Time Well Spent: Completing one Journey to Start Another

            Throughout my Masters in Early Childhood Studies I have learned a lot about myself and others.  I have relearned the value of self-reflecting and how it benefits both you and your mission.  I have learned and redefined my passion in the early childhood field.  I found that I am very passionate about the inclusion of all children, especially the young children that demonstrate challenging behaviors.  I am a firm believer that all young children should have high quality, safe and equitable education and care no matter what their ethnicity, race, gender, ability level, or family type.  During this program I learned about research and how important it is for the early childhood field.  I also take with me the knowledge about diversity and now understand that it is a long hard journey that begins with me taking a little step and is a lifelong process.   

            In our Foundations class we had to list three professional goals that we want to accomplish.  As I review my three goals I see that I am well on my journey of making a safe high quality, equitable learning environment for all young children.  I still have a lot of room to grow and I am a true believer in lifelong learning.  We also had to write a mission statement for the early childhood field and I would like to share mine.  The following is the mission statement that I wrote in our Foundations class:

The mission for the early childhood field is to create a high quality accessible learning environment that is individualized and promotes children’s cognitive, language, social, emotional, and physical development.  Provide families with support, education, and opportunities to be involved in their child’s development.  Provide programs that support interventions, preventions, and treatment for all young children.  Prepare professionals to extend their knowledge of the development of children and identify appropriate and effective skills needed when working with young children.  Provide educational opportunities on psychological flexibility to professionals and families.

If everyone in the early childhood field built and followed this mission I think that we would see high quality accessible education and care for all young children.

 

Saying good bye is a hard thing to do.  I want to thank all my colleagues that have supported, commented, and shared their ideas with me.  Without your support this program would not be meaningful.  You are what made this program successful for me.  I hope that we stay connected with each other.  Thank you for helping me grow and improve my abilities to make social change in the early childhood field.

 

 

If you need me for any reason my email address is lucibarnes@hotmail.com I hope that we can continue to support each other on our journey.

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

Organizations of Interest

Save the Children organization caught my eye because their values alien with what we have been learning about.  I also like that they are committed to helping children and families help themselves.  Their website is http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.BF0B/Home.htm

 Association for Childhood Education International’s mission is that every child in every nation will have access to a quality education.  They also offer their members access to network groups, student clubs, and special interest forums.  Their website is http://www.acei.org

 The Council for Professional Recognition - Child Development Association (CDA) offers opportunities to explore other organizations.  Their website is http://www.cdacouncil.org/resource-center/early-childhood-organizations

 National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NAECTE) is dedicating to improving the education of early childhood teachers.  They offer professional growth and advocacy opportunities. Their website is http://www.naecte.org

Job Opportunities

1. U.S. Headquarters Positions

Headquartered in Westport, Connecticut with a major office in Washington D.C., our staff is a diverse group of people working in a variety of specialties including:

·      Program and policy work in the areas of U.S. programs, Child Protection and HIV/AIDs, Education and Child Development, Health and Nutrition, Hunger and Livelihoods and Humanitarian Response.

·      Marketing & Communications

·      Resource Development

·      Finance

·      Human Resources

·      Information Services

2. U.S. Field-Based Positions

Save the Children runs and coordinates programs for children and families in 29 states across the country. Our field-based positions work with local and national partners to implement programs in Early Childhood and Education, Literacy, Nutrition and Exercise.

3. International Field-Based Positions
Our U.S. headquarters also recruits a limited number of qualified individuals to support field-based programs in a variety of International locations. In addition Save the Children International and 30 national Save the Children organizations around the world also recruit for positions overseas.

ACEI has two internships available for the summer of 2013. Interns are given the opportunity to gain work experience consisting primarily of online research and data gathering that will contribute to the development of briefing papers and other types of resources. In addition to their day-to-day assignments, interns will have the opportunity to attend various meetings related to childhood education.  Interns should be enrolled in a graduate degree program that focuses on global education issues with a particular interest in children's education. A focus on one specific aspect of childhood education, such as basic education or early childhood development, is also acceptable. Interns, who have had some international experience working or living outside the U.S., are preferred. 

I could not find my international dream job in my search; however, I would like the opportunity to travel and help internationally with early childhood.  My best guess would be that I would need similar skills as I would here.  It would also be beneficial if I spoke other languages.

A job opportunity that interests me is opening up and running an early childhood program that is all inclusive, equitable, and high quality.

