. I have learnt that one would never truly understand culture by focusing only on surface culture. One needs to go deeper. Deep culture provides a true and clearer understanding of culture. After listening to the definitions shared I have concluded that knowledge on vastness of culture is limited. More work needs to be done at all levels to have persons understand the complexity of culture because it affects all aspects of our lives.


  

 My Family Culture

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.

:A description of the three items I would choose 

 I would take take my family's photo album - This is a album of photos of relatives dating back to my fourth and fifth generations.

Grandma's Quilt. A beautifully woven  quilt that was made by my great grand mother.

My Bible- A holy book that Christians read for spiritual development and connection to God.

How would I explain to others what each of these items means to me

I value the photo album of my family because it holds the images of my dearest relatives, some whom I have never met, but have heard their stories about how they contributed to the growth and development of my family. I would also take the album because it may carry the only physical images of those relatives that have lost their lives in the catastrophic event. 

Grandma's Quilt- This quilt has sentimental value. It was a gift from my great grandmother to my mother, her eldest grand daughter, when she had me. She has given it to me and I hope to pass it to my daughter or grand daughter some day. It has the names of four generations of the Lewis women woven into it. 

I would take my bible because I am a Christian. Christianity has been the religion that my family has practised for generations. Each generation was taught to love and respect God by the elders. When I grew to the age where I could choose, I chose to continue serving God because I had built a personal relationship with God   I believe in such a situation I would need to keep closest to God to maintain my sanity. As I read the holy scriptures, I will be inspired to live on despite the catastrophe.  

My feelings if, upon arrival, I was told that I could only keep one personal item and have to give up the other two items I brought with me.

After losing everything then being asked to get rid of two of the three precious items I have kept will be devastating. However, I will choose to keep my bible. When everything is lost I have learnt to depend on God who is my source of strength. My faith teaches that God is the restorer of all things so I believe that once I have faith in God, then I have or will have all that I need to continue along. 

Insights I gained about myself, my family culture, diversity, and/or cultural differ that in general, as a result of this exercise.

I realize that my family and faith are very important to me. As I reflected on the value system, struggles  and successes that helped to create my family culture I am proud to be a member of this family.  Our family culture is wonderful. My appreciation for my family culture has grown through this activity. 

Hi Colleagues,
Thanks once again for all the contributions you made throughout this course. They were a source of support for me. I wish you all the best in your upcoming course and look forward to your continued collegial support.

This course was very insightful. The concepts of research with young children that I have learned have been concreted in my mind. Concepts such as triangulation, identifying scholarly from non- scholarly research ,  constructing research questions from which a hypothesis could be drawn and excreta.

My ideas about the nature of doing research have changed. Before, I thought that the quantitative design method was the only approach used when conducting research. I have learned that various approaches can be used and that the more methods used the more valid the information is likely to be. My approach to doing research has changed in that I am now able to utilize a mixed method approach to research. I have found this approach workable.I also realize that it is important to adhere to key ethical issues when conducting research with children. Overall because of the knowledge gained through this course. I am more positive about this whole notion of research. I am more opened and willing to put into practice all that I have learned.

I have learned about the various approaches that can be applied to research in early childhood.  Structuring the research question to avoid ambiguity is important. I have also realized that research questions play a key role in determining what design approach is suitable for the study and that the research can only be well designed if what is to be researched is clearly understood by the researcher.

There are a few things that I found quite challenging during the course, but I was able to overcome them. Initially I found the task of identifying and writing research questions and the hypothesis difficult, but as I followed the guidelines given by Dr Todd I was able to refine my question and make it more suitable. Distinguishing between scholarly and non- scholarly articles on the internet was another challenge. I met this challenge by following the guidelines set out  and completing the activities. Through this process I was able to gain a clearer understanding of these concepts.

