Friday, August 23, 2013

Week 8-Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice



When I think about working with children and families from diverse backgrounds, one hope that I have is that I can always welcome and respect the differences that they bring.  As Derman-Sparks & Edwards (2010) pointed out, “In a society as diverse as ours, maneuvering through its multiple cultures can be complex and confusing, as well as rich and delightful” (p. 55).  

One goal that I would like to set for the early childhood field related to the issues of diversity, equity, and social justice is that all early childhood professionals be exposed to the anti-bias curriculum.  Exposure to the anti-bias curriculum would ensure that professionals have the opportunity to learn about others and about themselves with regards to diversity, equity, and culture.

I would like to thank each of you for your honest and candid personal stories that you shared.  While information from the resources and videos can be very moving and pertinent to the topic, it is the personal stories of classmates that give a face to the theories, data, facts and research.   

Reference
Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J. O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

2 comments:

  1. I think the more education and training early childhood education professionals have related to anti-bias education, the more we will be able to teach and educate your children. I have learned so much over the course of the last eight weeks that i will carry with me forever. Thank you again and I wish you all the best in the future. Early childhood education professionals have a special gift, which is to change and impact the lives of our children to prepare them for the future. Thank you again for a great class.

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  2. Hi Geralyn,
    Thank you for your insightful thoughts and comments throughout this course. It has been a pleasure to collaborate with you regarding the important topics of diversity, equity, and social justice. You have well thought out hopes and goals for the future and I wish you luck in your pursuit of implementing anti-bias education in your work with children from diverse backgrounds. Thanks again for a great class.
    Sharon

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