Welcoming Families From Around the World

The name of my family's country of origin is "Timbuktu". 

Five ways in which I will prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards this family:

1. Do some research on the country; look on the internet and find out certain things about the country.

2. Since I would be the owner/director of a child care center, I would inform my staff about the information I found so that they can be more knowledgeable as well.

3. Then I would inform them to let the children know that we're getting a new student who is new to the country; Be nice!

4. Along with that, I would meet with the staff and come up with a "welcoming party" or something like that to make the child and the family feel more comfortable. I would have them to have the country's flag displayed in the classroom and I would attempt to have some food from their country or have them wear some clothing from that country. I would want them to feel at home away from home, especially on the first day of school. First impressions last...

5. Thereafter, I would personally meet with the parents and let them know that we are happy to have their child in our facility and that we are happy that they decided to give us a try. I would also inform the family that we will do our best to make sure that their child, as well as every other child, is treated fairly with love while receiving a quality education.

I believe that these preparations will be good for myself and the family because they would allow me to learn more about the country, which I knew nothing about, and ensure the family that my facility welcomes diversity, instead of rejects it. I say this all the time; we all need each other and we can all learn from each other as well. No man knows everything. So we should be open to learn something new everyday!

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

There is small city outside of Detroit, MI called Warren and it was known to be very prejudice against minorities, especially "black" people. However, by me attending Michigan State University, I figured I conquered the "racial barrier" that exist between some black and white people. I had been learning and interacting with white people and people from all over the world so how can anyone be prejudice towards me now? I'm too well rounded! So I thought...

My friend, her boyfriend at the time and I decided to get something to eat out there one day. I can't remember what took us out there exactly but all I know is, we were hungry and wanted food fast. So we found a diner that looked faily decent. But when we walked in, there were nothing but white people in there, both eating and working. And I mean that. No black people or "people of color" anywhere, not even a few of them. My friend's boyfriend and I instantly started feeling uncomfortable however my friend didn't see anything wrong at the time. She just wanted to eat lol.

We're standing in line, behind some white people and the hostess is treating them with the upmost respect. However, when it came our turn to be seated, she instantly says, "there's going to be a 20 minute wait", with a rude tone and then she walked away from us. And when my friend's boyfriend tried to ask her a question, she walked away while he was talking. Needless to say, we did not continue our stay there...

This event diminished equity because the hostess implied that black people were not as worthy to eat in a timely fashion, or at the same time as white people I believe. That event still boils my blook because we were really hungry and we did not have a car. So we were on foot/catching the bus and taxis and stuff. That works up an appetite in itself! I believe this event took place in 2002. I would have thought the segregated eating places would have been played out by now. I felt like I was in a time warp, because I couldn't believe that we were dealing with something like this in the 2000s!

That event showed me that we still have a long way to go. Granted, it is better than what it was. But if that level of segregation usually only exist in the south, yet, right outside of Detroit, we experienced the same thing, then that means that segregation and prejudices exists EVERYWHERE!

The hostess and the practice of restaurant would have had to change in order for this incident to be changed into an opportunity for greater equity. People of all colors should be able to eat wherever they want to eat. I must admit that Warren has improved a lot over the years. My cousin (who's black) lives out there now and she loves it. So there is hope for society to change as well. It may happen taking baby steps but as long as steps are being taken, we should be ok. A change is coming!

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

I was watching the Dave Chappelle's show on DVD and one of the cast started a conversation about Asian people. He said something to the effect of when he may ask an Asian where he/she is from, and his/her reply is "the united states", then his response would be "you know what I mean". Although he was joking, he expressed a racial micoaggression because he was implying that all Asian people are born in Asia somewhere and those who are in the United States came over after they were born. We all know that is not true. However, that reminded me of Dr. Sue (who is Asian) when he told the story about the woman asking him where he was from and where he was born. At first he said that he was from Portland, Oregon then later told her that he was born in the United States. My observations from this week has increased my awareness of how there are so many stereotypes for different ethnic groups. I believe comedians such as Dave Chappelle bring stereotypes to the light but in a joking way in order to keep us from getting upset about them. It makes me sit back and ask myself "who came of with all of these anyway?" Words are powerful and so is unity. You get enough people involved, you can create a mighty force, whether it be good or bad. But I am a firm believer that good things last forever and bad things pass away eventually. I am praying that these stereotypes will disappear one day soon, or at least be identifiable to the point where people will know what they are and not give in to them. 

"Microaggressions in Everyday Life" (approximate length: 27 minutes)

In this program, Dr. Derald Wing Sue presents a lecture about the concept of microaggression in everyday life.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

I interviewed aunt (age 64), my best friend (age 31) and my cousin (age 16). I asked them all what their definitions of culture and diversity were and their responses are as follows:

Aunt:

Culture is how we live, think, how we dress, what music we listen to etc.

Diversity is the breakdown of the differences in all of us.

Best Friend:

Culture is our way of life, what we believe and customs we follow.

Diversity is what makes us all different however it also allows us to dwell together in unity.

Cousin:

Culture depends on the person and how they were raised.

Diversity consists of different people of races and who have different beliefs.

I believe all of these answers include what I have learned in this course thus far, as well as what I knew about culture/diversity beforehand. None of them mentioned anything about language but I can see how that was overlooked because we speak English. Their thoughts on culture/diversity has influenced me to want to dig deeper in this topic. This class has allowed me to do that a great deal thus far and I am looking forward to learning more.