·         A Master’s degree or higher in early childhood and experience

·         Knowledge of early childhood development, diversity, and be culturally enriched

·         Knowledge of rules and regulations of early childhood program

·         Strong communication and collaborative skills

 

Another job that is of interest is Education Coordinator for an early childhood program.

·         A Master’s degree or higher in early childhood and experience

·         Knowledge of early childhood development, diversity, and be culturally enriched

·         Knowledge of rules and regulations of early childhood program

·         Strong communication and collaborative skills

·         Four years of experience

 

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

Organizations of Interest

The following is the website for the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).  I am a member of this organization and I feel that it has helped to keep me informed of new information concerning early childhood.  NAEYC has also provided me with needed resources and gives opportunities to build networks among colleagues.  It also offers learning and research opportunities.

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) at http://www.naeyc.org/

 The Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) is an organization that is working towards quality education for all children around the world.  This organization offers global news, resources, and professional development.

Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) at http://www.acei.org

 Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) offers training modules for social and emotional skills in the early childhood field.  This site appeals to me because the social and emotional skill is one of the main areas of disabilities that I work with.

Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) at http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu

Center to Mobilize Early Childhood Knowledge (CONNECT) offers professional development modules for trainers and resources for learners.

Center to Mobilize Early Childhood Knowledge (CONNECT) at http://community.fpg.unc.edu

Division for Early Childhood (DEC) is an international organization that specializes in early childhood with a focus on children that have special needs.  Within this organization you have research opportunities, professional development, leaders, students, and policies.  There is also a discussion forum to participate in.

Division for Early Childhood (DEC) at http://www.dec-sped.org

Job Opportunities

A job opportunity that interests me is opening up and running an early childhood program that is all inclusive, equitable, and high quality.

·         A Master’s degree or higher in early childhood and experience

·         Knowledge of early childhood development, diversity, and be culturally enriched

·         Knowledge of rules and regulations of early childhood program

·         Strong communication and collaborative skills

Another job that is of interest is Education Coordinator for an early childhood program.

·         A Master’s degree or higher in early childhood and experience

·         Knowledge of early childhood development, diversity, and be culturally enriched

·         Knowledge of rules and regulations of early childhood program

·         Strong communication and collaborative skills

·         Four years of experience

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

Organizations of Interest

The following is the national, state and local websites for the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).  I am a member of this organization and I feel that it has helped to keep me informed of new information concerning early childhood.  NAEYC has also provided me with needed resources and gives opportunities to build networks among colleagues.  It also offers learning and research opportunities.

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) at http://www.naeyc.org/

NCaeyc at http://www.ncaeyc.org/

CFaeyc at http://www.ncaeyc.org/affiliates/CFaeyc/capefear.html

 

The North Carolina Early Childhood Association carries a strong voice for high quality programming for young children.  It advocates in the development of regulations and statewide policies that affect young children, families, teachers, and childcare programs.  This organization offers opportunities to advocate, new resources, training opportunities, and information on the NC Child Care Commission and the important decisions that they make that impacts the children that we serve.

NC Early Childhood Association at http://www.ncearlychildhoodassoc.com/

 

Technical Assistance Partnership for Child and Family Mental Health Early Childhood Community of Practice Provides an opportunity for discussion, collaboration, and the exchange of ideas and resources

Community of Practice at http://www.tapartnership.org/COP/earlyChildhood/default.php

 

Job Opportunities

A job opportunity that interests me is opening up and running an early childhood program that is all inclusive, equitable, and high quality.

·         A Master’s degree or higher in early childhood and experience

·         Knowledge of early childhood development, diversity, and be culturally enriched

·         Knowledge of rules and regulations of early childhood program

·         Strong communication and collaborative skills

Week 8---Reflecting and Moving Forward

            The one hope that I have is that all people will respect that “we are all the same; we are all different” (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2012, p. 67).  With looking beyond this country I can see that there is a lot of children that need support in order to live, thrive, survive and become the best that they can be.  My hope is that all early childhood professionals will remember what Julia Olsen Edwards said that we take two steps forward and one step backwards (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011).  This is a big challenge for me as I tend to give up if I do not see progress.  If I keep in mind that the one step headway that I gained is just a small start; however, if we are all making that one step headway then we have made progress towards a better future a better tomorrow.  All children deserve a better tomorrow.  So the ultimate hope for the future of our children is that we do not give up on the tiny progress that we have made.  Dr. Olsen Edwards said that it is a long hard journey (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011) and during this journey we will have to be brave and help each other.

