Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

     In preparation for this blog entry, I interviewed three individuals.  Although all three are family member, one is much younger that I, one is a different gender, and one is younger and teachers in a high school.  All three interviewees agreed that culture is about family, values, and upbringing.  This definition is the basis of what this course is about.  We are learning the importance of empowering children to value their family culture while learning a new, dominant culture (Laureate Education, 2010).  Sarah further explained that her definition of culture includes “what is socially acceptable within the social ‘norm’”.  Culture has more to do with socio-economic status than with race even though race plays a part (Sarah, 2012).  She provided an example of a playground that many of her students talk about at school.  The homes around the playground have furniture and couches on the sidewalk where people sit and drink beer all day.  Children must earn their way onto the basketball court.  Drugs are a big part of the scene.  Sarah explained the importance of understanding this type of culture in order to know what each family values before calling home to report that a student is not doing well in school.  For instance, it is important to know the extent to which the parent values their child’s education or if the child is attending school just to get a meal (Sarah, 2012).  The culture Sarah described is different than what we have learned thus far in class because the students are older and the emphasis is not on race, ethnicity, religion, language, family structure, or sexuality (Gonzalez-Mena, 2008). 

          Defining diversity, the interviewees named ethnicity, language, dress and religion as part of the definition, as well as how individuals from different cultural backgrounds interact with each other (Lee Ann, 2012) (Brian, 2012).  Sarah defined diversity within her school as teachers knowing and understanding what different families’ values are and introducing cultures from all parts of the world into the classroom; as well as students respecting each other’s cultural backgrounds and not having “clicks” or a hierarchy of popularity such as “cool kids”, or “popular kids”.  She explained that it is quite a challenge to be culturally diverse, and feels her school is successful in making “the playing field” more even for the students (Sarah, 2012).  The definitions of the interviewees correspond with what we are learning in class in that we learned that diversity is rooted in the assumption that there are many different kinds of families in the United States and around the world (Harris, 2008); and children need to feel their families are acceptable to their teachers (Gonzalez-Mena, 2008) and that they fit in with the dominant culture (Laureate Education, 2010). 

          My own thinking about culture and diversity has been validated by the viewpoints of the family members I interviewed.  My understanding of the importance of getting to know every family, regardless of culture has been broadened by my interview with Sarah.  Her teaching experience exemplifies that putting into practice what we are learning can reap great rewards.  Sarah attended a high school that was not culturally diverse yet had many social hierarchies such as “cool kids”, “jocks”, and “popular kids”.  The students in the school where she now teaches are quite culturally diverse.  Because of the hard work of the administration and teachers there is not a clash of cultures (Ngo, 2008), but an acceptance and harmony.  Conducting these interviews has been very rewarding to see the potential for a continuum of cultural and diversity acceptance throughout a child’s schooling. 

References

Brian. (2012). Retrieved from a phone interview on March 17, 2012

Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2008). Diversity in Early Care and Education (5th ed., pp. 8–13). Boston, MA: McGraw Hill.

Harris, S. R. (2008). What is family diversity? Objective and interpretive approaches. Journal of Family Issues, 29(11), 1407–1417.
Retrieved from the Walden Library using the SAGE Premier 2010 database.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). Culture and Diversity [Video webcast]. Retrieved from http://www.courseurl.com

Lee Ann. (2012).  Retrieved from a phone interview on March 17, 2012

Ngo, B. (2008). Beyond “culture clash”: Understanding of immigrant experiences. Theory into Practice, 47(1), 4–11.
Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Education Research Complete database.

Sarah. (2012). Retrieved from a phone interview on March 17, 2012.

My Family Culture

            Following a major catastrophe from which my immediately family survived we cling to each other and express extreme gratitude that we are able to be together.  We are sympathetic for the tremendous loss and seek ways to comfort each other and others less fortunate.   We follow our customary tradition by praying together and jointly deciding the items we value most to take to a new country.  We decide first to select pictures depicting our lives and place them in a small photo album.  We select everyone’s baby picture and baptismal picture to remind us of our religious upbringing and how influential religion is in our everyday lives.  Sports played a major role in three of my four children’s upbringing, so we chose one picture a piece as mementos of their favorite sport and of my other daughter and me attending their games as a show of support and encouragement. Education and training are highly valued in our family, so we chose everyone’s graduation pictures, including mine and my son’s graduation from basic military training.  Maintaining close ties with extended family and carrying on traditions of our heritage is of great value to us, so we included a family reunion picture and pictures of my parents and siblings, and of my children’s father and his parents, their stepmother and step family.  Some of our best memories are of playing and having fun together, so we included pictures of our family vacations and birthday parties. 

