“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise so I am changing myself.”- Rumi
When thinking and reflecting on System Theory, I am using the system tenet of how did my system evolved and will continue to evolve over time. I am putting this curated blog together in such a way, to shine a light on the growth I did as a student & future educator in the field of family, school & community partnerships, and who I am as an individual. Through critical analysis, feedback, collecting data, and exchanging information on concepts we learned, I want the professors and other systems viewing my blog to be able to see the importance of these concepts and how they can be implemented in a variety of systems such as oneself, homes, neighborhoods, & classrooms. For these 5 assignments, I was able to engage in them first before implementing them onto others.
The first assignment that spoke to me as a changing and more informed system was the family treasure assignment. After completing this assignment my way of thinking had evolved out of the scope of how I define family & treasure. By examining & I was able to explain who I consider my family & what I cherish. After completing this assignment my system evolved by creating my own family system and what I consider my treasure. This assignment represents the growth and introspect I did before implementing this activity onto family systems. Via this assignment, I analyze how the terminology of both these words can be interpreted differently and modification is necessary for family, school, community partnerships. Through systems theory thinking there were perturbations that occurred in different systems when conducting outreach. These perturbations were based on how they viewed their family & treasure. According to Zera (2002), “System perturbations (occurrences that promote change) may dramatically change the entire operating system (Kelso 1995): in essence, change creates change, and even small changes can have dramatic effects…an important facilitator for system growth and essential for self” (p. 19). In other words, because there was a perturbation in the family systems, in order to maintain homeostasis, they felt like they couldn’t participate due to their family status. By offering a change into their perspectives, via my own family treasure set and by informing them on alternate ways in how they could participate. Through the exchange of information, some systems took it into consideration while others changed their outlook on the activity& shared their set with me.
The ecological map assignment spoke to me as a changing and informed system by exploring & comprehending how I navigate & exist through different systems. By breaking down these systems & through self-reflection, I was able to map out how I existed differently in my neighborhood- Bushwick, school(elementary up to high school), & through job opportunities/positions. This represents the growth and more informed system by taking into consideration how the input of different factors affect the output on a microsystem like my childhood experience into the meso/macrosystem such as the culture surrounding school & work. I selected this assignment because through system theory we are able to see how systems are interdependent with one another. The ecological map assignment can be used as a way to observe & assess how others exist in a classroom, at home, or in their community. For instance, Bronfenbrenner (1976) states “It is from this perspective that the primary purpose of the ecological experiment becomes not hypothesis testing but discovery-the identification of those systems-properties and processes that affect, and are affected by, the behavior and development of the learner.” (p. 6) Therefore, as a future educator in order to perceive & get to know a child I would need to discover & identify how their systems interrelate on different levels & analyze the processes that influence the child’s output. Because systems can be complex, this assignment made me reflect on the importance of building trusting partnerships & connections with the children and their family members.
3. Assumption Assignment:
The assumption assignment spoke to me as a changing and more informed system because we had to identify our own assumptions, how it manifests itself through my system language and thoughts & ways we can decimate or dismantle them. This was an essential assignment because assumptions surfacing in my system can affect school, family, community partnerships due to how we perceive others or the prejudgments we already have. This informed my system language and thinking by revising my dialogue when communicating with other systems. As a future educator, I have to question my role, am I a target, perpetrator, ally, or bystander? Through these concepts, I can prevent miscommunication when forming relationships whether at home or in a classroom. After revision, my assumptions were that boys are not allowed to wear nail polish or pink clothing. Using system theory thinking, the perturbation impacting my systems was due to the hetero gender roles implemented into me. Due to the negative stigma that surrounds what is considered appropriate for boys in the Hispanic community, I became uneasy as a parent because I was preventing quality time and denying the interests my son had. Moreover Darling (2007) states “First, the central force in development is the active person: shaping environments, evoking responses from them, and reacting to them” (p. 204). As a result, my assumptions shaped my son’s environment by denying him a chance to bond with me when painting my nails or why he like the color pink, and consequently, he reacted to it by no longer being interested in it. By selecting this assignment, it is fundamental to not let our own assumptions get in the way of the needs of a child we tend to make assumptions on the spot without realizing it.
