Their Passion Passed On...

Louise Derman-Sparks- "It is impornant to give back to the world"

Sandy Essobido- "Shaping a child for a better life"

Raymond Hernandez- "Benfiting children motiviate him to go to work each day"

Renatte Copper- "Working with families and children... See them grow keep me wanting more"  

                           

Louise Derman-Sparks

ERIC Identifier: ED351146
Publication Date: 1992-00-00
Author: Hohensee, Julie Bisson - Derman-Sparks, Louise
Source: ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education Urbana IL.

Implementing an Anti-Bias Curriculum in Early Childhood Classrooms. ERIC Digest.

Children are aware of differences in color, language, gender, and physical ability at a very young age. Numerous research studies about the process of identity and attitude development conclude that children learn by observing the differences and similarities among people and by absorbing the spoken and unspoken messages about those differences. The biases and negative stereotypes about various aspects of human diversity prevalent in our society undercut all children's healthy development and ill-equip them to interact effectively with many people in the world. Consequently, anti-bias curriculum seeks to nurture the development of every child's fullest potential by actively addressing issues of diversity and equity in the classroom.

Specific curriculum goals of anti-bias curriculum are to foster each child's:

*construction of a knowledgeable, confident self-identity;

*comfortable, empathic interaction with people from diverse backgrounds;

*critical thinking about bias;

*ability to stand up for herself or himself, and for others, in the face of bias.

A belief in the value of human diversity and the fair treatment of all people is a prerequisite for doing anti-bias work. When teachers become committed to learning how to implement anti-bias curricula in their settings, they seem to go through four identifiable phases.

CREATING THE CLIMATE

Phase one involves teachers raising their own awareness of anti-bias issues related to themselves, their program, and the children in their care. A support group is essential for this process. Cooperative learning is the best method for developing anti-bias awareness and knowledge. Everyone needs the diverse perspectives and honest feedback of peers to develop new insights and teaching practices. Support group members may be other staff, parents, or early childhood teachers who want anti-bias curriculum for their children. Groups should meet regularly--at least once a month. Group members can build self-awareness by asking introspective questions and talking over responses with others committed to doing anti-bias work. Useful questions are, How did I become aware of the various aspects of my identity? What differences among people make me feel uncomfortable? When have I experienced or witnessed bias in my life and how did I respond? Group members should work toward facing biases and discomforts and eliminating their influence on teaching.

Another step in this process involves finding out what ideas children have about diversity by observing and interviewing them. Teachers can ask questions such as, What do you know about Indians? What makes you a girl or boy? What kind of work could this person do? (while showing a picture of a person in a wheelchair). Teachers can evaluate children's answers for signs of misinformation and discomfort. Responses alert the teacher to necessary directions for curriculum activities. The reading of research studies about children's development of identity and attitudes will also fill out the framework for curriculum decisions.

Evaluating the classroom environment and beginning to make necessary changes is the third component of phase one. Teachers must take a critical look at all the materials in the classroom environment, asking themselves what messages about diversity the children get from the materials. Do children see abundant images of people that reflect diverse abilities and current racial, ethnic, gender, and economic diversity? Do the images include depictions of important individuals who participated in struggles for justice? (See the first chapter in Derman-Sparks, 1992 for ideas.) After this evaluation, teachers can make a plan for buying and making needed new materials and eliminating inappropriate stereotypical materials.

Finally, teachers can begin to identify parents who might be interested in anti-bias curriculum, and invite them to participate in the process of changing the environment.

NONSYSTEMATIC IMPLEMENTATION

In the second phase, a teacher begins to explore the process of doing anti-bias activities. "Teachable moments" that arise from observing and interviewing children are one starting point. For example, the arrival of a child who uses leg braces may stimulate questions or discomfort from some children. The teacher can get ideas about what to do by reading relevant curriculum materials, talking with other teachers about how they might handle the situation, and taking the plunge of initiating some activities. A teacher who observes children insisting on role-playing only stereotypical gender roles in dramatic play could initiate activities that expand children's awareness of gender roles. These might involve visiting workplaces, inviting visitors to the classroom, or reading a book about girls and boys doing nontraditional as well as traditional activities.

Teacher-initiated activities are another starting place for exploring anti-bias curriculum. For example, an activity about skin color, such as mixing paints to find children's individual skin colors, can be included in the frequently used curriculum theme of "I'm Me; I'm Special!"

In this second phase, it is crucial to begin involving all parents. Parents should be informed about how and why anti-bias activities are now part of the children's curriculum and invited to participate. Newsletters, parent meetings, and individual conferences are all useful. Plan a parent education session about how children develop identity and attitudes.

