I think that I really learned a lot in my Cultural Issues and Diversity class this semester. There were a lot of assignments, guest speakers, presentations and discussions that really helped me out. I think that all of the guest speakers were great but the ones that really caught my attention the most were
Andy Leggett, Colleen and the people from the "Say Out Loud" group. They answered questions very carefully and seemed as though they were very passionate about their work. The whole class showed great interest in all of them and learned quite a bit. I think that the blogs were also a great assignment because it got us to reflect on our learning of what was going on in the class which helped it stick to my memory a little bit more. I also thought it was a little interesting and different to be able to place a journal online and then send it to the teacher through e-mail. I also really enjoyed watching the presentations on the different cultures nand ethnicity because the handouts can be useful for us to look at and it gave us a better understanding of some different cultures around the globe. We may be working with these children in the future and it is important to understand their backgrounds.
I think that I struggled a little bit with the toolkit because I wasn`t exactly sure what to put in it. I thought that there were a wide variety of ideas that we had but then we weren`t sure what it was supposed to really look like in the end and neither did a lot of other people in the class. I think next year it would be great to have some examples shown of certain assignments before they are handed out because it gives the students a way better understanding of what the final product should look like. I also had a little bit of trouble with the group presentations. I found that they were beneficial to my learning as I was watching them but we got the group of "New Canadians" and I found it a little bit harder to research than other cultures would have been. I think they should have all had the equal amount of research put in them. In the end, I was very happy with my mark!.. And I think it was well deserved :)!
In the future, I plan to continue my learning by going out of my comfort zone whenever I get the chance. I am not scared to take a risk and do something that is out of the norm. I think that these kinds of ideas turn into great experiences and there is always a great story attached. I think that it is beneficial for my learning as well. If I end up working with a child in my career with a culture or religion that I am not familiar with, I definitely plan to do some researching to get a better understanding of them just do I know a little more about them.
Altogether, I think this class was very good for my learning and I think it is very useful for child and youth work. I learned a lot and plan on pushing myself more and more in continuing my role as a Child and Youth Worker!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Exploring The Mind Of A DSW
In last weeks class, we got the opportunity to have a guest speaker that works in the field as a DSW. She works with disabled individuals and she talked to us about many different topics and also got us to interact with one another for an activity that deals with stigmatism. We learned about labelling and what kind of vocabulary to use when it comes to talking to a disabled person as well as how to explain them. She told us that it is not proper to call a person a midget or a dwarf and that it is better to recognize them as a person with short statue. Some of us already had an idea of what to say and what not to say when it comes to mentioning a disabled person. Sometimes we have to remember that the person is not the disability but that they have a disability. When someone is diagnosed with a mental health disorder or disability, it is not who they are, it is just a part of their life and what they may be dealing with.
Colleen told us that it is important to treat people who may have a disability like they are humans. She talked about how it may be easier said than done and that it is easy to forget sometimes. It is natural for us to feel some kind of empathy or sadness towards a person who may be disabled and it is important to treat them just like you would treat anyone else. It is also important to respect the childs parents and their families decisions for anything because they are the main surrounding in this persons life.
I think that this guest speaker was very valuable to the class because she reminded us how important it is to treat these children like they are any other and how much they may struggle with stigma. These people may need a little more support than others but it doesn`t mean that they are any different in how they should be treated. I think it would be very important to be as positive and energetic as possible when working with a disabled person because they deserve to have as much inspiration and joy as possible.
Colleen told us that it is important to treat people who may have a disability like they are humans. She talked about how it may be easier said than done and that it is easy to forget sometimes. It is natural for us to feel some kind of empathy or sadness towards a person who may be disabled and it is important to treat them just like you would treat anyone else. It is also important to respect the childs parents and their families decisions for anything because they are the main surrounding in this persons life.
I think that this guest speaker was very valuable to the class because she reminded us how important it is to treat these children like they are any other and how much they may struggle with stigma. These people may need a little more support than others but it doesn`t mean that they are any different in how they should be treated. I think it would be very important to be as positive and energetic as possible when working with a disabled person because they deserve to have as much inspiration and joy as possible.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
African Canadians & Biracial Individuals
I learned a lot about the African background and their history as slaves in this presentation. I also learned that they celebrate certain holidays such as Kwanzaa, Black History Month, Caribana and North Buxton Homecoming. They explained in the presentation that Caribana is basically a festival to celebrate the religion of the Rastafarian people. This religion is based on living in happiness, freedom and peace. In the presentation, they showed us a youtube clip of what Caribana is like in Toronto and it actually made me want to go and check it out! Other religions that the African people practice are Christianity and Islam. These people feel very strongly about church and their religion. They also feel strongly about family bonding and connecting with one another.
