kinderwelten persona dolls. kinderwelten a brief history… the persona doll method was developed in...

KinderweltenKinderwelten

Persona DollsPersona Dolls


A brief history…A brief history…The persona doll method was developed in The persona doll method was developed in

the USA…the USA…

And then brought to Europe by:And then brought to Europe by:

Babette Brown, London, UKBabette Brown, London, UK

Marianne Egedahl, Copenhagen, Denmark Marianne Egedahl, Copenhagen, Denmark andand

Anke van Keulen, Utrecht, The NetherlandsAnke van Keulen, Utrecht, The Netherlands

……who adapted and further developed the who adapted and further developed the approach for a western European contextapproach for a western European context


What areWhat are Persona Dolls? Persona Dolls?


Persona Dolls are Dolls with a personality. Persona Dolls are Dolls with a personality.

They have a They have a namename, a , a familyfamily, a , a historyhistory, , things they likethings they like and and don‘t likedon‘t like. They have a . They have a homehome and speak one or more and speak one or more languageslanguages, , they have they have favorite foodfavorite food, and there are , and there are some foods they don‘t eat at all, they some foods they don‘t eat at all, they enjoy doing certain things, and at others enjoy doing certain things, and at others they‘re not very good.they‘re not very good.


Persona Dolls represent the diversity in Persona Dolls represent the diversity in our worldour world


The Persona Dolls visit the children in the The Persona Dolls visit the children in the day-care centre or at school and invite day-care centre or at school and invite the children to talk with themthe children to talk with them..


Persona Dolls- Persona Dolls-

For which age groupFor which age group??


You can use the Persona Doll for You can use the Persona Doll for working with school children, but also working with school children, but also with children under 5 and as young as with children under 5 and as young as 1,5 to 2 years.1,5 to 2 years.


Anti-Bias EducationAnti-Bias Education


The Persona Dolls support the The Persona Dolls support the educator in addressing educator in addressing challenging issues: challenging issues: anger, conflicts, sadness. anger, conflicts, sadness. experiences with exclusion and experiences with exclusion and

discrimination, with injustice and name discrimination, with injustice and name calling calling

The method supports anti-bias The method supports anti-bias educationeducation


The anti-bias approachThe anti-bias approach

was developed in California, USA, by Louise was developed in California, USA, by Louise Derman-Sparks and her colleagues. In the Derman-Sparks and her colleagues. In the Kinderwelten Project it was adapted and Kinderwelten Project it was adapted and developed further for the German context. developed further for the German context.


TheThe Anti-Bias-Approach…Anti-Bias-Approach… encompasses Prejudices and Biases of every kind encompasses Prejudices and Biases of every kind addresses addresses allall children children takes into account each childs family culture and takes into account each childs family culture and

his/her concrete day-to-day life (in contrast to a his/her concrete day-to-day life (in contrast to a

„national“ culture) „national“ culture) is integrated into the every-day work in the day-is integrated into the every-day work in the day-

care centrecare centre can be differentiated from „colourblind“ and can be differentiated from „colourblind“ and

„touristic“ approaches to intercultural work. „touristic“ approaches to intercultural work.


Anti-Bias goal 1:Anti-Bias goal 1:

Supporting the development of a Supporting the development of a confident and well-informed self- confident and well-informed self- and group identity of each childand group identity of each child


Identifying with the Persona Dolls Identifying with the Persona Dolls The Doll represents the diversity in the The Doll represents the diversity in the

children‘s groupchildren‘s group

Information for the biography of the dolls: Information for the biography of the dolls: Families of the children, people outside of the Families of the children, people outside of the family, books, internet etc. family, books, internet etc.

It‘s important that the doll looks „real“, to It‘s important that the doll looks „real“, to support the childrens identfication with it.support the childrens identfication with it.


Anti-Bias-Goal 2:Anti-Bias-Goal 2:

Enabling experiences with diversityEnabling experiences with diversity


Making diversity come aliveMaking diversity come alive

The dolls support meeting diverse family The dolls support meeting diverse family cultures. cultures.

Personal dolls support children to express Personal dolls support children to express their own feelings, to be empathetic with their own feelings, to be empathetic with others and to meet people with respect others and to meet people with respect who are different from themselves. who are different from themselves.