          Our second treasured possession we decide to take is our family cookbook.  We have recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation as well as new favorites.  Sharing meals by sitting around the kitchen or dining room table was of particular importance to us.  One of the most frequent calls I receive from my daughters is, “Mom, how do I make this, what ingredients do I need to buy”?  My son was a great helper in the kitchen.  Our visits now center on me making everyone’s favorite meal. 

          Third, we decide to take my son’s notebook.  He has many games, music, and movies that we would be able play and watch.  As a family we enjoy listening to music.  We love playing games together as well as watching movies.  We have always enjoyed these are activities and feel that if we incorporate activities that are familiar we’ll adjust more easily and readily to our new country’s culture (Derman-Sparks, 2010) (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010).

          Upon arrival in our new country we are told we can have only take one item with us.  I explain to my children that I have many recipes memorized and we are all creative chiefs.  One of my daughters is a Consumer Science teacher and also has many recipes memorized.  We give up the cookbook and plan to enter as many recipes as we can remember into my son’s notebook as soon as we get settled.  My son already has an array of pictures saved in his notebook and we ask if we can upload the pictures from our photo album before relinquishing it.  I realize how devastating it will be not to have a picture of my parents or siblings and for my children not to have pictures of their father and his family.  After much debate, we agree that we could write our recipes on paper.  We could learn to enjoy the music of our new country.  We are all very creative and could make familiar games from various items or make up and/or purchase new games.  However, we would never have the opportunity to take pictures of our loves ones that did not survive.  Our decision would be based on whether or not we are given permission to upload our pictures.

          The insight I gained from this exercise is that it is very difficult to pinpoint items that are more important than being with my immediate family.  Our family culture will bind us together and help us integrate into a new culture.  We will have each other.  I taught my children to be resilient and the dominant culture (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010) in our lives taught us as a family to be resilient because we are a single parent family.  We will have each other for support and learn from each other how to become integrated into a new way of life.  I foresee that we will become dependent upon each other in new ways and will need to draw upon each other’s strengths to adapt and change. 

References

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). P. 5.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2010). Family Cultures: Dynamic Interactions [Video webcast]. Retrieved from http://www.courseurl.com

When I Think of Research...........

The insights I have gained about research include that researchers are disciplined, passionate, and committed.  Researchers devise an intricate plan to gather information or data that will shed light on a question or hypothesis about a specific topic resulting in an advancement of what is known about that topic.  The researcher must be disciplined to research past studies related to the research topic.  He must be passionate to ensure his methods of data collection and analysis use methods such as triangulation to ensure accuracy and validity.  A researcher’s commitment to the integrity of the study involves self-reflection and continuous evaluation to ensure the study is ethical and respectful of the participants, planning for their participation to the highest degree possible and reasonable. 

My ideas and thoughts about the nature of doing research have been expanded.  The various methodologies, cultures, and thought processes that are so integral to the research process were new to me.  Although ethical issues were not new to me, applying them to research was.  Participant participation in the research process has been an enlightening concept and sheds light on diminishing power relationships and applying equity.

Planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood brought new meaning to the phrase “look at the big picture”.  The researcher must keep the entirety of the study in mind while attending to every minute detail.  Planning, designing, and conducting research interconnects every aspect of the research process from formulating a research question to ensuring the validity of data analysis.  

Some of the challenges I encountered during this course were grasping the concepts of methodology and culture and understanding the application of ethics and equity.  I met these challenges by studying the readings throughout this course and reviewing them several times, applying what I was learning to my research study, reading and trying to comprehend the viewpoints of my colleagues and professor in our discussions, and searching the web for related articles.

My perception of early childhood professionals is that of respect.  Early childhood professionals apply ethics and equity in their “everyday life” of working with children.  The lessons and guidance they provide children are based on research.  After taking this class I realize the interdependence of children, parents, early childhood professionals, and researchers of early childhood development.  Each plays a role to increase our knowledge of child development.  My perception of our field as a profession has been broadened and strengthened.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues and professor for all the assistance provided to help me understand the difficult concepts associated with research.  At times we had different viewpoints; however this helped me gain a better understanding of the research process.  Thank you all very much!

