Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

Throughout the week there has only been one occurrence of a microaggression that I clearly remember detecting.  At my job a new person was hired and when he told us that he was from Utah someone said to him, "Oh you must be Mormon."  He said that he actually wasn't a Mormon, but just because he is from Utah people always assume that about him.  I don't think he was offended by what the person had asked him, but he definitely seemed somewhat annoyed at the fact that people were supposedly asking him that question regularly.  There were other times throughout the week that I remember thinking what people said could be seen as a microaggression and there were even a couple times when I thought something and realized it would have been a microaggression.  They are much more common than I understood and I think it is because most people don't realize that they are discriminating against or stereotyping people.  I have learned to be much more aware of what I say to others and will probably continue to hear microaggressions being used around me now that I have the knowledge about them.

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

The first person I asked told me that he defines culture as the habits of people around you and that diversity is the differences that exist between people.  The second definition I got was that culture is the rituals, belief systems, and philosophies that are common to a particular group of people and diversity is the elements that differ within a group.  The last definition I received was that culture is the unique identity traits, traditions, and beliefs of religions, races and civilizations and that diversity is differences in those three things within one larger group of people.

I felt it was very interesting that although each of these people come from different cultures, they all had similar answers.  The definitions that were given closely align to what we have studied about culture.  The amazing thing about defining culture is that it is difficult to have a wrong answer because culture embodies so many different things.  I was surprised that no one mentioned the typical "surface culture" traits that a lot of people first think of when they think of the word culture.  That shows that they understand that culture is deeper than things like clothing, food, and music.  I have been influenced by these definitions and continue to have a deeper understanding of the fact that everyone's culture is special and meaningful in their own way.  Culture allows us to learn about other people and can connect us to people who are different than us.

My Family Culture

I would be so nervous moving to a completely different country with a different culture, especially if I could only bring three items with me.  The three items that are special to me that I would bring are a Book of Mormon, family cook book, and my wedding album.  The Book of Mormon is important to me and represents a large part of my culture.  Not only do the scriptures represent my religion, but my religion is also a main reason I live the way I do.  It is precious to me and I want to be able to continue to read the scriptures and be able to teach my own children about God and the scriptures, especially if my religion was not in the country I moved to.  Bringing a family cookbook would be very important to me because food is a huge part of my culture.  Most recipes we use have been handed down and are special to me.  Nearly every time we get together as a family there is food involved and not being able to cook food that I am used to would be very upsetting.  My wedding album has all of my most precious pictures from the greatest day of my life.  It has pictures of my family and it reminds me of the joy that I experienced that day.  My marriage is a huge part of who I am and I would want to always have those pictures and memories with me. If I already had to come to this new place with just three items and then was told I could only keep one I would be devastated. Each one has a lot of meaning to me and I don't know what I would decide to leave behind.  It is hard to say what is the most important thing that represents my culture, especially when someone's culture incorporates so many things. My culture is something very special to me because it makes me the person I am.  I can't imagine having to leave everything behind and have to live without my culture.

When I Think of Research...

I just want to start out by saying thank you to all of my classmates and Professor Parrish.  I have enjoyed this research class much more than I ever could have expected.  Something that has really stood out to me about research throughout this course is the fact that in order to do your own research, it is so important to have a clear and refined research question.  I have enjoyed my research simulation, and had refined my question multiple times, but I still feel that it could have been refined to make it even more understanding and impacting on the field.  Before when I would think about research, it always seemed to sound kind of dreadful, but I have come to realize that when you are researching something that is a passion of yours, it can become enjoyable.  I never could have seen myself in a career doing mostly research, and though I still have a long way to go before I would feel comfortable in a research field, I can definitely see it as a possibility for me.  It has been so helpful to be able to learn more fully all of the components that come with research.  I feel that one reason research can seem so daunting is because there is so much work and steps that need to be considered, but no research would be successful if it weren't for every process that is required in research studies. I am grateful for the knowledge and confidence that this class has given me and feel that it will benefit me in any way I choose to go as an early childhood professional.

Research Around the World

I chose to learn more about the Early Childhood Australia website and find out what is happening in Australia.  The reason that this website stood out to me, is because it is the Australian equivalent to the U.S. based NAEYC.  Currently, research is being done on supporting early childhood care and education teachers who work with children with complex additional needs, including: disability, significant development delay, and complex social, emotional, and behavioral needs.

 I really enjoyed reviewing their Code of Ethics and finding similarities to NAEYC's Code of Ethics.  Something that I found interesting was that in addition to how we treat children, families, colleagues, and community, Early Childhood Australia also has ethics regarding students, employer, myself as a professional, and conduct of research.  I realized that other countries care as much as we do about ethics regarding work with children and we can even use what other countries believe in addition to our own ideas.

There was also a section of this website called Parent Resources that I felt were a great addition.  It included four sections that included: children's health and nutrition, separation anxiety, sleeping, and transitions to school.  Each had helpful information explaining the topic and talking about what could be done to help children struggling with any of these.  This is a website that I can see myself referring to and feel it is an important tool for people in Australia, as well as people around the world.

Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories

If I had the means and knowledge to conduct research on any topic in the early childhood field I would want to study autism and find out the cause and what can be done to help children who have it. There are many theories and beliefs that exist, but it still leaves families feeling so uncertain about why their child has it.  There are cases where one day the child is typical in their development and social interactions and the next day they wake up different.  There are also children who just seem to be born with autism.  There are parents who blame themselves and parents who blame outside factors.  Because autism is a spectrum disorder the variety that autism has is almost too big to comprehend.  Some children speak more than what is considered acceptable and some children can't even speak one word.  There are so many ways a child has the possibility of being labeled with autism--how can that be for just one disorder?

Being able to find these answers, as well as the answers to many more questions that exist about autism would be very beneficial.  It can be difficult for a child with autism to fit in or feel comfortable and it can also be difficult to know what is best for each child who has it.  Having this knowledge would be able to make a difference in how children are viewed and can spread awareness of the best possible ways to help them.

My Personal Research Journey

After a lot of contemplation of what I was truly passionate about, I came to the conclusion that my passions in this field are the strongest for developmentally appropriate practices.  I have seen how using developmentally appropriate practices strengthens a child's experience in the classroom because it is geared to each of their needs.  Although it takes much more time and dedication from the teacher, using developmentally appropriate practices is necessary for providing children with the best possible outcomes.

I am interested in researching the effects that developmentally appropriate practices have on children versus the effects that Common Core has on children.  Using Common Core requires little work from the teacher and takes away the need of getting to know each of their students.  I look forward to being able to study the different ways that these techniques play a role in children's school experience.  I am hoping to be able to find the necessary information to help me with my research and I look forward to learning more about each of the subjects.

From what I have read, my classmates have chosen interesting topics that I am excited to learn more about.  Research is an important aspect in this field and I know that I will be able to gain experiences in this course that will help me throughout my educational and professional career.