Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

Microaggressions take place every day but mostly go unnoticed by the aggressor, but not the target. Microaggressions are described as brief everyday indignities that may be verbal, behavioral, or environmental, communicated intentionally or unintentionally, and contain an insulting message (Laureate Education, Inc., 2012). I was fortunate this week not to notice any microassaults, which are intentional, overt discriminations. I am sure there were some minor microaggressions that took place; however, I am still training my brain to pick up on them. Being more mindful and observing things more closely this week has helped me notice when hidden biases come out towards others who are different than me. This week was such an eye-opener.

I can share about an experience I had during my undergraduate studies. I took a class on teaching English while at Temple University. We were studying different dialects and phrases around the United States. I answered a question correctly regarding another name for a creek, and one of my peers was shocked that I knew the answer. Her remark was, “How did you even know that?” I explained to her and the rest of the class that in Maryland, we have other names for the creeks in our area. At the time she made me feel like I was not smart enough, or capable to answer that question because no one else in the class knew. I was one of five minorities in a class of about twenty-five students. The moment was very uncomfortable, and I believe she did not intentionally mean to offend me, but she did. I brushed off the microinsult and just laughed, but I was definitely uncomfortable.

 

Reference

 Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2012).Microaggressions in everyday life. [DVD]. Perspectives in Diversity & Equity. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Perspectives on Culture & Diversity

            For this assignment, we were tasked with asking at least three people their definitions of culture and diversity. I asked my Mom (age 59, a businesswoman in a university setting), my Auntie (age 81, retired USAA), and my cousin (age 21, college student). It was not surprising that I received three totally different answers. My Mom gave her answers from a personal point of view, while my Auntie gave a more general answer. My cousin’s answer was very vague and was a sad representation of today’s generation. Educating the youth and young adult population is so important, but unfortunately it is lacking.

            So far in this course, I have understood culture to be every aspect of an individual’s world. Culture is more than just a person’s race and ethnicity. My Auntie seemed to understand that as well. She defined culture as “a combination of skills and knowledge that enables a person to traverse through life and basically exist in society.” She also added that a person who lacks culture also lacks an understanding of how to get along in the world. Culture is very complex and encompasses everything that we do every day. Without it, we would probably live sheltered lives.

            From my Mom’s personal point of view, she viewed culture as being part of one’s heritage. As an African American, she believes that her culture stems from people who paved the way before her so she can be exposed to what other African Americans have done and how other races helped them to get to that point. To her, culture involves what you experience as part of your environment. Unfortunately, my cousin has a very narrow view of culture and believes it to be a person’s ethnic background. Needless to say, she received a mini-lesson on culture this evening.

            Diversity was a tricky topic for all three of my volunteers. Diversity is basically what makes us different. Auntie said it is a multitude of things, and she is right. She believes that “the more diverse a person is, the better off everyone will be.” It is important to have knowledge of the differences around you in order to live and get along with others. Being diverse enriches and enlightens people and society. On the other hand, my Mom sees the negative side of diversity. In her line of work, she believes there is no such thing. “People preach it, but you don’t actually see it.” For her, diversity means an equal opportunity for all and unfortunately, America (mainly the dominant culture) has not embraced this idea fully.

            Listening to their thoughts on culture and diversity confirmed how important it is to understand the differences around us. For the younger generation, we need to teach them to embrace differences and uniqueness and stop being afraid of the challenging topics. My cousin is a prime example of what happens when a person does not step out of their comfort zone. She is so sheltered and does not even realize it. I try to teach her new things and provide her with new experiences but I am hit with resistance because it is so different. This younger generation is our future. We need to change how we and what we teach them, consciously and unconsciously.

My Family Culture

Imagine the following:

A major catastrophe has almost completely devastated the infrastructure of your country. The emergency government has decided that the surviving citizens will be best served if they are evacuated to other countries willing to take refugees. You and your immediate family are among the survivors of this catastrophic event. However, you have absolutely no input into the final destination or in any other evacuation details. You are told that your host country’s culture is completely different from your own, and that you might have to stay there permanently. You are further told that, in addition to one change of clothes, you can only take 3 small items with you. You decide to take three items that you hold dear and that represent your family culture.

The three items I would take with me are

1. My Bible
1. I would need my Bible because it would give me the strength and guidance to keep going. It is my solid foundation. Having to be uprooted from everything I know would be overwhelming, but being reminded daily to have faith in my Provider would give me strength.

2. My Simpsons lunchbox
1. This is where I keep all of my movie stubs, concert stubs, etc. I also keep other mementos from trips and events. I would take this because it represents my culture and what I love to do.

3. Family photo album
1. Even though my family would be with me, I would still like to keep photos from past shared experiences. I would let them know that we would somehow be able to add new experiences to our album, just like we add new experiences to my lunchbox.

 

Week 8 - When I Think of Research...

            Before this class, when I thought about research, I thought about long hours reading countless documents, conducting experiments, long hours analyzing the data from the experiments, and finally bringing it all together in a report about 10+ pages long! Whew! After eight weeks of learning about research, my previous thoughts about it were…right! However, this time, I do not look at the process as being so daunting.