As teachers explore the process of doing anti-bias work with children and parents, they also continue their own personal growth on anti-bias issues. Once implementation is underway, ongoing support groups remain essential to share the successes, evaluate the mistakes, provide encouragement, and plan what to do next.

SYSTEMATIC IMPLEMENTATION

After spending some time trying out anti-bias activities, a teacher is ready to do more systematic, long-term planning. The teacher can step back, take a look at what has happened, and ask, What issues have surfaced? What has been accomplished? What areas need further work?

Teachers can consider ways to regularly integrate all anti-bias goals and issues into all aspects of the ongoing curriculum. Children's backgrounds and developmental needs should be taken into account in the planning of culturally inclusive curricula. Parents should regularly be involved in the planning and implementation of activities, and in group discussions about specific anti-bias issues. Teachers should continue to work on personal issues that arise in the course of teaching children and parents and continue to meet with a support group.

ONGOING INTEGRATION

In this phase, the anti-bias perspective becomes a filter through which the teacher plans, implements, and evaluates all materials, activities, and interactions with children, parents, and staff. Learning about diversity and equity permeates all activities. As children engage in activities, they respond with comments and questions that become further "teachable moments." Teachers then plan more activities in response, which in turn lead to more teachable moments from the children, and the cycle continues as a part of daily classroom life. The teacher adapts curriculum to the changing needs of children; continues to consult with parents about their current issues; and continues to deepen his or her own awareness of anti-bias issues. Doing anti-bias curriculum is now a way of life.

This ERIC/EECE Digest is based on Anti-Bias Curriculum: Tools For Empowering Young Children, by Louise Derman-Sparks (1989), Washington, DC: NAEYC.

REFERENCES

Byrnes, Deborah A., and Kiger, Gary, Eds. Common Bonds: Anti-Bias Teaching in a Diverse Society. Wheaton, MD: ACEI Publications, 1992.

Clay, J. "Working with Lesbian and Gay Parents and their Children." Young Children 45 (1990): 31-35. EJ 405 862.

Derman-Sparks, L. "Anti-Bias, Multicultural Curriculum: What is Developmentally Appropriate?" In S. Bredekamp and T. Rosegrant, Eds. Reaching Potentials: Appropriate Curriculum and Assessment for Young Children. Washington, DC: NAEYC, 1992.

Froschl, M., Colon, L., Rubin, E., and Sprung, B. Including All of Us: An Early Childhood Curriculum about Disability. New York: Educational Equity Concepts, 1984.

Honig, A. "Sex Role Socialization in Early Childhood." Young Children 38 (1983): 37-70. EJ 288 565.

Kendall, F. Diversity in the Classroom: A Multicultural Approach to the Education of Young Children. NY: Teacher's College Press, 1983.

Phillips, C.B. "Nurturing Diversity for Today's Children and Tomorrow's Leaders." Young Children 43 (1988): 42-47. EJ 365 173.

Phinney, J., and Rotheram, M.J. Children's Ethnic Socialization, Pluralism, and Development. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications, 1987.

Ramsey, P.G. Teaching and Learning in a Diverse World. New York: Teacher's College Press, 1987.

Wardle, F. "Are You Sensitive to Interracial Children's Special Identity Needs?" Young Children 42 (1987): 53-59. EJ 347 857.

Wardle, F. "Endorsing Children's Differences: Meeting the Needs of Adopted Minority Children." Young Children 45 (1990): 44-46. EJ 415 398.

Albert Bandura

Social Learning Theory  (A. Bandura)

Overview:
The social learning theory of Bandura emphasizes the importance of observing and modeling the behaviors, attitudes, and emotional reactions of others. Bandura (1977) states: "Learning would be exceedingly laborious, not to mention hazardous, if people had to rely solely on the effects of their own actions to inform them what to do. Fortunately, most human behavior is learned observationally through modeling: from observing others one forms an idea of how new behaviors are performed, and on later occasions this coded information serves as a guide for action." (p22). Social learning theory explains human behavior in terms of continuous reciprocal interaction between cognitive, behavioral, an environmental influences. The component processes underlying observational learning are: (1) Attention, including modeled events (distinctiveness, affective valence, complexity, prevalence, functional value) and observer characteristics (sensory capacities, arousal level, perceptual set, past reinforcement), (2) Retention, including symbolic coding, cognitive organization, symbolic rehearsal, motor rehearsal), (3) Motor Reproduction, including physical capabilities, self-observation of reproduction, accuracy of feedback, and (4) Motivation, including external, vicarious and self reinforcement.

