Blog 17

I thought that this section about learning disabilities was really interesting. I knew that learning may be genetic and that some possible causes are: heredity, problems during pregnancy and birth, head injuries, nutrition, toxic substances, but I didn't really know that home and child rearing factors play a role in children and learning disabilities. I also found the check list to be interesting and helpful. I am a nanny for five children one of which the parents are concerned might have a learning disability and they found this checklist to be helpful because they can monitor her as she gets older, and now know some warning signs of a learning disability.

Blog post 17

ADHD is a very interesting topic to me. It seems like more and more now children everywhere are claiming to have ADHD and doctors are diagnosing everyone. How is it that so many years ago it was barley even known of and people survived in school but now everyone is labeled? My mom noticed when I was three that I was not like most 3 year olds. she took me to the doctor to undergo a lot of tests, and I was diagnosed with ADHD but she was worried about what medication would do to me, so did not put me on them until high school. Once I started taking them I noticed a huge difference. I normally talk very face so my speech slowed down, I was able to pay attention in class and not dose off, and was more motivated to do work. In my placement, I am usually very fast to ask the teacher if any of the students are medicated just because they are very hyper and do not get good grades. Most of them are not due to financial reasons, but there are so many environmental factors to ADHD as well that not every student that is hyper needs to be labeled. I am not the poster child for Ritalin or any other drug, but it works for some people and not for others.

Blog 17

I really enjoyed this lecture. It reminded me of when I took my special education class in my freshman year. It was so interesting to learn about all of the different exceptionalities and how they effect the classroom. I feel that it is extremely important as a teacher to learn about all of these issues and to be able to recognize the signs if they were to come along in one of your students. If you think about it, we almost spend more time as teachers with those kids than their parents do. I think if some indications were to come along that their child was special, the teacher would probably have a better chance of noticing it than the parents. I think it is our responsibility to keep an eye out. However, when I think about when i become a teacher and how I may notice something different about a particular student, I think it might be a little scary to be the one to address the issue. As a teacher I am not an expert and I have no right to diagnose a child with anything, however if I notice something, it needs to be addressed. I think this is where school and district staff come into play. I think they can really help as far as expert advise could go. After all, we have to go about telling the parents about their child's signs in a delicate way, or there could be many problems. I really like the tip on becoming familiar with the school psychologist right away. I really think that would help both me as the teacher and the family involved.

Blog #18

I also agree with your comment about how rewarding it can be to work with students who have disabilities. It is great to see them

Blog #17

I found chapter 2 to be very interesting and one of my favorite topics during this course. I really like learning about children with disabilities because I work with some that fall into this category at the preschool where I work. If I were to go back and choose a major again, I would chose to major in both elementary/special education. Since, working in the preschool I have been exposed to many different types of disabilities. It is also amazing to see how many of students with special needs are able to be in the general education classrooms. I have very good friend who is a speech pathologist and she works with a lot of children who communicate with using assisted technology. Many of these students are able to communicate and participate in the classroom due to this technology. Also, I have had the opportunity to work with students that has down syndrome and other genetic disorders. I feel that all teachers need to have more training on special education to help children with these disabilities. Some students with genetic disorders look healthy and it is important to know about their condition. Researching and educating one's self about their student's disabilities will help them to succeed in the classroom.

Blog #17

This particular lecture gave me a specific reaction that I think should be written about. While I wholly understand that after the Regular Education Initiative, the idea of blending children with special needs and children without them together became standard, I still think we're overlooking something important. The blending of the students benefitted the students with special needs academically and socially, but what I haven't read is whether it benefits the general education classroom. Truly, being exposed to others with different needs will certainly expand how the other children view the world (in that they'll know that children with special needs deserve the same respect they would give their peers), but I have a hard time believing it would develop them academically, and isn't that the real focus of education? Teachers need to know theirs and their students' weaknesses in education, and setting up a classroom so it only academically benefits one particular subset of student seems to be a weakness for the system.
That said. There are still students with very mild special needs that can, somewhat seamlessly, be blended into the classroom without really holding back the rest of the class(ADD/ADHD comes to mind immediately). It is with these students I don't see a need to separate them - but the others... well, I disagree with the current mindset.

Blog Post #17

I think this is an important topic and an area we teachers need to be stronger in. From what I have learned in my special ed classes I have found that education is going more toward combined education classrooms instead of separate teachers for students with disabilities and students without disabilities. Also an interesting thing I learned in special ed, that conflicts with our powerpoint, is there is a big controversy over how to label these individuals. The people with disabilities want to be called disabled persons because the disability is apart of who they are, on the other hand outsiders prefer to call them a student with a disability and put the student before the disability. It was interesting to see in the powerpoint the idea that people are people first with out the information on the opposing side. Also, its important that teachers are not supposed to label diagnose or treat students they think have disabilities; however, they are responsible for utilizing the referral process when necessary. I think there is a fine line here between personal labels and labels for the referral process. I have seen teachers crossover this line sometimes. In addition, I have also wondered if lately ADHD is being over diagnosed. I am not an expert but I think it is important to note that kids are kids and it is normal for them to be wiggly, in attentive, and hyperactive. It seems we are only too happy to put kids with these symptoms on meds and completely change who they are and how they act. I have seen personally my nephew be diagnosed with this and placed on medication. He has changed. He isn’t his normal happy talkative self. He is more reserved, quiet, and different. It is sad to see and experience on a personal level.

Blog # 17

This is one of those most interesting topics and the one that I feel I need to be as educated as possible. This is because in todays classrooms it is normal to have a student who has special needs and are being incorporated into the classroom. A few years ago I worked as an aide in an emotional disabled classroom and that was my first experience in working with students who had special needs. Those students taught me so much. I realized that they were not different from other students they just needed some resources to help them function in the classroom. One of the most beneficial things for them was being able to go into the regular classroom. They were able to socialize with other students as well as being exposed to how the classroom is run so that they are prepared for being in the regular classroom all day. In the lecture one line stuck out to me, "Teachers need to help students to be experts in their own learning strengths and weaknesses." All teachers need to take this into consideration for all their students.

Response to Chris Caseldine

Chris I have to agree with you on what you said in your post. To make a blanket statement such as that about an entire community is wrong. As you said many deaf people are able to lip read and most of them have adapted to living in a hearing world one way or another. Thank you for being so honest about your feelings and not being afraid to express yourself.

