Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

According to Dr. Sue, microaggressions are: "everyday verbal, and nonverbal and environmental slights, snubs, or insights, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership" (Sue, D. 2011)

Describe at least one example of a microaggression which you detected this week or remember from another time. In what context did the microaggression happen? What did you think and feel when you observed the microaggression or when you found yourself as the target of a microaggression?

- One microaggression that I can recall from another time that had me furious was; being in a department store and having two different scenarios occur. The first one was as soon as you enter a store there's always somebody to recognize you and welcome you to their store. I said hello and thank you. The store person proceeds to ask if there's anything specific I am looking for and can she be of any assistance to me? I again say thank you, but I am just looking. She says, okay if you shall need some help my name is  _______ and I will be happy to assist you. For the third time I say thank you, and walk away. About ten minutes into looking at clothes, I see these two children running in and out of clothes racks, being unruly, and not tended to by a responsible parent or caregiver. The woman (who I assumed was the mother) notices my facial expression and displeasure of the children being annoying. She then desperately and dramatically calls the kids at the top of her lungs and said "oh my gosh" you two children need to stay at my side where I can see you, do you want somebody to kidnap you!" As that situation died down, the same store representative came over and begins straightening up each pile of clothes that I walk next to.

Having felt so beyond disrespected, annoyed, and that my constitutional rights had been violated; I immediately left that store and within the next few days email a letter to the headquarters of my experience. A response was returned apologizing for feeling that I was being stalked and furthermore followed. Having proof that I was a very regular customer, they had just hired new employees and many complaints had been coming in about similar situations. In an effort to assure that never happens again, I was given some coupons (basically to shut me up); but also told that him the CEO himself would look into the situation. Something I doubt, but okay.

From both aspects of the mother thinking I was a kidnapper and the store clerk thinking I was there to steal merchandise; I felt humiliated, annoyed, disrespected, amongst a bunch of other feelings. I still often wonder what would I have had to done differently in body, language, or facial expressions ??? I also felt that something other than shelling out some coupons which is very easy to do and have somebody shut up for a few dollars of discount, should have been done. Even though I never received and never will because I do not know that lady, but I would have liked to ask the lady why it was that she thought I was a kidnapper? And honestly I would have appreciated an apology, because in all actuality what are you teaching your young children; that all black people are kidnappers??? That is totally unacceptable!



 In what ways did your observation experiences this week affect your perception of the effects of discrimination, prejudice, and/or stereotypes on people
- I noticed that most microaggressions in one way or another, all trickle back down to discrimination, prejudice, and other stereotypical traits. Realizing that we are about to go into 2014, we as a people need to let these things go and allow the world to be as it is without juding individuals, making jokes and teasing, or grouping people together because of the color of their skin. My question will always be the same until there is an answer to come from it; WHEN WILL IT ALL END????


Sue, D. Dr. (2011) Microaggressions in Everyday Life; Course Media

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

1st Person (Mother)
Definition of Culture- Some things that are handed down from generation to generation
Definition of Diversity- A mixture of people, places, and things. Not all of one thing.


2nd Person (Monique)
Definition of Culture- Culture is a set of value and norms learned from being a member of a specific ethnic member group or groups.
Definition of Diversity- Diversity is differences in people that are physically visible or in some cases invisible.


3rd Person (Rashaad)
Definition of Culture- Culture is your roots, upbringing, and values
Definition of Diversity


4th Person (Andrew)
Definition of Culture- Culture is your music, fashion, experiences, and traditions shred by a group of people.
Definition of Diversity- Differences listed in the things above.


5th Person (Dad)
Definition of Culture- Culture is one's background and the environment that they grew up in.
Definition of Diversity- Correlation of different ethnicities.

6th Person (Aaron)
Definition of Culture- Mark of people's growth in society, whether it be the; clothes food, religion. Basically the way of the people from the region.
Definition of Diversity- Differences between the cultures and the uniqueness of each individual one.

Which aspects of culture and diversity that I have studied in this course are included in the answers I received—and what are some examples?

- A lot of the responses are very similar  with one another; however just worded differently. Some aspects that I've studied in the course are; religion, food, clothes, traditions, and values.

Which aspects have been omitted—and what are some examples of such omission?

- Some characteristics that weren't mentioned were; political views, education, or means of transportation,

In what ways has thinking about other people’s definitions of culture and diversity influenced my own thinking about these topics?