            With this being said I would like to thank each and every one of my colleagues.  You have helped be begin this long hard journey.  I am here for you as you travel on this challenging journey.  I hope that we can celebrate each step forward and help each other when challenging issues arise.  Thank you again for your support throughout this educational experience and the beginning of the anti-bias journey.  Looking forward to hearing about your accomplishments and I am here if I can help you through the issues that arise in your journey.

 

Thank you,

Luci

 

References

Derman-Sparks, L. & Edwards, J. (2012). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). EDUC 6358-1 Strategies for Working with the Diverse Child [Webcast]. Your commitment to anti-bias work. Baltimore, MD: Author. 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_2819834_1%26url%3D

Week 7: Impacts on Early Emotional Development

            There are many things that affect emotional development.  The way that we are raised, how people relate to us, what is happening in the world around us, etc.  The list could go on and on.  During my visit to the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) website (http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/index.html) I chose to explore Latin America and Caribbean region.  I am not really sure why I chose to explore this region over the others, I just did.

            Some of the challenges that this region faces are similar to some that are faced in the United States.  Poverty is a big challenge.  The UNICEF website states that 60% of children under the age of 12 live in poverty.  That is a lot of children that have to wonder about where their next meal might come from or when it might arrive.  According to UNICEF website children face social exclusions.  Children may be socially excluded because of the HIV/AIDS; the Caribbean is the second highest prevalence of AIDS in the world, and disabilities.  This “dramatically affects the indigenous and Afro-descendent communities” (http://www.unicef.org/lac/english_9818.htm).  UNICEF website states that this is one of the most culturally diverse regions in the world.  There are 40-50 million indigenous and 150 million Afro-descendants living here and close to half of these are children under the age of 18.  These children have poor nutrition and non-existent access to basic services.

            This all leads to another threat that children face in this region, chronic malnutrition.  This website compares chronic malnutrition with severe malnutrition in the following way: severe malnutrition is equivalent to a death sentence and chronic malnutrition is equivalent to life imprisonment.  They go on to state that 1 out of every 5 children has chronic malnutrition.  This to me is very scary that so many children have a life sentence put on them at such an early age. 

            Violence and natural disasters are other challenges that this region faces.  UNICEF states that 85,000 children die annually as a result of violence in the home.  They go on to say that violence affects over 6 million children and adolescents.  The natural disasters are hurricanes and flooding occurs yearly.

            All of the challenges that I listed above could affect children’s emotional wellbeing.  These challenges affect how children view themselves as well as how others view them.  These challenges may have children thinking that they are not worthy of things.  Poverty and malnutrition leave children focusing on when and/or what they are going to eat.  Being excluded and violence often leaves you wondering if you are worthy.  All of these affect are emotional wellbeing.

            Personally I have lived in poverty and understand what it is like to go to bed hungry.  I was excluded by my peers because I was poor and just did not fit in with them.  This is totally different from what the children in this region is faced with.  So many children are suffering in this region.  I can only phantom what they are going through.  Professionally this exploration helps me to understand about the different cultures and beliefs that need to be considered when planning our curriculum and daily classroom activities.  A common example would be a sensory table full of rice or noodle necklaces.

The Sexualization of Early Childhood

While reading the book excerpt, So Sex, So Soon I was picturing what my eldest daughter asked me when she was just a kindergartener, or better yet what she informed me of.  Her question was “Is this finger (holding up her middle finger) dirty?”  My response was to carefully look at her finger and I said “It doesn’t look dirty to me. However, there are people that associate dirty thoughts when holding up that finger.”  A couple of days later she comes up to me and says “Mom, do you know what this means?” While she moves her lose fisted hand up and down.  She did inform me of what the little boy told her it meant.  This book excerpt also reminded me of a time that my young daughter was sing along with a song on the radio.  Something like “I want to sex you up” I do not remember if that was the title or just some lyrics in the song.  Anyway, I asked my daughter what it meant and she told me that it only meant kissing.  I told her that I only asked because she should not sing or say things that she does not know what they mean.

 The images that society puts on young girls are really tough to follow.  To be sexy and popular you have to fit a certain image (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009).  I have never fit that image and probably never well.  The fourth-grade girl that wrote that letter on page 3 of the book excerpt could have been me.  As a young child I always felt unloved and a failure.  I felt this way because I was not thin or pretty (at least no one ever said I was pretty).  The image that we are giving children about sex and being a sexual being is hurting them (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009).  It is no wonder that children cannot figure out who they are and have relationship issues.  How do we move past the images that society has been giving for many, many years?  I still feel that my looks hinder my abilities to be loved and I am very insecure in my relationships.  Knowing this about myself helps me to look past societies images when working with others; however, I can only see what I think others see when looking in the mirror.

