Reflection on Learning

 My most passionate hope for my future as an early childhood professional is that I will continue to reflect on myself throughout any new process that I come across.  By embracing reflection I am learning each and every day.  The wonderful thing about working in the early childhood field is that there is always more of an opportunity to grow as an educator.  My hope is that by continuing to push myself to learn I will continue to show my students as well as my students' families that I support them.  Being an anti-bias educator means embracing each culture of each student and making them feel as though they are not only heard but seen as well. 

I want to take the opportunity to say thank you to each and every one of my peers that I have been through this program with.  I feel as though each week you each have made me reflect deeper, and encouraged me to dig deeper into my education as an anti-bias educator.  I have been blessed to learn from each of you, and I hope that as you continue on this journey your love for this field continues to grow and develop as well.

Thank you!

Impacts on Early Emotional Development

 The area of the world that I chose to look at was Latin America and the Caribbean.  The reason that I chose this region of the world to look at is that many of my students come Latin American and Caribbean countries. 

Many children in these areas flee to Central America because of gang violence and death threats. Many others face an increased risk of domestic violence. Another big impact that children of this region experience natural disasters such as hurricanes that destroy their homes or towns, and are having difficulty receiving the care that they need, especially in times of COVID-19. 

These types of experiences are changing the ways that these children are developing emotionally as well as educationally.  They are uprooting their lives to flee to safer areas.  They may not know if they are truly safe wherever they go.  When children are uprooted they may halt their education as well.  This can have an effect on their wellbeing because they fall behind, or may not even continue their education in the future.  They are doing what they can in order to survive. 

As a teacher of students from these areas, it helps me to be a little bit more understanding of where some of my students stand.  It makes me want to stop and help them in any capacity that I can.  However, I know that I will never know the full extent of their situation unless they are comfortable.  Professionally, this makes me want to take steps to help students and their families in any way that I can in order to encourage emotional and educational growth. 

The Sexualization of Early Childhood

 Sexualization in early childhood is something that I have seen.  I have seen outfits that do not seem appropriate for children.  I have seen the encouragement of children having a "boyfriend or girlfriend" at a young age.  There are tv shows that are based on children dancing in skimpy outfits or wearing makeup. 

When children see these types of messages in advertising or on television they tend to think that they should act in the same manner.  In my own classroom, I have had children ask me about sex, and if I dress differently outside of school.  I have had a student tell me that I looked sexy in a dress that I wore to school.

Sexualization of children is occurring at younger and younger ages.  Sometimes there are things that have been glossed over because it is an uncomfortable situation to approach.

There are inappropriate things everywhere.  Some adults may think it is funny but it is leading to children thinking that it is okay.  As educators, we need to take a step back and look at what students are wearing or talking about.  In the end, I believe that it comes down to the safety of the children.  There are predators who look for this type of thing, and it is scary.

Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

 If I was to experience certain -isms in my personal life  I would probably be affected in a few ways.

1.  I would question if those same -isms come up in professional life.

2.  I would probably want to try to figure out why I was being judged on those particular -isms

3. I would reflect on if I have any of those same biases in my professional life.

It would affect me emotionally because I do know how it feels to be judged, and it is not a positive feeling.  Cognitively I would be thinking about it constatntly.  What did I do?  Is there something that I could change?

I think that the most important one in this situation is my reflection of my professional life.  My biggest fear is bringing my own implicit-biases into the classroom.  I know that it can happen, but I strive to think before I act.  If I was experiencing -isms in my own personal life it would definitely make me stop and think about what I am doing in my classroom as well.  Could I use my experience as a teachable moment? I like to stay as positive as possible in my professional setting, but I know everything can eventually take its toll. 

Observing Communication

Having the opportunity to observe children and adults communicating in a real-world setting was a little difficult due to COVID. However, I was able to take notes on the interactions that my students had with their parents throughout the school week via our daily classroom meetings.  

I tried to focus on only one or two students from my classroom.  My student has a parent who is always hovering in the background.  When he has difficulty understanding what we are doing in the lesson she helps him work through his problems.  She is not afraid to ask me questions as well.  I notice that she wants him to be comfortable in this strange classroom setting that we have this year.  She uses encouraging language like "You try on your own," or "you're doing a good job, keep it up,"  I think that this gives the student the confidence that he needs.

