Hello all of you in the world of the  ECE.  This week we are talking about team building.  Hummmm  That is a big topic in the ECE world because we work in teams of two or more people and our team includes a classroom of children.  An entire community can become a team when there is a common cause, vision, goal or purpose is clearly defined for the benefit of all the members.  In the Montessori classroom or community the well defined purpose and goal is the normalization of the children.  Dr. Montessori defined normalization as a child being able to fit into society for the benefit of the larger community.  I think as we work together and play together and go through life together the importance of team work is something we should think deeply about. So how do we disengage or adjourn from this community?
In the Montessori Classroom the children are in charge of themselves. This does not mean they are unsupervised.   We also have car line or pick up time with the parents meeting the child in a designated place at the school.   Saying good by is as simple as a hand wave or a hug.  I love to see the expressions on the face as they greet mom or dad.  If we as teachers the expression will be one of joy.  Joy at seeing mom and dad and the knowledge that they will be back the next day to once again be part of  a larger "self"

As an adult I have been involved in several project committees The first one was when I was in college.  Our town had a meeting to see how a program could be created for the youth who were disenfranchised in our town could be created and implemented.   I was the only "youth" to show up so I got asked to be on the steering committee.  We met for moths at 7:00 AM to form a mission, goals and programs.  I worked with men and women who were "somebody"in our community.  And when it was over we had a program called Attention To Youth who would be funded by grants ect.... and the prospect of a house for kids to stay while they transitioned either back home or to the next step in their lives.  I also helped renovate the house removing layers of wall paper and cleaning.  After that I go busy in college and lost track of the program and the results.  But as I look back on it now I learned that working with people was a hard task and one has to bring an open mind and a ready to learn new things about people attitude.  I try to still have that perspective as I work with small groups of teachers in a semi consulting role that seems to have developed during my home school years and now as a Montessori teacher. Disengaging from someone who I work closely with depends on how much emotional currency I have spent during that time.   In the Attention to Youth group I was not aware of how much work we were doing.  And when it ended I went on with my life.  In the consulting, because I work on a more intimate level I find I worry about the people if things worked out and if as homeschooling parents they have the commitment and tenacity to really home school their child.  In Montessori I just make some simple suggestions and let them figure the rest out.
As I come close to the end of my Master's program I will miss engaging with my virtual classmate.  Some I hope to keep in contact with so we can mentor each other.  I think that is the best was to keep a team going while at the same time adjourning.

thanks for dropping by

Peace and all good

This week has been an interesting one,  We have been delving into conflict and communication.  On the national scene we have witnessed this first hand in Ferguson, MO.  We have seen conflict and we have seen several forms of communication and I am wondering what happened to civil discourse.  I grew up when the great non violent leaders were in charge.  Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi were on the civil scene.  Directing the discourse and standing for justice. I also witnessed the Watts riots and the riots from the Rodney King trial.  Lately though things have changed, it's left me wondering how we can deal with conflict born out of the lack of social justice differently?   What is happening in places like Ferguson and many other places is a bigger issue than just communication but it all starts with that component, communication. I was a hippie and we were all about peace. We used to sing Let There Be Peace On Earth and other peace anthems. What happened to all that?

So now I want to address the way conflict is handled in my world. I wish I could say everyone who has a beef with me or someone else gets to sit down and reasonably  talk it out and we all agree nicely and go on about our business.  I tend to be reactionary especially when I feel I'm being put into a corner on the home front.  I am working to calm down and listen and observe, then and only then, respond.  What a nice concept.  What a difficult thing to do.  In studying compassionate conversation or non violent communication I have learned concepts and techniques I can use to help me when a conflict arises.  I have found the meme in the Third Side curriculum to be useful.  Step one is  deciding the cost of the conflict.  Once we realize the high cost of conflict we can decide to approach the conflict from a different view and work towards peace. Many time we must work through the conflict on an interior level before we can address it in the larger context of relationship. Then I need to identify at what level the conflict resides.  I will diagnose the situation, identify roles and take actions.  This all takes patience and reflection on our role as peacemaker is going to be.