Blog Post #17

The information in this section of the text made me uncomfortable and nervous when it comes to teaching. These are not new feelings for me when it comes to thinking about teaching children with learning disabilities. While I want to teach and I love working with children (especially older ones) at this point the idea of working with children with learning differences puts knots in my stomach. While I am a compassionate person I do not consider myself a patient one by any means and the idea of dealing with things such as inattention or impulsivity is the part about teaching that makes me cringe. This section made me feel and think the same way that SPE222 did; it made me hope that ASU has as good of a teaching program as I have heard about. One that will really prepare me to deal with things such as this. I guess that I will find out once I start my professional program come the fall semester.

Blog 18, Week 5

Sapna you are correct that teachers must show students that being different is ok. It is a travesty that disability awareness is not taught just as sexual ed is taught. It's not the old days where a student may not ever be in contact with a disable person, so by not informing students correctly a great disservice is done. It is wrong that I had to take special classes (Intro. to the Exceptional Learning and American Sign Language) to learn more information about disabilities. Since disability awareness is yet to materialize it is important, like you say, to teach students about disabilities ourselves. Every educational subject has famous people who deal lived with disabilities (i.e., Steve Nash (math)- Schizophrenia and Edgar Allen Poe (English)- alcoholism among other things). It may be difficult to incorporate this teaching into already full curriculum; however, highlighting these type of individuals can go a long way in helping students learn about different disabilities.

Blog 17, Week 5

After reading this weeks reading assignment I took issue with a statements that the book stated. It was contained in the Deafness or Hearing Impairment section on p. 88. The statement that I took issue with said, "Children who are deaf cannot hear or understand speech" (p. 88). Saying that deaf children cannot understand speech it totally incorrect. I've been taking American Sign Language for 3 semesters and I've learned that deaf/Deaf (there is a difference pertaining to how involved the individual is with the Deaf community) can understand speech even though they cannot hear it. The deaf/Deaf live in a hearing world, so many individuals have learned to function in it by learning to lip read. The Deaf community has a saying that says, "The only thing that we can't do is hear", therefore saying that they cannot understand speech is both incorrect and an insult. Speech is not solely verbal since a portion is also visual, so deaf/Deaf individuals are fully capable of participating in speech, if they so choose.

Blog #17

I found the part about severe and multiple disabilities interesting. I took SPE 311 so it was a basic review. When reading over about the different disabilities I started thinking again how I would handle and conduct my class if I had a student with each of these. Children with these disabilities need a really intense and specialized education program fit for thier personal learning capability. I think that as a dance teacher I would have the least difficult opportunity to help these children learn. In dance they learn social skills, motor skills, coordination, and agility. All of these are key missing factors in children with disabilites. I think thatchildren with physical disabilities would get the most benefit out of a dance class because they get to work thier body differently then they could ever. I danced with a girl who walked completely inverted and could barely stand up staright. AFter years of dance and PT she not only walked fine but was one of the best dancers in the group.

Blog #18 week 5

In response to KristineR. I will also be a general education teacher and agree with you that we must meet the needs of all our students. We must also know as teachers that, we do not want to make a student with a learning disorder feel different from his classmates. So was should not make huge changes in the curriculum or what is expected of the students. I agree that it is very imparative that teachers be informed about the various learning disorders and how to meet the needs of these students. That is why it is great that ASU makes us take the classes on teaching special education students. The first class I took on that subject was extremely beneficial and I learned many things that I will use in my future classroom.

Blog #17 week 5

The first learning disorder I would like to first touch on is ADHD. I have done a lot of studying on this one disorder since I have been an education Major. ADHD also known as Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, affects 7% of students. This disorder is characterized by a lack of concentration or easily distracted. I have seen ADHD from a first hand perspective. A close member of my family was diagnosed with ADHD. I can remember him always fidgeting and bouncing his leg. For a while his mother did not think much of it, but then as he got into junior high his grades began slipping. His teachers saw his high levels of energy and how easily he got distracted, so they recommended him to see a doctor.
As a future educator it is important that we learn how we can help students with learning disabilities. I have already taken the class SPE 222 which focuses on teaching students that have some kind of learning disorder. We covered many different disorders and how we can go about helping these students. We must remember that no matter what child is present it our classroom it is our job to meet their educational needs.

Blog 17

The section in chapter 2 on pgs 75-90 on exceptional children was very important information for me as a general education teacher. Although, I will not be in the field of special education I will still have children with varying needs and maybe even a learning disability and IEP in my general education classroom. As a general education teacher I believe it is so important to be inclusive to all children and differentiate instruction for all independent learners to be successful. This chapter is a great resource to me as a teacher because it covers every learning disability and the misconceptions and needs of a specific learning disability. A favorite quote from this section is "A learning disability is not due to lack of intelligence." (pg. 76) This quote is so important because often people and even educators associate a disability with lack of intelligence and this is not good. Teachers especially should see the child or student first and see an exceptional child as one more child that needs individual attention to be successful in the classroom. My favorite section was the section on ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) which is over diagnosed and misdiagnosed all the time. So many times I have heard teachers in my internships whisper oh that kid can't hold his attention, that kid bounces off the wall, that kid must be ADHD! The table on 2.6 was wonderful because it has the misconceptions and facts about the disability and is full of information for parents and teachers about ADHD. I think it is so important as an educator to be informed about exceptional children and accommodations and modifications that can be made for all children. This chapter is awesome and definitely a resource for all educators special education and general education.

Blog 18 response to Sapna Kanabar by Cathy Morgan

I think that you would make a great teacher for children with special needs, learning disabilities. As you talk about your experience “has provided me with useful information and a unique perspective on how these types of children learn, socialize, and develop. On pages 78-79 of our textbook, the Potential Signs of Learning Disabilities, which is an excellent resource for educators to use?” As you finish school and integrate into the school system try to always remember what you said about “It is important to remember that intervention and educational programs can be a good resource for parents and students to utilize in order to promote success”. If you never forget that the child comes before the learning disability or special needs you will have parents lining up at your classroom door to get their child in your class. Best of luck

