The video “Ed-Talk: The Potential Benefits of Diverse Schools and Classrooms – Amy Stuart Wells” is 5:51 minutes long, with the central idea placed on the importance of the diversity of schools’ student bodies. The reflection from the video is that diversity in education is imperative for schools not to have brochures that have multicultural educational settings but because it is thought that students from diverse backgrounds learn from one another (American Educational Research Association, 2016). Besides, when students are exposed to diversity at school, they are more prepared for their college education, which is much more diverse compared to schools.
The video “Teaching Diversity in Your Toddler/Preschool Classroom” is 9:15 minutes long and talks about the range of materials, such as books, dramatic play toys, and art materials, that educators can use to foster inclusion within the early learning classroom ((Playing with a Purpose, 2022).). For example, the speaker shows different types of traditional clothing and explains that such props are used to explain to kids why representatives of different cultures wear specific garments (Playing with a Purpose, 2022). Overall, the video is very useful for providing practical advice to educators who may be lacking on creative ideas on how to teach about diversity.
The video “Meaningful Inclusion in Early Childhood” is 5:52 minutes long and speaks about the concerns that parents or caretakers of children with disabilities have when their kids first get into the early education setting. The central reflection from the video is that every early education setting is an inclusive setting because it involves children that have had different life experiences up to the point of getting into the classroom (WisconsinDPI, 2018). Therefore, it is essential for educators to engage children in the learning processes meaningfully, recognizing their background and needs.
The video “Culture, Diversity, and Equity” is 16:49 minutes long and discusses the California Early Childhood Educator Competencies, such as respect for children’s differences and similarities, culturally responsive approaches, culture and language development and learning, as well as culturally inclusive learning environments. The main reflection from the video is that diversity in early childhood learning is a multi-dimensional process and requires professionals to be mindful of their students’ backgrounds (ECE CompSAT, 2014). Within the culturally-responsive approaches to education, it is also important to bring children’s parents, caretakers, and other close relatives to have a community base that celebrates diversity.
The video “Anti-Bias Lessons Help Preschoolers Hold Up a Mirror to Diversity” is 7:13 minutes long and discusses how some preschools in California facilitated conversations among kids about racial differences through an anti-bias curriculum, the goal of which is to teach them about the importance of diversity and inclusion. The main reflection from the video is that children respond to lessons on diversity very well; they try to find differences and similarities between each other’s appearances and comment on them (PBS NewsHour, 2017). In the context of the broader national divide over race, the art projects illustrated in the video allow infusing powerful messages into the classroom.
The video “ODE Early Childhood: Fostering Diversity and Inclusion” is 3:27 minutes long and speaks about the commitment to having highly diverse early learning classrooms. The key reflection from the video is that diversity can come with financial challenges that families experience and educational institutions can play the role of advocates and supporters in finding funding (Ohio Department of Education, 2018). The time that children spend in a diverse environment is invaluable for their future development and engagement with society.
The video “Cultural Understanding” is 5:46 minutes long and explores the topic of cultural understanding as something children from early ages must have in order to be effective during interactions with one another. The key reflection from the video is that regardless of the cultural background and potential language barriers, inclusive educational strategies allow getting children “on one page” during early childhood learning (Better Kid Care, 2015). Overall, diverse early childhood learning experiences make the transitioning to primary school much better for kids from different cultural backgrounds because they get to understand that people come with varying colors of skin, hair colors and textures, and languages.
The video “Supporting Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in Early Childhood” is 4:56 minutes long and gets in-depth about an inclusive and culturally diverse preschool environment. The main reflection from the video is that the educators are expected to collaborate with one another to embed the home cultures and languages of kids into their everyday preschool routines (BrookesPublishing, 2018). The practices to which children are used at home can be quite different from the customs and everyday processes that occur within their organizational settings. Because of this, it is imperative for early childhood educators to have an in-depth understanding of the cultural expectations of their students and adjust the learning process accordingly.
The video “Cultural and Linguistic Diversity: Case Study” is 4:39 minutes long and provides a case study about how early childhood educators can support children who speak English as their second or additional language (Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2018). The primary reflection from the video is that cultural and linguistic diversity is expected to enhance the learning process because children come from different backgrounds and may not even speak English. This may create barriers in terms of their interactions with other kids. A solution to the problem was including parents in the learning process and asking them to increase the frequency of speaking English at home.
The video “Recognizing Bias and Promoting Equity in Early Childhood Settings” is 6:19 minutes long and shows how mental health consultants can promote anti-bias approaches in early childhood learning classrooms. The reflection from the video is that the integration of the anti-bias approach into the classroom can open an opportunity for relationship-based dialogues between the adults who care for their children (SAMHSA, 2017). It has been a problem that educators saw diversity as a limitation to learning, such as children now knowing English, which caused some issues during their learning. However, the anti-bias approach enables educators to look at this issue from a positive perspective and reap benefits from the multilinguistic capabilities of their students.