Not long ago we had a situation in our family where one of my children believed they had gotten the short end of the stick on a continual basis and it had been building up for a long time.  This child needed to talk to me about it but didn't know how to enter into that conversation.  She had tried several months before and I reacted so badly she didn't want to cause another imbalance in our family.  I have to admit I did react.  My situation was that I was going to grad school, working two jobs one of which was a very high stress situation and all I heard was a "complaint"  I was very incensed she did not take all that into account and only seemed to be thinking of herself.  On her part can imagine she felt that I was being insensitive and not taking her needs and feelings into account as well.  Conflict was created.  Several months after that both my daughters came and asked to spend some time talking about things in our family relationship that had been troubling my youngest daughter, we agreed on a time and place to meet.  Now I don't like conflict, I try to avoid it as much as possible because I do not know how to deal with it.  Fortunately I have the great mediator living in my house.  My oldest daughter is a natural peacemaker and mediator. When the day came for us to meet the three of us made tea and sat down to talk.  The rules of engagement were laid down by the mediator and we began.  One person got to have their say without interruption.  That meant I had to listen actively and not listen to respond or defend myself.  Then I got to respond.  Actively listening is a skill that slows down the thought process we go through when we have a conversation especially a difficult conversation.  It gives us time to get into the other person's perspective and enables us to use that knowledge to respond without being defensive. I was able to respond with my own thoughts and feelings about her perspective and give my side of the story.  So we hashed out several of our conundrums and finished off with everyone feeling like they had been heard and viewpoints acknowledged.  We also came up with some action plans to enable us to build on what we had decided was the solution to some of the problems.  I am grateful for my oldest daughter's skill in mediation without that I do not know if things could have been worked out with my youngest daughter. There are still things to address and tweak but the general conflict is resolved and our relationship is not as confrontational as it was.

As I learn more about mediation, compassionate communication and non violent communication I will be able to deal successfully with the every day up sets that happen.  I'll also learn to build bridges rather than burning them in the process of working with the children and families I hope to serve in the school I will develop.

Once again peace and all good.
Thanks fro dropping by.
 
Reference
http://www.thirdside.org/

Blog Week 4

ED 6165

This week we took three surveys on communication anxiety, listening styles and verbal aggressiveness.  I have my oldest daughter and my girlfriend evaluate me and I also took the survey.  Evidently they know me as well as I know myself.  There were not any discrepancies in their evaluations and mine. 

In the area of communication anxiety I scored as not very anxious when I am speaking before a group of people.  I did note that there are some situations where I feel anxious in communication in some contexts.  I do feel more confident in communicating when I can prepare and think and process what has been said to me.  Interpersonal communication is stressful if I have to address an issue that makes me uncomfortable to begin with.   Especially with my family members.  Being able to ask for what I need from others is hard for me.  I do better when I can write out what I want to say and evaluate it for clarity,

understanding the context it is stated in.  Not being drawn into verbal power struggles is key when working with children.  That is something I have had a challenge with in the past so I am learning to and effectiveness.

In the area of verbal aggressiveness I was again evenly evaluated the same by myself and my daughter and girlfriend.  I am not very verbally aggressive.  I am learning to stand up for myself verbally while not being aggressive.  Arguing a competent point rather than taking umbrage with what has been said to me. And control myself and not react to what is being said or done.  I use several things for this breathing and the art of being present and really looking at what is going on or listening to what is being said before I respond.  This is a skill that I am developing and will continue to develop though out my life. 

In the area of listening styles it was pointed out I am a people person, empathetic and but am also business like as I tend to pack my schedule.  Also something I am leaning not to do.  Keeping busy is one thing but being meaningfully busy is quite another. 

In my application I was asked to create three goals for myself in the area of communication.  I forgot to include them so I am doing that here. 

1)      Slow down.  Work on being present and not rush through my though process. 

2)       Take my time in responding and gather my thoughts and curtain an action that may have derailed the communication process with the one I am talking to. 

3)      Practice listening.  Active listening so that I can have a better understanding of what is truly being said.

In my view communication is a two way street.  We listen in such a way so that others will speak their minds and hearts. They will feel safe to let us know what they really want.  This is a good skill to have when working with children but especially teenagers.  We need to speak in such a way that others will listen to our thoughts and hearts. So that they will be open to hearing what we have to say.  If we as early childhood educators develop these skills we can have more peaceful classrooms and lives.

Peace and all good

Thanks for dropping by

             This week we are asked to think about how we communicate with different groups of people or different cultures.   I like to think of this as speaking in different voices as the situation requires.  I also recognize that to effectively communicate with people from cultural groups different from mine I must become familiar with the language used.    Now this doesn’t mean I must drag out the Rosetta Stone curriculum but it does mean I must become aware of the vernacular.  For instance when I joined Civil Air Patrol I didn’t understand anything they talked about at meetings.  The commanding officer used initials to describe what activities we would be doing.  A SAR was a search and rescue exercise and we had to find an ELT – electronic locator transmitter.  I also learned to use a certain voice and have a more military barring when I interacted with other members of CAP and the Air Force. 

              Now this is a much different voice than I use when I walk into my home health patients home.  I am there to help with the ADL’s (Activities of Daily Living.)  But I do not say ADL, I ask them what kind of things they need me to do that day.  Cleaning, cooking, laundry and helping to bath are all activities of daily living but I don’t refer to them as such.  I also observe to notice any changes.  When I make my notes on the visit I can use the abbreviations.  If my client was noticeably short of breath I will put s.o.b. (short of breath).  The nurse will know what I mean and pay them a visit to check it out. 