I could use this information in my future career as a child counselor because I have learned a little more about who these people are. I learned that they really like to express themselves when it comes to music, art and dance. By becoming familiar with the kind of music and art that these people use, I could try to relate with these children by using activities to help them express themselves. This presentation gave me a background understanding of African Canadians but I believe that I would definitely do more further research for a better understanding if I was to work with a African client.
I found the presentation on Biracial Canadians to be very informative when it comes to their feelings and how to work with them. I really enjoyed the part where it explained how to work with these children and what kind of activities I could use because these could definitely be useful if I was to work with a biracial client in the future. I thought that learning about the important things to remember when working with these kinds of clients was very important. A couple of statements that I found to be useful would be to work with the parents of these children, having background knowledge of these children and being aware of their feelings.
Overall, I think that the presentations that we watched last week were very useful!
I found the presentation on Biracial Canadians to be very informative when it comes to their feelings and how to work with them. I really enjoyed the part where it explained how to work with these children and what kind of activities I could use because these could definitely be useful if I was to work with a biracial client in the future. I thought that learning about the important things to remember when working with these kinds of clients was very important. A couple of statements that I found to be useful would be to work with the parents of these children, having background knowledge of these children and being aware of their feelings.
Overall, I think that the presentations that we watched last week were very useful!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Learning About Asia and India
So last week in our Cultures and Diversity class, we learnt a lot about different cultures from such locations as India, Bangladesh and Asia.We were told some statistics and some signs of respect in certain countries.
We learned that in Asia, they celebrate traditions such as Ramadan, Christmas and the Chinese New Year. The people of China and South East Asia prefer that everyone were close and that they get along instead of being confrontational with one another. They have a very high value of education. They always hold a central goal that they feel the need to achieve in their life such as getting a diploma or getting married. They usually disapprove of their children if they were to take on a Canadian tradition and they prefer that they take on their own. When a member of the family adapts to a new culture then they become alienated by the rest of their family because it is not accepted. These people also speak 292 languages and the main one is standard mandarin. They do not like when you point your fingers at them. They also feel the need to have more space between one another when it comes to feeling more comfortable socializing. They usually smile when they are embarrassed or put into an awkward situation.
When it comes to India and Bangladesh, I learned that there are six different kinds of religions. They are Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Muslim, Islam and Buddhism. They have many celebrations that revolve around their religious beliefs. One example is Diwali which is the festival of lights. It is from October 15 - November 15. They usually bring food over to their friends houses and everything is done in bright colours. Most traditions and celebrations that involve men include courage, masculinity, races and animal fights.
Women are not as independent as men. The men are usually responsible for financial security and the women share the household chores. The younger generation learns to live a disciplined life. Also, when it comes to hand shaking, the women usually shake hands with the women and the men shake hands with the men. It is not acceptable for a man and a woman to shake hands. It is also important that when someone is departing from a party or a get together, that they say goodbye to everyone individually.
The parents usually have the only say as to who the child is going to marry. It is usually a month long process to see how compatible the couple are when it comes to financial stability, education and how they are socially.
For work and education, Bangladesh is a very poor country so there are many poor children. Farming is the main occupation because it is the most fertile place in the world! Many cyclones and floods have made deaths a major issue in this country and the natural disasters make work hard to find.
I found these two presentations very interesting in class and I have learned a lot from looking at the hand outs as well as watching the youtube slides.
I feel as though I could definitely use this information in my future career when working with these different cultures. I now am more familiar with the different religions and celebrations that these children may be involved in. I have a better understanding of certain gestures to use and not to use when it comes to Asians, Greeks and the people of India. I have learned that these children may come from a poor country and may need a lot of support and resources when arriving in Canada.
When it comes to religion, I have learned that there are different beliefs and ways of life for each one when it comes to Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Muslim and Islam. It is important when working with these children to understand the difference of each religion. It would be a major mistake to offend them and not have the information right when speaking about their culture and religion. By learning about the different religions, it gave me more of an idea of how they work. I would definitely do further research if needed when working with a child that has different views than others.
It is very important to realise that the people of Greece are very family oriented and that they usually have very strict rules when it comes to their children. By knowing their values and how to respect them just by communicating, it helps me to better understand how to work with these children and their families.
