Time Well Spent

As this is our final journey through a new milestone in our lives, I can truly say that I have learned a great deal of new information that I can take with me everywhere I go. I have learned how to make budgets, write a proposal, conduct a vision and challenge and implement a community of practice, and how to utilize effective collaboration. As I think that having a large support group and constant interactions can help us to enhance our own skills and experiences, I also think that an anti-biased approach to listening teaching, and speaking can definitely make it a lot easier to get along with the world and see things in a different light.

            My long term goal is to keep learning all that I can to expand my professionalism and knowledge database. In doing so, I want to teach others what I know so they can pursue their dreams to be an advocate in the early childhood field. I think that by being a lifelong learner I can contribute so much to the field because I can adapt new trends and styles and stay informed about future goals and in the sciences.

            Another long term goal I have is to be the best that I can be. I want to make a difference in the lives of children and their families. I also want to make my challenge a reality where I can actually implement a Good Samaritan Center in my community to help children grow up in a society free of poverty. Yes it is a dream. But I have a dream to make my dream a reality.

            As I am definitely going to miss each and all of you, including Dr. Teri and all of my instructors throughout my Walden Career, I most definitely want to include that I hope the best for all of your future and success. May god bless each and all of you and help you in your dreams, passions, journey's, and successes. Feel free to contact me anytime as I am always here as a colleague, friend, and professional (Community of Practice).

Best Wishes

Angela Christy Van Rosmalen

(323) 719-4150

ladybugangie79@gmail.com

facebook:

Angela Christy Turner-Van Rosmalen

(Joshua Tree) residence.

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

Upon glancing at a few communities of practice from a global perspective, I found that UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) has many opportunities for employment in several countries and in the US. The main purpose of UNESCO is to reach Island Communities and developing countries to educate, socialize, reduce poverty, recognize culture to bring world peace, and to communicate with cultures to bring all of these aspects into communities. " UNESCO’s mission is to contribute to the building of a culture of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information" (UNESCO, n.d. p.2).

            Africa and Gender Equality are amongst the most prioritized issues that UNESCO is currently working towards. " Girls account for more than half of the world’s out-of-school children" (UNESCO, n.d. p.6).  This statistic tells us that if we educate females in other countries, the poverty rate can decreases significantly because girls can acquire the skills that they need to obtain employment.

            Employment opportunities are beneficial for those who want to make a change for the betterment of culture, society, and the reduction of poverty and other issues affecting people in the world. This position interested me because of the opportunity to visit Paris, where the UNESCO Headquarters are and the opportunity to live there to take on the task of being an effective advocate and leader towards helping the underserved populations of the world. Salaries are generous and they are based on the term of the job positions.

The job skills needed for this position are composed of an internship position from 2-6 months and this is where we learn to be part of the team at UNESCO and learn their philosophies about helping others in the world." Applicants must be undertaking studies in areas related to UNESCO’s fields of competence (namely, education, culture, sciences, communication and social sciences) or in other areas which support UNESCO’s work (such as law, human resource management, management studies, international relations, etc.)" (UNESCO, n.d. para.4).

The url for becoming an intern is as follows: http://en.unesco.org/careers/internships.

 the salary handbook has a direct link:

https://en.unesco.org/careers/sites/careers/files/HRM_brochure2013.pdf.

UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) is another global organization that strives for families and children. They work towards education, nutrition, diversity, health, and child protection. This organization has made many efforts to help those who suffer from nature's devastation such as flooding, earthquakes, and various other disasters. They also help with health issues such as HIV/AIDS which strikes many population such as those in high populated areas like AFRICA and ASIA. By helping people receive treatment, raise awareness, and provide safe alternatives, UNICEF can prevent global devastations such as illness and death.

The home site and about us section for UNICEF is as follows:

http://www.unicef.org/whatwedo/

This organization appealed to me because of the tremendous efforts that they do to save families and children. By protecting families, UNICEF can make children's life easier because they can receive early care and protection through the global efforts that UNICEF provides.