Blog 17 Exceptional Development by Cathy Morgan

First I must say that I totally agree with the text on pg. 75 when it states that we need to remember to take into count the child first and the special needs second. I have heard and seen so many people label a child and then always refer to the label and not the child by name. As a few of you have already stated part of provided a good clarification of what a learning disability is NOT, I will add to that, not due to poor teaching, lack of intelligence, or to temporary causes.
I have experienced most children with a specific learning disability to be very smart and can learn in the right setting. The IDEA has their definition of a specific learning disability on pg. 76 in the text. This chapter talks about the difference between learning disabilities and special needs children. This subject is very dear to me as I write this I remember the hard time I had when my own son Christopher was in school in the late 80 early 90’s. Christopher is bipolar, ADHD and does not read well due to a premature birth, we did not know that Christopher could not hear until he was three, I took him to the doctor a lot from birth to three, when a doctor finally sent him to an ENT specialist. Later in school when he was in a class room where the teacher would read over the assignments to the whole class and then help Christopher by writing his answers he got A’s and B’s. In the classrooms where he had to do all the reading with no peer or teacher help he failed. As stated in the text on pg. 77 it is not that a child is not “intelligence , but fail in class because of inappropriate instruction, culture, or linguistic differences and the requirement to wait until the gap is wide enough to detect ( wait-to-fail-approach)”. Now all children with ADHD are overly active, some are very quite and are over looked because they are not disruptive to the classroom. I agree with the table on pg 82, however I also believe that if each school have one or two classrooms where the teaching style was all visual, and/or audio, and hands on activities more of these student would learn how to adjust for their individual learning disability, becoming better citizens in society. I can tell you that everything on pg. 85 is so true when it comes to children with ADHD in the schools. I have been to many schools many times for all of these “problems”. Christopher got through grades k – 7th by being the class clown, and after that he just quite, Christopher went to a community college to finish his high school diploma and he did it on his own. I am very proud of his, but now later in life he continues to have trouble getting by in society. A agree with the text about many children with ADHD do not outgrow their symptom and that “ Most important, it emphasizes the role of teacher, psychologists, counselors and other caring adults in the lives of these children. Supportive teachers and mentors at school can play an enabling role in children’s lives and help reduce the negative effects of childhood disabilities and disorders.”
Am a teacher and I work with infants and preschool children because, I did not know enough when I could have helped my own son. Now I am educated about learning disabilities and know what to look for so I can help other families.

Blog # 18

Exceptional Children.

"A learning disability is not due to lack of motivation or effort on child's part, although sometimes parents and teachers treat children with learning disabilities as if they are lazy or not trying hard enough.'' (Meece, 76) It is important for us as teacher to understand this because it may cause conflict and you may loose the desire to help the child. These children are intelligent individuals, they just need some encouragement and motivation to strive to their success. Based on some experiences i have noticed that some teachers leave the students academic and social development to the special education teacher. Including these students in your class can be beneficial to all your students.

Some of your children may have severe and multiple disabilities so you may need to work much harder. They may have learning disability, deafness or hearing, physical, low vision, traumic brain injury, deaf-blindness or autism. Lot of these disabilies can be a cause of biological risks such as smoking, premature birth or other complications. These disabilies can be very harmful to the childs emotional and developmental stages. Teachers and parents should try their best to make the students understand that it is okay to be different. Teachers should introduce these concepts at a very early age so they are comfortable with all their classmates. An important aspect to your classroom is to create a safe and comfortable environment for your students.

Blog post 15

Popularity and rejection are a huge part of being in school. Though we want children to come to school to learn, we are also working on their social development. The popular children are more likely to be the ones picked first for assignments and teams in physical education while the ones who are not popular and rejected will often be last to be picked or looking around or a partner to work with. As teachers, we have to look out for these situations because it can create problems for both groups of children. The popular kids might develop and ego thinking they are better than everyone else and that things should be given to them in life instead of worked for. The rejected students might slip through the cracks and not put forth their best work due to trying to fit in too much. I remember all throughout my school years; I was not popular or rejected. I was friends with all groups of people, but I longed so much to be popular. I mean sure people knew who I was, but I wanted everyone to know my name. I spent more time trying to put together cute outfits instead of studying. Just shows that we need to watch out for kids and their social circles as it effects their schooling.

Blog 14 in response to hcalik

I definitely have to agree with your posting. I took a class in block one called parent involvement. there are plenty of reasons why parents may not want to come into the classroom, and likewise, why teachers may not want parents in the classroom. There are several ways to help get teachers and parents more involved in school and home life. I posted a blog about neglect and abuse. In a situation like this, it's very likely the parent will not want to come in, but trying to keep constant contact with the parent will let them know that you are watching them. Hopefully this does not happen to our students. but it will be these parents who refuse to come into the classroom.

Post 13

In chapter 8, though I did not enjoy, but I was lured in by the maltreatment of children. A lot of times, when we think of abuse, we think of the child coming to school hurt with scraps and bruises. There are many reasons why we may call Child Protective Services but it is usually for physical abuse. Like the book says, the most common type of abuse is neglect and yet as teachers, we are less likely to call CPS for this. Why is that? I worked on a 4th grade classroom for my internship this past semester, and the teacher told me he needed to call CPS three times in his 2 years of teaching. It would break my heart to have a student in my class who was being mistreated at home, or even physically hurt. I don't know how I would deal with it because I would have formed such a strong bond with these students that I would not want to see them in pain.

Blog 15

I thought the points about the cliques were interesting. I thought it was particularly interesting because it seems like something haven't seen before in real life. I mean, I cant remember having all of the cliques in high school like you see in the movies. I also find it hard to believe that they were able to narrow all of these groups down into being classified as one of these "cliques". It seems like there are so many different kinds of people that it would be hard to do such a thing. It is important for me to learn about these cliques and how they work along with their issues since i will be teaching in one of the most prevalent places for such a thing happening. Even though i don't remember seeing it in high school, i am sure it is out there and i need to be aware of what is going on with my students in order for me to be the best teacher i can be.

Blog #16

In response to Sandra, I also agree that it is hard to teach children about prejudices. I think that it is hard because of the content and not because of the message. I want have a literature rich classroom and I think that literature is a great way to introduce topics like prejudice. Unfortunately, there are many example of hatred and prejudice here in America and I think that by exposing children to issues like this we can help them process the information in a positive manner.

Chapter 7 was interesting and informative for a variety of reasons. First off, I enjoyed reading about adolescent peer relations. Being that I am in my twenties, remembering high school is much easier than relating the information back to my days in grade school. The book mentioned that teenagers spend 1/3 of their waking time with their peers. After thinking about this statistic I almost think that peers spend more than 1/3 of their time with their friends. Due to technology teenagers can "spend time" with their friends online with facebook, twitter, and instant messagner. Many adolescents are members of groups, clubs, and athletic teams where they are with their peers. Since teens are spending so much of their time with their friends it is easy to see how they confide and trust their peers. As a teenager, I also spent a lot of my free time with my friends and went to them in times of crisis whether is be trouble with a boyfriend, school issues, or after a fight with my parents. Peers play an extremely important role in a teenagers life.