The other student that I observed always has a parent in the background that is raising their voice and yelling at them.  I hear the parent say things such as "stop playing pay attention,"  or "that's not what you are supposed to be doing, you don't need a break just sit still."  This shows me that the parent really wants their child-focused and to sit still.

Both of these observations help me as a teacher because I know that I cannot say what the students should and should not do in their homes.  However, I am able to tell what kind of communication they best respond to, and how I can work on showing them new ways to communicate with me.  I can take cues that the students do need breaks throughout the day, whether it's to get the wiggles out or just do silly brain break activity.

Different parents have different parenting styles. Being in a unique situation where I am teaching from home, and my students are learning from home gives me the opportunity to see how differently each parent communicates with their children.  From this, I am able to build new ays to communicate with my students. 

Creating Affirming Enviornments

 Opening a Family Child Care Home is actually one of my dreams as an early childhood educator!

My first step would be to find a facility that is large enough for children to spread out when they need their own personal space or time to think quietyly.  However, I want common areas for students to work together, eat together, and follow a curriculum that helps them learn and continue learning. 

There would be a library space as well as a writing space.  There would also be a space for dramatic play.  This area would change with the curriculum that we are working on.  Library and writing materials would also rotate.  "Curriculum is the sum of all the activities in which children engage, be they child- or teacher-initiated; formal or informal; individual, small or large group," (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).  

These areas would be set up specifically to follow the curriculum that was given so that students have the opportunity to read about different real-world situations, write about different real-world situations, and act out real-world situations.  

 Books would be chosen that represented not only children that were members of the center but children that they may meet in the real world.  Representation would be a large part of this center.  

Allowing children and families to contribute to the center would also be a large part of making the center feel more welcoming.  "Using images from home and school to make small, personalized books can be invaluable," (Derman-Sparks & Olsen, 2010).  Children would get to see themselves and their classmates in the classroom and learn more about what they do outside of our own learning environment.

My main goal would be to make each and every student, and family as comfortable walking into the center, as they would feel walking into their own home.

References:

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, D.C.: National Association fo rthe Educaiton of Young Children (NAEYC).

6357: Week 8 What I have learned

 This course has given me so much.  I feel as though I have had the opportunity to challenge myself and approach what makes me feel uncomfortable in a way that helps me to learn each day.  One hope that I have when I think about my continued work with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds is that I continue to push what makes me feel uncomfortable aside so that I can give my students what they need in order to succeed.  

My goal is to continue to think about what makes me uncomfortable and reflect on it.  Once I reflect on it I want to be sure to work within the community in which I work in order to ask questions and learn about my own biases.  I want to always remind myself that I have the opportunity to learn and that I should take those opportunities whenever they are presented. 

I want to say thank you to each of my colleagues.  I appreciate each and every one of my colleagues because they help me to find new ways to approach my questions.  You each have helped to challenge me to be a better educator.  I wish each of you luck as you continue on your journey.

Start Seeing Diversity: Creating Art

 Being an Educator

A Poem 

Heather Beard Rand

Being an educator means many things

It means seeing yourself

It means seeing your students

Learning is never done

For your students or yourself

It means seeing trauma and approaching it

Coming to terms with differences

Knowing that your students depend on you

Knowing that you can make a difference

Differences do not make you 

Differences do not make your students

Differences make us different

Being an educator is conquering your fears

Being an educator is being you so your students can be them

I chose to write a poem this week because it is a simple form of art that gets the point across.  I love that art has the opportunity to be diverse.  We are all of one world, but we all can continue learning.  The wonderful part about being an educator in a diverse society is having the opportunity to learn each and every day.  

6357 Week 6 Blog: We don't say those words in class!

 There are a couple of times that I can think of where a child was reprimanded by an adult when they said something about someone else.

The first that I immediately think of is when I was interning in a kindergarten class.  We went on a field trip to a local high school to see a children's play.  As we were leaving "characters" greeted students at the door and answered questions about the show.  There was one young girl who had severe acne.  One of my students pointed and said very loudly "why is her face so red and bumpy!"  My mentor teacher immediately scolded him saying that we should not point or yell things at people even though they look different.  However, the young lady was not embarrassed at all.  She stopped and said "It's okay, this is acne, it's something that causes bumps on my face.  It happened when I became a teenager, but it doesn't bother me."   I appreciated that she didn't get upset and even answered my student's question.