Because it encompasses attention, memory and motivation, social learning theory spans both cognitive and behavioral frameworks. Bandura's theory improves upon the strictly behavioral interpretation of modeling provided by Miller & Dollard (1941).  Bandura’s work is related to the theories of Vygotsky and Lave which also emphasize the central role of social learning.
Scope/Application:
Social learning theory has been applied extensively to the understanding of aggression (Bandura, 1973) and psychological disorders, particularly in the context of behavior modification (Bandura, 1969). It is also the theoretical foundation for the technique of behavior modeling which is widely used in training programs. In recent years, Bandura has focused his work on the concept of self-efficacy in a variety of contexts (e.g., Bandura, 1997).

Example:
The most common (and pervasive) examples of social learning situations are television commercials. Commercials suggest that drinking a certain beverage or using a particular hair shampoo will make us popular and win the admiration of attractive people. Depending upon the component processes involved (such as attention or motivation), we may model the behavior shown in the commercial and buy the product being advertised.

Principles:
1. The highest level of observational learning is achieved by first organizing and rehearsing the modeled behavior symbolically and then enacting it overtly. Coding modeled behavior into words, labels or images results in better retention than simply observing.
2. Individuals are more likely to adopt a modeled behavior if it results in outcomes they value.
3. Individuals are more likely to adopt a modeled behavior if the model is similar to the observer and has admired status and the behavior has functional value.

References:

Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. New York: W.H. Freeman.

Bandura, A. (1986). Social Foundations of Thought and Action. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Bandura, A. (1973). Aggression: A Social Learning Analysis. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. New York: General Learning Press.
Bandura, A. (1969). Principles of Behavior Modification. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
Bandura, A. & Walters, R. (1963). Social Learning and Personality Development. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
Miller, N. & Dollard, J. (1941). Social Learning and Imitation. New Haven, NJ: Yale University Press.

Other descriptions of Bandura’s work can be found at:
http://fates.cns.muskingum.edu/~psych/psycweb/history/bandura.htm
http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/bandura.html

Personal Childhood Web

                                        “The Village That Raised a Powerful Black Male”

With in this blog you will learn about the people that hand a hand I molding me into t he great person I am today.  The people that will be in this blog will be my two great parents, my three siblings, one aunt, my awesome pastor and a teacher I miss dearly.

Deloris Ragin Felder:  A mother of four children and one husband.  Having to leave school at the age of 16 to raise her sibling so that her mother and father could work and provide for the family vowed that her children would complete high school and become more then her…. I being the first of her child to talk about going to college said to me whatever it takes if that’s what you want to do i will make it happen and that she did.  Haven’t worked in many years in 2003 set out to fine a job so that I could go to college and become great.  For the five years I was in college see worked and I never had to wonder where I was going to get anything from. She looked at me in my last year of school and said “It’s not the time to give up now history is riding on your shoulders.”

Thomas Lee Felder Sr.:  The father of four great children and husband of one awesome woman.  My father have to drop out of school at the age of 12 to go to work to help his family make ends meat haven’t stop yet…  My daddy as I call him has planted in me the value of hard work and what will happen if you work hard. As we were riding down the road one day he looked, we had a long talk about becoming what people say you would not be.  He told me the story of how he was told because of his educational background he would never own anything.  He said but when you pull up on the land you call home that belongs to me and your mother, the house you stay in that belong to use, and even the cars we drive belong to us. So always remember that hard work will get you where others say you can’t go.

Rena Mae Ragin: My big sister and second mother.  Rena is single mother of three (3) great children Lionel, Marquetta and Nadrian.  I call her my other mother is because we are 16 years apart and her oldest child and I are three years apart.  When you saw her you saw me tagging along for the ride.  The thing that my sister would always tell me is that I can become what I wanted.  When I began to talk about going to college she looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, “go become what they said we want become.”  She pushed me when I was ready to give up on my dreams and goals.

Thomas Lee Felder Jr.: The one that taught me how to fight for myself. This is my big brother he is the father of four children Donta, Aaliya, DJ, and Zi”Quajah (my baby).  He calls his self the smarts of my parent’s children.  He would always call me the brains of the family.  When I was getting ready to drop out of college he told me “that he would sit at the gate with a gun if and not let me out because I was doing something no one else in our family tree have done.”  That pushed me to and had me nervous so I had to fight out that last year of school.

Vanesha Almeda Felder:  The baby of my parent’s four children.  Nesha is a senior in high school and the mother of on child Nevaeh. I was her teacher at home.  My parent would make me help her with her homework.  She would always say to me big bruh your going to be great.

Leola Ragin Parks: One of my mother’s sisters. My aunt was the one that they would call at school when I was acting out (lol).  When she would come from her office she would tell me “that’s not how great people act.”  Then she would turn around and go back to her office and call my mother. The Village Affect!  Got it at school then once I walked in the door at the house.

