I want to thank you all. I have enjoyed reading and interacting with you all. I have enjoyed the class and our journey so far. This semester has been a bit hard to get through and I hope to see you all to the end.

I hope that while working with children and families from all the different backgrounds that I remember the things I have learned in this class and apply them. I think one goal I would like to set would be that more classes are given in this area in undergraduate studies and even in general education for the field, individuals that are just starting in the field should know what a difference this can make in building the trust of the child and family by supporting their diverse backgrounds.

Blog: Welcoming Families From Around the World

Africa.

Africa is the name of the country that I don't know much about.

Five ways to prepare from this family:

1.Research things about the culture of the family

2.Purchase things related to their culture that may be important for them to feel comfortable.

3.Be careful to use the correct language when talking to them and not say the wrong thing.

4. Make sure the other staff are also on board and don't say he wrong things that may offend the family. 

5. Learn some language to help communicate with the family better.

I think that learning everything about the family first would be helpful, I would assume that alot of information would come from the agency handling the family was coming from. I think the things would help the family and I to get off to a good start as we get to know each other.

The personal Side of Bias, Prejudice and Oppression

As I have probably stated several times at this point, I don't have a lot of experiences or incidents related to Bias, Prejudice or oppression. I am sure that is because of  personality and I just don't really let things bother me but this class has made me look at things a little more critically and I don't know if that is a good thing or bad. I think the things that I have noticed lately have been a few experiences while out shopping and I didn't make a scene when these thing happen, I didn't day anything in fact and even tried to rationalise and explain the behavior of others.

While shopping at Jcpenny in the jewelry section I picked out some earrings and waiting at the counter for an elderly white women to finish her purchase at this time some additional members of her family came up and were holding items clearly not from the jewelry section and the cashier had already told me she would be right with me before they arrived but as what I assumed was her mother left her and her teenage daughter stepped up to the counter with their items. The cashier told her, well "asked" her if it was okay to wait on me first, which wasn't okay because why should you have to ask her that and then she hesitated saying...uh I guess and I was very close to saying "Why shouldn't it be okay"  and I know other's who would have said that and a lot more. I believe  the teenager said to the mother "she was here first" as her mom hesitated to say I should be waited on first. I paid for my belonging and walked away, but that made me feel away for several reasons and then I tried to rationalise that maybe they were there first but no they had bra's and other things so they may have been with the other lady but had walked away and were not present when I arrived but they felt privileged to go ahead of me. And the cashier even felt the need to "ask" if it was okay to wait on me first. And I wonder if she had said no what the cashier would have said or what I would have said.
I think because it went the way it did nothing was really learned and I don't want to make excuses or guess what she may have meant about it but the way I took it was she is either rude or thought she should be helped before me.

Practicing Awarness of Microaggressions

I didn't detect any examples of micro aggression this week possibly because I didn't interact with anyone except family and my staff and the families at my center. But I do have examples to share. Microinvalidations is one of the types of micoagression that was described in the video segment with Dr. Sue(Laureate Education 2011). Micoinvaladation is a form of micro aggression that excludes or negates a persons thoughts or feelings.
I have a friend who every time we go anywhere, shopping out to eat always feels that we as African Americans are being either not shown enough attention and good customer service as our white counterparts or we are being undo targeted as people who are gonna steal. Me and the other friend never see the same thing she is seeing and we always negate her feelings and at times have even walked away from her as she gets loud and out of hand and embarrassing. But after listening to Dr. Sue and thinking about it due to her experiences she may see things that the other two of use are just ignoring. She grew up in the city and me and my friend didn't and the things we have experienced may be different then her which make her see things that we don't.

I also experienced an example of microinsult about two weeks before I knew what it even meant. I was at Walmart with my cart in the little girls section and was looking at items when a white couple came near me with their cart full of stuff in my direction and literally was going to push their way right in front of me until I just moved my cart, there was no excuse me or anything just pushing through and standing there for me to move as if THEY were intitiled to cut in front of me, intitled to without so much as an excuse me or sorry. Now this could just be because they have no manners, but when I was in another section of the store and they attempted the same things again, I didn't move and give them any POWER over me. It bothered me but those things haven't happen many times to me anyway.

I think this observation experience has reminded me of things that have happen or things that I may have did that aren't appropriate as far as my friend. But I think it is also going to make me aware of the hidden meaning behind everything someone say's

Laureate Education. (2011). Microaggressions in everyday life. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu  

Perspective on Diversity and Culture-

I reached out to several individuals regarding their perspectives on Diversity:

My Dads statement:
Culture is a set of identifying traits, habits or principles used to set apart a group of individuals from others as unique.
Diversity on the other hand is those characteristic which establish differences between people when looking at the whole. 


A Caucasian former co-worker:
Culture is celebrating and learning about all walks of life and being enlightened.
Diversity is all different walks of life.


A cousin in California:
Culture is the collective traditions and practices observed on a regular basis by particular groups of people.
Diversity id different groups of people practicing different cultures but still interacting with each other and living within close proximity to each other.



I have learned that culture is every aspect of a group of people, the way we sleep, talk, care for our families and relate to each other and withing our group and what makes us comfortable. and I think that most of the people I asked that question to agreed with that definition. I think that they have omitted listing all the things that make up a person's culture, it is everything that a person does the way the dress, look, talk and the things they eat.
Reading things that other individuals think about the definitions just helps to see that everyone has a different idea of what it means because it means different things to everyone.

My Family Culture?

I had to put a question mark after the title, because I was at a lost of what I have in my possession that would represent my families culture, I wondered since I have been raised a military brat and have never lived near my extended families to share the history or culture of our family I am lost. After reading some of the other post, I don't have a family item or a special item from a grandparent because I have never spent ore than a few weeks around them.

That being said I would bring my cell
My Dog, he's small enough
And my small page of personal hygiene supplies

I know these things have nothing to do with culture, but I really just don't have anything that represents my culture, my cell phone contains all my pictures except the big ones on my walls.
My dog is part of my family, leaving him behind would be like leaving behind my child. I was so sad seeing previous disasters in our world like Katrina and all the pets that were displaced.
And then my supply bag just because you need those items to feel clean and yourself.

If I then had to chose one it would have to be my dog, Trigger. He is part of the family.

Research around the world

The website I explored was Early childhood Australia: 

I felt this website was definitely the Australia version of NAEYC. I totally felt that while exploring it.
Some of the current international research topics I noticed were: Family daycare in Australia and to asses its quality and identify pertinent topics for future research.
Literacy is another topic of research and even in Australia they know the importance of early literacy experiences and how that affects future literacy development.

Some of the surprising facts are that even in Australia they support the "Learning through play practice, we know how important it is and to know that it is an international movement is insightful.

And I think it is insightful that Earlychilhood is important on so many levels and in so many other countries.

I found the website interesting in general to see the code of ethics and just all the same things that our website contains.

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au