Another thing I can think of is about my friend Nathan.  A few years ago he lost his arm from the elbow down, in an accident at his job.  When my husband and I were face timing him our godson asked why his arm looked like that.  My husband was telling my godson that we don't ask things like that.  Nathan was more than willing to tell my godson about his "nub" as he lovingly calls it.  If something like this were to happen again I would like my godson to have the opportunity to talk to Nathan about it.  It happened because of an accident, and even though he looks a little different because of it, he still does everything that we do with two arms, just in a different way. 

6357 Week 3 Blog Post

 I think that early childhood centers should have the option to include books that depict gay or lesbian individuals.  There are many families these days who are lead by same-sex partners, who have someone struggling with their identity personally.  Showing that these feelings are normal is important for children to experience.  One of my favorite books is "And Tango Makes Three."  This book is about two same-sex penguins who adopt an egg and have their own bay penguin that they care for.  This story shows a same-sex family without being overpowering. The best part is that it is a true story. 

My husband has personal experience with hearing the word "gay" and "fag"  when he was younger.  He was convinced for the longest time that this caused his brother to come out as gay.  It took him a long time to understand that even though other family members used those terms inappropriately around him and his brother, it did not "make" his brother gay.  Learning about homosexuality from my brother in law helps me to better understand what others have gone through in order to come out to their families and friends. 

6165 Week 8

 

I want to start this post by saying thank you to each member of this class.  In the past eight weeks, I have not only learned more about collaboration and communication, but I have seen it at work as well.  

I have the opportunity to communicate with my fellow classmates and collaborate on different ways of communicating.  I have learned from different colleagues new ways to communicate with families and how to reach out to the community in which I work.

If I have learned anything in this course it is how important it is to have the right people at your table.  I feel as though this class has given me an amazing amount of support as well as learning opportunities each week.  I cannot wait to continue this journey with my colleagues.

Thank you,

Heather Beard Rand

6165 Week 6

I feel as though when it comes to working in groups there are definitely some that I have had more difficulty breaking off from than others.  I can think of one group, in particular, that was extremely hard to say goodbye to.  In my final semester at Salisbury, I was part of a group of six other women who chose to do our internships off-campus in Anne Arundel County.  This allowed us to move home and begin looking for jobs in the area in which we lived.  The six of us formed a tight bond working on projects, and lesson plans that we used in our different classrooms.  Our final project allowed us the opportunity to work with each other one last time. "The group members reflect on their accomplishments and failures as well as determine whether the group will disassemble with a final-get together or a termination ritual (Keyron, 1993)," (O'Hair, Wiemann, Mullin & Teven, 2018).  

I feel as though taking the opportunity to have that final meeting allowed us the chance to speak about what went well and wrong during the semester, but also take the chance to congratulate one another on the different milestones we had reached separately as well as as a group.  I think that adjourning is essential to a group because it allows for opportunities of conversation and honesty, but also the opportunity to decide whether or not the goals of the group had been met. I believe that in the future this type of ritual is important for other groups in order to reflect individually as well as a group.

Resources:

O'Hair, D., Wiemann, M., Mullin, D. I., & Teven, J. (2018). Real communication: An introduction (4th ed.). New York: Bedford/St. Martin's

6165 Week 5

I am a newlywed.  Conflict arises within my personal life quite often,  Recently my husband and I had a dispute about how we wanted to place things in the kitchen so that they would be accessible to both of us.  A big argument arose when he wanted to put plates and bowls somewhere where I could not reach them.  We argued and argued, and it honestly got blown out of proportion.  I decided that we should take a step back and reevaluate the situation.

1.  I had him tell me his point of view, and then he allowed me the chance to give my point of view.  Once we both understood where the other was coming from we were able to compromise by putting them in a place that was easily accessible for both of us.

2.  Once this conflict had been handled we decided to have a healthy debate with one another.  Debating with one another about how our house should be set up helped us to speak to one another without attacking one another.

We have always promised each other that we would never attack one another physically or emotionally.  However, we do have to build on our communication skills and understand that conflict is going to arise in many situations.  The greatest lesson that we have learned is to allow the conflict to help us build our communication with one another rather than allowing it to tear us down.

I think that approaching one another in this way has allowed me to think about how to handle conflict when it arises between colleagues and myself.  I want to build my relationships with my colleagues and gain an understanding of the way that they think and feel about certain situations. I think that understanding and recognizing conflict will help me to approach it in the future.