It is also interesting to see how peers can influence one's choices. Teenagers are faced with their peers and society telling them how to act. During week 1 I wrote about how teenagers are often conflicted with the issue of sex. Some adolescents decide that they want to abstain from sex until marriage and they may chose to wear a purity ring which is symbolic of this choice. TV shows like South Park have made fun of celebrities who also chose to wear purity rings. In Arizona, they teach abstainance in high school and students hear one side and then media tells them to have sex because if not society will make fun of you and you will be a loner. This is just one of the many issues that teens are faced with and another reason that they tend to stick with peers who have the same interest and morals.

Blog #14

In response to Sandra, I also agree on the importance of self regulation. As a preschool teacher I understand and see how children grow and learn to control their self regulation abilities. I had one child in my classroom who struggled with self regulation. The child was 3 years old at the time and needed to acquire some mastery skills. The child would often become frustrated if they could not finish a simple task and would immediately ask a teacher for help while jumping up and down. The child had little patience and one of their goals while in the classroom was to learn to gain more self regulation. After working with the child for a few months I was able to see a lot of growth in the child and they benefited from encouragement from teachers and peers. I think that it is important for early education teachers to lay the foundation for self regulation and as elementary teachers we can continue to build on the students skills.

Blog #13

I really enjoyed chapter 8 and the information about the different parenting styles and parents involvement in schools. I am currently taking another course this summer on Bilingual Education. Last week, we discussed parent involvement in the classroom. It was interesting discussion because everyone had a different view on the benefits and drawbacks related with parent involvement. I always saw parents participating in the classroom as a great benefit. However, some of my peers explained the negative side they saw during their internships in schools. Sometimes, it seems that in elementary schools that parents are much more willing to come and help in their child's classroom for a variety of activities. This is great because many classrooms have 30 students and the extra help parents give is a huge help to the teacher. The down side can be when some parents come in the classroom to assist the teacher and they begin to favor their own child. This can be a problem because the teacher then feels awkward around the parent and the other children may notice the special treatment. A lot of parents do not have the time to come into their child's classroom due to their work schedules and that can be hard for some children to cope with since they see other parents working the classroom. While I was interning in an elementary school I was pleased to see parents volunteering in the school. They would often come in and complete different projects in the workroom. This way, the parents were helping the school as a whole and not in the classroom potentially "stepping on the teacher's toes."

Another interesting point about parent involvement is parental beliefs and attitudes and how they play an important role in determining involvement. These characteristics include efficacy beliefs, parents' perception of their child's abilities, parent's perception of their role in their child's education, parents' attitudes toward school, and the compatibility of parent and school goals. I believe that all of these characteristics are important when learning and understanding each child in the classroom. Knowing how the parents feel and act towards their child's education will shed light on why and how your students succeed in the classroom.

Blog 15

I thought that the article"Mapping the Changes in Adolescent Crowds," was really interesting, I never knew of all the different "cliques" and how they really worked. I found it really interesting when it stated that there seems to be two factors that change adolescent crowds. One, they need to be similar to another in status; and two, they must be open to forming new relationships with members of different cliques.

I also thought that it was really interesting how as the children aged the cliques seemed to get more and more complicated. In middle school there are only two major groups: trendies and dweebs, in early high school those two groups split to become five different groups, and by late high school those five groups split into seven groups (417).

Blog 13

I thought that chapter eight had some really interesting content, but what I really found to be interesting was the section on single-parent families, and the effects that are related to a single-mother household. I never knew that some outcomes of a fatherless family were, behavior problems, less-masculine traits for boys, as well as economic deprivation, decreased parental resources, and decreased community resources (453). I was also really surprised that out of the single parents, 78% are women, however reading further it makes sense, with the amount of out of wedlock pregnancies occur.

Response to Cathy

Cathy I understand what you were saying about groups in high school and adolescents. I like you moved around often although it was not because my family was in the military. By 9th grade I had attended like 12 different schools. When you are a child that moves around a lot especially during adolescent years it is hard to try to find a place for yourself. Many children in schools have been together for several years and it is hard to be the new-comer. As a teacher I personally think that for children such as this I would definitely advise them to get involved with some sort of extracurricular. Even if they are not going to be there long I personally think that it may help them to adjust for the time that they are there.

Response to Andrew

Andrew I agree with you whole-heartedly. Parents are the most important link between a teacher and the child. We as teachers are going to have to work with the parents of our children to make sure that they reach their full potential. I do have one point that I would like to draw attention to however. You mentioned how parents need to make it to parent teacher conferences and I would just like to point out how this is true it is not always possible. Speaking as a child from a single parent family I can tell you that this is often a goal but doe not always happen.

As a child my mother had 3 kids, 3 years apart, and we were in back to back grades. As much as my mother wanted to I can guarantee that there were times that she had to miss parent teacher conferences for a least one of us if not all of us all the time (more so if she had to go to more than one school). As teachers we need to take note of things like this and if it is happening you may have to make a supplemental appointment or even communicate through writing with some of your parents.

Blog #15

This chapter was a chapter that I could honestly relate to. As one of the students that came from a single parent family and that parent being my mother I understood this one quite well. When it came to the different family groups I was obviously able to associate with the single parent one the most. The other family structures (Gay and Lesbian, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American families) were interesting for me to read about even though they were not something that I could put into a personal context. Whatever type of family students come from as teachers we need to acknowledge that they will have different experiences and worldviews. I feel that this is going to be really important to keep in mind when you are dealing with communication (with the students as well as family members) as well as some cultural things that may come up such as holidays and things.

Blog Post #13

This chapter was actually very surprising for me. In the text it stated "although young children are just beginning to distinguish between racial and ethnic groups, they have already formed some racial biases and preferences" (p. 410). I have always thought that these ideas didn't form until much later in a child's development. I have always loved the fact that the younger children are the more innocent they are and this goes along with the fact that I have always seen young children as being unbiased. Since the book also mentions however "for many children, their first opportunity to interact with someone from a different ethnic or racial group will occur in a school setting (p. 407). With this being the case it makes sense to me that teachers definitely need to know how to deal with and address differences in a way that will produce adults that are open and accepting of others.

Blog 16 Response to Sandra Lara by Cathy Morgan

I agree with you about “Chapter 7 brought up a lot of touchy subjects and thing that I feel are going to be hard to address as a teacher. The number one issues that I think about all the time that I know I will face somewhere in my future years of teaching is racial issues and prejudice.” Sandra I to have heard young children being meant to each other, sometimes they do know that they are hurting someone’s feeling, but think that it is funny. I like you idea about “. I strongly believe in community building activities through out the year and not just in the first couple days. The students need to realize that we are all the same on the inside.” I do try to teach this concept to my preschoolers. We do a lot of activities on the concept that we are all the same but different. Outside we look different but on the inside we look the same.