Reference

Mac Naughton, G., Rolfe, S.A., & Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2010). Doing Early Childhood Research: International Perspective on Theory and Practice (2^nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill

Early Childhood Research from a Global Perspective

        Reviewing international research topics found on the European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) and the Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) websites I discovered that many of the research topics are similar to those in the United States.  Topics of research involve practices of parenting, school readiness, supporting child well-being, play and physical activity, scaffolding, language, gender roles, and diversity.  Research topics that differ from those typical to the United States involve indigenous studies that include stories, knowledge, materials, and practices as part of the research.  Other differences I noticed are that research is completed in orphanages, and there is more emphasis on the capacity of children and their ability to fully participate in all aspects of research. 

          I reviewed the (EECERA) website that includes the European Early Childhood Education Research Journal.  This journal is published four times a year.  It is a scholarly journal meant to provide support and information sharing for its partners and readers.  The website highlights the most read and the most cited articles.   The insight I gained is that we can learn much from the work being completed globally with children.  Other countries appear to be more advanced in their attitudes toward working with children, recognizing that children are much more capable than we give them credit in the United States.  Research is more focused on children participating in all aspect of research projects.  There seems to be less emphasis on children with disabilities than in the US, as many of the research projects include both children with and without disabilities; “More able children tend to model behaviour and instruct less able counterparts on aspects of the research. These findings suggest that with support young children with and without a disability can be fully engaged in the research process” (Gray, Winter, 2011).  On the other hand, many African countries appear to be less advanced than the US in regard to child care.   Many research studies in African countries focus on different aspects of support for child care centers. 

          The noteworthy information I found reviewing the different websites related to global research studies are the wealth of information that is shared and the emphasis placed on sharing.  The amount of research conducted and the knowledge gained about child development and the capacity of children beginning at birth is awesome!  It is very encouraging that researchers follow a code of ethics.  Also encouraging is that children are viewed with such respect and that as a global community we are searching for ways to understand the full capacity of children as contributing members of their community.

         

References

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

European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA). Retrieved from http://www.eecera.org/

Gray, C., Winter, E. (2011).  Hearing voices: participatory research with preschool children with and without disabilities [Abstract]. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, v. 19, 3. Retrieved from http://www.eecera.org/

Dream Research

          My “dream” research project involves examining brain development as it relates to motor skill development in children from birth to age two.  My research question is, “How much does guided practice and teaching of emerging gross motor skills such as stepping, running, grasping, catching, and throwing effect normal brain maturation and the effect on future involvement in physical activity”?  On staff I have an expert in the field of ethics to research all ethical issues involved in using children from zero to two years of age as research subjects.  He or she will submit our research project for approval by the Institutional Review Board and ensure that guidelines set forth by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service: Office for Human Research Protections and the National Association for the Education of Young Children are strictly followed.    Additionally, this expert will determine and define how to obtain or recognize assent from subjects in this age group as well as defining informed consent, parental consent, and consent by any additional person that may be involved with a research subject during the project.  This staff person will pay particular attention to intended or unintended deception and appropriate disclosure (SRCD Ethical standards for research with children, n.d.).   A fellow staff member will research and collect data from other research projects that correlate the relationship of motor skill development with future involvement in physical activity and with the development of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.  A larger portion of additional staff will devote their time designing the research project, the strategies that with be used, and the research method to be employed. A neuroscientist who is a member of the International Brain Research Organization will be employed.  The neuroscientist will ensure adherence to the mission of the society, including “provide for and assist in education and dissemination of information relating to brain research by all available means” (International Brain Research Organization, n.d.).  Working closely with the neuroscientist will be a team of early childhood development experts.  Their role will be to oversee the entire research project to ensure the research respects each subject, their family, and any other person involved with their care and that appropriate developmental practices are followed. 