Making diversity come aliveMaking diversity come alive

It‘s important to start with things the It‘s important to start with things the children (and the doll) have in children (and the doll) have in common and then to move on to common and then to move on to making differences an issue. making differences an issue.



Supporting critical thinking Supporting critical thinking about prejudices and about prejudices and

discriminationdiscrimination


Persona Dolls can support children‘s Persona Dolls can support children‘s understanding about fairness and understanding about fairness and unfairness. unfairness.

The teacher / educator can help the The teacher / educator can help the children to learn more words for children to learn more words for feelings and emotions. feelings and emotions.



Encouraging and supporting Encouraging and supporting children to resist prejudices children to resist prejudices

and discriminationand discrimination


The anti-bias approach combines The anti-bias approach combines respect for diversity and a respect for diversity and a decisive decisive stance against discrimination and stance against discrimination and prejudices. prejudices.


Children are encouraged to actively Children are encouraged to actively challenge, together with others, biases, challenge, together with others, biases, discrimination and exclusion that discrimination and exclusion that target themselves and / or others.target themselves and / or others.

The didactic principle in this step is to The didactic principle in this step is to addressaddress and and make publicmake public..


Persona Dolls and their stories Persona Dolls and their stories pick up on these goals, bypick up on these goals, by

Reflecting the diversity of the children and their Reflecting the diversity of the children and their families, families,

Supporting an Supporting an active encounteractive encounter with a wide with a wide diversity of „life-stories“ ,diversity of „life-stories“ ,

supporting children to reflect on their own and supporting children to reflect on their own and others experiences and to engage them in others experiences and to engage them in reflecting on the effects of unfair attitudes and reflecting on the effects of unfair attitudes and behaviour. behaviour.


Supports children to be compassionate Supports children to be compassionate and respectful of the feelings of others and and respectful of the feelings of others and to engage themselves in helping and to engage themselves in helping and standing in for others and themselves, standing in for others and themselves,

Prompts children, to reflect on how they Prompts children, to reflect on how they can protect themselves against and can protect themselves against and challenge unfair behaviour, challenge unfair behaviour,

Supports children in developing problem Supports children in developing problem solving skills. solving skills.


Persona Doll StoriesPersona Doll Stories


The Persona Doll represents the children The Persona Doll represents the children in the group and the stories represent in the group and the stories represent experiences the children have made. experiences the children have made.

Persona Dolls do not only share Persona Dolls do not only share „problematic“ stories with the children. „problematic“ stories with the children. Just like the children they experience Just like the children they experience happy, funny, sad and difficult situations. happy, funny, sad and difficult situations.

And of course they tell of experiences the And of course they tell of experiences the children might not have had so far, to help children might not have had so far, to help them broaden their horizonthem broaden their horizon. .


Resources for a Persona Doll story Resources for a Persona Doll story

A situation, that took place in the A situation, that took place in the children‘s groupchildren‘s group

Issues, that the children might not talk Issues, that the children might not talk about, but that play a role in their about, but that play a role in their environmentenvironment


Using the Persona Doll Using the Persona Doll


The Persona Doll sits on the The Persona Doll sits on the lap of the teacher/educator. lap of the teacher/educator. From time to time the teacher From time to time the teacher bends down to the doll, tobends down to the doll, tohear what the doll wants to sayhear what the doll wants to sayto the children. to the children. The teacher then tells the The teacher then tells the children using the third person, children using the third person, what she has heard, leads the what she has heard, leads the conversation, invites the childrenconversation, invites the childrento tell about themselves and lets to tell about themselves and lets them develop their thoughts. them develop their thoughts. The doll does not speak.The doll does not speak.


Should the children be allowed to Should the children be allowed to play with the Persona Dollplay with the Persona Doll??


Some teachers allow the children to play Some teachers allow the children to play with the doll, others don‘t. This is left to with the doll, others don‘t. This is left to each one personally. each one personally.

It‘s important to remind the children, that It‘s important to remind the children, that the doll represents a person who has to the doll represents a person who has to be treated carefully and with respectbe treated carefully and with respect. .


How do the children benefit?How do the children benefit?

