What is Culture and Diversity

I asked a question to the three individuals below; what is culture and diversity, here are their responses:

Male Friend

A set of important traditions and customs that is imbedded in a group of people is culture and diversity is a range of different views on life.

Co-worker

The things a person does to represent who they are and what they believe is culture and diversity describes the person, their beliefs and their culture.

Female Relative

The traditions or beliefs one is born into or embraces over time are culture and diversity is anything and everything one does.

I have learned so many things about culture and diversity. Culture is all around us; each person I encounter has somewhat of a different culture than I have. Some of us worship on Saturday, some of you go to church on Sunday, some people eat pork, and some do not. These are all aspects of our culture. In my responses to what is culture, all three of them answered the question according to what I have learned in this course, although their responses were worded differently from the words in the articles. They all had an understanding of what culture means. One of my participants answered, “The things a person does to represent who they are and what they believe is culture;” this is an example of culture and how it relates to all individuals. In a later discussion, this participant told me that believing in God, how she acts, and the things she does is all a part of her culture.

While discussing culture and diversity, two of my participants did not go beyond the surface of their understanding of culture and diversity. Their understanding of deep culture was not as present as it should have been. My female relative who answered both of the questions did go into deep culture. She expressed here concerns for education and how individuals from other cultures viewed education. This is an excerpt of part of the text message she sent to me

“The influence of culture on beliefs about education, the value of education, and participation styles cannot be overestimated. Many Asian students, for example, tend to be quiet in class, and making eye contact with teachers is considered inappropriate for many of these children (Bennett, 2003). In contrast, most European American children are taught to value active classroom discussion and to look teachers directly in the eye to show respect; while their teachers view students' participation as a sign of engagement and competence.”

This excerpt shows her understanding of culture and diversity and how it differs between cultures. This is a perfect example of deep culture and she has a great understanding of what it means.

Thinking about other people’s definitions of culture and diversity has influenced my own thinking about these topics because; it has challenged me to think critically about what these topics mean to me. Culture is something we all have and diversity is inevitable; if we learn about the deep cultures of others, then we will be able to educate others. We are all diverse and it is our duty to respect the diversity of others. Together we can all make a difference in the lives of others.

Lah-Lah

My Family Culture

There is no way I could have ever been prepared to answer anything about leaving my home and going to an unfamiliar place to live permanently. The thought of this happening is slightly uncomfortable. I do not know what I will take; I do not know where to begin. If I was the victim of a catastrophic event and my immediate family and I were blessed to survive, I have everything I need to go to a foreign place. Family to me is the most important thing in the world; with them, I have the support needed to function in life. If I had to choose three things to take with me on this journey, I would take a Bible, one necklace with two pendants (the Star of David and the Claude pendant), and a notebook. At first, I thought about taking a photo album; since my immediate family is going with me, I do not need a photo album. I chose to take the Bible with me because, I could not think of a greater book to have on a long journey. I chose the necklace with the two pendants because; both of them are special to me. The Star of David belonged to my mother; she bought it from New York, and she was wearing it when she died. The Claude pendant was given to me from someone I love dearly; he told me how it represented love, loyalty, and friendship; all of those things are very important to my survival. The final thing I would take is a notebook; I need it to write down my thoughts and any songs I will think of along the way.

The only way to explain to others what these items mean to me is to tell them straight forward. The Bible represents my family’s history from the past, present, and future. The necklace and pendants represents the love and connection I have among my family and friends. The notebook represents me, once empty, but continuously filled as time goes on. All of these items represent my safety and support.

My thoughts and reaction after I was told to give up two items:

“I arrived at this foreign place, now I am told that I must give up two of my items. I am feeling upset, sad, and confused. I feel so betrayed; why are they asking me to give up anything, do they not realize I have lost most of the things in life I love. These are the only items I have to sustain me emotionally. I am glad I have my family here with me because if I did not, I am not sure what I would do right now. Maybe I will sneak in the necklace and pendants, and hold the notebook in my hand. Maybe I can relinquish the Bible, because my dad is here, he is a Rabbi and he knows the Bible backwards and forward. Oh well let me see what is going to happen.”

This was a critical thinking exercise; I did not know where to begin when I started this assignment. Although I chose three items, those were the only ones I could think of at that moment. All of these items represent who I am and what I want to become. I have gained new insight from this activity because, it has helped me to see who I am right now; it helps me to see how important family is to me and how our culture is important to us as a family. As I think about all of the other people who were displaced in this event, maybe all of the things we chose to bring would show how diverse we are in our culture. Although we are all different, all of us would have shown similar emotions if we were taken to an unfamiliar place. Collectively, our diverse cultures allow others to see how we live, worship, and parent.

