Week 8

Professional Hopes and Goals

 

            My professional experience I learned from this course is to be able to effectively use these strategies to enable me to work with my children and their families of diversity background. I learned as an educator I must be able to put my feeling aside and be able to educate all of my students regardless of their culture beliefs. What I also gained from this course is learning to appreciate others differences. I learned that when children feel safe and nurture in our classroom environment it encourage them to want to learn. I learned it is also important as educator not only teaching our students to value others difference but to appreciate where they come from. I believe that when children appreciate their culture beliefs it encourage them to feel nothing is impossible if they set their hearts and mind to it.

            As for my professional goals I will continue to strive to be successful educator who believes in her students. As well as support their differences (culture, gender, race and etc).  I will not always my bias opinion effect the way I enact with my students and their families, but instead continue to have a positive relationship with my families so that each and every child that enter in my classroom will have a chance at receiving a good education.

Finally, I would like to thanks each and every one of my classmates from giving me feedback on each assignment it was greatly appreciated. I will continue to strive at doing my very best because of our discussions each week. Good luck to everyone as you continue your education here at Walden University!!!



Week 7

FAMILIES AROUND THE WORLD

 

 

The country I chose was Bolivia is considered to economically the poorest area of South America. Bolivia also shares borders with Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile and Peru. Their official language is Spanish.  Also the education system in Bolivia is very poor because they only have school from February to November.

To better services this family from Bolivia into our program, I will make sure that I am very well informed with my culture responsive. In the following way.

·        First I would make sure I do a very massive research on this country. For example, find out what are some of their culture beliefs. I would even discuss some similarities of my culture beliefs with these families. I would also seek to find some pictures/items to display into my classroom to help make them to feel even more comfortable.

·        I would even seek out other resources such as maybe a support groups to help make their transition go smoothly. I think this is an important fact because it is very hard on anyone to move or transition to an unfamiliar place not knowing what to expect. And also you don’t not often speak the same language this call cause a lot of stress for the family.

·        Finally, because I don’t speak Spanish. I would have someone at hand that can translate to the family what my expectation as a teacher to help make sure that their child will receive a good education. I will also make myself available after hours to help the family with any concerns pertaining to their child education while they are enrolled in our program.

 

Week 6

 

 

 

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

 

            An incident I remember associated with bias, prejudice, and oppression when I was in 6^th grade. My friends and I were going swimming in the community pool.  As we enter the pool there was a group of girls (white). They were laughing and having fun so my friends and I decided to joy them. Because we knew them all of us attended  the same school plus we all played together before. I noticed one of the young ladies leaving the pool as we enter.  Then she motions to her friends to do the same thing. So I went up to the young ladies thinking maybe there was something in the pool, and ask what was wrong.  The one who first got out of the pool stated to me, “we don’t swim in the pool with black people”. I asked her why she felt that way.  She looks at me and said that’s just the way it is.

            I remember going home telling my mother and grandmother about what had happen. I even asked my mom why my friend felt that way. She stated to me sometime people attend to look at other differently. When they feel they are more dominant and because of our race, that’s when I learned what discriminate was. I never really paid attention to my friend’s race or gender all I care about was we were friends.  My mother and grandmother always raised my siblings and me to appreciate and accept people for who they were. However, when I experienced that type of behavior from my friend, it leads me to believe that people are stereotyping me because of my race.  Even though I enjoyed hanging out with my friends (white) I never played with her again. Not because I was angry but because I felt like she was never my friend. Also because she saw color in our friendship and I didn’t.



Week 4

 

Practicing Awareness on Microaggression

 

One story that came to my mind that I remember that demonstrated Microaggression was about a NFL foot player. Tim Tebow was a very popular quarterback who played in the NFL. His career began when he played college football for the University of Florida, and he also won the Heisman Trophy in 2007 and appearing on BCS National Championship-winning teams in the 2006 and 2008 seasons. Tebow was selected to join the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. This is where his problems began after he was chosen to be a part of the NFL. Tebow received a lot of public criticize because of his strong religious beliefs in which he display off and on the field.  In which I find to be distributing here again because we as a society doesn’t have the ability to understand and accept others differences. This young man who had a promising career was made to resign or give up his passion because of his culture beliefs. What is most amazing about this young inspiring NFL player was he chose his culture belief over his passion to play NFL football. Even though he is not actively playing football in the NFL, he was hired by ESPN as a college football analyst. One of Tebow teammate stated, he doesn’t have a problem with his religious belief but maybe he shouldn’t display it so publicly. I knew his teammate might have thought he was supporting him but he really was making discriminating remarks. I belief if he choose to display his religious belief before and after a game it should be his choice but in today’s world once an again if the dominant culture doesn’t agree with it then it will not be accepted by the majority.  Here are some pictures of Tim Tebow doing what he does best!!

