Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

Attending a social event, I was the only black female in the entire ballroom. When I came in, I was stared at and I often heard whispers and chants. I felt out of place. When a cocktail waitress came around with she look at me up and down and walk away. I immediately wanted to knock her in her head but I keep my composure. I was with a close friend, so I continue to mingle with her and some associates.
Experiencing this I felt a little embarrassed, sad, and out of place. I really did not understand why people would look at me because of the color of my skin. Being in that environment I understand the definition of isms. Racism has always been a study I want to learn more about. . Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. The term is commonly used negatively and is usually associated with race-based prejudice, violence, dislike, discrimination, or oppression, the term can also have varying and contested definitions

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Beyond Surface Labels

During this week assignment I ask professionals the definition of "culture" and "diversity" I received many definition in which I gained a lot about those professionals. One professor describes them both as person as individual in their environment. He discuss the about race, sexuality, and beliefs. I can so much information from these professionals.
Many of these professionals have look at culture and diversity in different aspects. Which was wonderful for me to discover a definition of culture and diversity. To me these terms serve a great purpose int his world. When we think about these terms we thing about what we we are seeing, hearing, or understanding. Culture and diversity is what we know , what we want to know, and what we want to discovered.
Asking a child what they want to be when they grow up is apart of their culture. Many children look up to community helpers. This is an important part of their self awareness development. Being apart of an African heritage I have learn so much about my culture. I am became enrich with many beliefs and values my heritage share. I am grateful for this course. This course has open many doors for me to discover new things about myself.

Friday, November 11, 2011

My Family Culture


We are heading to another country and the tour guide say I am only allowed to bring three items that represent my family culture. So I guess I will our gigantic family album, my mother high school ring, and my father's home going service video tape. These items show my family traditions and important values. My family show many memories of family traditions. It holds various pictures and souvenirs of many family vacations. Every year my family takes a annual vacation trip and think about the good ole' days. These vacations allowed respecting the aspects of being in a great family.  My mother gave me her high school ring so I can always remember her after she is gone. She told me every time I look at this ring I would remember her values in life. She taught me how to be understanding and independent. When my father died ten years ago; it was devastating. My family was bonded together to get this lost. We never expected something like that to happen to us. This video tape shows his last appearance. As family we would watch the video and remember the times we shared. These items are very personal to me. I would die if I only could choose one item. I keep all these items close to my heart. These are the things that represent my family culture.

In this assignment I got a better outlook on what is very important to my family culture. These are some items that I would pass down to my children as well as their children. Family culture is a family as a whole. The saying goes, “A family that prays together, stays together”.

Saturday, October 29, 2011

When I Think of Research.......

During this course I have gained so much about research. Research is the investigation of a particular topic using a variety of reliable, scholarly resources. The three major goals of research are establishing facts, analyzing information, and reaching new conclusions. The three main acts of doing research are searching for, reviewing, and evaluating information. During this course I have an open mind for many research types and designs. One in particular is the Explanatory research. Explanatory research focuses on why questions. Answering the `why' questions involves developing causal explanations.I have gained enough information in this course to use in future studies. I appreciated everything this course offer. This course gave me an insight on educational research. Educational research refers to a variety of methods in which individuals evaluate different aspects of education including but not limited to: “student learning,teaching methods, teacher training, and classroom dynamics”.

Characteristics of Research
  • Educational research attempts to solve a problem.
  • Research involves gathering new data from primary or first-hand sources or using existing data for a new purpose.
  • Research is based upon observable experience or empirical evidence.
  • Research demands accurate observation and description.
  • Research generally employs carefully designed procedures and rigorous analysis.
  • Research emphasizes the development of generalizations, principles or theories that will help in understanding, prediction and/or control.
  • Research requires expertise—familiarity with the field; competence in methodology; technical skill in collecting and analyzing the data.
  • Research attempts to find an objective, unbiased solution to the problem and takes great pains to validate the procedures employed.
  • Research is a deliberate and unhurried activity which is directional but often refines the problem or questions as the research progresses.
  • Research is carefully recorded and reported to other persons interested in the problems

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Research Around the World

Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA): Developed and maintained by the University of Victoria, Canada, this virtual university is the international gateway for early childhood research worldwide. Through the link below, you can access ECDVU’s Sub-Saharan Africa portal. The second link takes you to a list of current early childhood research conducted by students in Sub-Saharan Africa.
http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/index.php
http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php

Research Topics
  • Improving Quality of Childcare through Parenting Enrichment
  • Invovling Fathers in Early Childhood Care and Development
  • Curiculum Development using Community resources
This website is very resourceful. It explains all the research topic this internationl organztion is instrested in. I enjoy exploring this website. I gain insightful thoughts and conclusions about these topics. Especially the research conclusions about involving fathers. Many fathers are not apart of their children lives. When a child does not see a father figure , they really do not have a role model to look up too. I was fortunte to have my father in my life at a young age. I appreciated everything he had done for me in the past.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Encourage Literacy Developement

Encouraging students can be task, but many children appreciates the push. My research for encouragement can bring forth alot of effoer and success. There are many positive contriubutions in the research. The role of the teacher is to encourage all attempts at reading, writing, and speaking, allowing students of varying ability to experience the different function and use of literacy activities. Teacher interactions with students with disabilities build on students' knowledge as they develop literacy skills. Teachers use a variety of methods of communicating with students by asking questions, labeling objects and experiences with new vocabulary, and offering practice to help students remember and generalize new concepts and skills. Teaching staff plan activities so that students "have opportunities to integrate and extend their literacy knowledge by reading aloud, listening to other students read aloud, and listening to tape recordings and videotapes in reading corners". Also, staff teaches students how to use the materials in their environment to promote interest and use of literacy materials throughout the classroom. Another strategy involves staff members intentionally making mistakes to demonstrate editing and revising ,modeling for children the importance of making mistakes while demonstrating the writing process.

Some students begin elementary school struggling with literacy experiences. Creating a literacy-rich environment in school enriches literacy experiences of students who may have limited exposure to literacy due to delays or disorders in their development. Making literacy a part of the environment and ensuring that all children have access to the general education curriculum (e.g., Braille for children with visual impairments, assistive technology for children with physical, communication, or cognitive delays) occurs in many ways. Teachers assess the abilities and challenges of students, then problem solve to determine what opportunities will best meet the needs of these students. Specific recommendations for alterations in the environment are best made on an individual basis and with consultation of special educators and related service providers.

As teachers design their learning environment, it is essential that they consider the diverse needs and skills of the students they teach. As they integrate the skills and background of their diverse students, teachers should ensure that each student is represented in their classroom design and instruction. They can individualize the environment to meet the needs of students with disabilities and ensure appropriate opportunities to participate in literacy activities are consistently available. "Children with diverse literacy experiences have difficulty making connections between old and new information".Structuring the classroom in a planned manner that immerses students with disabilities in accessible literacy activities provides them with opportunities to create connections between oral and written language, thereby gaining access to the general education curriculum.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Personal Research Journey

During week two, I was able follow the research process. I gain a better understanding how the research process really works. The process was vaild and reliable. With all the online databases and resources I understand how credible any research page needs to be. During this process I can gain a meaningful and effective ways to research. Research can enrich a child's mind.  In the field of Early Childhood we must stay enrich will the new world of education.

Additional Resources:
National Institute for Early Education Research
http://nieer.org/
(Newsletter:
http://nieer.org/resources/newsletter/index.php )

The National Association for the Education of Young Children
http://www.naeyc.org/ 
(Review also the position statements:
http://www.naeyc.org/positionstatements )