6165 Week 4

It was interesting to see the results of the evaluations from another person's perspective.  I took the test first and felt that it was pretty accurate I labeling who I am as a person.  Then I had my mom and a family friend take the test.  The scores landed within the same categories with them, except for the communication and anxiety inventory.  My family friend showed my score as low, whereas for my mom and me it was moderate, or close to high. I know that I do have anxiety when it comes to public speaking, but he does not see me speak in public often.  He normally only sees me from a friend's perspective.  

I think what was surprised me the most was the verbal aggressiveness scale quiz.  Each of us scored within the low sixties range, would put me at moderately aggressive.  I feel as though this accurate, but I had never thought of myself as aggressive in my verbal communication in any way.  As I looked at the evaluation closer I understood that even though I fell within the moderate range it was because I am able to maintain a balance as well as respect and consideration for others. 

I feel as though I understand better that you should consider the perspective of the other person as well as look beyond first impressions (O'Hair, Wiemann, Mullin, & Teven, 2018).  When you look beyond a first impression you are able to gain a different perspective.  You can find out more about a person once you get to know them and consider the perspective on certain matters.

Resources:

O'Hair, D., Wiemann, M., Mullin, D.I., & Teven, J. (2018). Real communication (3rd ed). New York: Bedford/St. Martin's

6165 week 3

When I am work I find myself putting my professional hat on more and more.  My language is different than when I am communicating with my husband or other members of my family.  I have noticed that I tend to take more time when I speak to colleagues or parents of students.  I calculate exactly what I am going to say, where is with my husband or family members I am freer in the speech that I choose to use.
I even notice that I communicate with my friend's family different.  Recently I joined a birthday party for my friend's son.  My friend is Puerto Rican, and I notice that her family is loud and open whereas my family is a little bit quieter at family gatherings.  When I am with my friends and her family I am more loud and open, but when I turned to speak to my husband my speech changed.

I think that some strategies I might be able to use in future situations such as these are:
1.  Allowing myself to be more open (allowing friends, co-workers, and even parents of students to see a more personal side of myself without going to deep.)
2.  To not make assumptions (This will allow me to go into any new communication with an open mind.)
3. Learning practices of others (This could be very useful when it comes to communicating with colleagues, students, and parents of students.)

6165 Week 2

The show that I chose to watch was The Office. I had never seen the show before, but I thought that it might be good for this experiment, considering that there are so many characters that are a part of the show.
Based on the episode that I chose to watch I can tell that their boss, Michael, is kind of a goof ball.  Everyone seems to go to him, but I can tell that they don't feel as though he is listening based on their facial expressions or the way that they turn away from him quickly.
I could tell that Jim and Pam seem to have a friendly relationship in that they have conversations with one another often, and take time to listen to one another.  They respond quickly to each other and make sure that their response is understood.
A lot of the nonverbal behavior shows me that there is sarcasm and the workplace seems to be slightly uncomfortable.  Many of the characters cross their arms or seem guarded.  These people are co-workers no close family members or friends.
I assumed that these characters kind of bounce off of one another and have a fun workplace environment.  However, watching without the sound shows how important body language is within conversations and communication.
I feel like if I had watched a show that I knew, even with the sound off, I would be able to tell how why the characters' body language was the way that it was, because I already know how the characters interact with one another.

6165 Week 1

Someone that I see having very good communication skills when it comes to talking to people is the pastor of my church.  He takes time each week to research the message that he presents to the entire church.  Not only does he present us with new information, but gives us challenges as well.  He tells us to look up certain things, or talk to family members about what we have learned about from the sermon for the week.  He also uses different forms of communication in order to reach out to everyone in our church, young and old alike.  I would like to model my communication skills after him because he is approachable while also knowing the material that he is speaking about.  If he does not know the answer to something he asks others in the congregration and than makes sure to follow it up with further research.  I feel that this type of communication is important because it helps to see how its still okay to ask questions and learn more about the subject that you are working on.

Week 8: The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

One hope that I have when it comes to working with children and families from diverse backgrounds is that I make a lasting impression working with them.  That the families and the children feel comfortable coming to talk to me about matters of culture and diversity within the classroom and learning environment.  That parents and children still want to come and talk to me after the students have left my classroom.