             A third voice I may use is one where I am interacting with children and their families at the school.  I will use a different voice there.  It will use a slightly authoritative voice when directing children to line up for the fire drill and a more friendly voice if we are going out to play.  The tone of my voice can communicate the seriousness of the situation in the first case and the directive in the second.  If the family of a student is from a different culture I may ask the parent to tell me about their culture.  What they do at home for meal time, bed time and holidays.  Then I can translate that back into the classroom in the form work on the shelves to incorporate the expression that child’s culture in to the culture of the classroom.  This brings awareness to the other students and families and also makes welcome the child who is not from the dominate culture of the school. 

             Finding your voice in every situation you are in is not easy.  it takes time and at times study and asking questions of people you may find intimidating.  Do sweat it ask questions and most of all find your own authentic voice it is much more flexible then you think. 

Thanks for dropping by 

Peace and all good 

Oh dear! 

This week we were asked to watch a TV show we don't usually watch and write about the verbal and nonverbal communication that can across with our watching it.   

News Flash!!! 

 I DO NOT WATCH VERY MUCH TV! 

The two shows I watch consistently are NCIS AND Big Bang (reruns for Big Bang  because the daughter's show is on when Big Bang is.)  And this past week I didn't watch any of them.  What to do.  Look in Saturday scheduling.  Nothing at all interesting and I don't watch TV on Saturday to begin with. 

Consternation abounds.  

Since I don't watch much television I chose to watch an episode of a show I had on DVD.  Third Rock From The Sun.  This episode is called Jolly Old St. Dick.  Now the premise of the show is four aliens who are sent to earth to assimilate themselves with earth's culture.  Of Course their understanding of holiday's is somewhat nil.  What ensues is a great deal of misadventure. 

When I watched with the sound off the relationships between some of the characters is easy to understand.  Others not so much.  When the episode opens Tommy and his girlfriend are in the kitchen, they have been studying and are laughing and talking as the girlfriend is packing up her books.  This is easily understood with no sound.  The scene changes to the living room and Dick and the landlady as well as the other two characters.  Can't tell what they are saying but the whole scene ends in a big group hug.   Now Dick is at the office of the college where he teaches.  A piece of Mistletoe was hanging  he takes it and throws it in the trash.  His co-workers come in and get Dick to pick a name to give a gift to for Christmas exchange.  Meanwhile Harry and Sally, have found jobs in a Department store as helpers.  Harry is an Elf with Santa and Sally as a gift wrapper.  As the show proceeds  the communication is not easy to follow with our the sound on. A few scenes are obvious though: when Santa goes on break Harry follows him and sees the man taking off his beard and hair.  Harry is obviously traumatized by this and screams and runs out.  Later during a scene at a bar harry is once again traumatized by several Santa's coming in to the bar.  It was easy to tell what was going on when the sound is off.  As seen in the show when the sound is on it stands out that what was shown in the non sound version was what was shown in the sounded version.  
At the very end of the show there is always a group discussion with all the cast on the roof.  They are always discussing things they do not understand about earth culture.   It was not easy to understand the conversation however it is always easy to understand by their facial expression and body language that they are clearly confused.  

Third Rock From The Sun is one of my go to shows when I am feeling down.  I relate to these characters because like me they get things wrong because they don't understand the context.   That is one of the reasons I like it I can relate to them.  And that is one of the best forms of communication there is. 

Peace and all good 

Thanks for dropping by  

When I think of communication I think of my dad.  He was a communications engineer for the government.  He loved communications and since he was born in 1919 he was around for some of the first innovations in communications.  He joined the army right out of high school and fought in WWII in the 10 Mountain Division 110th signal core.  There he developed skills in building communications systems.  He developed the transmitter/receiver system for the Atomic Energy Commission and then the Federal Aviation Agency.  You see my dad is the reason you do not fly into a mountain when in an airplane.  While he was a genius at developing systems he also had good verbal communication skills as well. He didn't say much but when he did he was able to get his point across in a few words.  I think his personal style of communication was interactive but the system he built was linear because you just had to assume the message went from the transmitter to the repeater and then one to another transmitter/repeater.  My dad communicated in other ways.  He loved classical music and I could tell by his music what his mood was.  While I didn't think about it when he was alive so much now that he has passed I miss the music and the communication.  


