Parents or Pop Culture?: Children's Heroes and Role Models

1. Which messages do children listen to the most?
The messages that children listen to the most are the ones portrayed in Disney movies, cartoons, comic books and video games. From these media- based entertainment, the children are experiencing different stereotypes and gender-stereotypes, the appearances of different characters and violent actions. It states in the reading that male characters continue to be more prevalent in children's television and film than female characters. It also states that many children may be learning to use violence as a problem-solving tool. As for the appearances- Pocahontas, who is a young Native American girl in real life, is portrayed by Disney as a brown-skinned, Barbie-like supermodel with an hour-glass figure (Giroux, 1997).

2. Whom do children want to be like?
Children want to be like people they know as opposed to people in the media. The figure 1 shows that 70 percent of the African American and 64 percent of the White children chose people they knew as heroes. The article states that one feature of role modeling is that children tend to choose role models whom they find relevant and with whom they can compare themselves. It also stated that overall, children in this study more often chose a same-gender person as someone they look up to and admire.

3. Do their role models vary according to children's ethnicity and gender?
Yes, their role models vary according to children's ethnicity and gender. The article states that African American and white children were more likely to have media heroes of their same ethnicity (67 percent for each). Asian American and Latino children chose more white media heroes than other categories (40 percent and 56 percent, respectively). Only 35 percent of the Asian Americans respondents, and 28 percent of the Latino respondents, chose media heroes of their own ethnicity. In the summary section, it states that African American and white children chose a parent more frequently (30 percent and 33 percent, respectively). Asian Americans and Latinos chose entertainers most frequently (39 percent for Asian Americans and 47 percent for Latinos). Children kept to their own gender when choosing a hero; boys were especially reluctant to choose girls and women as their heroes.

4. What role can educators play in teaching children about role models they may never have considered?
The role that educators can play in teaching children about role models that they may never have considered before is rehearsing the important "behaviors themelves but also teaching about values, events, and people that a culture holds dear." The article also says, "Parents and educators must take pains to expose children to a wider variety of potential role models than popular culture does. Educators can play a significant role by exposing students to a wide range of such historical heroes, including people from various professions, people of color, and women of all races. Finally, educators could capitalize on children's need for guidence to expose them to a greater variety of role models. A variety of potential heroes and role models allows children to appreciate themselves and the diversity in others.

Journal #4- Constructive Use of Time

Choosing from the Constructive Use of Time Assets:
Which do you believe is the most important in the healthy development of Middle Childhood?
Do you have any experiences that you can remember from your own childhood that you can write about that reinforce why this is the most important asset?
What effect did this experience have on who you are today?
I believe that the "time at home" assest is the most important in the healthy development of middle childhood. I believe this because when i was young, and even in the present day, my parents have always give us different chores to complete around the house with our brothers and sisters. This presented me with time away from the classroom, friends, and the television- and really allowd me to focus on my relationship and bonds within the family. I also enjoy(ed) working with my hands and doing things constructively, it made me feel like i accomplished an important task. Chopping wood, stacking wood, raking leaves, filling in potholes, picking up sticks, building the barn and my sisters houses all consist of more than one person and my family is always willing to help one another. I have never been into the whole video game scene because thats not how i was brought up- we have never owned a type of video game ever and will continue to stay that way. It doesn't provide us with any benefits that'll take us far in life. I believe that this time spent with the family has had a major impact on the hardworking, motivated person that i am today. This is why i believe time at home is the most important asset.

Boundaries and Expectations

Choosing from the Boundaries and Expectations Assets:
-Which do you believe is the most important in the healthy development of middle childhood?
-State at least 3 reasons why you chose this asset.

I believe the most important asset in the healthy development of middle childhood is the family boundaries. I believe that the way children are brought up is what has the most affect of what path the child ends up taking in life. With family boundaries the child knows their limits before breaking them, and if they are broken- then they learn through their mistakes and learn not to do it again. If they don't have these boundaries then the child may rebel against the parents or other adults and may fail in other aspects of their lives. If the parents are positive role models then they have someone to look up to and that may help modify themselves into somebody wonderful and they'll want to be a model for their peers. On the flip side of that idea, if the parents are negative role models then they may travel down the hard road where they come in contact with alcohol, drugs, negative peer pressure, self-esteem problems, etc. If school and friends don't satisfy the child's needs for compassion, love, and care- then home is where their story's begin.