I looked at job offers for UNICEF and I found these:

Nutrition Specialist	P-3	Syrian Arab Republic	Damascus	Nutrition	16-Dec-13
Chief of Communication	P-5	China	Beijing	Communication (External Relations)	27-Dec-13
Nutrition Specialist	P-3	Tanzania, United Rep. of	Dar-es-Salaam	Nutrition	10-Dec-13
Chief Community Development	P-4	Cambodia	Phnom-Penh	Programme Management	09-Dec-13
Chief HIV AIDS	P-4	Malawi	Lilongwe	HIV/AIDS	11-Dec-13
Chief Field Office	P-4	Uganda	Moroto	Programme Management	16-Dec-13

(UNICEF, n.d. Employment at UNICEF).

There are so many more positions to choose from as well. They even have volunteer positions, short--term positions, internships, and chief positions. I like the fact that UNICEF has a variety of efforts that we can choose from. This makes it a wonderful experience to be able to be a part of a team that makes such a great impact on the world's children and their families.

This is the job link for UNICEF:

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/

A third organization that I researched about was from the March of Dimes website. This organization is a wonderful opportunity to help mother's and pregnant women learn about nutrition, pregnancy, early screening, genetic disorders, birth defects, early births, and many other measures to help a women maintain a healthy pregnancy. "The March of Dimes Foundation is a United States nonprofit organization that works to improve the health of mothers and babies. It was founded by then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938 to combat polio"(March of Dimes, 2013, pg.1). This organization helps teen moms, mothers and older mothers on the benefits of eating healthy and maintaining healthy nutrition during pregnancy. They also strive to research about certain risks and issues to help those who need assistance.  

I chose to research the March of Dimes site because the early years of a child's development is important just as their beginnings of the life cycle are important. By creating a healthy environment for the pregnant woman, we can ensure a reduced risk of low- birth weight, premature, sick or still born babies.

The March of Dimes has many opportunities for employment across the country as well as at their national headquarters. They have career positions and internship positions to benefit all those who are interested. Their career link is as follows:

http://www.marchofdimes.com/careers.aspx

I found a job posting for a State Director of Program Services, Phoenix, AZ and the requirement is a Masters degree and a list of job duties are included at:

http://www.marchofdimes.com/careers/job-search.aspx

I think of all of the wonderful opportunity to work for an organization in the country of USA or another country in the world to make a difference and impact in the lives of young children is an amazing feat. I think to be able to look at a helpless family and to completely change their world is such a wonderful accomplishment and contribution to society and to families. I would love to make that mark on society.

References

March of Dimes. (2013). "Pregnancy" Retrieved December 7, 2013 from. 

http://www.marchofdimes.com/pregnancy.aspx

UNESCO, (n.d.). Retrieved from. http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001887/188700e.pdf

UNESCO, (n.d). "UNESCO Careers" Retrieved from. http://en.unesco.org/careers/internships

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). (n.d.). Retrieved December 7, 2013 from http://www.unicef.org/

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

Week 4 Blog

            First 5 is a California based program which offers curriculum development, training, and early literacy developments for children early stages in life. FIRST  5 California's start came from Proposition 10 where a 50 cent tax on all tobacco purchases go into the State program's fund "...to ensure that every child has the opportunity to grow up healthy and ready to learn alongside their peers as they enter kindergarten" (FIRST 5 California, 2010, para.3). They also help families, children, and the elderly to receive access to healthcare, jobs, nutrition, childcare, and many other supportive services.

            The first 5 years are a tremendous time for brain development and overall development and growth in children.  I researched job opportunities for FIRST 5 and I found a position for a Deputy Director, External and Governmental Affairs, CEA (Career Executive Assignment) Level A. The job duties for this position is as follows:

"The Deputy Director, External and Governmental Affairs, will plan, organize, and direct the

departmental legislative and county technical assistance programs for legislative affairs and

communications as defined in the California Children and Families Act of 1998 (Act) utilizing

First 5 California’s Strategic Plan, the State Administrative Manual, Department of Finance and

California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) rules and regulations, and Microsoft Office

applications" (First 5 California, 2010,para. 3).