Happy Samhain

Thanks for dropping by

Blog week 8

 ED 6164

        The hope I have going forward is that when I work with people who come from a different background that me is that I will be able to get to know them on a personal level.  I also want to be aware that any hidden bias I may have does not creep in to my thinking about the child or his family. For instance if I have a young child who seems to be treated as a little prince by his parents I don't want to assume they are spoiling him but be able to understand that in their culture this behavior is perfectly acceptable.  I want to be able to look deeper into another culture and gain an appreciation for what is there.  Learning not to judge a situation is the most important thing I can do for my children and the families I serve.  

            In the early childhood education field I want to bring about understanding of differences in learning style and teaching methods.  I am a Montessori teacher.  In the Montessori world at times we can get so set in our ways of teaching and thinking we forget that being static because we believe so fundamentally in the Montessori Method we put other educators off.  I would like to create a space where in we as Montessorians and other ECE professionals can have true and honest conversations about what matters to the children not our agenda.  

      

   Dr Kiem and fellow scholars, this has been a fun part of the journey and I hope we get to continue together in our next class,  Collaboration and Communication.  I've enjoyed hearing your stories as we have gone through the social identity process and may you all continue to grow and contribute in a meaningful way to the children and families you serve. 

    

      Peace and all good 

      Thanks for dropping by  

This week we were asked to think about how we would respond when we found there was a new student enrolling in our class from a country that we are largely unfamiliar with.   The family that I will welcome in to my classroom is from Myanmar.  I am to think of five ways I would can be culturally responsive to their needs as a new family. As someone who is not familiar with the country and customs of Myanmar so I looked up the following: 

Education (ECE)

Family structure and culture

Employment

Political structure

Culture (religion, food, dress, music, dance & customs.)

Myanmar has the Footprints Project for early childhood education in place. This is concerned with supporting the entire community for the benefit of the child and the family. Gender equality is built into the schema of the project.   The objectives are:

Providing early child care and education by improving the quality of care and quality of the building and providing proper latrines for the children.  Medical care and health education also are components.  Forming parent care groups for further education. The outcomes are as follows 

·         early childhood education centers (including child-friendly latrines and playgrounds);

·         facilitating community awareness-raising sessions on child health and nutrition issues, including implementing feeding centers;

·         collaborating with the Department of Health staff on child immunization campaigns; 

·         implementing teacher training on gender-inclusive education practices and child nutrition; and 

·         providing teacher aids to support primary school teachers. 

All of this is done in 44 rural villages.  School in urban areas runs in a more regular fashion.  Basic public education consists of five years of elementary, four years of middle, and two years of secondary school.  Elementary school is free and compulsory. Students passing an examination may enter secondary school. At the end of eighth grade, students must pass another examination before progressing to secondary school (grades 9–11). Following high-school, students may attend vocational training or university.

Family structure is very traditional in that it is multi-generational. When the couple lives apart from the extended family in their own home they live nearby or in a family compound.  Their elderly are very much respected.  The head of the household us usually male and remains rather distant from the daily goings on, the wife has the say so about finances and she is in charge of the household expenditures.  The average family has five children.   Most of the population lives in rural areas.

              Myanmar is one of the most economically depressed countries in the world.  The main occupation is farming or general labor.  Economically the push to industrialize is on; in an article by The Economist it is noted that even with industrialization in swing it will take years of education to bring the population up to standard in order to function in an industrialized society. 

              Political unrest has plagued Myanmar for many years.  The main religion is Buddhist with some Muslim and Christian’s active as well.  The government over sees the activities of the Buddhist monks and many are prohibited from being involved in social activism.  Many from the 2007 uprising are still in prison.  At present time the country has a president and a parliament governing. There are several ethnicities in Myanmar and they regionally Buddhism is promoted as the unofficial state school of thought.  This has created tension among the Muslims, Christians and Buddhist in the country.  Women are considered equal in matters of marriage, divorce and employment but the Buddhist religion says a woman cannot become a priest unless she reincarnates as a man. Aung San Suu Kyi is the most relevant woman in Myanmar politically.  Having won elections and then having the government be over thrown by the military and imprisoned.  She now travels and speaks about the plight of Myanmar and the need for reforms.

                Now that I have some general background I can plan how I can greet the new student and her family. 

               The first thing I would do is to meet with the family to find out what ethnic background they are.  What brought them to the U.S.? What is it they are doing for a living and where they live? I also would do an assessment of where the child is so I know where she is in terms of development and learning.  What I would do is to arrange an open house at our school welcoming all the new families and children.  In my classroom I would have many things that would be familiar to the family.  Food and music, pictures of the region they came from.  Then if things go well I would give them and any other family’s demonstrations of the work.  I hope I could find or make work involving Myanmar’s culture.  After a few weeks of settling in I would invite the parents to come to class and share about their home country.  I could also have some of the language cards and the moveable alphabet made up in the language of Myanmar. I can also make matching cards of land marks of the country.  I would put clothing, money and other things out on the cultural shelf for the children to explore.  On the science shelf I can have things for matching using the animals from Myanmar and I can play soft music from that country in the classroom.  Greeting the children every morning with the greeting from that country will also incorporate that into our classroom learning about the new country.  Most importantly remembering children are interested in children and they are pretty much the same all over the world.  I can make sure the new child is welcomed by the other children and she can integrate into the community. 