A goal that I hope to set for the early childhood field is for continued education of those working in the field.  I would like to see more anti-bias and diversity training for new employees as well as seasoned employees.  Training is a good way to continue the education of everyone in the early childhood field so that they have an understanding as diversity education continues changing.

I want to say thank you to my peers that have given me information and suggestions throughout this class.  I have enjoyed the conversation and learning that has occurred through discussion and your writings.  This is an amazing group of early childhood educators.  Good luck for the future.

-Heather Rand

Week 7: Welcoming Families from around the world

I work in an early childhood classroom for second graders.  Within the classroom, there are ESOL students, but most come from Latin America.  There is a new student joining us from Cameroon, in Africa.  In order to prepare me for this new student, and prepare the family for a new learning environment I will prepare using a few steps.
1. Research the country of Cameroon.
2.  Find the language the family is the most comfortable using for communication.  French is a language that many people from Cameroon use, so if this is what they are comfortable using for communication this will be good to know.  I can find books in French and set up their ClassDojo account for communication with them.
3.  Set up a meeting with the parents and student to allow for acclimation to the school and a chance for the establishment of communication between myself and the student, as well as myself and the parents.
4.  Find books that represent the student to have available in the classroom. 
5.  Tell students that a new student will be joining us and that we should be open to learning about one another and having our classroom be home away from home, for all.

My hope is that by taking these steps I will be able to get to know the family and their learning culture.  I will learn what they are comfortable with and the family and the student will have a chance to feel welcome and have a chance to talk about what to expect from our classroom/school setting. This will be an opportunity to allow for a true bi-cultural experience for the student.  I will not undermine the parents while also having the chance to acclimate to our classroom culture and learn about one another.

Week 6: The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

My brother-in-law is a member of the LGBTQ+ community.  He and his partner have both experienced bias since they have both come out to their families.  His partner's family have not been accepting of the fact that he is gay.  However, my brother-in-law has told me about specific incidents where he has been discriminated against because of his sexual orientation.  He was once denied a job because the owner felt uncomfortable having a member of the LGBTQ+ community on staff.  The owner said, "It's nothing against you, but I don't want my clients to feel like their gonna get hit on by a guy."  My brother-in-law lost his feeling of equality that day.  He is proud of the fact that he is in a healthy relationship and of how our family supports him, but he felt so defeated after that particular encounter.  This incident made me angry and hurt because my brother-in-law loves with all of his heart, and he puts his heart into each and everything that he does.  Even though he has been given rights legally, it does not always show.  I feel that this particular incident is an opportunity for him to tell his story, and bring awareness to the fact that he is deserving of jobs, love, whatever anyone else receives.

Week 4: Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

This week I observed microaggression occur with a member of my family.  My sister-in-law graduated with her degree in nursing this week, and I am extremely proud of her.  She has worked so hard, staying up late studying with my brother, who is also working to be a nurse.  When she posted about her graduation on Facebook someone commented saying that this was a wonderful career choice for her because women are good at taking care of others.  In this particular situation, the person was saying that she was good at nursing because she was a woman.  Little do they know that my brother is also going to be a nurse.  Does that make him not a good nurse because he is a man?  Both my brother and sister-in-law had microaggressions towards them, without even knowing it.  This situation made me upset because I know how hard they both have worked to move forward in their careers.  It does not matter their gender, they both have a passion for their career field and want to help others.
Until this class, I never realized how often microaggressions can occur. Now that I know the exact definition I realize how often I have actually seen it. Prejudice and stereotypes happen in everyday life, but as educators, we need to see both prejudice and stereotypes and figure out how to approach it properly.  Show our students that it exists and that we know how to educate ourselves on the situations at hand.

Week 3: Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

For this assignment I chose to ask my husband, my dad, and my teacher friend, Jessica,  what their definition of culture and diversity were.

My husband:

"Culture is your upbringing and your lively hood.  It's not something that you grow into, it's something that you're born with."

"Diversity is multi-dimensional.  It can be multi- anything.  It depends on what perspective you are looking from.  There is diversity in culture.  There is diversity in teaching/instructing.  There is diversity in your beliefs, your well-being, and others as well.  No one person acts, thinks, or decides the same, we all have our own beliefs."

My dad

"Culture is the sum total of all the influences and inputs into your life from all those around you, especially your family, and then your learning inputs."