4. Family Assessment Portfolio:
The family assessment portfolio spoke to me as a changing and more informed system by providing me with materials that I can use as a future educator when establishing partnerships with families, schools, and communities. Family Assessment Portfolio also known as FAP is a resource available to children, families & teachers as a way of getting to know the child via their own pov. FAP changed my system through the concept of modification and the emphasis on the portfolio being child-centered, their pov & voice. Examples of family assessment portfolios are DVD- The Movie, scrapbook, and the WEB-based profile. Modification is a must when it comes to FAP because one size does not fit all. This assignment represents the importance of being able to observe, get to know the strengths of the child & their development not only in school but as a member of society. After completing this assignment, I selected the FAP activity because I felt it would be a great resource along with home visits for other educators in helping establish trusting partnerships. Because systems are complex and nonlinear, using system theory thinking we need to tend to the complexities within the system. Through introspect & my personal experience, assumptions were made on the level of comfortability family members had on the use of technology for FAP’s to be created. By acknowledging the complexities such as their background, culture, customs, & language I want to ensure that I’m not targeting families who aren’t tech-savvy or assume what families may or may not know. Establishing trusting partnership with family, school and community begin by understanding a child’s cultural background, beliefs & customs. Using FAP along with home visits can make an educator more culturally responsive to the needs of the child. As illustrated by Lin & Bates (2010) “...identify home visits as a means for teachers to create an initial positive impression and gain support from parents…understand families’ circumstances is essential as teachers need to create a collaborative relationship with families…”( p. 180) In essence this further supports the significance for teachers to establish opportunities and help create strength-based models to better understand the child’s needs for success.
5. Breaking Down Barriers Vlog:
When participating in the Breaking Down Barriers vlog, it spoke to me as a changing and informed system by pushing me out of my comfort zone. It changed me in a way where I had to follow & understand the vlog genre, create a script, appeal to my audience, and record myself in front of a camera. This informed my system through my emotions of being self-conscious, nervousness & perturbation of talking to a camera & posting it online for others to see. But it also showed me the importance of my voice & the dialogue I create with others. Voice & dialogue is momentous when establishing relationships through personal experience and clear communication between systems whether it’s on camera or video. The Breaking Down Barriers assignment was based on how I maintain barriers in my life in relation to family, school, community partnerships and how I planned on dismantling those barriers. My barrier was finding balance & time management in my obligations while living in NYC. I engaged in rearranging my schedule and assessing how it contributed to dismantling the restrictive routine I had. This assignment represents some emotions & connections other systems can relate to such as our roles or as a member of society. For example, Richards, Brown & Forde (2007) state “Teachers must recognize and acknowledge their affiliation with various groups in society, and the advantages and disadvantages of belonging to each group” (p. 65). In other words, it’s fundamental in recognizing the different positions family members are a part of and how it affects partnerships with other systems, their ecosystem & time. Using system theory thinking tenet on what are the relationship between the part and the whole system, we can acknowledge if family systems are short or rigid on time due to their positionality as either a caregiver, student, employee, immigrant, etc…This assignment represents the extent of being able to take a step back and acknowledge how diverse factors contribute in maintaining barriers & insight into how others planned on dismantling them.
Every assignment has taught me that all systems are complex & nonlinear & that I have to continue using the conceptual schema and systems theory thinking in scaffolding the success of children in my classroom. As a future educator, I want to be able to contribute & be culturally responsive to different situations I may encounter and further my knowledge on how can I continue scaffolding the needs of the children while building trusting & lasting partnerships with families, schools, and communities.
BRONFENBRENNER, U. (1976). The Experimental Ecology of Education. Educational Researcher, 5(9), 5–15.https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189x005009005
Darling, N. (2007). Ecological Systems Theory: The Person in the Center of the Circles. Research in Human Development, 4(3–4), 203–217. https://doi.org/10.1080/15427600701663023
Lin, M., & Bates, A. B. (2010). Home Visits: How Do They Affect Teachers’ Beliefs about Teaching and Diversity? Early Childhood Education Journal, 38(3), 179–185. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-010-0393-1
Richards, H. V., Brown, A. F., & Forde, T. B. (2007). Addressing Diversity in Schools: Culturally Responsive Pedagogy. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 39(3), 64–68. https://doi.org/10.1177/004005990703900310
Zera, D. A. (2002). What Is a System and a System Perspective? Educational Horizons, 18–20.