The video “Competencies for Teaching in Multicultural Classrooms” is 7:13 minutes long and explores the strategies educators can implement to foster diversity and multiculturalism in their classrooms. The central reflection from the video is that there are such competencies as positive action, communicative awareness, as well as openness to knowledge that can be of great benefit for educators who teach within multicultural classrooms (University of New Brunswick, 2019). It is important that educators know their students well and understand their levels of language competency and the challenges they encounter within the learning process. Facilitating plurilingual spaces can be highly beneficial as children will get opportunities to exhibit their language competencies and use them to their advantage in learning. Such spaces also enable active discussions of different cultural values and practices.
The video “Child Development Worldwide: A Cultural Approach” is 4:45 minutes long and discusses the different stages of development, from the prenatal stage to emerging adulthood, from the perspective of culture. The critical reflection from the video is that a child’s culture influences every stage of their development, with the distinct systems of values, traditions, and expectations embedded into their experiences (Pearson Higher Education, 2017). Besides, kids from different cultural backgrounds interact with one another at various stages of development and learn something from one another on a regular basis. Besides, with the widespread use of social media, kids are exposed to multiculturalism on a regular basis.
The video “Embedding Culture in Practice for Kindergarten Teaching and Learning” is 5:13 minutes long and shows how Indigenous early childhood educators expand on their students’ experiences with the help of cultural knowledge and ways of learning. The educators in the community shown in the video mention that they acknowledge the fact that children have lived through different experiences in their families and communities (Queensland Department of Education, 2016). Within the Indigenous community, it is important for children to know their culture when they come to a certain age, which is why embedding some cultural practices into education can be of benefit.
The video “Kids Share Their Cultural Tradition Show and Tell” is 4:57 minutes long and illustrates how kids from different cultural backgrounds show each other snippets from their traditions, such as a Korean boy showing everyone the New Year’s bow (HiHo Kids, 2020). The central reflection from the video is that children can learn cultural traditions from each other very well because their lively interactions engage one another.
The video “All Kinds of Children. Diverse Culture Story Book” is 5:20 minutes long and presents the reading of a children’s book dedicated to diversity. The reflection of the video is that the book can be used by early childhood educators when they teach their young students about diversity (Fun Stories and Play, 2019). The book is colorful and includes positive messages about how there are kids of different cultures and that one culture is not better – they are all equal.
The video “Practical Tips for Working Effectively with Culturally Diverse Families of Young Children” is 1:10:24 hours long and provides a comprehensive overview for educators who work with children from diverse backgrounds. Because the video is quite long, it includes a broad spectrum of recommendations that teachers can use in practice. For example, the speaker talks about the process of meeting the parents and consists of some tips, such as making sure not to schedule any parent meetings and events with parents on days falling on cultural or religious holidays (Pacercenter, 2014). Another example of the tip is that Muslim parents may need to have a break during a meeting for prayer time (Pacercenter, 2014). Besides, when meeting with parents, teachers should ask whether they need an interpreter. Overall, the video provides an abundance of recommendations for working with children from diverse families.
References
BrookesPublishing. (2018). Supporting cultural and linguistic diversity in early childhood [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Pacercenter. (2014). Practical tips for working effectively with culturally diverse families of young children [Video]. YouTube. Web.
ECE CompSAT. (2014). Culture, diversity, and equity [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Better Kid Care. (2015). Cultural understanding [Video]. YouTube. Web.
American Educational Research Association. (2016) Ed-talk: The potential benefits of diverse schools and classrooms – Amy Stuart Wells [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Queensland Department of Education. (2016). Embedding culture in practice for kindergarten teaching and learning [Video]. YouTube. Web.
SAMHSA. (2017). Recognizing bias and promoting equity in early childhood settings [Video]. YouTube. Web.
PBS NewsHour. (2017). Anti-bias lessons help preschoolers hold up a mirror to diversity [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Pearson Higher Education. (2017). Child development worldwide: A cultural approach [Video]. YouTube. Web.
WisconsinDPI. (2018). Meaningful inclusion in early childhood [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority. (2018). Cultural and linguistic diversity: Case study [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Ohio Department of Education. (2018). ODE early childhood: Fostering diversity and inclusion [Video]. YouTube. Web.
University of New Brunswick. (2019). Competencies for teaching in multicultural classrooms[Video]. YouTube. Web.
HiHo Kids. (2020). Kids share their cultural tradition | show & tell | HiHo Kids [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Playing with a Purpose (2020). Teaching diversity in your toddler/preschool classroom [Video]. YouTube. Web.