Blog 15 Chapter 7 Cathy Morgan

Peer Relationships and Moral Development
I have always had a hard time with the perspective concept. Even through perspective taking skills begin in early infancy, we see young preschool children still using false belief. I think that some people just do not get the concept. Some people will argue with you forever and not even try to see someone else’s point of view. I have a new understanding about the different levels listed in the focus on development on pg. 404. One of the things that I find interesting is the characteristic at the different ages on the levels of social perspective taking. As for understand the race and ethnicity issues I agree that many teacher are faced with helping all children understand and respect others. I believe that most of the prejudices come from the home before the child ever comes to school. Younger children in the first and second grades now have peers and sometimes older siblings that influence their ideas and prejudices, as well as the good roles that both peers and older siblings play for example: children learn to make decisions without adult help, enhance personal feeling of self-worth. As we all know not all peer involvement is positive. As a teacher I have seen how mean children can be to one another. Children tend to pick on children who are different than them. Changes in Adolescent Crowds is a new concept for me as I only work with young children, wow that is hard core. I can remember seeing the different crowds in my high school years. Peer popularity and rejection is a hard lesson that does in fact stay with you for life, I moved a lot as a child and never did fit into any groups at the many schools that I attended. My dad was in the services and my family moves based every 18 to 24 months. I agree with all the different forms of aggression listed on pg 424 and have seen kindergartners and first grades doing many if not all of these aggression behaviors. The chart on pg 429 was helpful in understanding some of the triggers that the aggression in some children. I like the idea that some teachers are being trained in conflict resolution and hopefully they can and will use different strategic plans to promote children to learn the same skills.
Moral development is certainly developed at school through the social action that they have with other students. We can all do more to help students learn about moral judgment. I found Kohlberg’s theory of moral development and his stages were useful in understanding the stages the student move through. I believe that moral reasoning is very much linked to behavior. Some adolescents will engage in illegal behavior to be part of the group, not a good idea, but teenagers think that they know everything, and parents/teacher/adults are just getting on their face. I try to create a moral community in my classroom, being a good role model for my preschoolers, helping them understand why we have rules.

Blog #15

This section had many themes, but the most interesting was the critique of aggression in the classroom. The lecture says that this problem is the most pervasive problems seen today, and without discouragement, it is a problem that is self-reinforcing.

The best way to attack a problem like aggression in the child would be to use the idea of peer popularity 'against them.' Now, I don't mean telling Bobby that if he doesn't "straighten up and fly right," he'll be unpopular with the rich kids. But at a young age, children are concerned with how their peers view them, so the right approach might be to tell our invented elementary-aged 'Bobby' that behavior meant to harm or injure people (physically or not) will not make him well-loved. A simple "No one will want to play with you if you keep acting like this." This way - it's not me, the teacher, reacting to him treating people like he is. It's me saying how everyone else will react; and direct peer attitudes are of great concern to a younger child. The teacher should also use the idea that if the student changes this small part of their personality, or just the way they react to situations before them, then the rewards will be great. Children are more likely to work with others if they feel it won't cost them as much as it will get them.

Blog #13

It was asked on the Lecture 7 presentation, "Why might there be so much controversy in [homosexual] couples adopting children, given these outcomes?" (The outcomes in question were positive ones).

Overall, the section of the book that covers this (pg. 456) says that outcomes from adoption are positive ones. It says what common sense would dictate; that a home with two mothers, or two fathers, still produces mostly heterosexual children that are well-adjusted, with a good self-concept, and good morals. So that brings us back to the question of why there is controversy...

The reason there is controversy is that radical Christians in this country are using their power to force the 'reality' their holy books tell on the rest of us as, well, to hit it right on the head, "Gospel Truth." They continue to argue that homosexuality is a choice, and that homosexuals can 'recruit' (or at least want to 'recruit') heterosexual children to their 'ranks.' The fear is that adoption would put the children into the "Lion's Den."

Now, this idea that homosexuality is a choice is pervasive... it even seems to make an appearance in the book. On page 456, it reads, "... a growing number of single and partnered gays and lesbians are choosing parenthood after assuming a homosexual identity." This seems to indicate the author thinks homosexuality is just an option... that anyone could be homosexual, they just have to 'assume' the identity. The radical Christians (it's important to note the distinction of 'radical;' indeed, not all Christians are like this, these are just the ones that get the most press) are keeping gay and lesbian couples from marrying or adopting to 'protect the children.' It's hogwash, but they sell it just the same. I don't mean to rant, but I do mean to answer the question... and this explanation does it.

Blog #16 week 4

In response to Sandra Lara's post. I agree with you that teaching children about prejudices is a difficult task. Obviously form these assumptions is wrong, but what is the best way to teach young children that it is what is in the inside that counts. I think it starts with the parents. Parents need to teach their children that everyone is the same, and that you have to get to known people to judge their character. In the class having children of different backgrounds work together is another way to show that just because they look different they are just like ourselfs. As teachers it is important for us to treat all students the same, so our students have an example to follow and see how we accept everyone no matter their background.

Blog #15 week 4

Chapter 7 deals with peer relations and moral development. I will be touching on prejudices and how they are formed. Schools are becoming more and more culturally diverse. For many students the first interaction they have with a student of a different race is in the classroom. Prejudices form when a child develops a negative view of another group. These can be very destructive in a classroom setting. As parents and teachers, we need to teach our students that forming prejudices and false assumptions of others is wrong. For the child that is being seen as different from others in the class, they can become left out and feel like noone in the class likes them. From here the child will develop a low self-esteem, and can lead to other problems.

Blog #14 Week 4

In response to Sandra Lara's post. I liked how you talked about self-regulation. I believe it is the elementary teacher's responsiblity to teach students at a young age the importance of self-regulation. Students need to be aware of self-regulation and how they can be independant as they get older. When school becomes tougher it will take them a little extra work to master topics. If a student has been taught self-regulation learning and understands that they are accountable for their education, then they will become better and more successful students.

Blog #13 Week 4

Chapter 8 talks about the family. I believe the family is the most important aspect to help in a child's education. As parents it is their job to check on their child, and make sure they are completing their homework. Parents need to be attending teacher conferences to see how the child is progressing through out the year. I can see how studies show that children with married parents can be better off than other children in single parent families. Having the support of two parents is very beneficial for children. They can sit down and eat dinner as a family, and have geniune conversations. Parents are the number one support person in a child's educational career.

