What I Have Learned

This course has taught us a lot about the importance of promoting anti-bias education and diversity  and equity in the classroom. This is an ideal place for children to learn about themselves and others, learn to have value within themselves  and  learn to respect others  but none is more important than learning it from the primary source of information which is their own family. Family is the prime source of information about cultural diversity.   As an educator I would like to help families encourage their children to recognize that there are differences among people and these differences do not make them superior or inferior to others. I hope that our families will continue to teach their children to be proud  of who they are and the culture where they come from  as well as learn to accept and respect other cultures as well

To my colleagues, it is my sincere wish that after we finish this course that we continue to work for the benefit of our children and families towards an equitable and diverse classroom environment . Although we came from different families and cultures- we became one in our goal and our advocacy.  It is sad to end this journey with all of you but I know that there is more journey ahead of us that we need to face.   

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for all your  wonderful comments on our assignments, discussion board and blogs. You made our journey easier, fun and very interesting.  Again, Maraming Salamat Po Sa Inyong Lahat (Thank you very much to all of you)!

Start Seeing Diversity - Abstract Drawing entitled " Ang Buhay sa Mundo" (Our Life on Earth)

I would like to share with you the abstract drawing I made using sharpie and colored pencils. This drawing represents different family structures and racial groups in our society. I used variety of colors to show how colorful and interesting our life here on earth. The colors gray, black and blue around the house represents the challenges and obstacles that affects our family, while the bright colors represents the happiness and joy in our lives.  I also drew some material possessions which may benefit as well as cause problems within the family.

I drew the house using continuous line ending on the door knob signifying that life is affected by the environment and the people around us, whatever happened inside the house can have a significant effect in the society as well. The patches on the wall of the house as well as the tire on top of the roof, the spider and different cracks on the roof represents how families work so hard to make ends meet and how they resolve problems within the family.

The house were surrounded by different groups of people which I colored differently from each other representing different family structure such as blended families, families with special abilities, multiracial and single and the traditional family. The people are connected to each other to show there is unity in diversity. I colored the background from dark to light color showing how other ethnic groups are being discriminated or excluded because of the color of their skin and how other groups were born with hidden privilege. I also drew the sun on the roof as well as the rainbow representing good life and hope for people who believe and work hard to reach their goal.

The other drawings outside of the rainbow represents the nature that provide us with resources which allow us to live on this earth. The mountain, the tree and the flowers represents our food as well as the fish in the sea, the falls on the left which gives us water to drink and the skies and the birds which represents the air we breathe and the leisure or fun things we do in our lives. On the bottom left of the drawing represents the importance of education in our lives. The middle part of the drawing represents the bad choices we make, polluting the sea with trash- this is what sometimes we do with their lives. I also put the spool of thread and the needle, pair of scissors and the glue representing how each of us try to patch our lives to have a better future. No matter what kind of material we use or how we do things to fix things do not matter, for as long as we work together and treat each other with respect- that is what matters.  I included the cross in the bottom of the sea which represents our faith. It is hidden within us and to my culture - the basis of our existence.

I was inspired to do this abstract drawing because this course has given an importance to those people like me - showing how America is working so hard to promote diversity and equity around the world. This course may be a little step towards changing the world's perception on other culture and group of people but if you put the collaborative effort of all the people concerned will make a big leap - reaching the minority as well as the privilege ones.

Start Seeing Diversity Blog: "We Don't Say Those Words in Class!"

I would like to share my personal experience with you regarding my youngest daughter's response to her classmate who thought I was a gay. I remember hearing my daughter having a casual conversation with her classmate and I can see a very confident little girl in her. Her classmate asked my daughter : " Is your mom a gay?" My daughter said: "Yes, my mom is a gay." Then she started giggling because her classmate looked like she was confused. Upon hearing the comment made by her classmate, I approached my daughter and asked her if she was ok with having a mom like me. I also asked her if she was embarrassed or would she be more proud of me if I dressed up in a nice dress and fancy shoes. She said to me : "Mom, I like you the way you are and I am just having a good time fooling my classmate."  My daughter made me a very proud parent because she is very comfortable with who I am and it seems nothing matters except my love for them.

If I was the parent of the child who made that comment, I do not know how I am going to react but in real situation I would probably be looking at my daughter's eyes and tell her it is not polite to comment or judge people by the way they look. I would cite some examples of people who does not dress-up in skirt or blouse and dresses  to be called a woman. Some woman like to dress up in a way they are comfortable and appropriate for their job. Just like men, there are some men who love to do woman's work and wanted to stay in a home to take care of their children and it does not make them less of a man. With proper guidance and understanding children will be able to identify different gender roles and eliminate the bias perception. Children should also be allowed to express what is inside them, and there is nothing wrong about having other preference. Children need to understand -there is more of a woman than in the needs to know that you do not have to look like woman to be called a woman and same also applies to men.

As an educator , I will encourage a child to speak up to understand what made her to conclude or see a person as a gay or straight. I will also encourage children to learn about gender roles and provide resource materials in the classroom to teach them about groups of people who are different by the way they look  from each other but performs their job/ responsibility just like anyone else.