- Thinking about other people's definitions of culture and diversity has really broadened my own thoughts. When you hear the words culture and diversity, most times you think of the general, basic, and vague traits; however, but when you actually give it some time to think about it you find deeper meanings. Even though clothing is a form of culture I have never thought about mentioning that; even more so it's a form of art as well!

My Family CUlture

A description of the three items you would choose

- The three things that I would take is a small photo album, the Bible, and family heirloom; such as pocket watch.

How you would explain to others what each of these items means to you

- I chose these three things because they are the most significant pieces of items, that hold the most cultural meaning to me.
 * The first item is a photo album. I chose this because it shows me exactly where I came from. It also shows pictures of family members both near and far. Each picture is worth a thousand of words, and depending who you ask or show the picture to; perhaps will grant you a different story.
 * The next item is my Bible. Being that I'll be taking to a country where culture is totally different than mine, I felt the need to have my religion and (Basic instructions before leaving earth) with me. Even though I have the Word in my heart, I may be able to share it with others and or use it to do studying on my own.
 * Lastly, I will be taking one piece of family heirloom; such as a pocket watch. The pocket watch that I have is one that has been passed down from 5 generations and I look forward to having it passed down to me as well. I can only imagine the stories and facts that I would be told; had the my actual ancestor still been here with me today. Passing artifacts down from one generation to the next just shares so much cultural background information.

Your feelings if, upon arrival, you were told that you could only keep one personal item and have to give up the other two items you brought with you

- I would feel cheated. I was told previously that I could have three special items, and upon arrival directions were changed and now I could only have one. I would also feel alone, being that these three items gave me a sense of comfort and history as to who I am. The one item I would still keep is the pictures so I knew what my whole family looks like, remembering the good times and even the bad times.

Any insights you gained about yourself, your family culture, diversity, and/or cultural differences in general, as a result of this exercise,

- Family culture and diversity within the family is very important and will always be. I can say I'm blessed to have such a interesting family, that practices religious beliefs, in addition to cultural beliefs. It is also important to have sit downs with the older people of your family so they can tell you about the family history. The children can sit down and learn through puppet shows or singing songs. If I never knew or endured these type of things, I wouldn't know me or where I came from.



*Disclaimer, I'm not sure how the font changed midway through, but for some reason I can't get it to change back; please over look that. *

When I think of Research.....

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

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

From taking this class, I have learned about the skill of Research. I never knew nor took the time to dig deep into the skill of research and all that it entails. I am amazed to have went through 7 weeks of class, and to have learned about all the components that make it up. For instance; standards and guidelines, ethics, options and considerations, quantitative and qualitative reasoning, mixing methods, and lastly the equity of research. Unless you're an actual researcher, you never get to see the nitty gritty work that has to be completed for a research project to become successful..

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

I learned that there are different ways in which to conduct research, as well as retrieving information. For instance, you can sit and simply observe and take data, or you can actually interview the individual or groups of people.

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

A challenge that I encountered is by understanding some of the language used. When researchers are in the midst of a project, they use a vernacular that pertains to the course of work that they are doing. So that took a little getting used to and some time to look up words and then place it in the context that it was used to determine it's rightful definition. Another challenge that I ran into was selecting a topic and sticking with it. I chose a topic in week 1 and then having to select 3 subtopics was the first roadblock because I thought of so many other topics that sounded much better, I'm guessing because my original topic was wayyy too broad. Then as the weeks went on and I believe in week 7's discussion and I had a class mate suggest a better way of delivering the topic in words, but still using my topic and thought. One reason i'm not a biology or earth science researcher because it seems like it gets harder and harder each time you break it down.

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

Well considering the fact that early childhood professionals conduct research each and every day by obtaining observational records on their progress and areas that need to be worked on. I still have some confused feelings after taking this course, but I feel confident that I can at least conduct a research on a child's progress throughout the school year based on academic objectives and the behavior that is displayed.

Thank You very much to each of my colleagues that have read, responded, and also lended advice and or suggestions throughout this class. I think it's probably safe to say, that if it wasn't for each other we all would be pretty bad researchers. I wish each of you the best of luck in your next class.

-Sherrell

Research Around the World

I chose ECDVU Sub-Saharan Africa:
Sub-Saharan Africa's Mission Statement is  to further develop African ECD leadership capacity as a key strategy in support of child, family, and community well being and broader social and economic development.

What are some of the current international research topics?

