Thank You & Good Luck

At least three deeply felt learnings from this program 1. I have learned that having a Community of Practice can provide you with a support system and ears to run your ideas by. You will get honesty opinions about your ideas because this group of people share the same interest and maybe they have the same passion as you do. 2. That I have to learn new ways of getting parents involved in the program. 3. Never give up on my dreams and find different ways to de-stress so that I will not burn out in a field that I love. At least one long-term goal 1. One long term goal that I have is making my challenge into reality. A farewell message to your Instructor and colleagues It has been a pleasure working with my classmates throughout our program. I have learned so much from them. I feel that they were an important Community of Practice for me. A few months after starting my program I was diagnosed with arthritis and chronic pain. I say this so that my classmates know that they helped me in to keep going. We never know what another person is going through but in some of my classes we did share personal information and just knowing that others were having their own struggles kept me going. I felt that I was also given a great amount of support from my Instructors also. Thank you all! It has been a wonderful experience and I wish you all the best in your future.

I saw the above photo posted on Facebook and it is something that we all need to remember to keep our passion for the Early Childhood field alive.

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

Three international organizations or communities of practice that appealed to you and why you chose them 1. Save The Children: I chose save the children because of how they started out in the US in 1932 provide clothing, school supplies and hot lunches to school children in Harlan County, Kentucky and by 1938 they had expanded to Europe and was providing clothing, food, blankets and medicine to children displaced by World War II in Austria, England, Finland, France, Germany and Italy. They have no boundaries, they provide for children all over the world and their goal is to make sure that children have what they need and to provide children relief and a sense of security after a major disaster. http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6229507/k.C571/History.htm 2. Free The Children: Free The Children is an international charity and educational partner that believes in a world where all children are free to achieve their fullest potential as agents of change. Since 1995 Free The Children has provided 45+ countries with programming and building projects. 55,000 children with education. 650+ schools and school rooms built. $16,000,000+ worth of medical supplies around the world. 30,000 women with economic self-sufficiency. 1,000,000 people with clean water, health care and sanitation. This is why I chose Free The Children. http://www.freethechildren.com/ 3. UNICEF-Early Childhood: UNICEF works with governments, civil society, communities and other stakeholders to design and implement inter-sectoral evidence-based ECD programmes and policies that help young children reach their full potential by supporting families and communities, and by increasing access to quality early childhood care and education. I chose UNICEF-Early Childhood because they understand that in order for a child to develop to their full potential you have to offer services to the whole family. If a family is not thriving then their children will not thrive because of worry and fear about their family. http://www.unicef.org/earlychildhood/ Three job opportunities that interest me and the skills and experience that is needed for them. 1. Associate Faculty, Child Development Early Childhood Education Requirements: Master's degree in child development, early childhood education, human development, home economics/family and consumer studies with a specialization in child development/early childhood education, or educational psychology with a specialization in child development/early childhood education OR bachelor's degree in any of the above AND Master's degree in social work, educational supervision, elementary education, special education, psychology, bilingual/bicultural education, life management/home economics, family life studies, or family and consumer studies 2. Foster Care Counselor Requirements: A Master's degree in a social services discipline is required Degrees that can be considered include: social work, drug and alcohol education or counseling, psychology, criminal justice, guidance counseling, or marriage and family therapy. Other degrees will have to be evaluated further to determine if they meet the qualifications. One year experience counseling adolescents in a clinical setting Experience with the Foster Care System is preferred Excellent written, verbal, and oral skills Ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously Basic computer knowledge Ability to maintain a flexible schedule You must have your own vehicle to use for work purposes as well as have liability insurance 3. Family Intervention Specialist Requirements A Master's degree in a social services discipline is preferred A Bachelor's degree in a social services discipline is required Degrees that can be considered include: social work, drug and alcohol education or counseling, psychology, criminal justice, guidance counseling, or marriage and family therapy. Other degrees will have to be evaluated further to determine if they meet the qualifications. Experience in a clinical counseling or case management setting Strong organizational skills and attention to detail Excellent written, verbal, and oral skills Ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously Basic computer knowledge Ability to maintain a flexible schedule

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

At least three national/federal organizations or communities of practice that appealed to you and why you chose them. 1. Early Learning-White House http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/education/early-childhood I chose this site because it gives information on all the programs and initiatives that have been started/continued by President Obama. 2. Early Learning http://www.ed.gov/early-learning I chose this site because it gives a lot of good information on the budgeting for early child care and it also gives information for each state. It also gives you resources that we can use in this course. 3. The National Institute for Early Education Research http://nieer.org/ Conducts and communicates research to support high-quality, effective early childhood education for all young children. Such education enhances their physical, cognitive, and social development, and subsequent success in school and later life. Job opportunities (currently available or not) that interest you. 1. Professional Development Coordinator Professional development coordinators help teachers and programs assess, plan and achieve personal professional development goals. Professional development coordinators must possess good written and oral communication skills; be able to collaborate, plan and partner with other agencies and institutions providing professional development opportunities; be able to provide professional development opportunities on a wide variety of topics; know how to provide follow-up support; and document and evaluate services provided. Professional development coordinators also advocate for policies, standards, practices and efforts necessary for ensuring and retaining a well-educated, compensated, and skilled early childhood workforce. 2. Early Childhood Consultant Consultants provide information and assistance to child care programs, business and industry, communities, elected public policy officials, and state and federal agencies to help them develop programs, regulations and public policies that will enhance or improve the quality of child care. Early childhood systems consultants need a foundation in early childhood education/child development and child care administration as well an in-depth understanding of the funding bodies and agencies/systems supporting child care in the area being served. 3. Family Specialists/Counselors Family specialists/counselors include a wide variety of early childhood professionals who help families access the resources they need to care for their children. Family specialists/counselors need to have a basic understanding of child and family development, child care licensing regulations, knowledge of community resources (private and public) and the ability to communicate this information to parents. Family specialists/counselors may provide services in the child’s home, the child care setting or in an agency office.

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels List at least three local or state organizations or communities of practice that appealed to you, and explain why you chose them 1. South Central Los Angeles Regional Center One of our goals is to ensure that individuals who are eligible to receive services (consumers) are assisted in living the highest quality life possible in their communities. These agencies are known as Regional Centers and assists people of all ages with mental retardation, cerebral palsy, autism and other similar disabilities. We provide intake, assessment, diagnosis and lifelong service coordination. SCLARC believes special needs deserve special attention. We are committed to the provision of culturally sensitive services which enhance the inherent strengths of the family and enable consumers to lead independent and productive lives. http://www.sclarc.org/ I chose SCLARC because they work with special needs children and their families, they also will be part of my Communities of Practice. 2. Community Care Licensing It is the mission of Community Care Licensing to promote the health, safety, and quality of life of each person in community care through the administration of an effective collaborative regulatory enforcement system. In 1973, the Legislature enacted the Community Care Facilities Act to be administered by the Department of Health. The purpose of the Act was to establish a statewide system of community care (separate from health care) for persons with mental and developmental disabilities, and socially dependent children and adults. The Act required the Department of Health, together with care providers (Advisory Committee on Community Care Facilities), to jointly establish new regulations for licensing non-medical out-of-home care facilities. Today the CCL Program remains a Division within CDSS. However the nature of community care has changed significantly and now includes care for persons whose needs require the management of severe behavior adjustment problems, serious mental disorders, and significant medical needs. In order to give emphasis to the different populations served the CCL Program is now governed by three separate licensing Acts and a fourth statute that was enacted in 1990. http://www.ccld.ca.gov/Default.htm I chose CCL because I am interested in how centers are licensed and the licensing requirements for centers that are geared towards special needs children. 3. Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP) Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide access to quality early childhood education programs for children in Los Angeles County. We believe all children deserve the best start in life, and high-quality preschool programs provide them with a solid foundation for success. While access and affordability are core commitments of LAUP, our dedication to improving the overall quality of preschool is what gives the LAUP model national potential. http://laup.net/ I chose LAUP because in my current agency one of our programs is an LAUP program. The standards that LAUP has for classrooms/centers that they fund are the same high quality standards that I feel all centers should have and also they are the standards that I will have when I open my own center. 3 Job opportunities (currently available or not) that interest you 1. Family Services Coordinator The following job summary is for descriptive purposes only. Actual job description and job title is subject to change Job summary: Under the direction of the Family Services Manager, the Family Services Coordinator is responsible for ensuring that program services are provided to families by linking families with the services of Health, Disabilities, Nutrition, Social Services and Mental Health activities of the program. This position supervises and provides technical assistance to the family community engagement staff and works within an interdisciplinary team setting with other Head Start staff using case-management protocols that integrate service areas, to address identified concerns for children. Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in a field related to Social, Human or Family Services is required. This position requires at least two (2) years of related experience with emphasis in family services, training and knowledge of family dynamics, human relations, psychology or social work. Supervisory experience required. Experience dealing with sensitive family situations in a non-threatening and professional manner. Thorough knowledge and ability to keep up-to-date on State/Federal regulations and Head Start Performance Standards and practices. https://home.eease.adp.com/recruit2/?id=6700291&t=1 2. LICENSING PROGRAM ANALYST The Child Care Licensing Program Analyst is responsible for a full range of licensing duties which may include: develop and implement orientations/training programs; review applications; recommend license approval/denial; perform on-site facility evaluations; investigate complaints in licensed and unlicensed facilities; recommend and prepare administrative actions to deny, revoke, and suspend facility licenses. Desirable qualifications: ability to work independently and as part of a team; exercise good judgment; communicate effectively and clearly, both verbally and in writing; valid CA driver's license and ability to travel. Work hours and schedules may vary. Must be able to use laptop in the field. http://www.ccld.ca.gov/PG526.htm 3. Education Manager The Education Coordinator is responsible for overseeing the educational and school readiness aspect of the Early Childhood Education program. The Education Manager directly supervises the Education Specialist and second level supervision of Site Directors who oversees the performance of 200 teaching staff. The Education Manager is the key liaison staff to represent the education unit within the PACE ECE Management Team. It is necessary for the Education Manager to work on integrating the educational services to all the other content areas to include, but not limited to health, nutrition, mental health, disability, family services, and enrollment. Education/Experience: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in one of the following: Development, Education, Educational Administration, or related discipline. Post-graduate degree in relevant field highly desirable and preferred. Minimum of 5 years management and supervisor experience in an educational setting (preferably in early childhood education or specifically Head Start or State Preschool) Demonstrated ability and experience to plan, organize and control substantial resources. Demonstrated ability and experience in organizational development and team building. Excellent written and verbal communication skills as well as presentation and public speaking skills Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Power Point as well as the use of Internet and E-mail to conduct research and communications is required. Must maintain CLASS Observer Reliability and ECERS Standing Must work towards CLASS & ECERS Trainer Certification https://home.eease.adp.com/recruit2/?id=5576061&t=1

A Note Of Thanks

I just wanted to say THANK YOU to all of my fellow classmates for all of your support and encouragement and positive words. It has truly been a wonderful experience. I wish you all the best in your specialization classes and in your future careers and goals. I hope to see some of you in the next set of cases.

 

 

Team Work

In my experience with being a part of a group the hardest one to leave was the high-performing group. It was the group that I took most of my ECE classes with in junior college. We were a team; we went from class to class as one and often were in other classes together. We inspired each other we planned activities and created lesson as a team. In our last together the teacher (who had been our teacher for most of our classes) gave us all a book that she had placed all of the activities, articles and games that we had all created over the classes into. It is a treasure that I still have many years later. I imagine that I will adjourn from my group of colleagues that I have formed while working on my master’s degree by continuing to follow their blogs. Adjourning is an essential stage of teamwork because it shows that the group has completed the goals that it had set. Once the goals are meet it is time to move on to new goals.   

Two Strategies That Might Help Manage or Resolve Conflict More Productively

Two Strategies That Might Help Manage or Resolve Conflict More Productively

 

            Think about any disagreements, or conflicts, you have recently experienced or are currently experiencing at work with a supervisor or colleague, or someone in your personal life. Share at least two strategies you have learned about that might help you manage or resolve the conflict more productively, and why these strategies might be effective. I have learned so many strategies and have some that I already use reinforced it was hard to choose. I have been off work due to a disability so my experience will be based on my family whom I have been given the pleasure of spending more time with since I am unable to work.

 

The most recent conflict that I have experienced involves my second and third younger sisters (whom I also raised as my own from the ages of five and six) and me. The older one is mentally ill, she has fired her care-giver, had her doctor sign paper work stating that she is capable of managing her own affairs and money. It has come to light that she has not been taking care of her affairs, or going to her doctor’s appointments, or taking her medicine. She is also behind in her rent and her gas is turned off.   Being that I see her more as my daughter, the first thing I did was start to tell her all about the things she had done wrong and that she was not capable of taking care of herself and that she had proved it by the mess she had made. I told her I was not going to help her fix it, that she had to fix it on her own. My third youngest sister was there during all of these. She was the “middle” person trying to get each of us to see the others point of view. “That the goal is not to end or eliminate conflict but simply to transform the way it is expressed ¬ from destructive forms such as violence, abuse, and intolerance into constructive forms such as debate, dialogue, negotiation, and democracy.” http://www.thirdside.org/assump.cfm

 

The learning’s for this week has given me the following strategies that I can use when dealing with my second oldest sister:  I can channel my feeling from thinking negative about my sister and her behavior. I now know how to identify and express my feeling in a way that will not imply that I am judging, showing criticism, or punishing her.

 

 

The learning’s this week have also reinforced my knowledge that I need to look at the situation from an outsiders point of view even when it involves one of my own. The Thirdside.org explains it better than I could: This means seeking to understand all sides to the conflict, encouraging a peaceful nonviolent process for engaging deep differences, and supporting an inclusive outcome that addresses the essential needs of all. To gain perspective and see from the Third Side you need to Go to the Balcony. The Balcony is a mental place of calm and perspective where you can keep your eyes on what is truly important. Imagine that the conflict is happening on a stage and you are on the balcony overlooking the stage. Going to the balcony means taking a distanced view of close things. What do you see from up there? How does that alter your perspective? This is now what I do when talking or dealing with anything to do with my second oldest sister.

Reference

 

http://www.thirdside.org/assump.cfm

http://www.cnvc.org/Training/NVC-Concepts

 P.S. Happy notes sister  figured out how to correct all of her affairs. J

 

 

 

Communication Assessments

For your blog this week, think about the similarities and differences between how you evaluated yourself as a communicator and how others evaluated you. What is the one thing that surprised you the most?

The one thing that surprised me the most about how others evaluated me was how different my co-worker and my sister saw my communication skills. My co-worker knows that I do not like to speak in public and that it makes me nervous no matter what size the group is. My sister stated that I liked to speak in groups and that I rarely get nervous. They both pretty much agreed on my listening skills, they fell that I am the “perfect listener” and they both agreed that when they need to talk that they prefer to come to me than anyone else.

What other insights about communication did you gain this week? Choose at least two to share with others through your blog and consider how each might inform your professional work and personal life.

One thing that I learned this week is that I feel more comfortable communicating in groups whe they are made of my family and friends regardless of the size. I am not nervous when speaking to family members or people that are introduced by them. I have also learned that I am a good listener regardless if it is with my family, my co-worker or strangers; I just like listening to others. I feel that learning these things about myself will give me a better understanding of where I need to improve on my communication skills. I learned that I need to work on my communication skills at work.  I need to work on my speaking skills so that I will be able to speak to any size group and be comfortable doing it.

Strategies For Effectively Communication

 

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.

 

1.      Keep the message simple, but make sure it is deep in meaning. Establish its relevance with other staff members in a way that makes them care more about the subject matter and about the job they do with it. It should be at the core of your communications, a simple and inspiring message that is easy to relate to and understand. This will help them to connect their day-to-day efforts with the aim of the message.

2.      Be a "real person" that families feel comfortable coming to in their times of need.
Authentic messages from me will help families see that I am there to help them with challenges and opportunities that they may face and that I understand and care about them and their children.

3.      Listening is one of the most important aspects of effective communication. By truly listening to what parents, family members, co-workers, children etc. are saying I am showing them that I understand them, I am creating an environment where everyone feels safe to express ideas, opinions, and feelings, or plan and problem solve in creative ways.

 

 

 

 

Assumptions based on messages communicated through body language and facial expressions.

Watch the show with the sound turned off.

 

What do you think the characters' relationships are based on the ways in which they are communicating? What are they feeling and expressing based on the nonverbal behavior you are observing?

 

I watched the show Are We There Yet? In the opening scene there are two women that look like they are arguing with each other it seems that one is the supervisor over the other one. Then in the next one there are two children and a man sitting around a table they seem to be having a conversation about something that the man was working with one the table he seems to be their father. Then the man says something and the children looked scared. In the next scene thee two women are shown in a police department with one handcuffed and the other one looks like she is fussing. Then a man comes in to the police department and tries to talk to the police woman. She frowns and points to a seat, he walks away. Then he talks to her again and she is smiling and then the lady that was handcuffed walked out with the man. I gather from the way they were interacting that they are married and that he is trying to talk to her but she will not let him get a word in. Then they get to what is their home and their children and the man that was with the children said something and left.

 

 

Now, watch the show with the sound turned on.

 

What assumptions did you make about the characters and plot based on the ways in which you interpreted the communication you observed? Would your assumptions have been more correct if you had been watching a show you know well?

 

 

I assumed that the two women were arguing with each other and they actually were not, they were talking about a project they were working on. I could not tell if one was the supervisor of the other. I assumed that the man was the father of the two children and it turned out that he was not their father but a friend of the families watching them while their father tried to get their mother out of jail. He did say that he was looking for a suspected terrorist by the call sign off “the telephone terrorists”.  Which it turns out the kids are the ones that he is looking for. I assumed that this show was about a dysfunctional woman with troubled teens. I was very wrong, even though I believe that the mother needs to learn how to handle her stress and anger better when dealing with people she has to deal with. If this had been a show that I have been watching for a while like Grey’s Anatomy I would have made more accurate assumptions about what I was watching.   

           

Competent Communication

My sister Rae Ann demonstrates competent communication. She cares about others and her relationships with them. She understands that their perspective and needs are legitimate. She makes sure that the results of their communication are as satisfying as possible to all involved. She has the ability to view a situation from another person’s perspective and experience how that perspective feels. She shows a wide range of flexibility in attaining mutual goals. She has the skill of being adaptable to any situation or conversation that she is involved in. She encourages others to meet their goals without being pushy about it. I have and will continue to model spme of my own communication skills after her.  

 

Professional Hopes and Goals

Professional Hopes and Goals

 

One hope that you have when you think about working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds.

 

One hope that I have when it comes to working with children and families that comes from diverse backgrounds is that  I can learn about their culture and families so that I can help them to feel comfortable and secure leaving their children in my care. I also would like for them to feel able to talk to me when and if they need a little extra help with anything in their life.

 One goal you would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice.

 One goal I would like to set for the early childhood field related to issues of diversity, equity, and social justice is that all early childhood professionals be required to take a diversity class and have ongoing training every few years, so that they can stay up to date on how to be diverse teachers and not fall back into old school ways of thinking about diverse families and so that they can continue to learn about all the different changes that are continuing to happen within families and cultures.

A brief note of thanks to your colleagues

 I would like to thank all of my colleagues for their encouragement and support during our courses. It has been a great help knowing that I had that extra support. I wish all the best for all of you.

Welcoming Families From Around the World

Welcoming Families From Around the World

The name of “your” family’s country of origin

 

Russia

 

At least five ways in which you will prepare yourself to be culturally responsive towards this family

 

1.     Learn about their beliefs on child development.

2.     Learn about the Russian culture and traditions.

3.     Learn about the foods that they eat.

4.     Learn basic words in their dialect so that I can communicate with the child and family.

5.     Place Russian language, clothing, dolls, foods and books around the center so that the family sees and knows that we value their involvement in the program.

 

        

A brief statement describing in what ways you hope that these preparations will benefit both you and the family

 

I hope that these preparations will benefit me by giving me information that will help me to better understand the families culture and their traditions. They will also help me to make the center feel comfortable and safe for the family by including items from their culture and language. I hope that it will help the family to feel comfortable leaving their child in the center and know that their child will be taken care of. Also that the center is willing to go beyond the call of duty to help them and help their child in the adjustment of living in a new country.  

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

What memory do you have of an incident when you experienced bias, prejudice, and/or oppression, or witnessed someone else as the target of bias, prejudice, and/or oppression?

 

I have experienced prejudice and bias many times during my life. As a child growing up I had people that refused to be my friend or shake my hand because it is burnt. When you’re a 10 year old and your peers refuse to play with you because your hand is different it hurts. I actually had peers call me “crispy”. The most hurtful experience I had with prejudice happen when my husband and I went for a time share seminar. We had taken a break and the man doing the presentation told his  female co-worker to “go get that fat black beach whale b***h.” After this weeks learning’s I now see that there were some oppression in there too.

 

In what way(s) did the specific bias, prejudice and/or oppression in that incident diminish equity?

 

It diminished equity by making me feel that my black race was not worthy of being there and that as a woman he had not only shown disrespect to me but all women. It made me feel that as a mixed race over weight female that I was not worthy of his time in presenting the information about the time share (which I had wanted to buy until he made those comments). I have never been to another presentation like that again; I try to avoid activity that is presented by males.

 

What feelings did this incident bring up for you?

 

This incident had me feeling like I was worthy less, a was a fat whale and that as a mixed female that I was seen as unworthy of owing property. I also had a major dislike for white males for many years after.

 

What and/or who would have to change in order to turn this incident into an opportunity for greater equity?

 

I believe that he and his female co-worker would both have to change in order for this to become an opportunity for greater equity. He needs to learn how to treat people equally regardless of their race, weight or gender. She needs to learn the same things because if he talks about me as a female like that he will talk negatively about her being a female.

 

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

The microaggression that I detected this week was sexual orientation microaggression. I am the Site Supervisor for a center that has four programs, two part-day classes, one LAUP class, one full-day and one city program. In my LAUP program I had one child that was picked up one and a half hour after her pick up time. We waited thirty minutes and started calling her emergency numbers, we left messages on the numbers that were working but a few of the numbers were out of service. About five minutes after she was picked up the father called. He told me “I need to come in there and teach you how to use the phone.” This was not the first time I had to deal with this father; he seems to have no respect for any of the female staff at the center. This really upset me and had me questioning this man’s up-brining. I don’t believe that his attitude towards females is that way with just the staff members because I have seen him interact with his wife in the same demeaning way. The next day I had the child’s teachers ask me could I be the middle person when it comes to dealing with the father because he made them feel like they were incompetent at their job because they didn’t continue to call him tell he answered.  

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

Noelle:

Culture is what defines us as a race. It is a understanding of traditions and similarities we share with each other and that set us apart and define who we are. Culture is music, food, art, stories, and dance that tell the story of our people and our journey. Culture is who we are because it allows a person of a different race to understand our beliefs and feelings about the world, the economy, and our families. 

Diversity is our passion to stand out but also to stand tall. It often describes how we are classified or compared to one another because often times it is related to a specific area of cultures. Diversity to me is standing tall in your beliefs and in who you are no matter the stereotypes that surround your diverse culture. Diversity is also the ability of a group of individuals whom have different opinions , languages, religions, and skin colors coexist in one geographic location and live peacefully. We are diverse because we are different but by accepting our diversity and our individual challenges we are in some part all the same. 

Deysi:

Culture is my families traditions the woman takes care of the kids and home are husbands are the head of household. When you have parents that were born and raised in Mexico that is how you are raised and breed. In my house we celebrate the traditional Mexican holidays and the American ones. Culture is the music that I listen to, the food that I eat and the way that I raise my children.

Diversity is me having friends of different backgrounds, being able to eat foods and listen to music from other cultures and also exposing my children to the same things. Diversity is keeping my beliefs and honoring others and seeming that everyone is different.

Jenny:

My culture is my family. It is traditions we share with each other and define who we are. Culture is music, food, art, stories, and dance. Diversity is my family accepting that I like music and food that is not traditional to my race. Diversity is knowing that my best friends family accepts me even though I am not the same race as them

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

Some aspects of culture that I have learned about so far in this course that I was talked about above are food, music, art and traditions.

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

Home language was omitted from the answers above. I have learned that home language is a very important part of a person’s culture.

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

Culture means many different things to different people. I have had to take a look at my meaning of culture and I am working to redefine it to fit the person that I am today. I have also learned that it is very important to learn about the children you teach family culture so that you can be a better teacher for that child.
Part of my family and culture.

My Family Culture

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.

The three items that I would take to my new country would be; 1. My portable hard drive, my sons’ photo album and my parents ashes. I would explain that my portable hard drive holds all of my family pictures and scanned documents from my sons childhood, my sons photo album was chosen because it holds everything from the letter of verification of pregnancy to his crib card. It means the world to me because my son was born at 26 weeks and was not expect to live and if he did live I was told he would have medical problems. He is a blessing; he is now 12 years old and a very smart and healthy child. I would take my parents ashes because I was not raised with them and that is all I have left of them other than memories. If I was told I could only take one of these items, I would take the portable hard drive because it holds more memories from all of my family and friends. I have gained the insight that I value my pictures of my family and that taking pictures is a part of my families culture.