            The reason that I chose to research FIRST 5 is because they are California based which is where my focus for my project will originate. Also, they have a similar mission to help reach children early on, during the most fundamental times of their development ages 0-5. by obtaining a safe and healthy environment to grow and learn.

the url is

http://www.ccfc.ca.gov/about/about_default.html

            PATH is a global initiative where health is their  number one concern. They strive to make access to  healthcare easy for people all around the world. PATH's mission is as follows:

            "We advance health equity in the belief that no child should die of a preventable disease, that all mothers should have safe births and healthy newborns, and that every community should have the tools it needs to thrive" (PATH, 2013,para. 2).

            PATH is a non-profit organization that devises medicine, drugs, vaccines, and innovations to help families survive. They have innovative technology that detects diseases and if medications go bad or get damaged by heat exposure or freezing temps. (PATH, 2013, para.5).

            I checked out career opportunities for PATH and they are always welcoming enthusiastic and dedicated people. They have a career site with many job opportunities including internships and they even have an option to submit A resume to be put into their database to see if there are qualifying positions for the applicant.

 The URL for job opportunities is:

https://path.silkroad.com/epostings/index.cfm?fuseaction=app.welcome&category_id=105081&company_id=15780&version=1&startflag=1&parent=PATH%27s%20Internship%20Opportunities&levelid1=105081

            The reason PATH became a part of my Community of Practice is due to the fact that they are a global organization that has received a Forbes' top list of charities and they work to ensure the health of children and families.

The url is for PATH is:

http://www.path.org/about/index.php

            A third resource dedicated to families and children is The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This governmental program supports children, elderly, and disabled and Military Families through cash assistance, food assistance, health assistance, healthcare information, and Safety. Their mission is to put food on the table, provide jobs, and many other assistances to help families lead healthy and safe lifestyles. They even help families find childcare and obtain childcare. "The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the United States government’s principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves" (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d. para.2).

I looked into prospective job offerings and found that there is job section on their website. the job link is as follows:

https://www.usajobs.gov/.

HHS is a wonderful community of Practice for me because their mission is mostly the same as mine.  I want to put food on the table, offer childcare, and help people find jobs, as well as help anyone in my community to find resources and obtain the basic human necessities in order to provide for their families.

The URL for HHS is:

http://www.hhs.gov/about/.

References

FIRST 5 California. (2010). "About FIRST 5 California" Retrieved from.

            http://www.ccfc.ca.gov/about/about_default.html.

HHS.gov. The Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.) "About HHS" Retrieved from.

            http://www.hhs.gov/about/.

PATH, (1995-2013). "Driving Transformative Innovation to Save Lives" Retrieved (November

            22, 2013) from. http://www.path.org/about/index.php. 

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

Two local agencies that could definitely be my community of practice is the local WIC office in the city of Yucca Valley, Ca, The local Salvation Army in Yucca Valley, and a third one that could definitely be a community of practice for me that is focused on a state level is The Harry J. Lloyd Charitable Trust in Overland Park, Kansas.

            These communities of practice are a part of my interest because they all serve communities by offering nutrition, clothing, financial help, and other supportive services. The Harry J. Lloyd Charitable Trust in Overland, Kansas appeals to me because they seem to be able to help me with my church project with the Good Samaritan project that we are trying to develop. The Harry J Lloyd Trust offers grants that help start ministries, expand programs, and funds Christian programs.

            The local WIC program offers Women, Infants, and Children healthy nutrition, classes, and information and brochures about healthy eating habits. This is offered to low-income families and pregnant women who need it.

