Education of Young Children.
Response 1
To me, diversity is or can be defined as the make up of the difference in the human population. Going further, diversity is what makes us unique in our own ways. We can be diverse in many different areas from the type of music we prefer to the religion we believe in. In my opinion, diversity makes the world interesting because no two people are exactly the same. As far as my interactions with children and adolescents, I understand that for some these years can be more difficult than for others, especially for those that may be considered “different” due to their diversity. I believe the best way to interact with children and adolescents is to make them feel as if they are just as important as any other child or adolescent. These days children and adolescents are resorting to suicide because they feel as if they are outcast. This can be due to their diversity. It is so important for them to know that even though they may be perceived different they can learn to use their diversity to their advantage.
Children and adolescents in today’s society are faced with more challenging things then we were ever faced with at their age. I would like to gain from this course just a little insight on the thought process of children and adolescents in today’s society, how they learn and view things differently from they way we do. Not only do I plan to learn from my instructor but also my classmates as well.
Reference:
Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Response 2
Diversity can be described in many different ways. My informal definition of diversity is the composition of different aspects, such as race, gender, age, and cultural backgrounds. Diversity is when something or someone has a mixture of different components. For example, in the workplace there are different races with different cultural backgrounds within one setting. Because of the differences between the employees, cultural diversity is created.
Diversity may affect my interactions with children and adolescents. This can occur by not fully understanding other languages that those children and adolescents may have, which can be very difficult and lead to miscommunication. Learning other languages besides English can be beneficial during a situation like that. It is also important to remember that children and adolescents should be treated with respect at all times. When children and adolescents of different cultural backgrounds are in a classroom setting, the teacher has to remember that the students have different individual characteristics. The teacher must create an environment in the classroom where all students feel welcomed and are each assessed with their needs and disabilities is applicable.
I expect to gain a lot of knowledge from this course. I want to explore the different outlooks on diversity, including the positive and negative aspects. Also, I would like to learn how to better approach others in a diverse location. I feel to believe that it is important to understand others outside of your own cultural. I want to be able to implement what I have obtained from this course into my daily life and upon my interactions with others, especially children and adolescents.
Reference:
Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.