Skills for School Readiness Article

Summarize each part of the article in your own words.
Independence: They learn to do things on their own, and they don't want others to help them. The children don't believe they need help and want to complete tasks on their own.

Compassion: When children are infants and toddlers they believe they are the center of attention. But by kindergarten, they begin to feel empathy and are able to put themselves in other peoples shoes. They recognize the strengths and weaknesses of others and share their sorrow/pride.

Trust: A child's trust can be earned through love/care. Upon developing this trust, they feel as if they are members of a special group, on which they can feel secure with. As a child gains their independence, the idea of protection from adults as they explore and discover further builds this trust.

Creativity: Starting with babies- they are born curious and love to explore. As toddlers- they get into everything and climb into interesting places. By kindergarten- children are eager to work on and solve their own problems.

Self-Control: In kindergarten, children should understand and accept the need for rules, respect the belongings of their peers. Also take responsibility for simple tasks. Finally be clear about appropriate and inappropriate ways to express anger.

Perserverance and Resilience: Children, ideally have knowledge with problem- solving, brain storming, and evaluating. They use these things to help them do other things. When they are encouraged to try again they become more confident.

2. Explain how one of the activities that your group chose to share with the class supports all of the attitudes and behaviors from above.
The activity that our group chose to share with the class was the art center because they are free to draw or paint whatever they want and be independent without having someone telling them what to do. It relates to compassion because of the comments and remarks the child's classmates or even teachers make towards their artwork- whether its praise or disgust. Trust is present when it comes to being confident with their artwork and allowing people to view it without worrying. The art center presents a way for the child to create new things in their mind and putting it down on paper which is also known as creativity. Self-control allows the child to stay inside the lines without messing up or creating artwork that is reliable to be on the "refrigerator". It relates to perserverance by creating the artwork in the first place and then exceeding people's expectations.

Mature Play in Classrooms

*List 3 ways that Mature Play can be implemented into a classroom.
-What are the benefits of these?
Identify specifics about:
-What the situation and props are
-The roles that the children will be in
-How these roles create positives of Mature Play
**When discussing whether Maddie should be in organized Soccer next year (as a 5 year old), what was your answer? Relate your reasons why to the notes on Mature Play. **

1. Kitchen/House Center
Benefits: The children are able to create their own environment based on what they've seen or experienced at their home and bring new ideas to the theme of playing house with other children.
Situation: Children are given a setup of a kitchen scene such as a stove, refrigerator, microwave, etc. and they begin to act as the different roles that occur in a household.
Props: Fake Food, Dress-Up Clothes (Aprons) , Fake Kitchen Supplies, etc.
Roles: Mother, Father, Brother, Sister, Pet, Guest/Friend, Grandparents, the "baby", any other people that may come into one's house.
Positives of Mature Play: Children begin to use a different vocabulary if things are said by the children that they hear from their parents or siblings, the children begin to talk more (verbalization) with one another because playing house requires you to interact and hold conversation with each other, they use their imagination if they are "cooking" or eating fake food or even pretending to be another character rather then theirself, they may use problem-solving strategies if any arguments break out about switching characters, they must use cooperation skills to make the game happen and they experience a lot of different emotions because they are being put in other people's shoes and begin to realize the events that some people have to deal with everyday.

2. Arts & Crafts Center
Benefits: Children are able to use their imagination to create pictures, paintings, and other forms of art and expect feedback from students around them or even the teacher. They can open their mind to new ideas when they feed off their peers ideas.
Situation: Children are given enough paper but not enough utencils to use, therefore they are forced to cooperate and share with eachother. They all perform their art around eachother and experience rejection or praise.
Props: Paper, Pencils, Pens, Colored Pencils, Markers, Paint, Eisel, Scissors, Coloring Books, etc.
Roles: There aren't too many roles required for this- just a student with an imagination. For children who are advanced- maybe they could pretend that they were one of the famous artists like Vango, but i don't think it's likely.
Positives of Mature Play: An art center could help create a longer attention span because it requires some time and thought to be put into a great peice of art. And again they can use their imagination to develop things that they see in their mind and put it down on paper. Art centers take concentration because the children are surrounded by other students and they could provide distraction which would require the students to focus more. They could experience empathy becuase they may feel more feelings for different topics in their mind and put more effort into one peice of art than another they dont really care about.