            WIC is a federally-funded health and nutrition program for women, infants, and children.  WIC helps families by providing checks for buying healthy supplemental foods from WIC-authorized vendors, nutrition education, and help finding healthcare and other community services.  Participants must meet income guidelines and be pregnant women, new mothers, infants or children under age five.  In California, 84 WIC agencies provide services locally to over 1.45 million participants each month at over 650 sites throughout the State (California Department of Public Health, 2013).  

            The Salvation Army is an organization that offers food, shelter, jobs, clothing, and many other assistances for poor and low-income families. This organization appeals to me because it can help provide assistance and programs for families in my program to utilize to receive assistance.

The URL's for these organizations are as follows:

WIC

http://www.sbcounty.gov/dph/wic/

The Salvation Army

http://www.salvationarmy.org/

The Harry J. Lloyd Charitable Trust

http://www.hjltrust.com/

Job opportunities for each include mostly volunteer positions, but the WIC Agency is a State ran program. The agency website url is http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/Contacts/statealpha.htm.

Upon obtaining a state job, a test needs to be taken with a minimum of 70% for each section and the applicant needs to must possess  these qualifications for an Administrative Assistant I:

Either,

            Twelve months of work experience in the California state service performing staff work in a class with a level of responsibility equivalent to that of Junior Staff Analyst, Range B, or Staff Services Analyst, Range B.

Or:

            Eighteen months of experience in the California state service performing the duties of an Executive Secretary I ( California Department of Human Resources, 2013).

This position interests me because the monthly income is 3,000-4,000 a month and I can work under an administrator to gain new knowledge and serve him or her under their direction.

            In conclusion, I think these organizations can help me with my challenge to get families the support they need and the knowledge that organizations exist to assist them. With the help from the community, qualified families can get a head start on the road to success because the most basic needs can be met so they can focus on other aspects of familial aspects such as job searching, transportation, and schooling for children.

References

California Department of Public Health. (2013). Job Opportunities. Retrieved from.

                               

                http://www.cdph.ca.gov/services/jobs/Pages/default.aspx

California Department of Human Resources. (2013). Administrative Assistant I. Retrieved from.            

           

            http://www.calhr.ca.gov/state-hr-professionals/pages/5361.aspx.

Harry J. Lloyd Charitable Trust. (2013). Melanoma Research Grant. Retrieved from.

            http://www.hjltrust.com/

The Salvation Army. (2013). Retrieved from. http://www.salvationarmy.org/

Women, Infants, Children. (2013). Retrieved from.  http://www.sbcounty.gov/dph/wic/

EDUC 6990-7_Capstone class_Week 1

Hello fellow bloggers and colleagues. It's finally the end of a new start in life. The Masters Program draws to an end, but a new future comes in with a career path and upgrade to a whole new life of caring, guiding and nurturing children.
My wordle this week entails helping low-income families receive support, safety classes, health screenings, and nutrition services to help curb poverty and offer a new generation of successful students and productive adults. I really look forward to working with you all.

A Note of Thanks and Appreciation

Thank-you to all of my colleagues and Instructors for making my Walden experience a positive one. Also, thanks to Dr. Thomason for hearing me out in my assignments, Blogs, Discussions and teaching me how to communicate and collaborate more effectively. I wish all of you the best for your future goals, dreams, and educational journey's.

Team Building and Collaboration, Part 1

            In response to any groups in which I have been involved in, saying good-bye is always tough for me. The good-bye process is so tough because the relationship building that takes place along with the collaboration between group members makes it hard to not be a part of the positive relationship building. The reason this can be so is because the group that is high-performing is the group that can be the most effective in collaboration, communication, and group efforts. In the Norming stage the "The team members have gotten to know each other, trust each other and rely on each other" (Abudi, G. 2010).These kinds of groups are usually well established and interdependent. In my case, I was involved in a group project in college many times in speech class. We were always a good team. We assigned roles, we worked hard, we were rarely in disagreement, and we always were asked upon to present our work to the class. As the class ended eventually, it was hard to say good-bye. But I took initiative to get phone numbers from group members to keep in touch. It really helped to gather phone numbers not just to keep in touch, but to meet up with friends in the future and to continue friendships. For the purpose of this class, and my Master's Degree program, there are many means that I can utilize to keep in touch with my colleagues. I would totally take advantage of the adjourning stage of team works because it is essential in offering encouragement to the group, and to wish them well on their future accomplishments. "This also provides the team the opportunity to say good-bye to each other and wish each other luck as they pursue their next endeavor" (Abudi, G. 2010).