Blog 14 Response to Kristine R by Cathy Morgan

I agree with you about several things that you talked about like: “The readings for this week were very interesting and brought to light some misconceptions I had about concepts of self. The article by Anita Hoy was great because it really focused on self concept and the difference between self concept and self esteem. The article defined self concept as the cognitive structure and believe about who we are versus self-esteem which is an affective reaction and evaluation of who we are.” And how you understand and use this in your classroom “Peer interaction help students to be more engaged and develop self. I believe peer talk and interaction is essential so that students can learn from one another” I really like this idea and would like to use it in my classroom this fall is that is O.K. with you. “In my own internship I created an acronym called C.S.E.P.R to teacher student the literary elements through a STAR game. The students were responsible for finding examples of character, setting, events, problem, and resolution in reading groups. When I gave students this acronym and taught the reading comprehension strategy students were really able to have a mini tool to remember an important standard in a fun and engaging way.”

Blog 13 Chapter 8 and Hoy Article Cathy Morgan

Social relationships, Family, and Environmental Influences
There is a large amount of information in this chapter, on the power point and in the Hoy article. So many thoughts and ideas on self-concept and self-regulation, family structures, Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model, teenage pregnancies, parenting styles, and so much more.
I have heard of Bronfenbrenner’s system before; however I did not understand what it meant and now I get it. The pictures as well as text in the book and the power point really helped me understand these different systems. “Microsystem: Children’s immediate surroundings, Mesosystem: Networks within those surroundings. Exosystem: extended families (not in microsystem), social service agencies, the mall. Macrosystems: War, cultural values, National Government”. As teachers we all need to understand this system and what part or parts we play in it. There really is a lot to think about in each in of these different systems. I could write a lot about this, a I have learned a lot but this is a blog.
In the Hoy article there are many great ideas for teachers to use with students. All the different lessons for teachers: Self and Identity, Culture and Identity, all have really good information in them. The teacher’s role in problem base learning is something I agree with, I am always helping my preschoolers to identify problems. For example: if the child has been working on some thing for more than a few minutes I will walk over and ask the child “do you have a problem? How can we solve it? Or what do you thing? I feel like I am identifying that the situation is a problem. I agree with the note taking serving two important factions, focuses attention, and extended external storage. (pg 134) I know that I need to take notes when I am work on a class. If I write it down I remember it longer.

Blog # 15

Chapter 7 brought up a lot of touchy subjects and thing that I feel are going to be hard to address as a teacher. The number one issues that I think about all the time that I know I will face somewhere in my future years of teaching is racial issues and prejudice. Like the book mentioned young children as young as three are able to recognize the difference in others such as a persons skin color. That made me think about how young children say things without realizing the fact that it might be hurtful to others. In my internship I have always listened in on conversations the students were having and in my second grade internship I have noticed that they brought up a persona physical characteristic. This made me think about what it is I can do to prevent this from happening in my classroom because I do not want it to turn into a racial issue. I strongly believe in community building activities through out the year and not just in the first couple days. The students need to realize that we are all the same on the inside.

Post # 15 Prosocial and Moral Development

Chapter seven covered topics of morality and ethical issues and how they are developed according to Kohlberg, and the pro-social development and behaviors of children at all stages of development. This chapter was very interesting and applicable to teaching because I believe teachers have a responsibility to help develop pro-social behaviors through modeling and effective environments in the classroom. According to the text pro-social behaviors can be defined as voluntary actions intended to benefit another person, that emerge early in development when there is supportive relationships between caregivers and children.(pg. 421) For example a mother shows her children how to share among their siblings and children thus learn sharing and cooperation which can be carried out with peers. It was interesting to learn some components that play a role in the development of pro-social behaviors such as: genetics, home environment, discipline, and schools/teachers. Over the years students in elementary school will be developing cognitively and will learn to interpret several feelings and even develop pro-social behaviors. Teachers can play such a significant role in the development of pro-social behaviors by modeling good behaviors in class and encouraging children and giving them opportunities to practice: sharing, cooperation, helping, and peer interaction such as class projects. In the classroom I want to have several opportunities to support my students such as sharing of material in centers and science experiments and a lot of opportunities for healthy group collaboration and work.The text also talks about the moral development of children and the role that plays in the classroom. I believe that parents are the first teachers and personal ethics is first started in the home or learned in the home whether bad or good. However, as teachers we may have several students with such diverse backgrounds that they need help creating and developing their "post conventional moral reasoning" (Kohlberg-own set of ethical principles and values developed or achieved rarely before college.) The text talks about on pg. 436 of the creating of a moral classroom. The schools I have worked in such as the Tempe district have developed "life skills" which consists of skills such as: friendship, honesty, flexibility, trust, determination, kindness, respect, etc..."In order to help develop student’s morality in the classroom teachers must have a warm, caring, and supportive environment in which all children are created with respect and compassion." (pg. 436) This chapter is essential for understanding your student’s development of such important elements of life such as morality and ethics. This chapter had a plethora of practical applications and Kohlberg's ideas are very helpful in understanding how children acquire basic moral values through social interactions.

Blog 16, Week 4

Sapna you bring up a good point in relation to race and cultures. It is extremely important to teach student about different cultures because American is a heterogeneous country. Since the founding of this country the progress that was achieved was due to the sweat and hard work of immigrants. Native Americans, Africans, Europeans and Asian have been used at one time or another to build this country. Whatever group is working the menial and hazardous jobs is usually despised and stereotyped. Although this is the dark side of America, it can bind us as well. Everyone, except most African-Americans, came to this country to seek a better life. Through hardship and hard work most cultures are able to integrate into the fabric of society. Americans may be originally from different parts of world; however, we are the same when it come to wanting a happy, fulfilled life. Culture is important in the formation of one's self, so we as educators must teach our students to respect and enjoy the various cultures with in American. When we do, American becomes a much more interesting and enjoyable place to live.

Blog 15, Week 4

Page 412-432 of the book discusses the importance of a child's peer relations. Peer relations often are only discussed in a negative cogitation. Parents are justified to worry about the company that their child keeps because it influences them, good or bad. Children do not just randomly pick their friends, rather they look for other individuals that share similar interests. A parent can encourage their child to associate with individuals that they deem appropriate; however, it is ultimately up to the child to decide who they are to associate with. Barring a child from associating with an individual or group is non-effective if the child values the relationship. The fact of the matter is, their child is going to find away to associate with whoever they want. This happens either at school or when there is no supervision. The best course of action for parents is to be an active participant in their child's life. They should listen to their child and steer them in the correct direction. The parents of a child may not always like the individuals, however, if they are not causing their child harm they have to support their child's decision. This idea will give the child some freedom which is especially important during the adolescent years. The most important point of peer relations is that children choose individuals with similar likes and dislike, so the desireable and undesirable traits are with in their child. Punishing a child solves nothing in this case, so talking to the child and letting them express their feeling can go a long way to having the child associate with favorable individuals.