"I would say it's allowing unexpected and outside influences to come into your ecosystem."

My teacher friend, Jessica:
"To me, culture defines the values and traditions that are adapted from your family."
"Diversity is a mixture of culture."

I feel as though what I have learned in this class was talked about when I spoke to each party.  There were points about how culture and diversity are multi-dimensional, but there was a distinct difference between what culture and diversity can be described as.  However, I believe from what I have learned in this course, that diversity has roots within your culture.  Our beliefs may make us different, but they are part of our culture as well.

I liked the opportunity to hear from different parties to find out what their definition of culture and diversity is.  I spoke to my husband who is a male, my dad who is older, and my teacher friend, who is in the same profession as me.  I liked that each of their definitions had specifics connected to them, to make the definition their own. I believe that as this course continues my definitions of culture and diversity will grow and change. 

BONUS JOKE:

My dad also said that culture is what is in your yogurt (dad jokes)

Week 2: Dynamic Interactions

I must admit, coming up with three items to choose from was no easy task.  Here are the three items that I would choose to take with me.

1.  Family photo album:  This family photo album depicts the lives of grandparents, my parents, myself, and my husband.  This family photo album tells a story.  It allows me to glimpse at what was happening on a specific day, and each photo has a story that is attached to it. talk

2.  Family Bible:  Our family Bible documents births and deaths within our family.  It is also my guide for my religion. It brings me hope and helps me to keep my faith.

3.  My personal journal:  Since I was young I have documented my life in a personal journal.  This allows me to talk about my day-to-day life and how different things within my life have had positive and negative impacts on me.

If I was told upon arrival that I would only be able to keep one of these items my heart would shatter.  I could not imagine having to give any of these items up because although they do not make me who I am, they do tell the story of who I am, and who my family was/is.

I can see how this type of thing could very easily happen.  Many of my students are immigrants or are first-generation Americans.  I know some of their families came here with nothing, but do all that they can to keep their culture alive.  They tell their children stories, which they then, in turn, share with me in class.  I have family members who traveled here to America at one point with very little.  However, we have the stories and the memories that help us to keep our family culture alive.  As an educator it is important to try and learn as much as you can about the cultures of your students so that they feel as though they belong without having to change a single thing about themselves.

EDUC 6164 Week 1

I just wanted to take a moment to welcome everyone to my blog.  I am excited about this class and to have the chance to learn more about myself while also connecting with my students on a new level.  I hope everyone is having a wonderful week!

Week 8: When I think of Research

Welcome to our eighth and final week of EDUC 6163.  I wanted to start this blog post by saying how truly grateful I am to have worked with each and every one of you.  Your feedback has been most beneficial throughout this course, and I appreciate being able to read your posts as well as interact with you on a weekly basis.

When I think of Research...

Why is your simulation important to the field of early childhood?

My simulation is important to the field of early childhood because it looks in depth at the culture within the early childhood classroom setting.  It also delves into the communication between parents and educators, and how to better improve that relationship.

If you were to conduct your simulation proposal, who would benefit?

I feel as though parents, students, and educators would benefit if I was to conduct my simulation proposal.  I feel as though students would benefit because their teachers and parents would have a better understanding of the student and their activities within the classroom as well as within the home setting. 

What are some of the ways your perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course?

I feel as though I have gained a lot from this course. I think that as an early childhood educator I will be able to use these techniques throughout the rest of my career.  I have also gained insight into conducting my own research and understanding the data that I have collected. 

Week 5: Research Around the World

The website that I chose to research was Child Research Net.  The link to this website can be accessed here.

This website was very user-friendly and based out of Japan.  There are many different projects as well as papers & essays that a reader can access on this website.  The website has reports and projects from countries around the world. 

One of the recent essays that I found was entitled: Survey on children's Everyday Life.  This article can be accessed here.

This particular survey was a mailing survey that was distributed as a self-reporting questionnaire.  I like the idea of a survey like this.  It had more than one survey sent out over a period of years so that data could be collected from 1995 through 2015. 

I was also interested in the page on the website labeled multicultural education.  I found this page interesting because there multiple papers and essays having to do with students and comparing different types of education and early childhood development from around the world.  This particular link can be found here.

I think that using a website like this would be beneficial in research because it touches on many different topics, and gives data and research for the reader to look into. 