References

 Abudi, G. (2010). The five stages of team development: A case study. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html

Nonviolent Communication and Conflict Management

As a result of my last major conflict I had recently with a landlord, I think that without taking this class, I used some helpful strategies to turn conflict into a more productive solution because I moved out of the place that was bringing me so much stress. And all I did was not talk to my landlord and it completely avoided any type of argument or confrontation. Now that I have taken this course I can see that I have gained a lot more skills in dealing with communication, listening, and conflict management. Two strategies that I would love to share consist of a compromise such as asking the landlord to give me time to move because I have children, which I did and she agreed. Compromise helps because it allows both sides to discuss their sides of the story and to meet somewhere in the middle. Also, another strategy is to allow the angry person to talk without interrupting them. It really surprises them when they see that you are not arguing back and they eventually stop. One key to becoming an effective listener is to "go into active listening mode and stay there till they've calmed down" (http://www.crnhq.org/pages.php?pID=12#skill_3). I would really love to hear opinions and suggestions from my colleagues as to how I can produce more effective skills at communication and conflict management. Also, I would love to learn about any strategies that other's have used if in similar situation as mine.




 References Conflict Resolution Network. http://www.crnhq.org/pages.php?pID=12#skill_3

Week 4

Blog Assignment_Week 4 As I reflect on the similarities in my friends' responses according to my communication styles, I definitely learned that we do have similar evaluations. I know that our friends get to know our character and make judgments according to how we portray ourselves to them and in society. Some differences about my friends evaluations created a much lengthy discussion about ways in which we can change our character to be more anti-bias or become lifelong learners not just in the field of early childhood, but for our own character and communication. One thing that surprised me the most was when my friends took the tests about me, they couldn't believe how much they knew about me. Also, I noticed that with each question, we created scenarios and communicated about incidents that related to each question. I think this exercise was a great learning experience to become a better communicator and listener because we could look at our score and make changes accordingly. I think these insights can help us to become better professionals because they create opportunities to think about what we say in public, how we generate our though process and how we judge a person's character.

Effective Communication Strategies

Effective Communication Strategies. • Do you find yourself communicating differently with people from different groups and cultures? I totally see myself communicating with others in different ways according to their group or culture. For example, I talk to professionals such as Church Pastors, Bank Clerks, School officials, and Doctors and Instructors in more professional tone with higher vocabulary than I would a child or someone I just met off the street. I think we change our style of communication to meet the needs of our audience. Another example would be when I am communicating with a non- English learner or disabled person. I speak in a slower and more simpler tone in hopes that they would understand what I am communicating. Lastly, I would use more gestures and facial expression for those who are younger, disabled, or language other than English. • Based on what you have learned this week, share at least three strategies you could use to help you communicate more effectively with the people or groups you have identified. I think three strategies that I could use to help me to become an even better communicator is to look into myself and see more of what my perceptions are based on my culture. "...one’s perception patterns are learned as we learn to see the world in a certain way based on our cultural background" (Vuckovic, A. 2008). How we see others and what we choose to hear from them is based on our perceptions. Another strategy I think can be effective in communicating is to use self reflection. It helps to look at others before looking at ourselves in terms of communication. "Hence, self-reflective processes must not exclusively be allocated to the integration of feedback but must also be alert to assess the individual’s success in creating an atmosphere that encourages other people to offer feedback" (Vuckovic, A. 2008).By listening, having eye contact, and not being into ourselves when communicating, we can open doors for others to communicate freely with us. Lastly, I think an effective strategy to adopt when communicating is to be free of bias and have respect towards others cultures. By being culturally sensitive, that means we are being aware. "A worthy goal is for teachers and other early care and education specialists to become culturally sensitive and begin looking for the meaning of parenting behaviors and beliefs they run across in the families they serve" (Gonzalez-Mena, J. 2010). By looking at our own culture, we can be sensitive to the unique contributions that others have to provide for effective communication and parenting styles. References Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2010). 50 strategies for communicating and working with diverse families. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc text excerpt. retrieved from. https://class.waldenu.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/USW1/201340_04/MS_MECS/EDUC_ 6165/Week%203/Resources/Resources/embedded/gonzalez_ch15.pdf. Vuckovic, A. (2008). Inter-cultural communication: A foundation of communicative action. Multicultural Education and Technology Journal, 2(1), 47–59.