Reference

Levin, D. & Kilbourne, J. (2009). [Introduction]. So sexy so soon: The new sexualized childhood and what parents can do to protect their kids (pp. 1-8). New York: Ballantine Books. Retrieved from: http://dianeelevin.com/sosexysosoon/introduction.pdf

Isms: Evaluating its Impacts on our Professional Practices

            Growing up in a lower economic class with a big family left me a victim to many isms.  People face isms all around us.  In my experience a lot of people have difficulty with change.  Without change we cannot break the cycle of isms, bias, or prejudice.  Isms can be taught to us in a covert or overt manner (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2012).  Often we do not even realize that we are being stereotyped when it happens naturally in your culture.  For example I was always called a tomboy and often dressed and acted the part.  I was always teased about it.  The one thing that really got me as a young teenager was when my cousins and uncle called me Cindy the cow because they used to have a cow named Cindy and my nickname was Cindy.  I refused to answer to Cindy anymore and often thought of myself as fat.  Talk about self-esteem issues.

            I think that if we as professionals were the victim of isms it would affect how we function in our life and in our classroom.  Being the victim of an ism would harm our self-esteem and self-worth.  This would make us unsure of our teaching and communications with families.  Without being able to build trusting and reliable relationships with the children in our care and their families we would not be able to partner up with them and provide a safe learning environment.  We might pass on the bias, stereotype, or prejudge on to the children without even realizing that it was happening.  This would be detrimental in our work to become anti-bias educators.  As professionals we need to work to overcome isms, biases, stereotypes, and prejudges so that we can help children to become anti-bias.

Reference

Derman-Sparks, L. & Edwards, J. (2012). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

WK 3: Observing Communication

            My observation of adult/young child communication took place in a preschool setting.  I observed the communication between a mother and young child during the arrival to school.  They were talking about an event that happened the night before and what the child was going to tell his teacher.  The mother demonstrated listening to the child by repeating and responding in a purposeful manner.  They demonstrated the purpose of the communication to be informational and extending thoughts of the child.  The mother was very respectful in her communication with her son.  The mother and son were walking so there was not much eye contact or observing body language or gestures.

            After reading Kovach and Da Ross-Voseles (2011) article Communicating with Babies, Stephenson (2009) article Conversations with a 2-year-old, and listening to Laureate Education, Inc.’s (2011) media segment Communicating with Young Children I came up with three guiding principles to communicate with young children.  Theses principle can be tied to this observation.  The first principle that I thought was important was active listening and observing body language and gestures.  This mother actively listened to her son; however, observing body language and gestures did not occur because they were walking down the hall.  The second principle that I came up with was to be mindful in your communication.  This mother was talking to her son not to someone else about her son.  She was being respectful in how she communicated and was deliberate in her style.  The third principle is to understand the purpose of your communication.  It was clear that the purpose was to extend her son’s critical thinking and to give information and feedback in a respectful manner.

            This communication would be beneficial to this child’s self-worth.  The mother was very encouraging as the child spoke and feedback was done so that the conversation could continue.  The child was motivated by his mother to continue with this conversation.  The only thing that I would change would be the amount of observing of gestures and body language though this did not affect this communication process.  I feel that I communicate effectively though I need to work on my observational skills so that I actively listen with my whole body and acquire the communication that children do through body language and gestures.

References

Kovach, B., & Da Ross-Voseles, D. (2011). Communicating with babies. YC; Young Children, 66(2), 48-50.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011a). EDUC 6357-6 Diversity, Development, and Learning [Webcast]. Communicating with Young Children. Baltimore, MD: Author. 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_2819834_1%26url%3D

Stephenson, A. (2009). Conversations with a 2-year-old. YC: Young Children, 64(2), 90-95.

Creating Affirming Environment

Setting up a Family Child Care Home

To set up my child care home I need to think about what I need that will reflect every family in my care (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2012).  I like the way that Ms. Castillo had a greeting room for parents to come in and spend time helping children transition into her home, therefore I will have a greeting room that has the daily schedule, plans for the day, sign in sheet for the parents and one for the children.  My greeting room will have a pillow area for those children that need a quiet comfortable area before they are ready to start their day.  I will also have favorite books as well as teacher made books that depict what the children have been doing throughout their day.  I will have books that are written in the languages of my families.  I will have a classroom photo album depicting all the families.  It has been my experience that children love exploring everyone’s family. 