Blog #15

Blog # 15 - Peer Relations and Moral Development

One main concept that they talk about in this chapter is "perspective-taking skills" and i think children have a very hard time understanding this. I have seen this during my internships and my younger siblings, they are very firm with their beliefs and are not willing to open up. To introduce them to this idea is to put a glass half full or could say half empty and survey how they see it. Another good activity i have seen done with kids is looking at pictures. I have seen pictures of the young lady/old lady, rabbit/duck, etc and these are mainly used for older students to show illusion but you could use this to show perspectives. Half the class may see it in one way whereas the other may see it the other way. This will also reduce tension in the classroom because you can use this concept for problem solving in the classroom to show misunderstanding or misconceptions.

Another very interesting thing i read in this chapter is about "Understanding race and ethnicity." I was born and brought up in Tanzania which is in East Africa in a International School so i was born exposed to different cultures and i thought race was not a big issue. After coming to the United States i have experienced alot of racial events that open my eyes. Children understand these things at a very early age and it is important to expose your students to it. I saw a video in another class where children were to choose between a "white" doll or a "black" doll and they were asked questions. Which doll is better? Which doll would you play with? Which one would you take home? Etc.. and believe it or not no matter what the childs race was they all the choose the "white" doll. Therefore i believe it is very important as teachers and parents to expose your children to different cultures and ethnicities.

Peer popularity and rejection

Blog 14, Week 4

Sandra you brought up a good point about whether we are teaching students to be self-regulated learners or not. My answer to you is, the American educational system is designed to teach students to jump through hoops an not to think for themselves. The extensive use of high stakes testing supports my claim. The higher ups in education expect to see tangible results from students at specific times. Although this is understandable, it is not realistic. In our present educational system children and adolescence are not students they are statistics. Every student is expected to perform in the same manner at the same time, which as we learned, is not the case. Every student learns different which has been know, however, the dinosaur system refuses to actually acknowledge this. Until students are no longer taught to jump through hoops, they will not possess the skills to be a life-long learner.

Blog # 14

For my application paper i did chapter 6 which is based on "Self concept, Identity & Motivation," which is similar to the article we read. It talks about teaching students to be self regulated learners which means they have to be intrinsically motivated and i think that this has to be enforced by all teachers. If self regulated learning is enforced into the curriculum at a younger age, students will learn to find strategies to attain the information and knowledge needed. Just like your special education students who may need scaffolding but they need to select strategies to help them achieve their goal. This article does a great job in explaining these concepts so for those who are doing chapter 6 and have not completed their application paper, use this article to help you.

Blog Posts #17 and #18

Chapter 2 about exceptional development was not only intriguing but the most benefitting chapter for myself because I hope to work in the Special Education field. Through Special Education courses that I have taken over the past year, I have learned that there is no "correct" definition when defining a learning disability. However, the textbook provided a good clarification of what a learning disability is NOT for people who are not familiar with the term of learning disability. "A learning disability is not due to a lack of motivation or effort on the child's part, although sometimes parents and teachers treat children with learning disabilities as if they are lazy or are not trying hard enough" (Meece, p. 76). The causes of learning disabilities is still undecided, however, the possible causes of genetics, heredity, problems with pregnancy, etc., I find quite intriguing. 

Luckily, I have had the opportunity to work with children with special needs, learning disabilities and have worked with in an interning classroom setting. This experience has provided me with useful information and a unique perspective on how these types of children learn, socialize, and develop. On pages 78-79 of our textbook, the Potential Signs of Learning Disabilities, which is an excellent resource for educators to use. One early intervention program that was discussed in this chapter was the RTI model, Response to Intervention. This section was a review because I have learned about the importance of the RTI model in previous teacher preparation courses at Arizona State University. The RTI model helps to determine students with learning disabilities and enables teachers to provide students with the necessary resources and assistance to provide success in the classroom.

The last half of the chapter provided as a good review of SPE 303 pertaining to children with mild disabilities; Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism, Other Health Impairments, and the other disabilities within the 13 categories. "Intervention and educational programs can help expand these children's capacity to communicate, to learn, and to relate to others, while reducing the severity and frequency of disruptive behaviors" (Meece, p. 90). It is important to remember that intervention and educational programs can be a good resource for parents and students to utilize in order to promote success.

Blog Posts #15 and #16

 This chapter contained a lot of information based on relationships with others and moral development. This chapter focused on compassion for others, which begins in early infancy. Compassion consists of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of others. Along with learning compassion for others, it explains that children express-communicate differently through touching their wants/needs, use of words, and sign language. On page 404, provides a good visual representation to understand the Stages of Social Perspective Taking development. The chapter goes on to continue discussing building relationships with peers, which is important because it provides children with social interaction and practicing their skills. An important thing to remember is to eliminate prejudice, this is not usually evident in the early grades, but it is important to explore diversity in the classroom through children's books and literature and in-class assignments (i.e. history class with Black History Month, etc.). Another activity that teachers could incorporate is having students share their background with the class, as an icebreaker activity for the first week of school. 

Peer relations are important; they help one another learn through "modeling academic skills, assisting in problem solving, serving as a resource, and providing encouragement and support" (Meece, p. 412). Students tend to learn best from their peers because they are able to put it into simpler terms for one to understand. As a student, I would agree with this because I feel that I gain a better understanding when I am able to talk with someone to exchange information or learn from their responses; it is nice to get a different view of a situation. As a future educator, it is important to remember to promote positive relations. Fortunately for myself, I would like to teach in the elementary school level, so cliques and the different types of crowds aren't an issue viruses middle-high school ages students. However, I thought figure and table 7.1 on pages 416-417 in our textbook was helpful and yet so true. On page 418, Meece states "Many young people report that the best part of school is spending time with their friends." I would definitely agree with this statement, I found lunch was one of the best periods of the day because I got to sit and talk with my friends and I remember thinking that college was great because you were able to choose your own schedule and you could pick with your friends :)

Many concepts in the middle of this chapter deal with middle-high school aged students. It is important to eliminate bullying to avoid behavior-aggressive behavior. Bullying happens even in elementary school, so as a teacher, one needs to ensure that bullying is eliminated and monitoring in case it does come across. If a teacher faces a student who has aggression issues, the teacher needs to promote other school efforts to reduce behavior and promote social relations with peers.