3. Tag
Benefits: Children are able to run free and get daily exercise but at the same time they are developing in a way that will benefit them later on in the classroom.
Situation: There is one child that is "It" and that person is to run around to try and touch another child so that they are the "It" person. All the other children are just running for their lives so they aren't "It" but once they are, they try to get rid of that title. There are many different rules to the different types of tags but before the game is started, all the children crowd around and figure out which type of tag they are playing.
Props: The children themselves, maybe a wide enough area for the children to run around and spread themselves out, and objects that may keep the "It" person from tagging them.
Roles: One person who is "It" and the other children that will become "victims".
Positives of Mature Play: This relates to talking more with one another and using "choosy" words (vocabulary) that may hurt peoples feelings or make them feel better. It takes concentration to decide what routes to take so they don't become "It". It uses impulse control so they don't give themselves up and are actually focused. It takes cooperation between the kids to decide on one type of tag and it takes group participation to play the game in general.

In my opinion, I believe Maddie should be put in organized soccer. Although it may not prepare her for the classroom like activities such as playing "House" or something else, it still provides her with opportunity to interact with other children. It also involves an important strategy known as team work (group participation), playing soccer requires concentration, impulse control, curiosity, empathy and group participation. Maddie will have fun with feeling needed and she'll experience different emotions on days when shes exhausted, excited for scoring a goal or even getting the ball in general, etc. It's important for children to experience different atmospheres and add to their schemas. Overall i believe organized soccer will be a good thing for Maddie to experience.

Nature Vs. Nurture

What are your beliefs about Nature vs. Nurture?
* Which has a greater impact? Why?
* Prenatel- 1st year; what's the impact of nature vs. nurture?
* Give examples of how "nurture" has influenced the way you have developed.

I believe that you are born with a certain amount of things you'll use throughout your life but the way you'll use them may differ depending upon your environment and what you witness in your surroundings as time goes on. People are influenced by so many different things throughout their lifespan, how they choose to accept what they're hit with is the result of what they already know and what they'll find out later on. When a person is born, they have different "wires" that'll eventually be used once they come in contact with a specific situation. These wires have a "fork" in the road, each person must go on and figure out what road to take. But when it comes to people you meet, situations you've come in contact with, and you're own personal thoughts these definitely have an effect on you and how you perceive yourself. In my own personal opinion, I believe that nurture has a greater impact. I believe people are only born with so many things, the rest is like an unfinished novel, you must read on to find out the end product. I believe this because you don't come into this world already knowing everything, with life comes uncontrollable knowledge and people will hopefully leave this world with mind blowing education.

Prenatal- 1st Year; This time period is just as important as the following years. Prenatal is the time where the mom is the person held responsible for how we turn out (but not necessarily in all cases). The way she takes care of herself such as a healthy/unhealthy diet, exercising/not exercising, not doing drugs and alcohol/doing drugs and alcohol, etc. Everything she puts into her body is going to affect how the baby will turn out on D day. Even to those who believe the baby is always listening during the time inside mommy's tummy, making sure language is right when she's around different people. Now going into the months following birth all the way to end of the first year, this still relies on who's taking care of the baby and the situations the baby will be put through that will affect his/her emotional as well as physical impact. If a baby is around second-hand smoke this could affect the way they grow up by thinking it's ok to smoke. If a baby is brought up in a house where all they do is cuss and fight, this will affect how he/she will act in later years and will also possibly show the outcome of their first words... As for the baby's diet, they need to eat around 4 times a day depending on their schedule and the phase of life they're in. They need to get enough sleep and have play time with other children, they need to be punished for wrong-doing, etc. Nature vs. nurture plays a key role in the time period of prenatal-1st year, this is the most precious time to teach them what's wrong from right and what's healthy for them.

