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What does it mean to be a socially just early childhood educator in a…
What does it mean to be a socially just early childhood educator in a socially unjust world?
The Evolution of Curriculum
Issues with 'Developmentally Appropriate Practice'
Perpetuates deficit thinking/theorizing
Before meeting children and families, we have a negative, needs-based view of them.
Oppositional voices (of children and adults) are excluded
From school/classroom decisions
From policy decisions
Results in interest convergence
Continually supported by research that has been refuted
Entirely based on the 'White norm'
Supports Bourdieu's Cultural Capital Theory
Leads to assimilation and further perpetuation of the 'White norm'
'Developmentally Appropriate' is based on/changes in response to culture
DAP comes to refer to the standards and strategies that are only appropriate for the maintenance of a White Supremacist society
Democratic Practice
Seeks to involve multiple voices at ALL levels
Re-centers voices of the global majority
This includes the voices of children
Participation on its own is a force for resisting oppressive systems
The idea of de-centration has come up often for me in this and other courses. While I agree with a national framework, best practices for individual communities (at many levels) will be best decided upon by the individuals living and learning in those communities.
Supported by the recognition of multiple perspectives and paradigms
Use of Critical Race Theory to examine existing structures
How are policies and practices a manifestation of either/or thinking and '-ist' against any identity?
Cast a 'queer eye' on more than just gender and sexuality
Use of Culturally Relevant and Sustaining Pedagogies
Provides children cultural competence in their home and in the dominant cultures
Makes use of the Anti-Bias goals for education
Continues to evolve from a stance of awareness/recognition to support and sustanance
Consideration for the preference towards visible or invisible pedagogies
How can educators respect families wishes while advocating for more progressive pedagogies?
Two-Generation Framework
Learning is not only meant for children.
Familial support academically, personally, and professionally
Professionalization of the ECE workforce
Rejects deficit thinking and theorizing
Research
actually
supports improved child outcomes using this approach
Be willing to get uncomfortable.
Personal and Professional Identity
Self-Study
Check your privilege - because you have it!
Examine intersectional identities
View of families and how educational philosophies are shared with them
Language matters greatly here.
This process makes the connection between the material and
me
. When reflecting about how these concepts show up in my life, I see that they do, in fact, impact
my
life.
Raising self-awareness
Becoming a Culturally Responsive Teacher
Make an effort to know who and what life in the local community looks like
Bring community Funds of Knowledge into the school community
Do not appropriate for the sake of 'cuteness' or expectation
This piece is important to me personally, as I am likely going to work with a large Hispanic population in the future. In addition to the group likely comprising many different ethnicities, I need to bring these cultures into the school/classroom tastefully.
Support family participation in all structures and systems within and outside of the school that affect their lives.
Reconceptualizing ECE
Get involved in more advocacy and policy work.
One thing I appreciate about this program is the support and background to know how to do this well.
Be willing to get uncomfortable.
Supporting Communities
Community Cultural Wealth
Notice and appreciate these forms of capital because families
need
them to survive within the system
Don't compare your experiences to families' - you may have these forms of capital, but they likely don't function in the same way.
Self-awareness and self-study are key
Considers families from an 'assets perspective'
A desire to 'sustain' vs. 'recognize' cultural difference because there is something to be offered by it
The role of translanguaging/multilingualism
Thinking about my personal experiences, this is a huge area that I can advocate within.
It is also important not to exploit this form of capital! E.g. Don't assume that children or families are your personal translator or dictionary.
Two-Generation Framework inherently believes in CCW
How can we become partners?
Intersectionality
Everyone is more than the sum of any one of their identities
One reason democratic practice and participation result in richer outcomes
Systems, both of privilege and oppression, are all interconnected
Key component of Critical Race Theory
Need for holistic support for children and families
Isolating issues is a White Supremacist 'either/or' approach to problem solving
Educational system is a driving force perpetuating both privilege and oppression
Changing Demographics
Children and families are increasingly poorer, less educated, and less connected
Partially (fully?) a result of oppressive systems
Challenge to see the strengths of
all
families in the midst of this shift
Part of being a Critically Responsive Teacher is continual reflection and shifting of practices - the work is never done
The idea that the work is never done is one of the most stressful pieces for me.
One source of the need for re-centering and reconceptualizing ECE
What may have worked in the past no longer does.
The evolution from deficit approaches to culturally sustaining pedagogies
What works for some may be oppressive for others
Main Ideas
Module 1
Module 2
Module 3
Module 4
Module 5
Personal Thoughts/Questions