- Pilot study of the adaptation of an established measure to assess the quality of child services in a selected orphanage in Zambia: The inclusive quality assessment tool.
- The status of coordination and supervision of early childhood education in Ghana.
- A guide for effect school and parent collaboration: A cooperative development and delivery approach in Nigeria.
- Assessment of Interaction and Stimulation in Single-Mother Low-Income Families in Malawi

What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website?

- The University derived from trainings and seminars. The completion of the university is one year to earn either a degree or certificate.
- Every area, overview, and topic that is brought forth on this virtual university is to educate the families, community, and other staff employees.

What other noteworthy information did you find on this website?

- I enjoyed reading the history; including the learners, the country that the came from, and their role in the virtual university.

Reference

 

Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). (2002) http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/index.php

http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php

Research that benefits children and families-uplifting stories

The topic that I would choose to do research on, are the benefits that autism children gain from using technology as a source of learning new skills. As more and more children are becoming diagnosed in the various mental health categories, the more teachers are unprepared when it comes to teaching the academic studies.

When working with children who have been classified, such as being autistic you have to find a different avenue in teaching the children; both in a way that would be interested to them, in addition to focusing in on the areas of need. Growing up in a world where technology was just becoming popular has always been the norm for me. However, seeing that schools are now implementing technology into the classrooms by using whiteboards, laptops, ipads, and other devices; the school is keeping up with the hands of times and noticing what the children are interested in. So many of the devices now have apps for everything including educational games, tests, and lessons. "Teach town is a system that provides services to children ages 2-7 that are in need of help with receptive language, cognitive, and academic abilities." (NCTI, 2007) Another important benefit children would gain, are the fine motor skills that it takes in order to maneuver the computer, mouse, or if it's an ipad then the hand eye coordination for touch screen. Some apps that are beneficial for the child to use are; Touch and learn emotions (expressing emotions and feelings), Model Me Going Places (modeling social skills), and Speech Buttons (social skills)

Resources

 

NCTI (2007) http://www.nationaltechcenter.org/index.php/2009/07/20/case-teaching-children-with-autism-through-technology/

 

 



Your Personal Research Journey

The topic I chose to research is; Autism and the process it takes for a child to receive Early Intervention. I selected this topic because this medical condition is becoming more and more common in the classrooms, and I feel that teachers as well as the parents lack the knowledge of it.

• Another reason I selected this is because, a few years ago I was a one on one for a young lady in order for her to attend a week long summer camp. She was classified as having Asperger's disorder; which is a high functioning portion of the spectrum that affects the language and behavioral side of a child.
•  My next run in was last summer when my family and I were on our family vacation on a cruise ship. We were placed at the same table as another family, who coincidently happened to be from New Jersey as well. Having set with the same group of people for nine whole days, you intermingle and begin to converse about what each family did on and off the ship that day. In addition to the "vacation talk" the mom and I had started talking about what professions we were in. When I mentioned I was a teacher, she began to open up about her son being diagnosed when he was about six or seven and he was fifteen or sixteen at the time. So the mom begin to tell me how hard it was at his new school to get him services, because he refused to take an "mandatory evaluation".
• My last and most current situation is a little boy that I have in my class now. He is a cultural student who at the beginning spoke absolutely no English and only jibberish in his native language, at the age of three. From the various books and online articles I have read in the past, I began seeing signs and symptoms that this boy was displaying as apart of the autism spectrum. Having mentioned to my supervisor on more than a few occasions, she placed him on our "review" list, which pretty much means out special educator has to come and observe him, in addition to our speech therapist to see if it was only a language barrier. As my suspicions were right, he turned out to be right on target for the autism spectrum, according to both ladies. Little things that he does in the class that is noticeable; lining objects like chairs, cars, books etc. up in one straight line. He's totally obsessed with school busses and fire trucks. Did not like when people invade his personal space, including mom and dad for hugs. If talking to him, sometimes he would stare at you as if you had two heads, and other times wouldn't make no eye contact whatsoever. Displayed and still displays a very extreme aggressive behavior physically; such as hitting, kicking, spitting, pinching, and pulling hair to teachers as well as students. Lastly, he has sensory issues, where he can just take his hand, arm, or face and repeatedly rub it across different textures back and forth just to amuse his tactile thoughts.

Some resources that I am very fond of:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002494/
http://autismnj.org/
http://www.autismfamilyservicesnj.org/index.php
http://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism