Friday, October 30, 2009

It's Multi-Culti Time

What is Multi-Culti Time?
Multi-Culti Time is a unique way to introduce preschoolers to different culture, customs, and traditions by using music, art and dance from six continents.

The Multi-Culti Time curriculum helps develop cognitive, physical and social skills by using hands-on cultural exploration through, singing, movement, and arts and crafts. Your preschoolers develop sensitivity and respect for people who are different from them.
Having Multi-Culti Time as part of your weekly lesson plan will add the type of multicultural curriculum that is recommended by NAEYC.

Each child will receive a passport and take a journey to a new place on the globe. During our make-believe travels we will listen to music, stories, experience the songs, dance and art as we recreate our own. At the end of each journey we will end our session with a song and a stamp on our passports.

The order of events:
• Meet up in circle time and sing the Multi-Culti Time Song
• Begin our journey (Globe/Map exploration)
• Meet our new friends (story or video clip)
• Music/ Dance/Art project
• Stamp passport and goodbye song

The Song:

It’s Multi-Culti Time
Tic-Tock Tic-Tock
It’s Multi-Culti Time
What are we going to do?
We learn about places, food, clothes and faces
Like yours and mine, at Multi-Culti Time!

Multi-Culti Time Schedule:
Date Time Location
Monday 1:00 – 1:45 p.m. Uof M Health Systems Childcare Center
Tuesday open
Wednesday open
Thursday open
Friday open
Saturday TBA

For information on how to bring Multi-Culti Time to your school / event or for a free session contact Kadesha Baker at multicultitime@gmail.com or call 313 610 5052

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Diversity Training for Preschool Teachers




Kadesha H.(Simpson)Baker
Diversity Training for Preschool Teachers
“It starts with me”


My Training Topics:

It starts with me: How to create a diverse learning environment.
We struggle with diversity issues everyday. We need to take a good look at ourselves and explore how our attitudes and beliefs effect how we teach.

• In this 2 hour session covers:
o Teachers taking a look at filters that impact how we view the world
o Learn how to talk to preschool aged children about issues of diversity
o What should we have in our classroom to create a diverse learning environment
o How to validate cultural beliefs.

Diversity in team building
Rather than feeling uncomfortable with individuals different than you, celebrate those differences and value what each of you are able to bring to the team. A team rich in diversities is also rich in possibilities to succeed.

• This 1 hour session covers:
o the primary and secondary stages of diversity
o how to practice communicating feelings
o how to problem solve without reinforcements

The diversity tool box: what’s in your class room?
What’s in your classroom (or absent from it) provides preschoolers with ideas about who or what’s important in the world

• This 1 hour session covers
o Music choices
o Games and activities
o Pictures
o Field trips



Diversity in preschool picture books and music
For preschoolers, words and illustrations do more than tell stories; together in picture books they create potentially powerful images of human beings. Therefore any given picture book featuring people may have a teachable outcome, even if teaching was not the books intent.
o In this very popular 2 hour training covers:
o The hard to find appropriate multicultural picture books.
o Stereo types in picture books the good, the bad and the racist.


What’s in a name?
Feeling uneasy and asking questions are part of the process of overcoming prejudice. But how can we ask a question when we don’t even know what to call you?
o In this 1 hour training I cover topics like:
o Black or African American/ Indian or Native American
o “That’s not ok”. Are we making fun of someone without even knowing it?
o What’s wrong with this book, I read it when I was in preschool?


Don’t see your topic listed here? Call me and we can create a training session tailored to your teaching staff needs.


Diversity Training for Preschool Teachers By Kadesha H. Simpson CDA, BSW
“It starts with me”



Comments from training participants:

“This Training was effective in covering the importance of diversity in my work environment”……Infant Teacher UMHSCCC

"This training has lots information presented in a fun and creative way with lots of activities….she spoke clearly and explained any questions we had". Infant/Toddler Teacher UMHSCCC

"I really enjoyed this training…she was very upbeat and always had a smile on her face. She covered lots of information and kept our attention". Infant/Toddler Teacher UMHSCCC

"I thought the games she played pinpointed interesting points of view. I liked how she understood our need to get up and move….". Toddler 1-2yr Teacher

"I liked the combo of PowerPoint, games, and discussion". Toddler Teacher

"I have been through different diversity training sessions before…this was much more effective." Young Toddler teacher 1-2 yrs


"This training increased my knowledge about diversity and different cultures should all be accepted"…Infant/Young Toddler Teacher


"This training was very effective, it meant more coming from a former preschool teacher with a perspective different than my own…Kadesha’s warm personality and knowledge was rewarding". Pre-K Teacher

"I thought it was a great start to opening up discussion in our center…"Pre-K Teacher

"
Kadesha H. Simpson
Diversity Training for Preschool Teachers
“It starts with me”


Diversity Training for Preschool Teachers By Kadesha H. Simpson CDA, BSW “It starts with me”