Lah-Lah 

When I Think of Research...

During this course, I have learned many things; I have gained new insight on research designs, data methods, and a variety of information to help me succeed in this course. I have learned how to recognize independent and dependent variables. I have never heard of extraneous variables; however, I now know its purpose. I know how it affects the outcome of a research study. My favorite insight I have gained includes learning about triangulation in a research study. Methodological and investigator triangulation is my favorite forms of triangulation. These two components were very important in my research simulation.

My ideas concerning research have changed dramatically. When I first began this course, I felt overwhelmed and inadequate. I did not understand how to conduct a research simulation. As the course continued, I began to realize how to properly conduct a research study. I found new resources to help me along the way and I learned how to collect data. I learned how to properly interview children; I have learned how to meet the ethical needs of all individuals. Now that I am nearing the end of this course, I feel that I am more than capable of conducting a research study. Although I may not possess the skills needed to conduct a research study on my own, I know I could be a great asset to a research team. I have always known that it takes a lot of time and hard work to create a research question, develop a hypothesis, and find participants to volunteer for a research study. I no longer feel overwhelmed or inadequate; now, I am empowered from the things I have learned in this course.

When planning a research study, one must first choose a topic, develop a research question, develop a hypothesis if needed, choose a research design, and become knowledgeable regarding ethics and equity in research. According to Naughton et. al. (2010), “One should consider what is to be researched, how, when, and where the study will take place, who will participate, what data will he or she collect, and how it will be analyzed.” When designing a research study, one must choose an appropriate design for the study, whether one chooses experimental, quasi-experimental, non-experimental, qualitative, quantitative, or a mixed method approach. The design process balances original ideas, thoughts, questions, and broad topics (2010). When conducting research in early childhood, one must always consider what participants to choose, if he or she will use children in the study, and understand their rights. One must decide whether to conduct interviews or direct observations, or use questionnaires to collect data. In each of these areas, one must plan, be organized, be understanding, use good judgment, and always respect ethical concerns.

Some challenges I encountered were timing issues, collecting data, and how to properly select participants. I over came these challenges by rerouting the times in which I would conduct an interview or observation. I asked for help in choosing participants for my research.

As an early childhood professional, I have encountered many things. I know it is my duty to love, care, nurture, and educate children. I was aware of ethics and equity in early childhood programs, but I did not realize there were so many ethical concerns in research. After attending this course, I realize that early professionals have a big job to do. We all must be aware of research and how it affects children and families. We may also have to become a researcher to find ways to teach children and educate parents on things that may affect the family. I have new respect for researchers; it is not an easy task. I have learned so many things in this course that will allow me to become a better educator.

I would like to thank all of my colleagues for supporting my efforts to succeed in this course. All of you have played a vital role in my success and each of you has provided insight to help me to become a better researcher. Thanks, Dr. Todd for fostering my growth as a researcher; you showed me how to think outside of the box. I am very grateful for your knowledge and the useful thoughts you have given me to become better in my critical thinking skills. Once again, I thank each of you and I hope to see all of you in the future.

Lah-Lah Devine

Reference

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

Exploring International Research Topics

While exploring the Early Childhood Australia website, I found many research topics that were similar to the ones we are searching in our state. For example, I noticed Australia conducted a study regarding learning and teaching through play, learning positive behaviors through educator-child relationships, and the benefits of active children. All of these topics are familiar to me because, we often discuss these topics at work and at school. Some other important research topics explored in Australia are, managing difficult behaviors, building communication with families, and children as active learners. All of these are important topics to research when dealing with children and families because, it gives educators, parents, and researchers a better understanding of children and how they foster.

Some new ideas I have learned from this site is how to service the social and emotional needs of gifted children. I have also learned from the early childhood news how to fight against e-bullying. Bullying does not only occur at school, home, or other places; it is a horrible situation on social media and through other internet means. Parents and educators should be aware of these issues because they begin early in the lives of children. Parents and educators should read the information in this newsletter to learn why it is important to stop e-bullying before it is out of control. The information on bullying is one of the most important new ideas I have learned from researching this website; for more information, go to http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/early_childhood_news/early_childhood_news/march-media-release-fight-against-e-bullying-needs-to-start-early.html.