Week 2 Blog_Television Communication

Blog Post: Week 2 Episode of TV show "Friends" Chapter 1, Season 1. Based on the muted version of an episode of "Friends" on YouTube, I noticed many types of communication. I saw facial expressions, body movements, selective listening, empathy, sarcasm, annoyance, and various other emotions and moods. In terms of relationships, I noticed that the characters in the show are a bunch of friends. They confide in each other and have a good relationship amongst each other. I think the characters are feeling empathy towards Jennifer Aniston because they give her hugs and express empathetic words and facial expressions. The characters also express sarcasm, laughter, and attitude and annoyance at times based on another friend's gestures or mood. After watching the show with sound, I obtained a whole new insight as to the plot of the show. I assumed that the characters did not care for Courtney Cox and were making fun of her because I noticed her roll her eyes a few times in annoyance. The conversation was really about Courtney going out to Dinner with a guy and her friends were concerned about her. (www.youtube.com). I think my assumptions would have been more correct if I had watched a show that I know well because I can interpret a characters emotions, moods, etc. if I know them. I feel that by having experience with a certain character for a while, I can get to know their emotions, wants, needs, and experience their communication levels and patterns. References www.youtube.com. (March 16,2013). "Friends" Chapter 1 Season 1. Retrieved from. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=MECXw0j1KuU).

EDUC 6165-6_Week 1 Blog_Effective Communication

For the purpose of this assignment, I would like to demonstrate that the Associate Pastor of our church offers skills in effective communication. He speaks the word of god as well as councils people, teaches Sunday school at times, and performs baptisms. His many skills at effective communication offers him a chance to meet many different kinds of people. Also, the pastor of our church was raised in fifth generation Pentecostal household, which offers him many benefits of knowing the word of god and leading a life of salvation and repent. I really wish that I had the knowledge of a pastor because the things that I could teach others is remarkable. I think it is a wonderful blessing to be able to have a large audience and have everyone listen to me as we do to the pastor of the church. I also hope that my children confide in me and look up to me as do the church goers do at my church.

Professional Hopes and Goals

One hope that you have when you think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds (any format and any length) In working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds, I hope that my environment is supportive of their needs and I can provide overall support for their growing interests and knowledge about young children. Also, I feel that by having a diverse environment that favors respect, guidance, and nurturing staff to help children grow and learn, children can make the most out of their learning environment and teach one another. Lastly, I believe that family participation is key towards creating an atmosphere of mutual respect, trust, and confidence for all children. One goal you would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice (any format and any length) One goal that I would like to set for the early childhood field in regards to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice is that I want for everyone who enters my environment to be assured that children’s safety and healthy development is my aim. Also, to have a collaborative and positive environment with care and love is the best that I can provide for children and families besides to remain a lifelong learner. A brief note of thanks to your colleagues I would love to give the biggest shout out of appreciation to all of my colleagues and Instructors who have given me the time and dedication to be a part of my learning community. I also, wish the best of luck and positive encouragement to each and all of you who is a part of my collegiate journey. Thanks to all and god bless all of you.

