As an early childhood educator, my most passionate hope for my future is for all children and families to feel accepted and welcome. It is important for children to be able to embrace their identities and develop into who they are or should become. It is my hope that all children and families have a sense of belonging and experience affirmation of their identities and cultural ways of being (Derman- Sparks & Edwards, 2010).
I want to thank each of my colleagues for the many words of encouragement as well as the helpful words, ideas, and insights through our discussions and blogs. I wish each of you the best as we continue to strive being anti-bias educators in the early childhood field.
Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
Monday, June 23, 2014
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Impacts on Early Emotional Development
For this blog assignment, I chose to do some research on children and schools in Latin America and the Caribbean. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Nicaragua, with my church, and participate in missions. I loved the area and the people. It is a very different way of love however; the people and children seem very happy.
Latin America and the Caribbean are considered the most unequal region in the world. While there have been notable development leaps that have improved the lives of some children, there remain varying risk gaps that continue to leave millions of other children and their families at risk (United Nations International Children’s Fund, 2011).
Among the challenges children and families are facing, in this area, is poverty. Many families consist of large numbers and are living in deprived conditions. Many families own farms and the children have to work as the parents do in order to provide for the family. These conditions do not afford the children many opportunities to attend school. An estimated 35 million children do not enter any educational program. One of the stories I read described a whole generation being illiterate because they were not able to attend a school. When this generation had children of their own, they were not able to provide any education for their children while at home.
The education of girls and female adolescents is a priority of UNICEF’s global work. Progress has been made in Latin America and the Caribbean in reforming educational systems so that education forms an integral part of national strategies to fight poverty (UNICEF, 2011).
This website provided many different stories about children and their families. One story told of a family consisting of thirteen children. Only one of the little girls had been chosen to attend school through a grant. Some of the other siblings wanted to go. I found this story very disturbing. All of the children should be allowed to attend, but the family cannot afford to pay the cost. I am sure the other children must have felt they were not as good as their sister and have very low self-esteem. Reading this information made me realize how many children are deprived of receiving any education.
While visiting Nicaragua, I went to Corn Island. There was a school on the island however; the children were not required to attend. The school was not free and many families could not afford to send their children. I was able to visit the school and I realized how lucky we are. The school was in need of several repairs and there were hardly any materials for the teachers and students to use. However; these people, living on the island, were some of the happiest and most relaxed people I have ever met.
UNICEF (2011). Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry
Latin America and the Caribbean are considered the most unequal region in the world. While there have been notable development leaps that have improved the lives of some children, there remain varying risk gaps that continue to leave millions of other children and their families at risk (United Nations International Children’s Fund, 2011).
Among the challenges children and families are facing, in this area, is poverty. Many families consist of large numbers and are living in deprived conditions. Many families own farms and the children have to work as the parents do in order to provide for the family. These conditions do not afford the children many opportunities to attend school. An estimated 35 million children do not enter any educational program. One of the stories I read described a whole generation being illiterate because they were not able to attend a school. When this generation had children of their own, they were not able to provide any education for their children while at home.
The education of girls and female adolescents is a priority of UNICEF’s global work. Progress has been made in Latin America and the Caribbean in reforming educational systems so that education forms an integral part of national strategies to fight poverty (UNICEF, 2011).
This website provided many different stories about children and their families. One story told of a family consisting of thirteen children. Only one of the little girls had been chosen to attend school through a grant. Some of the other siblings wanted to go. I found this story very disturbing. All of the children should be allowed to attend, but the family cannot afford to pay the cost. I am sure the other children must have felt they were not as good as their sister and have very low self-esteem. Reading this information made me realize how many children are deprived of receiving any education.
While visiting Nicaragua, I went to Corn Island. There was a school on the island however; the children were not required to attend. The school was not free and many families could not afford to send their children. I was able to visit the school and I realized how lucky we are. The school was in need of several repairs and there were hardly any materials for the teachers and students to use. However; these people, living on the island, were some of the happiest and most relaxed people I have ever met.
UNICEF (2011). Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry
Monday, June 9, 2014
The Sexualization of Early Childhood
After reading the article “So Sexy So Soon”, I was devastated hearing what some children are saying at such an early age. However; it shouldn’t be that alarming due to the graphic messages the media freely displays. Examples include music, television, internet, video games, movies, and clothing. I teach second grade and have had several experiences with children’s conversations. Also, little girls will sing song lyrics and incorporated inappropriate dance moves during recess. Children have always been curious about sex and sexuality from an early age, and it is good for parents and schools to give them honest and age-appropriate information (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009). Parents and educators need to pay better attention to the messages that games, songs, movies, and television are portraying to our children. The sexualization of childhood is having a profoundly disturbing impact on children’s understanding of gender, sexuality, and relationships (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009). As a parent and an educator, I will strive to do a better job at taking a stand and helping children grow and develop in appropriate and respectful ways.
Levin, D. E., & 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://dianelevin.com/sosexysosoon/introduction.pdf
Levin, D. E., & 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://dianelevin.com/sosexysosoon/introduction.pdf
Friday, June 6, 2014
Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practices
When thinking about diversity, it almost impossible to separate your personal and professional identities when considering the issues of –isms. An –ism is about the institutional advantages and disadvantages people experience due to their membership (or perceived membership) in certain social identity groups (Derman-Sparks & Edwards & 2010). Isms come in different forms including racism, classism, sexism, ableism, religionism, and ageism. As professionals, we bring in our own individual perspectives, hopes, ideas, and morals into the settings in which we work with young children and families.
A dear teacher friend of mine, this year, left the public school system to go work at a private school. The benefits are numerous however, so are the challenges. She says the families are very wealthy and a lot of the teachers are as well. Feeling very uncomfortable is an issue she has faced during the school year. The school serves children K-12 and some of the older students drive very expensive vehicles (much nicer than hers). She says many days she does not feel “as good” as the teachers, parents, and students. She feels as though certain comments, about others not quite fitting in, have been made by families in front of their children. Therefore, the children have views that maybe are not their own. I have been thinking about this scenario being one that I could be facing. I think it would be a very difficult and emotional situation. If we want children to thrive in a diverse world and choose to stand up for themselves and others, then we must choose to help young children make sense out of the confusing and often emotionally charged messages they receive about themselves and others (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).
Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
A dear teacher friend of mine, this year, left the public school system to go work at a private school. The benefits are numerous however, so are the challenges. She says the families are very wealthy and a lot of the teachers are as well. Feeling very uncomfortable is an issue she has faced during the school year. The school serves children K-12 and some of the older students drive very expensive vehicles (much nicer than hers). She says many days she does not feel “as good” as the teachers, parents, and students. She feels as though certain comments, about others not quite fitting in, have been made by families in front of their children. Therefore, the children have views that maybe are not their own. I have been thinking about this scenario being one that I could be facing. I think it would be a very difficult and emotional situation. If we want children to thrive in a diverse world and choose to stand up for themselves and others, then we must choose to help young children make sense out of the confusing and often emotionally charged messages they receive about themselves and others (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010).
Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
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