Putting It All Together (Action Plan)
Throughout this course, you have explored the various components that need to be put into place in order to build an anti-bias, inclusive learning community that promotes respect, dignity, and fairness regardless of differences. Now is the time apply what you have been learning since the very first course in this program. For this Application Assignment, you will put all of the pieces together to develop a detailed action plan for implementing an anti-bias curriculum in an early childhood setting.
Creating an environment that cultivates positive relationships and interactions, nurtures children’s confidence, and offers children opportunities to combat biases and misconceptions takes thoughtful consideration and preparation. Your action plan will be comprised of several crucial components. Read through each of the components listed below to become familiar with the various aspects of the assignment. As needed, find scholarly sources to reflect, and further solidify your thinking. Then, develop your ideas and record your action plan in a Word document.
Review the list below and choose one. Issues related to:
family structure
culture and language
economic class
race
gender
sexual orientation
varying abilities
You will choose “GENDER”
Explain why you chose this particular topic as the focus of your plan from an early childhood teacher perspective….
What “ism” (or “isms”) are you addressing with this topic? (i.e, classism, racism, gender stereotyping and sexism, and other”-isms” prevalent in our society).
What misinformation, stereotypes, or fears might young children have about this topic?
The Goal(s)
What are you hoping to teach through this plan? Describe your goals and expected outcomes.
In what ways will you address and contradict the stereotypes associated with the topic? Provide examples to demonstrate what you might say or do to combat specific stereotypes-This will be based on a GENDER ISSUE.
Sample Solution
I chose to focus on gender as the topic of my plan from an early childhood teacher perspective because I believe it is one of the most critical issues that needs to be addressed in order for children to grow up understanding respect and equality. By addressing gender in our classrooms, we can help young children become aware of and recognize their own biases. This will enable them to form more positive attitudes about all genders – including those that do not conform to traditional ideas about male and female roles. Furthermore, by teaching children about gender identity, expression, and fluidity at an early age, we can help reduce discrimination against people who identify as non-binary or transgender (Vogel et al., 2020).
In terms of the \”ism\”s prevalent in our society, this plan would target sexism and gender stereotyping. Misinformation related to these topics often starts from a very young age when parents or other adults might reinforce traditional binary roles associated with male and female genders (Hines & Kalish , 2021). From this perspective, many people tend to see females as primarily responsible for activities such as cooking or cleaning while males are seen as naturally suited towards physical activities or competitive sports (Smith & Jones ,2020). These stereotypes often lead children – especially boys – away from different interests they may have outside of what is traditionally viewed as masculine behavior.
In addition to misinformation regarding gender roles, some young children may also hold onto fears regarding individuals who identify differently than what is expected based on their sex assigned at birth. For example, they may fear being around someone who identifies as transgender out of unfamiliarity with the concept itself (Benjamin et al., 2019). Therefore it is important for teachers to create classroom environments where students feel safe asking questions without judgement so that everyone can learn more about each other’s unique identities.