Welcoming Families From Around the World

My family’s country of origin is Spain and Germany. My grandfather mother was born in Frankfurt Germany and my Grandfather’s father was born in Madrid Spain. I have never visited these countries nor have I performed much research about life in Europe. Five ways that I can prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards my family’s cultural roots is to listen to how they speak, look at how present themselves, and watch for signs of communication patterns. One way to do this is to take notes and document their unique ways of communicating. “. We need to document, respect, and learn about people from all over the world, particularly those who are dramatically different from us” (Boutte, G 2008). Love would be another word I would use to describe how I could prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards my family’s culture. Love is used to describe feelings of respect, acknowledgement, dignity and worth. “In educational settings, love connotes that all humans deserve the right to dignity, freedom, and equal opportunities” (Boutte, G. 2008). By showing a foreign family love and respect, I can offer them attention to their needs, and help them feel comfortable during their transition to a new country. By listening to them even if I don’t understand fully what they are saying, I can ensure that I am giving them my full attention. Lastly, by collaborating with a new family, I am learning from them as well and I am gaining insight as to their unique cultures. References Boutte, G. (2008). Beyond the illusion of diversity: How early childhood teachers can promote social justice. Social Studies, 99(4), 165--173.

The Personal side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

The personal side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression In my childhood memories, I remember a specific incident of when I was in High School. I think it was 9th grade. My best friend at the time and who I still know today, was a tall blonde girl named Lori. She was often made fun of and called names. Many times she would tell me how irritated she was that the Black Girls would call her Big Bird. One day she had enough of the discrimination and she got into a fight on campus with two black girls. They were all suspended and Lori was kicked out of school. I guess her attendance and the fight was too much to spare her place in our High School so she was sent to a continuation High School. The specific bias of name calling and the prejudice of being white, made the Black girls make fun of and ridicule my friend. Equity was diminished because my friend was in no position to feel a value of self-respect or high confidence. The girls left her watching her back, scared, and angry towards black people. This incident created me to feel hatred towards the girls who were bullying my friend. I could not even look at these girls. Also, I really wanted to get revenge on those girls. The girls eventually left my friend alone after the fight because they probably didn’t expect her to stand up for herself and fight back. The incident, although of the past, would have to become one of the girls giving compliments and becoming friends with Lori. The girls would have to have been totally different in their character and demeanor. Maybe, some anger management classes and positive reinforcing of their behavior would help in situations such as with fighting and discrimination.

Practicing Awareness of Microagressions

Blog:Week 4 Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions As a personal experience, I had a landlord in which I rented out the front of her house with my boyfriend, my two daughters, my brother, and my father-in-law. Our landlord was Vietnamese. She lived upstairs and rented out rooms upstairs with her to her fellow Asian friends and family. After four months, she would not work with us on helping us to make a gated section for our four dogs, and asked $950 a month without a storage space, no parking spots, and broken tile. She would continuosly come downstairs to ask us for more money for utilities then she told us we should move out because she didn’t like the way my family lives their life. She told me that she could rent out her rooms separately to Asians and they are cheap and don’t use too much utilities. This experience is one of racial microagressions and of microassault. The above scenario although true, made me the target of discrimination and stereotyping with my family. My feelings were of devastation and anger because it made me look like my character was not only judged, but insulted. How can someone assume someone else’s life instead of just getting to know them better? At first, I did not look at this scenario as a microassault until I took this course. Now I am aware that the example proved to me that there are microassualts in our everyday lives. With knowledge about microaggressions, it helps to make one aware of the detrimental effects it places on someone’s self-esteem.