            I will have a room that is set up for infants and toddlers exploration.  This room will have materials that are at the levels of each infant and toddler.  It will have soft and cardboard books, I will adapt the teacher made books and cardboard books so that children can manipulate each page.  The books that I choose will encourage critical thinking (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2012).  There will be soft furniture for relaxing and an area that is more sensory orientated that would include climbing, jumping, a crash pad, and a swing.  There will be multicultural manipulatives, props for dramatic play, and block play.  There will be mirror on the lower wall so that children can explore their selves, and pictures of their families.

            The preschool room will be similar to the infant/toddler room; however, it will have higher functioning manipulatives and tools for exploration.  The preschool room will have a sensory area, dramatic play area, block play area, and a discovery area.  There will be a book area in every room.  The walls will have a variety of pictures that depict the families that are in my care. 

            Ms. Castillo has a nap room in her center that I feel is needed (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011).  Children need a nice calm area that they can wind down and rest.  This room will be a nice calm area that will have soft furniture, blankets, books, and soft toys to cuddle with.  Soft calm music will be playing in the background. 

            My center will have a writing room.  This room will have child size tables and chairs.  It will also have desks for those children that want to write a private note.  This room will have a chalkboard, whiteboard and easels in it.  There will be a variety of writing tools, paper in multiple colors, and paint.  The walls will have multicultural pictures and poems as well as the alphabet on it.  I will have magnetic letters and numbers.  This room will also have a variety of favorite books to read and explore.  The room will also have a mailbox for each family, student, and staff member so that children can deliver letters.  Envelopes will also be available.

            Families will be encouraged to explore the center with their child/children.  They are encouraged to read the stories that the children will be exploring and the teacher made books about what the children have been doing throughout the day.  I will send home a personalized daily journal, a monthly newsletter that will tell about what happened last month and what is planned for the month.  There will be monthly homework assignments that families can choose to participate with their child.  These homework assignments will help me learn more about each family.

            My hopes are that my Family Child Care Home will be open and comfortable for all children and their family.  Through exploration the children will learn about and respect similarities and differences.  There will be pictures that demonstrate different feelings around the center to help children understand and respect their feelings and the feelings of others.

References

Derman-Sparks, L. & Edwards, J. (2012). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). EDUC 6357-6 Diversity, Development, and Learning [Webcast]. Welcome to an Anti-Bias Learning Community. Baltimore, MD: Author. 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_2819834_1%26url%3D

My Hopes, My Goal, and Special Thanks

My Hope:

My hope for the families and children that I work with will feel welcomed and at home in my classroom.  I hope that I am able to depict an open mind, limit stereotypical behaviors that has been learned, and move towards an anti-bias learning environment.  I hope that I can work with all the families and children and truly depict their diverse cultures and family values.  My hope is that I can share my knowledge with other staff so that all children and families within our center fill welcomed and at home in this learning environment.  My hope is to set a positive example for others so that all can become anti-bias in our thoughts and throughout our lives.  My hope is that the world will become fair, equitable, and demonstrate social justice for all.

My Goal for the Early Childhood Field

A goal that I would like to set for the early childhood field is that every child has an equitable opportunity for education in a bias free environment.  This environment needs to address different ethnicities, races, genders, abilities, and family types.  This learning environment needs to address stereotypes and help children to figure out what is a stereotype and what is a fact.  Children should learn about other groups of people and a factual manner.  Every child will have a bias free, equitable, and social just learning environment. 

A Special Thank You

I would like to say thank you to all my colleagues for your input and support throughout this course.  I have learned a lot through your experiences and thoughts that you have shared.  I thank you so very much and I hope that I have helped in your learning process as much as you have in mine.  I would also like to send a thank you to Dr. Kien for your support and feedback is this essential journey to becoming an anti-bias educator.   Thank you!!

Creating Art -- Diversity, Identity, and Bias

Diversity

Diversity is in our identities from our families and roles

Diversity is among us in everything that we do and know

Diversity is in our differences

Diversity is in our traditions and cultures

Diversity is our life

Bias

Bias is negative or wrongful thoughts

Bias is what we are taught from birth

Bias can begin as a stereotype

Bias can be stopped

Opening eyes and spreading the word

We are all who we are

Our similarities make us human

Our differences make us unique

Our families teach us what society thinks

It is up to us all to break the cycle

And send equity and justice to all

We Don’t Say Those Words

            The way that we respond to children’s curiosity about others effects the way that they see people around them.  According to Derman-Sparks and Edwards (2012) we need to talk to children about what they see; however, I like others have told a child that we do not say things like that.  Several years ago when my eldest daughter, Cassie, was three years old we were in Walmart shopping when Cassie saw a lady that had many scars on her face.  I do not remember the exact details this took place 18 years ago.  Cassie made a comment about the lady and her scars and I remember that I immediately hushed her and told her we do not talk about others.