Myanmar is a beautiful country with a rich history and is working to move into the twenty first century.  Here are a few pictures of the grandeur of the Buddhist tradition and some other places I found off the internet.  Enjoy.

This week we were asked to think about how we would respond when we found there was a new student enrolling in our class from a country that we are largely unfamiliar with.   The family that I will welcome in to my classroom is from Myanmar.  I am to think of five ways I would can be culturally responsive to their needs as a new family. As someone who is not familiar with the country and customs of Myanmar so I looked up the following: 

Education (ECE)

Family structure and culture

Employment

Political structure

Culture (religion, food, dress, music, dance & customs.)

Myanmar has the Footprints Project for early childhood education in place. This is concerned with supporting the entire community for the benefit of the child and the family. Gender equality is built into the schema of the project.   The objectives are:

Providing early child care and education by improving the quality of care and quality of the building and providing proper latrines for the children.  Medical care and health education also are components.  Forming parent care groups for further education. The outcomes are as follows 

·         early childhood education centers (including child-friendly latrines and playgrounds);

·         facilitating community awareness-raising sessions on child health and nutrition issues, including implementing feeding centers;

·         collaborating with the Department of Health staff on child immunization campaigns; 

·         implementing teacher training on gender-inclusive education practices and child nutrition; and 

·         providing teacher aids to support primary school teachers. 

All of this is done in 44 rural villages.  School in urban areas runs in a more regular fashion.  Basic public education consists of five years of elementary, four years of middle, and two years of secondary school.  Elementary school is free and compulsory. Students passing an examination may enter secondary school. At the end of eighth grade, students must pass another examination before progressing to secondary school (grades 9–11). Following high-school, students may attend vocational training or university.

Family structure is very traditional in that it is multi-generational. When the couple lives apart from the extended family in their own home they live nearby or in a family compound.  Their elderly are very much respected.  The head of the household us usually male and remains rather distant from the daily goings on, the wife has the say so about finances and she is in charge of the household expenditures.  The average family has five children.   Most of the population lives in rural areas.

              Myanmar is one of the most economically depressed countries in the world.  The main occupation is farming or general labor.  Economically the push to industrialize is on; in an article by The Economist it is noted that even with industrialization in swing it will take years of education to bring the population up to standard in order to function in an industrialized society. 

              Political unrest has plagued Myanmar for many years.  The main religion is Buddhist with some Muslim and Christian’s active as well.  The government over sees the activities of the Buddhist monks and many are prohibited from being involved in social activism.  Many from the 2007 uprising are still in prison.  At present time the country has a president and a parliament governing. There are several ethnicities in Myanmar and they regionally Buddhism is promoted as the unofficial state school of thought.  This has created tension among the Muslims, Christians and Buddhist in the country.  Women are considered equal in matters of marriage, divorce and employment but the Buddhist religion says a woman cannot become a priest unless she reincarnates as a man. Aung San Suu Kyi is the most relevant woman in Myanmar politically.  Having won elections and then having the government be over thrown by the military and imprisoned.  She now travels and speaks about the plight of Myanmar and the need for reforms.

                Now that I have some general background I can plan how I can greet the new student and her family. 

               The first thing I would do is to meet with the family to find out what ethnic background they are.  What brought them to the U.S.? What is it they are doing for a living and where they live? I also would do an assessment of where the child is so I know where she is in terms of development and learning.  What I would do is to arrange an open house at our school welcoming all the new families and children.  In my classroom I would have many things that would be familiar to the family.  Food and music, pictures of the region they came from.  Then if things go well I would give them and any other family’s demonstrations of the work.  I hope I could find or make work involving Myanmar’s culture.  After a few weeks of settling in I would invite the parents to come to class and share about their home country.  I could also have some of the language cards and the moveable alphabet made up in the language of Myanmar. I can also make matching cards of land marks of the country.  I would put clothing, money and other things out on the cultural shelf for the children to explore.  On the science shelf I can have things for matching using the animals from Myanmar and I can play soft music from that country in the classroom.  Greeting the children every morning with the greeting from that country will also incorporate that into our classroom learning about the new country.  Most importantly remembering children are interested in children and they are pretty much the same all over the world.  I can make sure the new child is welcomed by the other children and she can integrate into the community. 

Myanmar is a beautiful country with a rich history and is working to move into the twenty first century.  Here are a few pictures of the grandeur of the Buddhist tradition and some other places I found off the internet.  Enjoy.