Week 4

I know that we don't have a blog that we have to post this week, but I just wanted to send my well wishes to all of my colleagues during this crazy time.  I know that we are all struggling with not seeing our students, and being stuck in the house.  All I know is that we are still making a difference and that we have got this!  Have a wonderful week!
-Heather

Week 3

Option 2:

Although I really enjoyed the idea of looking further into research that has had positive impacts on the early childhood community, I like the idea of letting my creativity flow in thinking What could I do in research? 

If I did not have anything holding me back I would enjoy doing more research in working with students from other countries.  I work in a high immigration population neighborhood.  My students come from all over the world and are trying to assimilate into our culture. I would enjoy the research that focuses on bringing cultures to the classroom as well as finding ways for students to feel more comfortable in a new country, school, and content area.

I feel that this type of study would not only affect children but families as well.  What do we as educators need to know in order to make families feel as though our school systems are open to them and their children coming to us with questions and issues? I think that it would be important to see if working with the families of these students help the students in the long run.  Could we teach families more about our language and finding jobs in the area, so that they are able to provide for their families?

This type of research would take a lot, such as following families from the moment they enter the country.  I think that this would be positive because then families and children would feel more comfortable with immigration and learning in a new community. 

My Personal Research Journey

Week 2: Your Personal Research Journey 

Hello all, I want to tell you a little bit about the topic that I chose and why. My general research topic will be the impact of demographics and how they can help in developing a culturally responsive classroom.  I have chosen this topic because of my experience working with students from many different cultures.  My hope is that I will be able to find strategies that allow me to work with families of the children in my classroom, build a relationship between myself and my students, and see the effects it has on learning, and see the impact of demographics in student learning. 

This has been an interesting experience thus far.  I have enjoyed the chance to fill out my research chart, as well as look into what is considered to be quality research on different subject areas in the early childhood field.

Does anyone have any advice on how to find out more about families and different cultures in a way that can help to develop a culturally responsive classroom?  

I believe that throughout this course the best thing that we can do is support one another, and reach out to one another as often as possible.  Thank you for everything thus far!

-Heather

Week 1

Hey all and welcome back!  I am excited about our new class all about research.  I am glad that I get to share this experience with colleagues as wonderful as you.

What are you most curious about this course?

Do you have any concerns?

I am curious about how demographics and how I can become more culturally responsive in my classroom.  

I hope everyone enjoys my blog!  I can't wait to see the thoughts of everyone else throughout this course.

-Heather 

Week 8 Final Blog Post

When I first read the directions for this blog post I honestly had to think about consequences and how they are not always a negative impact.  Consequences are something that happens due to something else, and I believe that I have experienced good consequences throughout this course.

1. The first consequence of learning about the international early childhood field is that I want to reach out to children more in my personal life.  I want to work towards making a positive impact not only in my classroom but around the world as well.
2. The second consequence that I have had was professional.  As a teacher, I want to reach out in my community by doing more research on things that are going on in and around the school in which I teach.  By looking at the international early childhood field, I am able to bring learning from different cultures into my classroom.
3.  The third consequence that I have had is a professional.  Throughout this course, I was able to learn from colleagues in this course. We continuously collaborated and discussed with one another, and I believe this helped me to grow as an educator.

One goal that I have is to do more research on issues in trends of the countries that my students come from.  I believe that this will help me to embrace, and bring their cultures into my classroom.  I feel as though this will help me continue to learn and grow as an educator in the future.

Week 7 Blog Post

This week I continued my look at the website that I have been following, Global Fund for Children.
Every week when I get on this website to explore I am always greeted with "Partnering to build a world where all children and youth are safe, strong, and valued." (Global Fund for Children, 2020).

That quote ties in so perfectly with everything that we have been working on in class the past two weeks; equity.  The whole goal of this website is to create equal opportunities for each and every child around the world. 

I then took a short exploration of their services page, which can be found here.  Each organization has support tailored specifically for them.  Each partner gets the chance to define the goals that they want to set and meet.  This all ties into their theory of change as well as their approach.

What I have found so important about this particular website is that they really do work towards making children feel equal.  They work with teams and people to create equal partnerships and build lasting relationships to help children.  As educators that is what we do on a day to day basis. We are trying to create equal opportunities for each of our students to grow.  This is an important trait for us as educators, to carry into the future.