While exploring, I found many research topics that I have not personally seen including meeting the needs of gifted children, storytelling with children, and using digital photography in early childhood settings. The topic regarding photography was especially meaningful to me because, I enjoy taking pictures in general. When I am doing an activity, I love capturing children being creative. I also realized, when working with gifted children, one must understand how to recognize a gifted child, learn how to accommodate his or her learning, and provide meaningful activities to nurture his or her abilities.

Overall, this website provides meaningful information to help parents and educators. I learned many new things to help me as an educator. I hope the information I have provided will spark the readers’ interest. Please explore this website for yourselves to view new and reformed information related to the development of children and research topics of interest.

Lah-Lah D.

Early Childhood Australia: 
http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/

Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories

It is very interesting that we were asked to discuss research that has positively affected or has helped children and or families. About a month ago while I was shopping, I saw a woman who had a tube coming from under her shirt. Little did I know the meaning behind the mysterious tubing. As I continued to shop, the woman began talking with me about the clothing we were looking at. After a few brief words, I asked, “What is that tubing on your side.” She began to explain that it was an insulin pump and how she needed it to supply her with a consistent dose of insulin. As I listened, she told me how research on diabetes has greatly influenced her life. She has had diabetes since she was a child. She explained how juvenile diabetes has affected her life, but she was hopeful because of all of the research being done on diabetes. Research has helped her to find new ways of living without constantly sticking herself with a needle or taking pills. She said the insulin pump was a great device to have, because she seldom has to worry about not receiving the proper dosage. Research on diabetes has had a positive effect on her life and the well-being of her family because; she continues to live as best as she can because of her pump and new research on her disease.

Lah-Lah

Personal Research Journey

When I first began to think about a topic, I chose to research how to prevent abductions; what influences individuals to commit this crime, and to make parents aware of potential harmful situations. After reading the following weeks assignments, I realized that I would not be able to observe this situation; therefore, I chose a new topic. I will research parent involvement in the learning environment. I chose this topic because, many children do not have parents who are involved in the learning process; as a result, many children have a hard time succeeding.

 Although this is only week two, I have had a difficult time figuring out an observable topic to research. While constructing the research chart, I have learned many new things including how to organize my thoughts, how to choose a topic, and how to find articles that relate to my topic. In this course, I will need a lot of patience because, I like to look for something and conclude it within an hour; sadly, this is not how I will be able to operate in this class. I will have to slow down and take my time. I know I will be successful with patience.

Colleagues, I am seeking advice or insight that might help me with this process of research simulation. I am unfamiliar with this topic, and I feel a little lost. If you have any information to help me, please send a message to my blog or email me. I am not a fan of research, but I know I will need your help to succeed with this assignment. If I can help you with anything, please let me know. I will share resources with you as needed and I ask that you do the same.

Thanks,

Lah-Lah

Final Course Blog related to International Consequences of Issues and Trends Abroad

During this course, I have learned many new things regarding the field of early childhood and those who support children and families near and far. Unfortunately, I was not able to establish contact with any of the international early childhood professionals; however, I was able to learn many new things about the lives of individuals abroad through internet research.

One of the consequences of learning about the international early childhood field is, in many of the countries; more pressure is placed on children to achieve. Education is very important to many of these families and children are demanded to succeed and to do well in school; as a result, the children are more stressed and suicidal. Another consequence, in some of the other countries, more pressure is placed on the children to become helpers in the family system. Many of them require their children to work, and/or do house hold chores. There is not a lot of pressure placed on the child’s education because; home, family, and food are the central focus for these families. These children lack education and this decreases their chances of receiving an education and a well paying job. The final consequence I have learned is, many children who live in poverty, have a hard time receiving an education. This is sad because, many of the families want their child to attend school and be successful in life, but the families do not have the resources to send their children to school. In many of these countries, poverty is evident and families struggle to make ends meet.

One goal for the field of early childhood related to international awareness of issues and trends and the spirit of collegial relations; we must remember that we are all diverse in nature, religion, cultures, and education. We must learn about the world around us to help create environments suitable for children and families around the world. Although we live in the U.S., we all have a broken educational system. We must strive to fix how, when, and where children learn. We must advocate to create high-quality learning environments. We cannot improve the situations of our fellow colleagues, children, or families near or far if we are not aware of their needs. We all have something to offer each other. I will continue my efforts in supporting my colleagues, as well as children and families around the world; by establishing and maintaining contact with other childhood professionals. I have enjoyed my journey through this course and I hope all of you have learned something about the trends and issues of all children around the world.

Look for other blogs related to my studies in the future. Thanks for your support!

Lah-Lah Devine