            The message that I communicated to Cassie and the lady if she heard or saw me was the lack of value that I gave the lady.  The truth is that I did not know what to say to her about the lady’s scars.  I could have talked about the differences that we all have.  Since I did not know this lady I did not know anything about the markings (scars) that she had.  So I could have talked to my daughter about things that happen that might give us scars or sometimes we are born with different skin variations and coloring.  Hushing my daughter only got her more interested in staring and wondering about the lady.  According to Derman-Sparks and Edwards (2012) and Pelo (2008) we should talk about the things that our young children see and are interested in.  An effective anti-bias educator would expand their critical thinking skills by asking questions (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011).

References

Derman-Sparks, L. & Edwards, J. (2012). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). EDUC 6357: Diversity, development, and learning. [Webcast]. Start seeing diversity: Physical ability and characteristics. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Pelo, A. (Ed.). (2008). Rethinking early childhood education. Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Schools.

Gender, Gender Identity, and Sexual Orientation

            Everyone has a gender; we are either a male or female.  No matter what we wear or the things we enjoy doing our gender will not change.  Children learn their gender identity in their very early years.  They start discovering differences in their bodies, and they learn what is expected of each gender through their families and communities.  In the media presentation, Start Seeing Diversity: Gender, we learn that we need to listen and watch children during free play to learn the biases that children have about the roles of gender (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011b).  After listening to the media presentations and reading our resources this week, I have been really paying attention to what children are saying and doing in my classroom.  I had a child tell me that only girls can wear a certain straw hat and only boys can build with blocks.  I could see that she had learned gender bias roles.  I clarified to her and her peers that both boys and girls could play with any toy in the classroom (there are not any only boy toys or only girl toys).

            Children learn so much through their family, books, movies, television shows, commercials, cultures in early childhood centers and schools.  A lot of children’s favorite stories and television shows to include movies depict gender roles as well as family types.  Most stories and children’s shows demonstrate a family as a mother, father, and children; however, in reality there are many types of family structures.  Television shows are starting to show more single parent families.  Though you do not find many books or television shows for children that demonstrate the lesbian or gay family structures.

            I believe that it is important that centers include books that include all family structures.  We need to help all children learn and value their identity not just the few that in the “normal” family structure.  Children need to be able to see and hear about other families like theirs.  They need to know that have two moms or two dads is part of who they are.  As early childhood professionals we need to help all children value and respect the diversity of family structure as well as helping society to understand and value all children no matter what their family structure is.

            The term tomboy is used a lot.  I was called a tomboy when I was a child and teenager.  I really never thought much about it.  After reading the resources and watching the media resources I realize that this is a stereotype given to girls that do what society considers boy activities.  Some examples that I did that was considered to be boyish are climbing trees, swinging on grapevines, riding stick horses, and playing with cars.  To be fair my brothers played school and house, we had a whole city in our play and our stuffed animals were the residents this could have been considered kind of girlish.  Being called a tomboy could have given me a gender identity crisis.  As Tina in the media presentation Learning from Another’s Life Story, learned through growing up being forced to follow society’s roles of a girl and then allowing her children free to decide what they want to wear and play (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011a).  It is so important that children realize that gender will not change no matter what they do.  We need to teach children about stereotypes and how our words hurt people even when we do not mean to.  Sexual orientation comes up when we talk about our families, according to the media presentation, Start Seeing Diversity: Sexual Orientation and we need to validate our families through pictures, drawings, and stories (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011c).

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011a). EDUC 6357-6 Diversity, Development, and Learning [Webcast]. Learning from Another’s Life Story. Baltimore, MD: Author. Retrieved from http://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/2dett4d/Walden/EDUC/6357/CH/mm/audio_player/index_week3.html

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011b). EDUC 6357-6 Diversity, Development, and Learning [Webcast]. Start Seeing Diversity: Gender. Baltimore, MD: Author. 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_2651072_1%26url%3D

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011c). EDUC 6357-6 Diversity, Development, and Learning [Webcast]. Start Seeing Diversity: Sexual Orientation. Baltimore, MD: Author. 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_2651072_1%26url%3D