This week we were asked to think about how we would respond when we found there was a new student enrolling in our class from a country that we are largely unfamiliar with.   The family that I will welcome in to my classroom is from Myanmar.  I am to think of five ways I would can be culturally responsive to their needs as a new family. As someone who is not familiar with the country and customs of Myanmar so I looked up the following: 

Education (ECE)

Family structure and culture

Employment

Political structure

Culture (religion, food, dress, music, dance & customs.)

Myanmar has the Footprints Project for early childhood education in place. This is concerned with supporting the entire community for the benefit of the child and the family. Gender equality is built into the schema of the project.   The objectives are:

Providing early child care and education by improving the quality of care and quality of the building and providing proper latrines for the children.  Medical care and health education also are components.  Forming parent care groups for further education. The outcomes are as follows 

·         early childhood education centers (including child-friendly latrines and playgrounds);

·         facilitating community awareness-raising sessions on child health and nutrition issues, including implementing feeding centers;

·         collaborating with the Department of Health staff on child immunization campaigns; 

·         implementing teacher training on gender-inclusive education practices and child nutrition; and 

·         providing teacher aids to support primary school teachers. 

All of this is done in 44 rural villages.  School in urban areas runs in a more regular fashion.  Basic public education consists of five years of elementary, four years of middle, and two years of secondary school.  Elementary school is free and compulsory. Students passing an examination may enter secondary school. At the end of eighth grade, students must pass another examination before progressing to secondary school (grades 9–11). Following high-school, students may attend vocational training or university.

Family structure is very traditional in that it is multi-generational. When the couple lives apart from the extended family in their own home they live nearby or in a family compound.  Their elderly are very much respected.  The head of the household us usually male and remains rather distant from the daily goings on, the wife has the say so about finances and she is in charge of the household expenditures.  The average family has five children.   Most of the population lives in rural areas.

              Myanmar is one of the most economically depressed countries in the world.  The main occupation is farming or general labor.  Economically the push to industrialize is on; in an article by The Economist it is noted that even with industrialization in swing it will take years of education to bring the population up to standard in order to function in an industrialized society. 

              Political unrest has plagued Myanmar for many years.  The main religion is Buddhist with some Muslim and Christian’s active as well.  The government over sees the activities of the Buddhist monks and many are prohibited from being involved in social activism.  Many from the 2007 uprising are still in prison.  At present time the country has a president and a parliament governing. There are several ethnicities in Myanmar and they regionally Buddhism is promoted as the unofficial state school of thought.  This has created tension among the Muslims, Christians and Buddhist in the country.  Women are considered equal in matters of marriage, divorce and employment but the Buddhist religion says a woman cannot become a priest unless she reincarnates as a man. Aung San Suu Kyi is the most relevant woman in Myanmar politically.  Having won elections and then having the government be over thrown by the military and imprisoned.  She now travels and speaks about the plight of Myanmar and the need for reforms.

                Now that I have some general background I can plan how I can greet the new student and her family. 

               The first thing I would do is to meet with the family to find out what ethnic background they are.  What brought them to the U.S.? What is it they are doing for a living and where they live? I also would do an assessment of where the child is so I know where she is in terms of development and learning.  What I would do is to arrange an open house at our school welcoming all the new families and children.  In my classroom I would have many things that would be familiar to the family.  Food and music, pictures of the region they came from.  Then if things go well I would give them and any other family’s demonstrations of the work.  I hope I could find or make work involving Myanmar’s culture.  After a few weeks of settling in I would invite the parents to come to class and share about their home country.  I could also have some of the language cards and the moveable alphabet made up in the language of Myanmar. I can also make matching cards of land marks of the country.  I would put clothing, money and other things out on the cultural shelf for the children to explore.  On the science shelf I can have things for matching using the animals from Myanmar and I can play soft music from that country in the classroom.  Greeting the children every morning with the greeting from that country will also incorporate that into our classroom learning about the new country.  Most importantly remembering children are interested in children and they are pretty much the same all over the world.  I can make sure the new child is welcomed by the other children and she can integrate into the community. 

Myanmar is a beautiful country with a rich history and is working to move into the twenty first century.  Here are a few pictures of the grandeur of the Buddhist tradition and some other places I found off the internet.  Enjoy.

Resources

http://www.economist.com/news/business/21625884-myanmar-becomes-thailand-it-will-have-become-bangladesh-let-million

http://footprints.worldnomads.com/project/119.aspx?s=open

http://famdliflc.lingnet.org/products/burmese/by_co/burmese.pdf  

    

Here are some of the pictures of the Montessori works our children use in the classroom.

Extensions with the pick tower and the brown prisms.