 

 



Week 3 Assignment

 

 

PERSPECTIVES ON CULTURE AND DIVERSITY

 

 

 



   

 

 

For this assignment I wanted to interview three people who I played a significant part of my life that I valued their opinions and beliefs on what culture and diversity mean to them. Which are the followings, my sister, my closest friend and a co-worker?

 

Sister: Culture is the many ideas, beliefs, values; religion and experiences that make us who were are today. Culture is a body of knowledge, love, a community, and a system of supports that guide our decisions and perception of others and the world that surrounds us. Our culture is what makes up unique; it is a circle of support that provides us with a likeness to others and a support system of friends and family. Culture can be a style of communication that exist within an ethnic group or community that makes them unique and diversity from others. We are surrounded by people who look different, have different experiences, beliefs, and speak different languages (to name a few), and it remains important for all persons to respect each others' differences and diversity we add to the community (the world). Communicating and interacting with people who have difference experiences than our own, allows us to grow as an individual and a culture.  

Friend: Culture is my most valuable treasure.  It is my inheritance.  It’s what has been given to me to help cultivate my way of thinking, my values and morals and my way of looking at life.  Diversity is based on my culture, but it relates to my difference.  Diversity is what defines me and makes me the unique person that I am. 

Co-worker (difference race):  Culture is different races, different background and heritages. Diversity can be defined as the different kinds of people and things in the world such as different incomes, levels of education, and different job positions that is being held by the individuals.

 

I really was amazed at the different respond that I received from my love ones on how they define culture and diversity. What even amazing that my belief and my sister’s beliefs are very similar. However, what I really learned from this assignment that each one of these individuals that I interviewed believe that our culture is what make us who were are as people. Just like my sister stated that we must learn how to communicate and be willing to accept each other’s differences. We all have something unique to offer to this world no matter what our culture beliefs are and our race, gender and etc. We must be willing to love and support each other so we can live a peaceful life in this world. I truly believe in my hearts that is why there is so much happening in our world today. Because the dominant culture feels that they have the right to put down the family culture beliefs who they don’t understand because they are not willing to learn about it.

 

 

Week 2 Assignment

MY FAMILY CULTURE

 

 

Wow this assignment was not quite as simple as it sound because the I ponder on whether or not to decide on things that was a more traditional culture practice or items that was dear to me. The three items I decided to take with me was. A cookbook, photos, dress.

 

 

 

The reason I choose the cookbook because it was giving to me by my mother who received from her mother. There are recipes that was written by women in my families. I actually uses this cookbook today to prepare special meals for my family and one day I would like to past this cookbook to my daughter.

 

 

 

I choose photos because I have been given photos of my great-great  grandparents who I never had the opportunity to because they were decreased before I was born. And my mom would tell my siblings and I of wonderful stories about her great-great grandparents over the years. I love hearing these stories especially how different life was for them back in their era.

 

 

Last but not least a my grandmother's dress. I know it may sound weird but this was the dress she pass away in and every so often I will pull this dress out and just wrap myself around in it just to feel closer to her because she was like a mother to me. It' have been 4 years since her passing but it doesn't get any easier I miss her so much . 

 

 

This assignment have really made me realize how important it is to be more appreciated of each other differences and culture. I can imagine having to choose one but if I would have to decided on one it would be my grandmother's dress.

 

 

When I am having a bad day and just need to feel closer to her I can always retrieved it. And I can honestly feel her spiritual with me telling me it will be okay.



Resource that Benefit Families

 

 

I read this article on the effect of Chemotherapy in younger children. It stated that children are given a combination of chemotherapy drugs. Children are given the number of drugs depending on the type of cancer or leukaemia they have. The doctors will discuss with the families  which drugs are being used and when they’ll be given. The article stated that children are at risk for developing long-term side effects, also called late effects, from cancer treatment. Late effects can occur months or years after cancer treatment ends. With more than 80% of children treated for cancer surviving for five years or more after treatment, preventing and recognizing physical and emotional late effects is an important part of cancer care. Late effects can be physical or emotional.  Not every child will develop all of these long-term side effects; it depends on the type of treatment a child had and their age when treated. They could have reproductive and sexual development problems. Boys and girls are both at risk for these problems. In boys, radiation therapy to the brain, testicles, or abdomen may cause infertility (the inability to father a child), as can chemotherapy with alkylating agents, such as cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide. These treatments may also change levels of testosterone (a male hormone), which can affect puberty and sexual functioning. And  in girls, particularly those who have begun menstruation, chemotherapy and radiation therapy to the abdomen, pelvis, lower spine, or head can affect the ovaries, causing infertility (inability to conceive a child or maintain a pregnancy), irregular menstruation, and premature menopause. For both boys and girls, radiation therapy to the head can affect various glands that regulate the male and female hormone levels, which could affect fertility. Finally, the article stated that they can also experience growth, development, and hormone problems. Cancer treatments may affect the endocrine system, a group of hormone-producing glands that controls body functions, such as growth, energy, and puberty.

 

 

 

 

 

Late Effects of Childhood Cancer

www.cancer.net › Navigating Cancer Care