Module 3 Who are Families? Activity #2: Exploring Families

Pick 1 reading:

Watch Our Family: A Film About Family Diversity (2016)

 

Citing extensively from both the videos and the reading (I explain how to cite in posts in this video) answer the questions below:

  1. Which article did you chose? Why?
  2. What are the strengths of the families you read about and saw in the videos? How specifically did the families demonstrate those strengths?
  3. What challenges do the families you read and saw in the videos face?
  4. Which model of programming from Baker & Manfretti/ Petit, 2004 in Module 2 are the program staff using to work with families?  Give specific evidence to support your response.

29 thoughts on “Module 3 Who are Families? Activity #2: Exploring Families”

  1. 1. Which article did you chose? Why? I choose the article by Jordan & Lee (2014) because I found interesting the engagement and support that the Association of Children’s Places provided to families affected by HIV / AIDS.
    2. What are the strengths of the families you read about and saw in the videos? I think the strengths of the families I read and saw are empathy, dedication, teamwork, decisiveness, kindness, inspiration, motivation, open-mindedness, and respect.
    3. What challenges do the families you read and saw in the videos face? I think the challenges that families face in the videos are acceptance by the community because there are people who believe that a family is simply made up of a father and a mother, but today there are many diverse families. The challenges families face in reading are due to the stigma and isolation associated with HIV / AIDS.
    4. Which model of programming from Baker & Manfretti/ Petit, 2004 in Module 2 are the program staff using to work with families? Give specific evidence to support your response.
    The elementary school model is the program that staff use to work with families because staff stay in touch with children and their families by providing support and maintaining environments where all children and their families feel safe and welcome.

    2. Daniela — Thanks for your comment in this activity. Stigma and isolation is a challenge families affected by HIV face. I wonder, what was interesting about the engagement and support offered to the families in the article you selected? How did the families specifically demonstrate their strengths? I wonder, why the program an elementary school model and not a family model or business model?

  2. 1) I chose the Fox article because I wanted to learn more about adopted families.
    2) Some of the strengths that I read about in the article with Marco’s family was his parents working with his teacher to assure that Marco would not get his toys taken away from him. One strength that I saw with the families in the video is that the children feel loved by their families.
    3) One challenge that Lolla’s family in the article face is Lolla having massive double ear infections. Lolla used to cry about the infections but when no one would respond to her cries, she learned how to put up with the pain. I didn’t really see a challenge with families in the video but I think one challenge that two of the families faced would be having two mommies or having two daddies.
    4) The model of programming that I saw the staff used to work with families is the Elementary School Model. The families didn’t really have a relationship with the teachers but moreso have a relationship with each other.

    1. Diamunique — Thanks for your comment. You make a good point about the elementary school model — there was no true ‘relationship” with families with the programs. The families had to advocate for themselves. I wonder, what did you learn about families who adopt from the Fox (2012) article?

  3. 1) I choose the fox article because I am interested in learning more about the issues adopted children face.
    2)I think the families are very supportive, empathetic, understanding, and open. The families also demonstrated team work. In the article one of the teachers expressed her concerns to the parent about the child pulling on her ear . The parent acted on the teachers concerns and found out the child had an ear infection. She trusted the teachers judgement and did what was best for the child.
    3)I believe the families struggle with adjusting. Not all families are the same so they have different challenges . Adopted children have to adjust to a new environment and a new forever family .
    4) The model that is used is the elementary school model. The families and teachers have a relationship and they have times where the families are able to come in and engage with the children.

    2. Hi Brittney,
      I agree adjusting to a new environment can be difficult and overwhelming. As an adopted person myself I didn’t have this problem, but I know many kids that did. Also this is just me personally. When talking about families, I don’t use the term “forever family”. I just call them my family 🙂

    3. Brittney — Thanks for your comment. Families are always adjusting — think about what we learned regarding parent development. I wonder, how did the families demonstrate their strengths? If the families had relationships with the school staff, I wonder, why would it be an elementary model and not a family model?

  4. 1. the article I was interested in, is the Fox (2012) because I did not know so much about adopted children before.
    2. The strengths of families I read and saw in both the (Fox -2012) article and (Our Family: A Film about Family Diversity2016) video is the Diversity and love and care for each other.
    3. The challenges I read and saw in both the (Fox -2012) article and (Our Family: A Film about Family Diversity2016) video. If the child and the parents speak a different language, it will lead to a lack of communication.
    4. The model the staff is using in working with families in the article (fox 2012) is The Family Model for example, Marco is a 2½ year old boy adopted from Guatemala. He was keeping himself awake during naptime because he had past experiences of people taking his stuff when he was asleep in foster care. The caregivers and the parents worked together to plan to help him feel his things are secure. In the article (fox 2012) indicate “The teachers work with Marco’s parents to make a plan that includes reassuring Marco that his things won’t be taken”

    1. ELizabeth — Thanks for your comment in this activity. The teachers and family partnering together for Marco around his naptime shows a family model (Baker & Manfreddi/Pettit, 2004). I wonder, how did the families specifically demonstrate the diversity you mentioned?