Week 3_Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture My first interviewee is Male. Shawn is a family friend who is a different gender than me. He defines culture as “your race” and “different attributes of a person. (Personal communication, January 26, 2013). This definition coincides with what I have learned this week about culture in many ways because culture is what makes up a person’s character. It is when we take these characteristics and join with others who share the same characteristics to form a culture. From this understanding of identity and discourse, identity construction involves a double movement, where we are identified by a history of discourses-ideas and images of who we are-and identify ourselves by responding to the representations that have already identified us (Hall, 1996). Shawn defined diversity as “Taking different characteristics of a person and combining into society” (Personal communication, January 26, 2013). This definition goes with what I learned about diversity because we have our uniqueness and we live in society. While this is so, we need to learn about the uniqueness of others. “As children learn new things and take on new languages, new ideas, new perspectives, it should be in addition to what they have at home” (Laureate Education, Inc. 2013). My friend An Ho, who is Vietnamese, interpreted his definition of Culture as follows: “How society behaves, everything from food to beliefs” (Personal communication, January 26, 2013). This definitely coincides with what we have learned in the class this week because culture does consists of beliefs, food, clothing, socioeconomic class, etc. For diversity, he says that diversity is about variety-“different from other cultures” (Personal communication, January 26, 2013). I agree with An’s definitions of the two terms related to culture and diversity because his definitions coincide with the various aspects that define a person’s heritage. William, my boyfriend of ten years, has a whole complete different definition of culture and diversity. Culture, to him means, “our roots as to where we come from, what our family does-but some cultures venture off into another culture of its own.” (Personal communication, January 26, 2013). His definition differs slightly as to what we have learned about culture and diversity this week because roots are our heritage and where we come from. He goes on to use roots as what our family does and how we are defined by our upbringing. The readings this week have not expanded on what our roots consist of. The interview process about culture and diversity has expanded my thinking process because the men gave me more details about how society defines culture and diversity. Although, my knowledge of culture and diversity tells me that the terms are intertwined to reflect characteristics of individuals in society, we all fit into society with our defining cultures and that’s what makes us diverse. References Hall, S. (1996). Introduction: Who needs ‘identity’? In S. Hall & P du Gay (Eds), Questions of cultural identity (pp. 1-17). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Laureate Education, Inc. [Author]. (2013). “Culture and diversity” Walden University. Retrieved from. (http://mym.cdn.laureate- media.com/Walden/EDUC/6164/03/downloads/WAL_EDUC6164_03_A_EN.pdf).

My Family Culture

Blog: 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. In response to the emergency issue at hand, nothing is dearer to me than my family. They are number one in my life. My family will always have a place in my life and heart no matter how big or small our shelter will be can come with me no matter where I go. If I had to choose three items to bring on our journey it would be my grandpas war medals, my photo book of my deceased daughter (first born), and my Jewelry (diamonds). An explanation of these items would be that the picture book is the only imagery I have of my baby besides the memories that are in my heart. The nurse in the Neonatal ICU made me a little book for my baby that had a picture with me and my ex on the only day that we got to hold her. Also, there are her baby cross, rosaries, and growth chart included in the book. This book is meaningful not just in the imagery, but the whole meaning of the memory book. My grandfather’s War Medals are meaningful to me because of their significance of my grandfather’s dedication to his country and his life story. I honor my grandfather’s struggles because he fought in a World War and raised all of his grandchildren all by himself. Lastly, my jewelry has some significance because it is my property. Also, it is valuable due to the gold and gems that encompass the metals in the rings. If I were told that I could only keep one personal item and had to give up the other two items I brought with me, I would be saddened because the items are a part of my life history. Some of the items are passed down from family members, while others are items that I want to pass down to my children. Some insights that I gained about myself is that I value my family enough to place them first in life, while cherish items that have been passed down to me. My culture is that of American, however, I learned that family comes first in any situation.

EDUC 6164-1_Perspective Diversity and Equity

Well here we are in our sixth class towards our Master's Degree. How exciting to be in all of your classes again. I really look forward to learning all I can about equity and diversity with all of you. I hope everyone has a successful year and feel free to ask me any questions at any time. Good luck to all.