Before this course I never saw the ECH professional, especially the classroom practitioner as one who  engages in regular research activities with her students and their families. What I have realized is that the ECH practitioner constantly utilizes opportunities to research, so that they can keep updated on the new trends in early childhood. I have also realized that the effective ECH practitioner is one who conducts research regularly with her children in order to cater adequately for their needs. I now see the the ECH professional as a someone who embraces and engages in research practices to improve the life of young children and their families. 

Research Around the World

The link that I selected is http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php

• What are some of the current international research topics?
• Some of the topics that are current on this link are:
• Coordination and Supervision of Early Childhood Education in Ghana- This study identified the factors which militate against the successful implementation of early childhood education in Ghana. Information and insights werre provided into the coordination and implementation of ECD programs and activities, and the study attempted to identify the basis for improving such programs in Ghana. The findings will provide inputs for initial in-service training for ECD organizers and educators, and will throw light on the structures that need to be put into place for effective program management.
• Improving the Quality of Childcare Through Parenting Enrichment and Training- This research focused on how Eritrea has embarked on a journey to use alternative strategies, both formal and non-formal, to promote the holistic development of children from birth through six years. One such strategy is the Eritrea Parenting Enrichment intervention.Families and communities, as well as broader social and cultural contexts, make up a complex background for the process of parenting and parenting support. Effective Early Childhood Development (ECD) takes all these factors into consideration. 

• What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website?
• I was surprized to learn that many countries in sub-Saharan Africa have continued to be poorly represented due to successive wars and droughts, the overall opportunities created for early years’ interventions have remained of low quality and limited to only a small percentage of children.
• During the period 1998-1999, only 5% of children aged 5-6 were enrolled in kindergarten centres, most of them in urban areas (Ministry of Education, 1999). Regarding the health sector, apart from the existence of immunization services, health interventions reaching young children have been very inadequate. High levels of poverty and illiteracy, especially among women, make the situation worse. As an early childhood professional these issues highlighted sadden me but makes me aware of the struggles that chilldren face in other parts of the world.
          

• What other noteworthy information did you find on this website?
• I was pleased to learn that the EIECDP aims to achieve a 20 percent decrease in fatality cases in children from the five major causes – malaria, ARI, diarrhoea, measles and malnutrition, a 20 percent decrease in malnutrition – as measured by prevalence of underweight in children below 6 years of age, a 20 percent decrease in repetition and dropout rates between grades 1 and 2, and the reunification of 32,000 orphans with their nearest relatives by the year 2005. In addition, the project will reach 31,000 children from 5 to 6.

                                                  The Positive Effects of Research on Children



Research can make a positive change in the lives of children and their families. I am intrigued by the current and recent research being done on the brain of young children. The implications of this research are far reaching. It can be used to educate parents and caregivers about the critical window of opportunity in a child's life that can ensure a child's healthy development. For example, Research proves that a child's early development is determined by his daily environment and experiences, rather than genetics alone. The experiences young children receive in the first three years of life are crucial to brain development. As your child receives loving care and stimulation, neural connections are formed between his brain cells. These connections form the wiring system of the brain. Your child's early experiences largely determine the strength and function of her brain's wiring system. Warm responsive parents, who cuddle and talk to their children and provide challenging learning experiences, promote healthy brain development for their children.
New technology allows the thorough study of the brain, like we've never seen before. These studies prove that a child's early development is determined by his daily environment and experiences, rather than genetics alone. Researchers now believe it is the plasticity of the brain, its ability to develop and change in response to the demands of the environment, that enables a child to learn to use computers, solve mathematical problems and learn foreign languages. In order to fully understand this information, we must first understand how a child's brain works and develops.
Researchers now believe it is the plasticity of the brain, its ability to develop and change in response to the demands of the environment, that enables a child to learn to use computers, solve mathematical problems and learn foreign languages. In order to fully understand this information, understand how a child's brain works and develops.
These new developments in brain research show us what children need. Early childhood professionals are able to learn about young children and how best to cater for their needs. Parents also benefit from this information.

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