  5. 1.The article I choose was “Profile the children’s place association:supporting families Impacted by HIV/AIDS by Jamiliah R. Jordan and Roxsana Marie Lee” because it mentions the whole family not just focusing on the children, also tells us there’s a lot of programs out there that can help and make a welcoming environment.
    2.Some strengths I saw from the families in the video and read from the article would be they are very supportive and understanding, team work.In the reading they talk about to show diverse they provide authentic literacy
    3.The challenges I saw in the video and readings was they show the community and how they all are loving and that there’s a lot of diverse families now.In the reading it talked about families dealing with HIV/AIDS they tend to close up and keep distance.
    4.The module that is used is the elementary school model because they all seem to get along and are very friendly within each other a great environment.

    1. Hi Lesly
      I respectfully disagree with you because I think the module that is used is the “Family Model” that is based on relationships. In addition, it is about a community of people who care about the child and about one another. On the contrary, in the “Elementary School Model”, neither parents nor teachers make a big effort to communicate, ongoing friendships between parents and teachers are not encouraged.

    2. Lesly — Thanks for your comment. Families impacted by HIV/ AIDS can be isolative for many reasons. I wonder, how did the families demonstrate the strengths you mentioned? I wonder, what makes the program an elementary model and not a family model?

  6. 1) I chose the article Welcoming Families with Children Who Were Adopted by Robin K. Fox. I choose this article because I’m adopted myself and wanted to learn about it from a teachers perspective.

    2)The strengths I saw and read about where that there are so much variety to any family. There weren’t just the typical mother, father, sister or brother families we used to learn about but an inclusion of every type of family possible that we should be learning about.

    3) The families in the reading faced challenges of gross motor skills, attachment, confidence and learning troubles. Adopted children tend to have more troubles making attachments because they don’t have that time to make them at the critical stage in their infancy. they also have a harder time making connections with the people in their life like families and or making friends.

    4) The model that the teachers used for the Fox article was the Family model. When Lolla was pulling her ear, the teacher asked the family if she did that at home. The family took note of it and brought her to the doctor. The doctor said that Lolla was trying to communicate that her ears were hearting due to ear infections. She has probably done this before when her crying didn’t work. In this situation the family and teachers were able to work together to come up with a solution to a problem that Lolla had.

    1. Zoe — Thanks for sharing your comment in this activity. We are going to talk about attachment this week, which can be a struggle for some children who are adopted. I wonder, what were your thoughts about this article? How does this article connect to your experience?

  7. 1.-Which article did you chose? Why?
    I chose the article by Julie A. Ray, Julia Pewitt-Kinder and Suzanne George, about parenting with families of children who have a disability, because I have a nephew who has autism and I know the importance of learning about disabilities as a future educator as well as supporting parents by empathizing with them and providing all the information that they need in order to support the children learning and development.

    2.-What are the strengths of the families you read about and saw in the videos?
    -Some of the strengths of the families with a child who has a disability are love, empathy, working as a team, discipline, patience, dedication.
    -Self-actualization, the article stated “Parents do not view different as better or worse, just different, they support they children in learning about his or her disability, including how to be a self-advocate.
    -In the film “Our family”, families value the importance of diversity in school. Some of the strengths of the families are love, appreciate their families and those who are different from them, as well as encourage constructive dialogue and to give children the opportunity to share about their families in an accepting way.

    3.-What challenges do the families you read and saw in the videos face?
    -Some of the challenges that Families with children with special needs are to learn that their child has a disability. Denial and acceptance of the disability, as the article stated “Acceptance of the diagnosis can take years”
    -In the film “Our family,” there are different kinds of families, some children have parents of different ethnic backgrounds or who are lesbian, gay or transgender who have to deal with the rejection of the society that we live in.
    -family members who live in different countries.
    -family members with a disability.
    -Some of the children are being raise by only one mother, father or grandparents

    4.-Which model of programming from Baker & Manfretti/ Petit, 2004 in Module 2 are the program staff using to work with families? Give specific evidence to support your response.
    The module that is used is the “Family Model” because parents and teachers work together as a family. For them relationships are important. I could observe a loving web of relationships. In addition, I could see a community of people who care about the child and about one another. For instance, one of the students said “It is important to have diverse children, to have diverse families in a school so you know how to include everyone, you don’t just go to the people who are like you, you reach out and embrace everyone”

    1. Marcela — Thanks for your comment in this activity. You connected content from the readings to your comments. For some families who have a child with a disability, it takes years to accept the child’s diagnosis.