In my own case, I've had to go through many painful situations and, of course, even happy situations to become the person I am today. I know my life is not yet over, and hopefully isn't for a while, but I feel like im already so educated on the world around me and I have yet to learn even more. As an infant i know im the "innocent" one so I assume that how my mom and dad, and even sisters took care of me have a huge impact on the person I am today. I'm not quite sure what traits I got from my dad and mom, but I know we share a lot in common. My mom has a small glass of wine each night to unwind from the long day she had, I completely understand that- a mother of 8 and all the treacherous activities that have to do with that and also with outside babies coming in for the daycare, she deserves that glass of wine. My dad on the other hand doesn't drink at all and hasn't taken a drink of alcohol for 20 years and won't until my youngest brother graduates high school. He says he wants to set a good example for us and i respect that. They have also taught us that family and relationships are very important and always comes first. In school when we try our hardest, that's all we can do and they support and respect our effort. Friends- good and bad, have taught me so much in my 15 years here on earth. I will be meeting even more people and i will most likely learn from them as well. You can't learn all of this when you're protected inside mommy's tummy, so sooner or later you have to get out and explore your surroundings and learn from them!

Mr. Orsini's Speech and own Experiences with Students with MR

1. What was your reaction to Mr. Orsini's talk?
I was surprised to hear that the best thing for students with MR to do is to break a bone so that friends and teachers can sign their cast, i never realized how that type of involvement opens new doors to socialization. I admire Mr. Orsini for his experience and work with students with MR because you need a lot of patience when working with them. I learned a lot about how they need to be taught the same thing thousands of times, it makes me appreciate my teachers when they repeat things without aggrivation. I left the room that day with a broader knowlege on the difficult situations students with MR have to deal with everyday of their life.

2. Do you have any interest in teaching Special Education?
I have a little interest in teaching Special Education, i love the feeling of being needed by someone and i always love developing new relationships, especially with people who really appreciate me and listen to what im saying. I would love to experience the responsibility of providing people with the information and special needs that they should be able to recieve. However i don't know if i could handle the disappointment in themselves when they get frustrated in doing a rather difficult task in which would seem easy to any "normal" person. I would never want them to experience humiliation to the point where they stop trying.

3. What are the major topics that students with MR will be taught in the public school system?
Students with MR will learn how to count money, figure out the different tips they're supposed to leave, how to pay for things, domestic task such as folding laundry and cleaning up, etc. These all help them with holding a job that gives them these different tasks to keep up with. These introduce them to the real world and actually feel "normal" when it comes to working and making a living for themselves.

Developing High-Quality Family Involvement Programs in Early Childhood Settings

Developing High-Quality Family Involvement Programs in Early Childhood Settings

Purpose for Reading Questions
1. What is Head Start?
2. What is one of the most accurate predictors of achievement in school?
3. What is an Early Childhood program?
4. What are some road blocks to establishing parent involvement in Early Childhood programs?
5. What are some ways to establish parent involvement?
6. How can cultural differences be promoted?
7. What is the benefit of having good orientation?
8. What should a good orientation include?
9. What can parents do who cannot come into the classroom?
10. What is an exploration kit?

1. Head start is a national, federally funded, community- based program for children from families with low incomes and their parents. Grantees are required to develop goals for children in collaboration with families and to involve parents in making decisions about education and program management.

2. One of the most accurate predictors of achievement in school is the extent to which parents believe they can be key resources in their children's education and become involved at school and in the community.

3. An Early Childhood Program is a community of families, teachers, and neighborhood residents accepting mutual responsibility for sustaining and enhancing relationships that promote children's success.

4. Parents often feel they do not have the time to volunteer or do not know what they can do to help.

5. Parents can develop a short survey or meet with other staff to determine where parents can make contributions and in what ways. Work with the program administrator to seek the assistance of a volunteer coordiation.

6. Parents can help create signs that hang on each entrance of the school and each classroom that say "welcome" in all languages spoken. Holiday celebrations should be respectful and inclusive of the cultures of all families.

7. A well-planned orientation eases anxiety and confusion, alleviates fears, and increases the chances of parents maintaining a long-term relationship with the program.

8. Orientation should include volunteer job descriptions and expectations, how volunteers are supervised, and how volunteers should check in and record their hours.

9. A parent with access to a computor might design/update the center's webpage, create a newsletter, or design forms and stationary, etc.

10. An exploration kit involves videos, books, learning toys or games, and index cards with parent-child activity ideas that focus on a particular topic.