My Family Culture

If a catastrophe took place in my country and we had to evacuate, three things I would take would be a Bible, a radio and a cell phone. I was raised Christian and I still practice Christianity as an adult. My grandmother (Bigma) taught us many values and lessons from the Bible and they have helped us all during rough times. I would consider a catastrophe to be a rough time...

I'm a musician, my mom is a musician, and my entire family loves music. So I would have to have radio around so that we can listen to some good tunes. It's only right...

I know that cell phones have not always been around but we looooooooooooove our phones...can't live without them lol. This is how we keep in touch with each other though. My family is scattered across the city of Detroit and the United States. So we need them...

I would be sad if I could only keep one thing but if I had to choose, it would definitely be the Bible. Everything else I can live without, but only for a short while. However, I cannot live without the Word of God.

My insights have been strengthened about my culture and my family culture as a results of this exercise because I did not realize just how strong these items effected our culture until now. I realize that they are important but I do not think I really made the connection to these things and my culture until now.

When I Think of Research...

•What insights have you gained about research from taking this course?

I have gained many insights about research from taking this course. I had a little knowledge about research before, but there was so much that I did not know. For example, the mixed methods approach was an eye opener for me. I had an idea that some research would require using both qualitative and quantitative research but I thought two different research processes would have to take place in order for that to happen. However, with the mixed methods approach, one can conduct a single study yet draw more accurate conclusions.

•In what ways have your ideas about the nature of doing research changed?

My ideas about the nature of research have changed because I always looked at research to be somewhat of a boring subject. But after taking this course, I am more excited about research and I am looking forward to doing my own. I took two research classes in my undergraduate study, yet I feel as though I have learned more taking just this one class.

•What lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood did you learn?

I have learned a lot of lessons about planning, designing and conducting research in this field. But one thing that stuck out to me the most was how to go about getting consent from the children and their parents. That is something that has to be done when conducting research in this field. Otherwise, one will run the risk of encountering some major challenges.

•What were some of the challenges you encountered—and in what ways did you meet them?

Coming up with a research question was probably my biggest challenge. At first it was too broad but after working with Dr. Myers, I was able to come up with the perfect question for my research (Thank you).

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

The best way to say that my perceptions of EC professionals have been modified as a result of this course ties in with how they deal with children who participate in research. Truthfully, the way we are supposed to handle children should be the same all across the board. We should not choose to treat children one way then turn around and do something different when research is being done. I know that some professionals deal with children differently when research is being done but I believe that is not fair to the children. With that being said, whether research is being done or not, EC professionals need to make sure that they are staying professional at all times.

Research Around the World

I chose to write about the Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) website. They have quite a few research topics listed but the two I chose to elaborate on are as follows: "The Development of an Integrated Early Childhood Development Urban Model Training Program for Informal Minders and Community Volunteers in Ghana" and "The Status of Coordination and Supervision of Early Childhood Education in Ghana".

The Development of an Integrated Early Childhood Development Urban Model Training Program for Informal Minders and Community Volunteers in Ghana is developed based on an integrated approach towards the holistic development of the child. The objectives of the project are to identify and develop appropriate training curricula, methods and materials to be used in the training of informal minders (IMs) and community volunteers (CVs). The integrated approach was used to develop the training modules they use.


The Study of Coordination and Supervision of Early Childhood Education in Ghana was conducted in the Greater Accra and Eastern regions from August to December 2003. The main objective of the study was to identify the factors that have engendered the current problems militating against the successful implementation of early childhood education in Ghana. Specifically, the study examined concepts such as early childhood care and development (ECCD), surveyed types of Early Chilhood Development (ECD) programs in the country and presented a general framework for the subsequent discussion.


I came across some interesting information as I navigated through the website. But one thing that stuck out to me the most was the Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) "generative curriculum". The generative curriculum encompasses the following characteristics:

• a learner-focused approach - drawing as much as possible on the learner's experiences in their personal and professional lives;
• an ecological approach - placing individuals, programs and policies into an interactive and dynamic context and seeking to plan activities and interventions to maximize resonating impact throughout the larger ecology;
• a capacity building approach - aiming to strategically strengthen the capacities of participants to effectively fulfill their mandates in their professional position and to be accountable to their constituents and the broader ECD community in their countries. Although most education activities claim this as a general 'purpose', the ECDVU program addresses capacity development in a specific, strategic manner.
• a co-constructive approach - encouraging each learner to draw upon provided curriculum material as well as their own in-country experience and data to derive their own perspectives and applications;
• a multicultural approach - considering ideas, research, and goals pertaining to child care and development from many different cultural sources, including (but not limited to) African and Euro-Western sources;
• a cohort driven approach - encouraging collaboration, reciprocal learning among peers, and consolidation of networks within and between learners representing each participating country.
• an historical approach - exploring 'how we came to be here' vis à vis the evolution of various theories and constructions regarding children and their care and more recent international development activities focusing on children's care and development.

All of these things (meaning the research and generated curriculum) tie in together and they focus on the betterment of children and education. It is interesting to see other countries taking a stand in the early childhood field. I believe that we can all work together for our children. It takes a "village" to raise a child. So I guess it is safe to say that it takes the whole world to raise all of our children.





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