  8. 1. The article I choose was Jordan and Lee. I choose the article because it speaks about families affected HIV/AIDS, homelessness and other finical and medical problems. These families live in the Caribbean or Africa, They helps these families with schooling for their children , along with housing , medical needs and psychological needs. Because of the countries in which these families having the challenges makes them a outcast.
    2.The strengths of the families are taking advantages of the programs being brought to them, sticking together, love and just taking it with life day by day.
    3. 5. The challenges these families face are stigma because they are homeless, living with HIV/AIDS and other medical problems. In the second video the it talks about infant and toddles being expose to seeing there mothers in abusive situation and also no programs for these infant and toddlers during the days.
    4. The program directors they create a welcoming environment to address the stigma and isolation, offer assistance in areas that will help their families be more independent and help their children develop and succeed, encourage parents to become leaders, encourage parent participation in support groups and offer assistance to help children and families attend. “They form a community of people who care about the child and one another” (Baker & Manfretti/ Petit 2004) that is exactly what the program directors do.

  9. 1. I choose the Fox article because I would like to learn more about the issues adopted children go through.
    2. In the article the teacher spoke to the child’s parents because they were worried about the child pulling their ear. The parents took the teachers opinion and they found out that their child had an ear infection. This shows how the parents cared about the teachers opinion which showed they trust the teacher.
    3. Families struggle a lot with adjusting because they need to get use to new surroundings and adopted children struggle with adjusting because it’s a new surrounding for them.
    4. The module that is used is “family model” because both the parents and teachers are working together as a family to do whats best for the child.

  10. 1. Which article did you chose? Why?
    I chose “Partnering with Families of Children with Special Needs” by Julie A. Ray, Julia Pewitt- Kinder, and Suzanne George. I picked this article because when I was 13 years-old I volunteered to work in the library and this library had a morning program that was for infants who had special needs.
    2. What are the strengths of the families you read about and saw in the videos?
    The strengths were working together, discipline, love and patience.
    3. What challenges do the families you read and saw in the videos face?
    Some of the challenges the families faced was accepting that the baby was diagnosed with a disability. As the article stated the parents go through a grieving time and it takes time for them to accept the diagnosis but they also reexperience grief at random times. Some of families in the video come from different background and have parents who are part of the LGBTQ+ community.
    4. Which model of programming from Baker & Manfretti/Petit, 2004 in Module 2 are the program staff using to work with families? Give specific evidence to support your response.
    The model that was being used was the Family model because they all have to work together to help the child and be on the same page to help the child.

    1. Brenda — Thanks for your comment in this activity. I look forward to hearing more about your experience volunteering at the library’s program. I wonder, how did the families specifically demonstrate the strengths you mentioned?

  11. 1.Which article did you chose? Why? The article I chose was Supporting Medically Fragile Children and their Families By: Julia Luckenbill and Amy Zide. I chose this article because I was very interested to learn more about babies being born with an illness and why it occurs.

    2.What are the strengths of the families you read about and saw in the videos? In the article I learned about an 11 month old boy named Keyshawn even who was diagnosed at birth with diaphragmatic hernia and had to be fed through a tube. After Leshawn was released from the hospital his mom put him back in school. The two teachers in his classroom went to his home to learn more about his condition and how they can create a schedule just for leshawn to join the class. Leshawn had limited ability to express his fears and needs. Eventually they had to keep the germs away from him so teachers would have to wear masks to keep the germs away so they played a little game called peek-a-boo to remind him that he is safe and it is just his two teachers. I learned about how strong he is for his age and how everyone around him gave him love, support and was overall patient with him.
    3.What challenges do the families you read and saw in the videos face? Some of the challenges was having his mom let him go to class without her fully being there and continuing to have that trust with the staff on taking care of her child since he was different from the other children.
    4.Which model of programming from Baker & Manfretti/ Petit, 2004 in Module 2 are the program staff using to work with families? Give specific evidence to support your response. They show how they unite together by forming a community who care about children and others around them.

    1. Selanie — Thanks for your comment. Families who have children with medical needs need reassurance and support to leave their children with teachers. Based on the behavior you describe between the teachers and family, I wonder, what model of programming from Baker & Manfreddi/Pettit (2004) was demonstrated?

  12. 1) I choose “Supporting gay and lesbian families in the early childhood classroom” by Anna Paul & Peixoto da Silva. I picked this article because I wanted to read more about the LGBTQ and help bring more awareness to others families.
    2)The strengths of the families that I read about and saw in the video was teachers letting the gay or lesbian families participate in the activities that was going on instead of singling them out due to their relationship partner.
    3)Challenges that I read and saw in the video was that not all kids have both mother and father and some of them are look at differently. They are not necessarily treated different its just not all activties are fit for them
    4) The model that is being used was the ” family model” because the families worked together and communicated about the child/children.

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