            Thanks to this class, I have learned how to conduct a research study step-by-step. I have learned about the different types of research; quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method. I have learned about the different ways to collect data; surveys, interviews, observation, etc. Most importantly, in my opinion, I have learned how to keep my research valid, through a process known as triangulation. If my research is not valid, what is the point?

            Research in the early childhood field is important because there is so much we do not know about children. With the world changing daily, the behaviors and temperaments of children are changing too.  The theories that used to hold true in the past are now becoming obsolete. It is crucial that current and future researchers narrow their studies enough to find out whatever they can about children in order to help them have successful futures, because they are our future.

            I did not experience many notable challenges during this course regarding the workload or information. I did however, experience health challenges throughout the course that prevented me from completing a few assignments in a timely manner. Thankfully, our professor was very understanding.

            I would like to thank Professor Kien and the rest of my colleagues for allowing me to learn and grow with you during this course. Your posts and feedback have helped me learn more about research in the early childhood field. I wish you much success in your future classes and careers in the education field. Be blessed and continue to be a blessing to others.

~Ryan~

Early Childhood in Australia

            I explored Early Childhood in Australia (http://www.earlychildaustralia.org.au/). This organization is the equivalent to the United States organization, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The website provides early childhood professionals with a Code of Ethics which reads like a pledge. The Code of Ethics values respect, democracy, honesty, integrity, justice, courage, inclusivity, social and cultural responsiveness, and education.

Early Childhood Australia also provides it members with journals, magazines, and newsletters. The Australasian Journal of Early Childhood (AJEC) focuses on early childhood research, innovation, and development. Some of the current research topics were moral and social development; attachment theory; play based learning; and the physical environment and early learning. Their main early childhood magazine, Every Child, spotlights issues on health, education, and social trends in the early childhood field.

I found their Research in Practice Series to be very interesting. This publication focuses on the “hands-on” aspects of early childhood. It offers its readers new approaches to challenging issues within the care and education of young children. Some of the research topics include assessment; resilience; learning and teaching through play; engaging families; and the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF). The Everyday Learning Series provides its readers with suggestions on how to create positive learning environments for young children. This resource is geared towards parents, grandparents, and caregivers. Some of its topics include feelings; promoting positive behavior; managing change; storytelling; and confidence and coping skills.

I enjoyed exploring this organization. It would have been nice if some of the resources were not so costly. One of the books in the Everyday Learning Series cost around $16. I think that such a valuable resource should be more accessible and less costly to families.

My Dream Study

If I had the means and the knowledge to conduct a full research study I would focus on lupus and young children. As an adult with lupus, I know the symptoms and the seriousness of the illness. My research study would not only help children, it may help adults suffering from the disease as well.

 Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body (skin, joints, and/or organs inside the body such as the kidneys, lungs, or heart). Although many different parts of the body can be affected, sometimes only one or two organs or organ systems will be involved. Lupus is the same disease in children as it is in adults.

This research study will benefit the children with lupus, the adults with lupus, and their families. Lupus is a very serious illness and this study could possibly lead to a cure, which is unavailable at this time. I know people are hard trying to find a cure for illness now; I would just like to give them a hand. Many do not know about lupus. The more people know, hopefully the more they would want to help the cause.

For more information, you can check out www.lupus.org

Week 2 - Personal Research Journey

            Hey everyone! So, I am now in the 2^nd week of my new course – Building Research Competencies. Everyone taking this course will be conducting a research simulation. I have never conducted a research study before, nor have I ever been a participant in one. I am nervous but excited to conduct this simulation. A lot of valuable information can be learned through research studies. In the week and a half that I have been in this course, I have learned new vocabulary and techniques involving research. However, I am glad that I will not be alone on this research journey. I am looking forward to learning from my new professor and my colleagues during this simulation and throughout this course.

            My chosen topic for the simulation is play. If you have been following my blogs throughout my journey through grad school, you should have seen a few blogs written on play. I love play! I think that everyone, no matter their age, needs to have time throughout their day just to play. Little children learn a vast amount of information and skills through play. They acquire social skills, language skills, and problem solving skills, just to name a few. After reading through our text on early childhood research, I have realized that my topic of play may be a bit too broad (Mac Naughton, Rolfe, & Siraj-Blatchford, 2010). However, I am still very interested on what can also be learned about education and play.

            The simulation process thus far has been slightly overwhelming and frustrating. Picking a topic was easy, but narrowing my topic was difficult. I tried doing research to see what has already been done and the information (or on some sites, lack of) has been overwhelming and frustrating. I also do not know how I am going to conduct a study during the summer because I do not have access to group of children. This simulation will definitely be challenging.

            If anyone has any advice, please share. If you are interested in learning about a certain subject and play, please share. As I stated earlier, I am looking forward to gleaning any information I can from my colleagues throughout this course. It is also my hope that I will be able to share information with you and provide you with assistance when possible.

Resources

 

Mac Naughton, G., Rolfe, S.A., & Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2010). Doing early childhood research: International perspectives on theory and practice (2^nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.