Of course, I do not know everything about these cultures, but I do have an idea of how they may work. If I was to work with a child from a different country or religion, I would most likely find myself researching it for a better understanding of the client.
We learned that in Asia, they celebrate traditions such as Ramadan, Christmas and the Chinese New Year. The people of China and South East Asia prefer that everyone were close and that they get along instead of being confrontational with one another. They have a very high value of education. They always hold a central goal that they feel the need to achieve in their life such as getting a diploma or getting married. They usually disapprove of their children if they were to take on a Canadian tradition and they prefer that they take on their own. When a member of the family adapts to a new culture then they become alienated by the rest of their family because it is not accepted. These people also speak 292 languages and the main one is standard mandarin. They do not like when you point your fingers at them. They also feel the need to have more space between one another when it comes to feeling more comfortable socializing. They usually smile when they are embarrassed or put into an awkward situation.
Women are not as independent as men. The men are usually responsible for financial security and the women share the household chores. The younger generation learns to live a disciplined life. Also, when it comes to hand shaking, the women usually shake hands with the women and the men shake hands with the men. It is not acceptable for a man and a woman to shake hands. It is also important that when someone is departing from a party or a get together, that they say goodbye to everyone individually.
The parents usually have the only say as to who the child is going to marry. It is usually a month long process to see how compatible the couple are when it comes to financial stability, education and how they are socially.
For work and education, Bangladesh is a very poor country so there are many poor children. Farming is the main occupation because it is the most fertile place in the world! Many cyclones and floods have made deaths a major issue in this country and the natural disasters make work hard to find.
I found these two presentations very interesting in class and I have learned a lot from looking at the hand outs as well as watching the youtube slides.
I feel as though I could definitely use this information in my future career when working with these different cultures. I now am more familiar with the different religions and celebrations that these children may be involved in. I have a better understanding of certain gestures to use and not to use when it comes to Asians, Greeks and the people of India. I have learned that these children may come from a poor country and may need a lot of support and resources when arriving in Canada.
When it comes to religion, I have learned that there are different beliefs and ways of life for each one when it comes to Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Muslim and Islam. It is important when working with these children to understand the difference of each religion. It would be a major mistake to offend them and not have the information right when speaking about their culture and religion. By learning about the different religions, it gave me more of an idea of how they work. I would definitely do further research if needed when working with a child that has different views than others.
It is very important to realise that the people of Greece are very family oriented and that they usually have very strict rules when it comes to their children. By knowing their values and how to respect them just by communicating, it helps me to better understand how to work with these children and their families.
Of course, I do not know everything about these cultures, but I do have an idea of how they may work. If I was to work with a child from a different country or religion, I would most likely find myself researching it for a better understanding of the client.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Quinte Mohawk School
So this week for our culture and diversity class, we went on a field trip to the Quinte Mohawk School which is located in Shannonville on the reserve. We got to learn a lot about the native community in our area. I had no idea what these children did at their school or what it even looked like before last Friday. It was very interesting to see the kind of language that they use and what they do as a daily routine.
The routine for these children is not too different when it comes to the hours of class and recess. When it comes to what they do in class, it becomes a little interesting. I went around to different classrooms to check out what kind of crafts the children make and they were making medicine bags. These bags could actually be used and were not just any kind of craft to be made.
We also learned how to do the dance in the gymnasium. There were children of different ages from the school joining in to sing and dance. Everyone got up and walked around in a circle and danced and shuffled side to side while going to the beat of the music. Some of them wore what seemed to look like a cape and they were very decorative.
In the morning class, we went and joined in on a class of about the age of 8. They were all speaking mohawk and their teacher was trying to teach us some of their language as well. She had lived there as a child and decided to go back there to work and raise her family. She seemed to be very confident and the children all seemed to enjoy what they were learning. They even had different games that they had showed us how to play.
All around the school there were paintings, crafts and native belongings that we got to see. We got a tour around the school by Lindsay in our class. She used to attend Quinte Mohawk School as a child and showed us as much as she could.
All in all, we got to learn a lot about what goes on at the Quinte Mohawk School and what their daily activities would be. It was very interesting to learn about how they speak to eachother and the different sounds that different letters make in their words. We also found it interesting to learn that one word could mean an entire sentence. She told us about how when they ask to go to the washroom, the entire sentence could be asking if they could sit their bottom down.