Sand paper letters

Hand Transfer

Large extension with Brown Prisms, Pick Tower, Numerals and the Bead Stair.

Extension with Brown Prism and Pink Tower. 

I have really enjoyed the assignments in the class.  Things I have learned about privilege and about myself.  I have not faced the barriers that many have faced and I am thankful.  I also have a great appreciation for the barrieres my own parents over came to give me this life.

Here are the questions for this weeks thought.

• 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? Keep in mind that one can encounter such incidents in real contexts, including online environments, as well as in fictional ones, such as movies, books, television shows, and the like.

         I seem to be more aware of inequity in all walks of life these days.  When I watch an old(er) TV show I see how marginalized women were back in the days when I grew up.  (1950 & 60) It just makes me so mad because at the same time women were really making headway in the public field but the TV moguls just didn't get it and the actresses took the roles they were offered.  One have to make a living, I understand that but I am appalled now at what we put up with.  Sadly things haven't changed much. A classic example is The Big Bang Theory which I love.  But the paradigm is the same.  Penny is still the "dumb blond" Amy is smart but not so attractive. Amy is just so cute you want to pinch her cheeks. Geeezzzzz ! 

        Well I have my own story to tell about being marginalized as well.  

When I went to the dealership to get my mother's car an oil change (free promotional offer)  and I asked about fixing the car doors. several of which had stopped working from the inside the manager leaned over the counter and said, "Well little lady we charge 70,00 and hour so I don't think it is worth it to you to do that."   I thought to myself "Really? This guy just called me Little Lady?"  I politely thanked him and never went back.  I want ed to slap the guy I was so mad.  but that would have proved me an hysterical woman. 

        On a positive note I now drive a Toyota and the service manager is a young woman who really knows her stuff. So far we have had no "Little Lady" incidents.  Although I am 30 plus years older than she I don't feel like I am treated any differently than a younger client. 

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

The treatment I got from the man at the first service garage was disrespectful of my humanity and my gender.  Assuming that because I was a woman in a man's world I could be treated anyway they chose.  I have told every woman I know with a GM car not to take theirs there for service. 

• What feelings did this incident bring up for you?

I was pretty angry and in the above account I think you will read my feelings.  I didn't feel victimized I was just angry.  I chose to not ever go back to that shop again for any reason. 

 

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

An understanding on the part of the service manager that women are capable of taking care of things and they should be treated with all the respect they can muster.  I feel sorry for the guys wife and or daughters.  

Ok nuff said.  Now to go out and change the world . 

Thanks for dropping by 

Peace and all good 

 There was no blog assignment this week.

I am listening to On Being with Krista Tippett.  (NPR)

Here is the link.  Please give a listen.

http://www.onbeing.org

Peace and all good for your week

Thanks for dropping by

                                                            

                                                          Micro-aggression and Me

          This week we are talking and thinking about micro-aggression.  This kind of aggression is when someone makes am assumption about the social constructs of another person or group of people.  This happened to me not long ago.  I was at the doctor’s office and upon weighing me the nurse commented “good you have lost some weight” I felt this was said with the assumption that I saw myself as overweight and needed to lose weight.  I know she was not meaning to hurt my feelings but I did have a pause at her comment.  In fact this upset me more than the assumptions about my being lesbian.  Perhaps it is because in the wider context my being lesbian is a more social paradigm and any comments about it are expected. Whereas the comment of the nurse was more personal and hit closer to home.  I know I am overweight and I also know I am in my sixties and older people tend to gain some weight in middle age.  I just found it annoying that day.  I have many things about me that can and have been used in micro-aggression.  I am blond, short, have a learning disability, am on the Autism Spectrum and have been a dancer (read airhead). 

         As far as noticing the micro-aggression in societal context I saw it on the television show Law and Order I was watching.  It was very clear who had the power in the detective team, the white male, who had assumptions about poor people and African Americans again the white male.  Even the African American half of the detective team was clearly marginalized when his ideas did not line up with the assumptions the white detective made about the case.   I see the objectifying of women every day in the media forms of television and on the Internet.   I hope I never cease to see these things because they keep me honest when I fall into that hole.  I do hope one day there will be enough awareness about this sort of thing that the social construct will have flipped and micro-aggression and any other form of aggression will have largely disappeared from society but until then I want to have it hit me in the face from time to time to make me take a look at my own assumptions about it. 

Have a good week. 

Peace and all good 

Thanks for dropping by  

Linda Krouse
Week 3
ED 6164


        This week we were asked to talk to three people about culture and diversity.  How do they define culture and diversity.  I asked my daughter who just graduated from college with a degree in Political Science.  She defines culture as "the shared experience of living."  and diversity is" having a different experience of living."