Acknowledging their uniqueness and special Acknowledging their uniqueness and special needsneeds

Respecting and valuing their group identityRespecting and valuing their group identity Expanding their knowledge of their own and Expanding their knowledge of their own and

other children‘s family culture other children‘s family culture Experiences with empathy and solidarity Experiences with empathy and solidarity Protection against discrimination Protection against discrimination Decisionmaking and responsibility in the face of Decisionmaking and responsibility in the face of

unfair behaviour unfair behaviour Dialogue and negotiation skillsDialogue and negotiation skills Development of a dialogue cultureDevelopment of a dialogue culture


Persona Dolls and language skillsPersona Dolls and language skills


Persona Dolls animate children and Persona Dolls animate children and stimulate stimulate communicationcommunication. As the stories of the dolls are . As the stories of the dolls are close to what the children experience close to what the children experience themselves, they easily develop an themselves, they easily develop an emotional emotional accessaccess and are and are engagedengaged in the exchange with in the exchange with the doll. At the same time children are the doll. At the same time children are challenged on a challenged on a cognitive and linguistic levelcognitive and linguistic level: : they reflect about events in the past, imagine they reflect about events in the past, imagine what they would do if they were in the same what they would do if they were in the same situation as the doll and try to find solutions situation as the doll and try to find solutions for it. for it. They experience: They experience: „I have something important „I have something important to contribute.“to contribute.“


Persona Doll TrainingsPersona Doll Trainings



Training sessions running over several Training sessions running over several monthsmonths

Introduction into the Anti-Bias-Approach Introduction into the Anti-Bias-Approach Introduction to working with the Introduction to working with the

Persona Doll methodPersona Doll method



The making of the Persona DollThe making of the Persona Doll



Practicing the handling andPracticing the handling and

talking to childrentalking to children



Developing storiesDeveloping stories



Videotaping the Videotaping the

Persona Doll in Persona Doll in actionaction

Videotapes are the basis for peer consultation in the Videotapes are the basis for peer consultation in the training sessions. The teachers analyze together training sessions. The teachers analyze together strengths and weaknesses of the persona doll strengths and weaknesses of the persona doll session. session.


LiteraturLiteratur Enßlin, Ute/Henkys, Barbara: „Vielfalt ins Enßlin, Ute/Henkys, Barbara: „Vielfalt ins Gespräch bringen mit Persona Dolls.“ Gespräch bringen mit Persona Dolls.“ In: „Kleine Kinder-keine Vorurteile?“In: „Kleine Kinder-keine Vorurteile?“

Brown, Babette: „Combating Discrimination.Brown, Babette: „Combating Discrimination.Persona Dolls in Action. London: Trentham Persona Dolls in Action. London: Trentham Books 2001Books 2001

Derman-Sparks, Louise & A.B.C. Task Force: Derman-Sparks, Louise & A.B.C. Task Force: Anti-Bias-Curriculum. Tools for empowering youngAnti-Bias-Curriculum. Tools for empowering youngchildren. Washington: NAEYC 1989.children. Washington: NAEYC 1989.

Trisha, Whitney: „Kids like us: Using persona Trisha, Whitney: „Kids like us: Using persona dolls in the classroom. Redleaf press, 1999.dolls in the classroom. Redleaf press, 1999.ISBN: 1-884834-65-5ISBN: 1-884834-65-5


LiteraturLiteraturVideos:Videos: „„Citizenship for all“. Respect, rights, responsibilities (70 Citizenship for all“. Respect, rights, responsibilities (70

min)min) Celebrating diversity. Inclusion in practice (69 min)Celebrating diversity. Inclusion in practice (69 min) Persona Dolls in ActionPersona Dolls in Action

Source:Source:51 Granville Road, London N12 OJH, UK, Tel.: 020 8446 705651 Granville Road, London N12 OJH, UK, Tel.: 020 8446 7056E-Mail: [email protected]: [email protected]

Website: Website: www.kinderwelten.netwww.kinderwelten.net

www.persona-doll-training.orgwww.persona-doll-training.org

http://www.kinderwelten.net/

http://www.persona-doll-training.org/


The EndThe End

kinderwelten persona dolls. kinderwelten a brief history… the persona doll method was developed in...

Documents

worldthe persona dolls

antibias goal

discriminationpersona

school children

diversitymaking diversity

childs family culture

certain things

group identity