At the end of the field trip, we all got to have a lunch which included turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing and much more! It was very delicious and we really appreciated having such a beneficial day for our learning. Thank you Quinte Mohawk School!
The routine for these children is not too different when it comes to the hours of class and recess. When it comes to what they do in class, it becomes a little interesting. I went around to different classrooms to check out what kind of crafts the children make and they were making medicine bags. These bags could actually be used and were not just any kind of craft to be made.
We also learned how to do the dance in the gymnasium. There were children of different ages from the school joining in to sing and dance. Everyone got up and walked around in a circle and danced and shuffled side to side while going to the beat of the music. Some of them wore what seemed to look like a cape and they were very decorative.
In the morning class, we went and joined in on a class of about the age of 8. They were all speaking mohawk and their teacher was trying to teach us some of their language as well. She had lived there as a child and decided to go back there to work and raise her family. She seemed to be very confident and the children all seemed to enjoy what they were learning. They even had different games that they had showed us how to play.
All around the school there were paintings, crafts and native belongings that we got to see. We got a tour around the school by Lindsay in our class. She used to attend Quinte Mohawk School as a child and showed us as much as she could.
All in all, we got to learn a lot about what goes on at the Quinte Mohawk School and what their daily activities would be. It was very interesting to learn about how they speak to eachother and the different sounds that different letters make in their words. We also found it interesting to learn that one word could mean an entire sentence. She told us about how when they ask to go to the washroom, the entire sentence could be asking if they could sit their bottom down.
At the end of the field trip, we all got to have a lunch which included turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing and much more! It was very delicious and we really appreciated having such a beneficial day for our learning. Thank you Quinte Mohawk School!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
~Andy Leggett~
Last week we had a very interesting guest speaker come in to talk to us about working with the Inuit and Métis communities in Quebec. Andy works as a CYW for children in these tribes. There were two places that he had said that he works in but I could not even begin to know how to spell them!
Andy spoke about the challenges of being a CYW in these communities. One of the challenges is trying to define what they do. Another challenge is for them to make connections with children who struggle to make connections, as he put it. What he meant was that these children do not seem to have a lot of guidance. He finds it a struggle to connect with these children on a personal level because these children may not know themselves well enough. They see the world differently than we do where we live. He finds it hard to try to work with these children because they have different norms and opinions in their society than we do. He said that the longer he has worked with them, the more he has learned about their culture, making it easier to connect to them.
Andy spoke about the challenges of being a CYW in these communities. One of the challenges is trying to define what they do. Another challenge is for them to make connections with children who struggle to make connections, as he put it. What he meant was that these children do not seem to have a lot of guidance. He finds it a struggle to connect with these children on a personal level because these children may not know themselves well enough. They see the world differently than we do where we live. He finds it hard to try to work with these children because they have different norms and opinions in their society than we do. He said that the longer he has worked with them, the more he has learned about their culture, making it easier to connect to them.
Andy told us about the language there and, on the slideshow, it showed what some of the letters and symbols look like in the signs. It seems like it would be very hard to understand. Regardless of the different ways of communication in this community, Andy seemed very confident in his work and seemed to have a lot of experience in this area.
He said that the safety in their area is way different than our area because there seems to be more alcoholism and other issues. Andy talked about the children gashuffing and he spoke about how the girls seemed to think it was okay to be promiscuous with different boys and men. They seemed to think it was the norm and that this was what they were supposed to be doing. This is way different than here because the most children and adolescents that live here are taught what they should and should not do when it comes to such dangerous hobbies and interests.
Andy had told us that the only way to keep him from burning out in his job is to make sure that you have a passion for what you are doing and that you make sure that you feel fierce. If you have a passion for what you are doing then you will reach your goal easier. If you continue to make yourself feel fierce in what you are doing then you will feel like you have the power to reach whatever goal that you can. Andy said that having passion about being fierce and being fierce about having passion go hand in hand and that they will help you out in your future career. As long as you let yourself be fierce and be passionate about what you are doing then you will lose the worry of a burnout.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
My First Blog
Hey guys!!
So today I am starting my first blog and I have absolutely no idea what I`m looking. I don`t even know what I should be writing about right now but going on about anything that I feel like should definitely be an easy task! I`m gonna be a rookie for a while so please take it easy on me! ;) xoxo
So today I am starting my first blog and I have absolutely no idea what I`m looking. I don`t even know what I should be writing about right now but going on about anything that I feel like should definitely be an easy task! I`m gonna be a rookie for a while so please take it easy on me! ;) xoxo
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