          The purpose of this research project is to explore if motor development is an experience-dependent function of brain development.  Depending on the particular experiences it has, an infant’s brain becomes structured and connected one way or another, as some dendrites grow and neurons thrive while others die (Berger, 2009).  The positive contribution this discovery will have to the early childhood field is a broadened understanding of brain development.  Educational programs for parents and educators will include the findings of this research project.  Infant and toddler programs will include intentional and well defined motor skill development.  The results of this research will spark new research to further develop the field of motor development and physical activity.  The impact this research will have on society is that new understanding and emphasis will be placed on intentional physical development and fitness beginning at infancy.  The long term effect will be a child’s continued participation in physical fitness throughout life resulting in a decrease in childhood and adult obesity, a decrease in diabetes, and a decrease in heart disease. 

References

SRCD Ethical Standards for Research with Children. (n.d.). Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD). Retrieved from http://www.srcd.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=68&Itemid=499

International Brain Research Organization (IBRO). (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.ibro.org/Pub/Pub_Main_Display.asp?LC_Docs_ID=2081

Berger, K. S. (2009). The Developing Person through Childhood (5th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

Research

          I have never before delved into the research process as much as I am learning to do for this class.  At the beginning of class I was over zealous in my thoughts about the scope of what would make a good research project.  I was not much different than the beginning researcher described in our textbook, “Many beginning researchers tend to be overly ambitious in regard to their research aims” (Mac Naughton, Rolfe, & Siraj-Blatchford, 2010).  After reading and reflecting on our readings this week, I realized the goal of a research project is to concentrate on one part of the “big picture” and that research projects build on other related research projects.  I then realized I had to narrow my research question to something manageable, especially considering my time restraint.  Another insight I gained about the research process is the importance of knowing the definition of terms and understanding concepts.

          The subtopic I decided to focus on for my simulation in the coming weeks is my second subtopic, “Defining how social, motor, and talent skills are developed through certain activities such as dance classes, sports, gymnastics, music lessons, and classes in the arts”.  This subtopic is very broad and covers many topics.  Therefore, after much reflection on the concept of developing a research project, I decided to narrow my subtopic to motor skill development and physical activity.  I think this is at the core or at least beginning of my initial question of whether participation in extracurricular activities correlates with participation in sports and the arts throughout a child’s school experience.

          The reason I chose this topic is because I watched my children participate in extracurricular, non-school related sports, as well as sports in high school.  For the most part, the children that participated in extracurricular sports beginning in preschool also participated in school sports.  Watching my son’s and daughter’s friends develop from playing T-ball and doing tiny tumble class to playing high school sports  made me question how much their prior experiences correlated with their participaton on the high school team.  I now expand my observation to include questioning if early physical activity increases motor skill development.   

         During my search for articles related to my chosen topic, I came across a website that may prove beneficial to others.  It is the National Center for Education Statistics found at:  http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch.  Please share resources that you feel may be helpful, as I did not find an overabundance of articles related to my research topic.  I am not experienced doing research and welcome any input, insight, advice, or assistance you may offer. 

Reference

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

Learning about the International Early Childhood Field

　
     Exchanging information about the early childhood field with international conversation partners has been a learning experience as well as an experience that has broadened my professional growth. My conversation partner from Benin, Africa teaches English to first and third grade students and my conversation partner from Christchurch, New Zealand teaches fifth grade and has a daughter that attends a preschool program. One consequence of corresponding with my partners is that I learned about the effect their governments have on the education system in their country. My conversation partner in New Zealand wrote, “The government believes that a centre can employ people who do not hold qualifications….The current government has been cutting operational grants to early childhood teacher…..The government has slashed funding to centres to encourage to hire less qualified …….” (Mary, 2011). My conversation partner in Benin wrote, “about the school system in Benin, there is subsidy granted by governments to both public and private schools. However, that subsidy is insufficient……in BENIN leaders don't have in mind the issue of Development". They are very corrupted and don't think of the lives of the peoples……..” (Claudio, 2011). Another consequence was that I learned that in New Zealand children with diverse learning abilities are included in the classroom with no emphasis placed on the differences in learning styles. A third consequence was that I heard first hand about the extreme poverty and devastating health issues that exist in Benin. Many programs such as UNICEF provide assistance and aid to the country. Students in third grade are taught about sexually transmitted disease because of the prevalence of Aids.
     The most important consequence and goal that I developed during “conversations” with my foreign partners is to maintain an on-going communication for continued sharing and learning from each other. My professional network is now global and includes professional friends from very different parts of the world.



                                                                                References

Claudio, (9/2011). Retrieved from personal e-mail

Mary, (9/2011). Retrieved from personal e-mail.