         In speaking with my friend  who has over thirty years of experience working with developmentally disabled people and family therapy she defines culture as a paradigm one experiences on a more individual level.  It is not always about race, gender or religion but has largely to do with how one was raised or the expectations someone has for others.  Diversity is the distinct qualities that set us apart from one another.

         As I think about culture and diversity myself I am seeing the deeper culture with in my own experience.  Experiences that I take for granted with out thinking about them.  How I greet my children or how I interact with my friends.  How I do both with people I don't know and people I work with. Of course on social media I have a plethora of diverse friends.  I have people who are on the autism spectrum.  I know people who are on some sort of spiritual journey.  I have authors or lesbian fiction and reads of same.  My own social behavior has gone through an evolution over the years.  When I was working with adults with autism I learned to model social behavior.  I began to say hello and how are you and stop and listen to what the response was.  Being on the spectrum myself I had a hard time looking people in the eye and speaking first.  My modes operands was to look down and nod as I passed.  But I had to learn this and it's been a good skill to have developed.  I still have to make myself do this now but it gets easier as time goes on.

       Culture and diversity is something I think about a great deal but doing the readings in this course has broadened my horizons.  I look forward to delving deeper into it as I continue teaching in early childhood education and becoming more socially active in my community.

Have a good week everyone. Thanks for dropping by

This week we are thinking about perspective and culture specifically cultures other than our own.  Here is the scenario that was given for us to think about and respond to:

Imagine the following:

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. 

1) A description of the three items you would choose

2) How you would explain to others what each of these items means to you

3) Your feelings if, upon arrival, you were told that you could only keep one personal item and have to give up the other two items you brought with you

4) Any insights you gained about yourself, your family culture, diversity, and/or cultural differences in general, as a result of this exercise,

I know this is a social experiment but lets look at things realistically.  September eleventh has just passed and I think of all the responders that ran to help that day in New York City.  

          This scenario is something that I actually have trained for on a local level with Civil Air Patrol and most likely I would not be one of the first to evacuate.  I would be helping other survivors or looking for survivors.  As a rescue worker I would be one of the last to leave the area when every one else is safe.  

           This brings up a second question.  If the infrastructure is completely destroyed how will anyone be able to move about or evacuate?  No air planes could land and roads would be impassible and the communications would be wiped out.  The closest water way are the Maumee and Auglaize rivers and they lead to Lake Erie.  So water route may be our best bet for transportation out of the area.  Since all communication is down how would the authorities get the word out to gather a departure points?  That is where CAP and other organizations would come in.  We would be going house to house looking for survivors and injured people.   In a pinch horses we could use horses to carry the survivors to the departure points for transport to Lake Erie and from there on to a bigger port along the East Coast.   If the lake freighters were not damaged they could be utilized to transport people and their belongings.  Food and water of course would be a great concern; how to find those things and how to get enough to everyone departing as well as those waiting back in their homes to be rescued and transported. 

         So after all the other people in the area it is time for the rescue teams and first responders to leave.   Time for me to decide what matters in my culture that I would want to take with me.  Well family matters so i would hope my flash drives survived and I could take pictures of my family. Several members of my family are also trained in rescue and emergency services so they most likely would be there beside me the whole time. Pictures have been the way we keep our memories alive and tell our story to others so that is why I would want to take pictures of my family. 

  Identity matters so I would want to take my passport with me. I am proud and grateful for America I am not always proud of how we as a nation have handled diversity but I am proud to have been born in this country.

 Lastly my four legged friends matter so I would take Winky my Chihuahua.  When I brought him home seven years ago I made  commitment to take care of him through thick and thin.  So I would not be leaving him behind.   

          In the event that I could only keep one of these things I would keep Winky.  As a living being he has priority and is a link with my past.  As long as I have memory and words I can share the story of my life orally and perhaps write it down in this new country I am a refugee in.   However unless I am stripped searched I would find a way to hide the flash drives so I could also keep them.  My passport I would hate to lose but if the United States is as bad as this scenario I most likely would not live long enough to be able to return.  I would hate to lose the connection with my home country but that would be something I could accept. Thinking realistically my feelings about all this would be either buried to be dealt with later after the crisis was over or would be so raw I would be in meltdown mode.  Considering the choices I have made about what to bring I believe my priorities are in order and I could accept the new normal in my life.  I have always been an adventurer and wondered what was over the next hill so I think life in a new country would be interesting and challenging.  

I know this scenario has played out in many ways for many people on the planet.  I hope it does not play out here in the U.S.  I do want to take this opportunity to encourage everyone to get trained in some form of emergency preparedness and to make a disaster plan for your family.  Tornadoes and floods do occur and there is a great deal of security in knowing what to do when they happen.    

Once again thanks for dropping by. 

Namaste