Tyler Perry

A.K.A

Madea

            My celebrity of interest that exhibits great communication skills is Tyler Perry.  Over the years, I have watched most of his plays and of course now, I have seen most of his movies.  He has a great personality, and he is not afraid to address the issues of today in his productions.  Tyler smiles, he has great eye contact, and he knows the struggle; so with each performance it shows that he relates to his topics and he tries to make it as real life as he can. Let's face it, no one wants to look, nor listen to a boring person speak;  but in educating we must practice tolerance and acceptance for all.   With that being said, his roles as Tyler Perry, Madea, The brother, the father keeps you engaged and entertained throughout; which shows his level of communication skills.  A profound speaker, actor, entertainer must remember that the key is to get straight to the point, keep things simple/ clear, and communicate to your target audiences; but most of all have confidences in yourself and what you are presenting. My hat goes off to Tyler Perry, who believed in himself enough to get up from poverty and homelessness and make something of himself.

Professional Hopes and Goals

Blog: Professional Hopes and Goals

           

                First, I would like to thank Professor Dartt, and all my colleagues for all the information you shared during this course.  I must say this was a great class, but I would be lying if I say I did not struggle.  Having a new system, and limited training prior to class drained me this semester; and it limited me with time restraints because I struggled to figure things out.  Professor Dartt, you were the exception, because I think you reached out to us and helped your classroom adapt and you encouraged us.  I felt defeated at times, disappointed with my quality of work, which had nothing to do with my ability to do or not to do, but rather the kais of life, and conformity which this course really required with all the changes with Walden University.  I guess, if we all are reading this, then we have just about made it, and my hope is that we all realize that we can make it through the storm, and hopefully after the storm, the sun will shine bright and each of us will reach our goals.

One goal that I have in regards to working with children and families from diverse backgrounds, is  to step away from my own personal assumptions and customs, and see them for who they are and work for the greater good of the children and their families.  I hope to take the opportunity to learn from families and broaden my understanding of their way of life. 

My goals that I would like to set for the Early Childhood Field in regards to diversity and culture, is to embrace the reality that every child does not learn the same, and begin to create curriculums that are inviting to all children and not just a specific race of children/privileged.  I like the "no child left behind", but really at the end of the day, does" no child left behind" mean we pushed kids through without necessary skills, or we forced those who are not capable to adhere to the standards that are above their own personal capabilities?  I hope that the early childhood profession will begin to see that diversity means different  as in unique, and not bad; and  adopt the theme, each one teach one  so that we all can learn to co-exist in the world and classroom. 

Welcome to the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Blog: Welcoming Families From Around the World

The name of my family's country of origin is Venezuela, and the family consist of 3 children and a mother and father.  The children speak very little English, they have poor health and they are in need of help with housing, food etc.

Five ways I will prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards the Venezuela family:

1.  I will practice basic language skills so I can communicate some with the family and I will seek to find a person who is fluent in their language to help convey as much information to the family as possible, which will be also good practice and learning for myself.

2. I will find out if there is any available housing specific for families who have migrated from other countries.  I will contact the refugee office and find out about as many services as I can, and get brochures /information to give to the family to help them adapt.

3. I will prepare an information packet that I will go over with the family, with the translator present in hopes to find out more about them, their likes, dislikes, customs, culture, foods (likes and dislikes) needs, and history.

4. I will try to find classroom resources about my family's country of origin that I can put on the walls to make the family feel welcome.

5.  I will gather a care package of items for the families and present it to them from the class

I believe that all of these measures will help narrow the gap between myself and the family.  By taking the time to research, prepare and aid the family with the proper information, items and help, it decreases the stress and anxiety of feeling lost in a new environment.  I feel that it helps create a bond and a support system between the family and I so that they feel like they can begin to trust.  Sometimes it's the smallest things that mean the most when you are entering a country for the first time and your responsible for providing for a family.

Information on Venezuela:

"1. State of children

Main problems faced by children in Venezuela:

Poor children

Almost 40% of the Venezuelan population live below the poverty line. Despite this, the country has succeeded in perceptibly reducing the poverty in a manner that is particularly commendable for a South American country.

The rights of many children are endangered as a result of this poverty, posing a very real threat to their well-being. Children living in isolated rural regions, as well as children of indigenous peoples, are the ones most affected by this problem.

The right to education

In Venezuela, roughly one child in ten is uneducated.

This lack of education affects some children more than others; indigenous children, those descended from African families, and those who live in rural areas may encounter more difficulties in obtaining an education than others. In particular, they must overcome numerous administrative obstacles.

Sexual exploitation of children

The sexual exploitation of children is a stark reality in Venezuela, a country which is frequently the source or the intermediary location for the trafficking of children for sexual purposes.

This type of commerce is extremely harmful for children who are sometimes subjected to the most senseless forms of sexual exploitation (e.g. pornographic films). It clearly flouts the principles of the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC).

Violence against children

Corporal punishment is widely accepted by the Venezuelan population. It is still practiced, specifically by parents who cannot imagine alternative means to punish, or reason with, their children. Corporal punishment can have serious physical and mental repercussions for children.

In addition, many children are victims of domestic violence and abuse.

The right to protection

Venezuelan police are not always protective of the children they encounter. In fact, when faced with children who are not always aware of their actions, the police officers often resort to violence or other inadequate means.

The Venezuelan justice system is also greatly suspect: torture, illegal execution and forced disappearances are commonplace. Not even minors are spared from the shocking conditions of detainees, often being subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment.

In this way, the police and judicial protection to which children are entitled are regularly overridden, going against the principles posed by the CRC.

Children of Minorities

In Venezuela today there live people whose rights are violated and unrecognized, where children are unprotected and constantly threatened. These children are not treated in the same manner as others. They are victims of discrimination in essentially every fundamental right. It is particularly difficult for them to obtain access to aid, health services and education.

The treatment of these children by the State and by the rest of the population has grave consequences for their standard of living. The state of their health is extremely precarious, and it seems that with each violation of their rights they become increasingly vulnerable.

These people and their children are deprived of their fundamental rights: security, health, nutrition, education, and protection."

Blog: The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

Blog: The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

One memory that I have where I experienced bias,  was about four months ago when I had to meet my friend's parents, who had not been told much of anything positive about me, on top of the fact that he and I had decided not to date while sharing a house, for the kids sake.  We were set on the couch and each of three members set in front of us in a chair and they drilled us.  His parents did not offer us anything to drink, the kids were not offered a snack, they made comments to stair of trouble, and then when I tried to answer they cut me off and said never mind.  They treated my family and I like second class citizen, and the a sad thing was I had more going for me than their son, who's only strengths were routine work, and watching movies. 

After this happen, it really changed the whole dynamics of our friendship, and it diminished equity, because in their eyesight I would never be good for their son.  Since then, they have not come to visit, nor do they ask about us.

This incident brought up feelings of inadequacy, because they took the fact that I was temporarily displaced, as I was a user, a deadbeat, and a disappointment for their son; whom honestly seem to not care about life at all, or much of anything beside work and movies.

The things that I would have changed to make that a greater opportunity for equity, is he should have told

them more about me, than I am a mother of 4 with no job.  He could have made our first meeting in public and

not in either's home quarters.  I should have made it known that I am strong and independent and that despite

what they think, I am a survivor.  After all, they did not even know that I had been to college, when in reality, I

had more education than their son.  What it all boils down too, is that people deserve some respect despite

what we feel about them, and it should not matter what titles one has, in regards to how they are treated.