Pastor Eartha B. Carter: The pastor of Prayer House Mission Holiness Church.  She is the husband of one man Perry Carter for over 15 years.  My pastor always encourages me to become the person God has call me to be.  She taught me the being a teacher is a spiritual gift for God.  With the Father working long side me I can become great.  In addition, she would always let me know and others the “Jesus will turn it around what the devil meant for our bad”.

 

Ms. P. Nelson:  My tenth grade high school homeroom teacher. There is so much I can say about Ms. Nelson that I will hold back because tears come to my eyes.  I can remember my 11^th grade year of high school when on of my teacher told me I wasn’t going to be anything. P. Nelson pulled me aside and said these powerful words “Use what she just to you as your stair case to becoming a great person in the field of education”.  In 2006 the Father called her home to be with Him and I miss her dearly.   

These are just a few member of the Village that had a hand i raise this power black educator.                 

Many Years Ago!

It was April 12, 1984, when the doctors told my parent "ITS A BOY" and out the the same breath "we don't know if he's going to make it through the night." Its now 26 years later and I'm still here making history with in my family. The first to graduate from college with a four (4) year degree. The first to become a parent of a Greek letter Fraternity.  Now the first to be enrolled in a graduated program.

   

Favorite Childhood Book

"Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?"

             By Eric Carle

As a child I enjoyed reading "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?".  The reasons for this book being one of my all time favorites is because its a easy read, introduced me to animals, and got me ready for school. First, this book came as a easy read because it had age appropriated words. It introduced my to pop corn words such as you, do, see, I, a,etc.  Secondly, The animals in the book. While reading it my sister help me learn the sounds to each of the animals in the story. Lastly, it got me ready for my first years of school. It induced me to the term teacher and classmate.

As a teacher, I used this book to introduced my student to all of the things in the above passage. I even used it to do many other activities during my two years in the classroom.

I believe that there is more of you out there that enjoyed this book as much as I did in my youth and respect it now as a educator.

Three Inspirational Education Quotes

Three Inspirational Education Quotes

"I like a teacher who gives you something to take home to think about besides homework." -- Edith Ann, [Lily Tomlin]

Reading this quote allows you to see that homework is not the only thing to make your students think. So you can reinforce your assignments though other ways that or age appropriate for you children.

“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”
-Aristotle

This was powerful in its own right. When you’re educated you don’t allow any and everything to get you down.

“Get over the idea that only children should spend their time in study. Be a student so long as you still have something to learn, and this will mean all your life.” ~Henry L. Doherty

This quote go hand in hand with my goal statement never give up on my dreams. As a teacher I will never finish learning.

How to Be Successful

A Power for Good in Education

“A Power for Good in Education”

While completing my Bachelors Degree, I had the opportunity to help others work on their defense papers and guide them through the process of showing them how to pick a topic that gave them a passionate about education.  All the way to the end of the process of actually standing in front of their peers and delivering the very thing that they are passionate about.  Since I first started working at Benedict College Child Development Center (Lab School), I came in showing my supervisor I was passionate about education.  I was the only Pre-K teacher that had the qualifications to work with children with special needs. When my supervisors saw that I was really dedicated to my work, they gave me my chance to show my leader skills.  They appointed me to be the person over the teachers and interns, because they knew I would teach and give them the right resources that will allow them to be successful in the field in which I am so passionate about. Six months ago, I transition from being a Pre-K Teacher at the Lad School into a management position within the school.  In this position, I fine that my greatest challenge is getting older educator to transition from traditional teaching styles to non-traditional ways of educating young children.  The personal qualities that I possess are the ability to help and be able to work with others. 

The above passage shows that I bring a strong work ethic to the land of online learn or should I say a non-traditional learning arena.  After talking with the advisor from Walden, I learned that Walden is a school that is willing to work with working professionals.  This University is a great fit for me, because I’m a working professional and the course outline in the field of study will help me train other teacher and future educators on new ways of implementing effective curriculums, how to assess children with purpose and to have meaningful (age appropriate) instructions.  Then after talking with a teacher that finished with her masters from WU that opened my eyes more to see what WU has to offer.  After much research, I learned that with the student to staff ratio and the interaction the teacher will have with me; I counted up my coins and said Walden University was the way.  I’m doing online because if fits better with my day to day schedule.  I feel that my greatest challenge with online will be transitioning from a classroom setting to online setting.  This is because of my learning style. I’m an auditor learner, which means I learn by hearing. So that’s why I call this professional self Portrait “A Power for Good in Education”.