I found the last part of the chapter, moral development, very intriguing. Children and adults are faced with moral issues almost everyday. An excellent example that the book provided was the Heinz's dilemma. Children face issues of whether or not too cheat on assessments, copy a peer's homework, etc. Teachers need to ensure that they are monitoring their students and performance during assessments by walking around the room, which can eliminate the potential to cheat. Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Reasoning were interesting; the 6 stages and 3 levels. One concept that was discussed in this section was Ethic of Care = IMPORTANT!!! Teachers need to have ethic of care for her students so that it creates a positive learning environment and builds a relationship with students. Lastly is character education, "an approach to moral development that involves teaching young people core values and virtues (Meece, p. 439), which is something that I'd like to introduce to my students. It promotes building on their character and makes them really think about a situation.

Post # 13

The readings for this week were very interesting and brought to light some misconceptions I had about concepts of self. The article by Anita Hoy was great because it really focused on self concept and the difference between self concept and self esteem. The article defined self concept as the cognitive structure and believe about who we are versus self-esteem which is an affective reaction and evaluation of who we are. I found this section to be interesting because I have always used the two very interchangeably. I discovered from the article that students understanding of self concept can affect their learning in school. The article discusses an example of students who choose their classes and subject matter to study. Something the article discussed which I agree with is that students need to learn to help students move towards a sense of self that helps to support their individual learning. In my own classroom I want to really make discussion assessable to students so that they can discuss and learn about themselves. The article discussed how diverse students and learners really were able to develop concepts of self and attitudes and values by discussing ideas with peers. Peer interaction help students to be more engaged and develop self. I believe peer talk and interaction is essential so that students can learn from one another and I will have this be a large part of my own classroom.
My favorite section of the article was the strategies and information on mnemonics. Mnemonics is a systematic procedures for improving memories and a strategy to apply learned material. An example is using acronyms that stand for something to help remind students. The article talks about CAP which stands for literary elements in literature. In my own internship I created an acronym called C.S.E.P.R to teacher student the literary elements through a STAR game. The students were responsible for finding examples of character, setting, events, problem, and resolution in reading groups. When I gave students this acronym and taught the reading comprehension strategy students were really able to have a mini tool to remember an important standard in a fun and engaging way. This article was incredibly enlightening and helpful to me as an educator and had incredible ideas and strategy suggestions to help support student learning.

Blog # 13

In the Hoy article one of the most interesting parts to read for me was when it was discussion self regulation. It talked about how important self regulation is an important task for students to be developing during the adolescence stage especially when the academics become more difficult. In order for students to become self regulated learners teachers need to help make their students to become independent life long learners. In the article it mentions that self regulated learners must have knowledge of themselves, the subject, the task, learning strategies, and the context of which they will apply. This got me thinking, as educators are we required to help student achieve all parts of being a self regulated learner or are we just required to help them with academics and learning strategies. This makes me nervous as a future educator because if students are not able to become self regulated learners then i can cause problems for them later on.

Blog 13, Week 4

On pages 466-467 and figure 8.6 discuss "Dimensions of Parenting Styles". This discussion is not just important for parents to know, for insert teacher in the place of parent and it could apply just as well. It is true that, "Parents are children's first teachers", however, educators fill in as a surrogate parent during a child's school years (p. 445). Therefore, educators must no only concern themselves with teaching students a subject, they must also assume the traits of a "good" parent. As such, an educator striving for excellence must assume an authoritative teaching style. Not only do educators who ascribe to this have control of their classroom, they also receive the respect of students. My focus within education in at the secondary level, thus students are entering into a phase in which they seek more freedoms and explanations. I realize that students are going to sometimes act in a less than desirable manner; however, when I do have to reprimand a student I stand a better chance getting through if explain my actions. Students hear the authoritarian response of, "Because I said so" or no real explanation of why they are being punished ("Go to your room for what you did") quite often. Adolescent students are not only more mobile in their explorations, they are also beginning to possess the understanding of how the world works. Telling an adolescent student to go to the office because of their undesirable actions does not achieve much. A more effective response to negative actions would be to take the student outside the classroom and talk to them to try and find out the source of their action. Within the American educational system, educators cannot expect to use unquestioning control with their classes since American society deems this behavior as unacceptable (American Revolution). Controlling students is not about winning or losing, because educators that possess this mindset only lose. Educators will enjoy much less headaches if they "set appropriate and clear standards for behavior..., provide rationals for rules and [show] respect for their [student's] rights and opinions" (p. 466) A flexible, confident and caring educator will not only have control of their class, they will also be respected, and thus receive willful compliance.

Repsonse to lmholmes

It is a good thing to know that you pay attention to things such as these when you are watching your charges. I know that as a parent I would feel so much more comfortable knowing that I have a nanny for my son that is observant enough to notice things such as you have mentioned. It sounds as if you have your hands full though with 4 kids to watch but the experience will be priceless to you later on. Also it is a benefit that their ages are spread out because you are able to observe the emotional reactions of children at several different stages.

Blog Post #11

This section was of interest to me as not only a future teacher but as a mother as well. Since I consider myself a new mother since my son is only 20 months old I have actually wondered about whether or not his attachment to me is a healthy one or not. My son is extremely close with my husband and myself so much so that when we leave a room and he is alone is has a fit. He likes to know that at least one of us is easily accessible to him at all times. According to the book this would be considered a secure attachment and this is a good thing.

It is amazing to think that from the day that we are born we are already learning things that will carry over into our adult lives. As parents and teachers it is important to remember this at all times. Since children spend so much of their time in the classroom setting it makes sense that part of their emotional health will have to be fostered by the people caring for them in these settings. From younger children that may need help working on things like confidence or empathy up to adolescents having to deal with anxiety, worry, depression or other emotional states caused by peer pressure or a number of other things. These are all things that we need to be aware of and let our students know that they have a right to their own feelings. It is not a negative thing to feel a certain way it is more the way that you deal with and express the emotion that you are feeling that is important.

Blog 11

I thought the section about parent-child relations, specifically attachment was very interesting. I found this topic interesting because I am a nanny and therefore witness the way five kids ages ranging from eight years to ten months react when their parents leave them.

The strange situation was interesting to me because it helped me categorize the infant twins attachment quality to their parents, and have determined that they are securely attached, meaning that they "show distress when separated from their mothers but were readily calmed or soothed by the mother's return" (340).

The two year old and the four year old that I watch also seem to be securely attached. The engage in a lot of pretend and imaginative play, they show independence and self reliance, and show persistence when problem solving (341).

GENDER

Blog 11

Page 374 of the book states, "Gender is a key component of the self, and it can strongly influence our sense of self-esteem. In this section, we examine how children form gender-role conceptions, that is, the images we have of ourselves as males and females. Do you view yourself as sensitive, emotional, and dependent? If so, then your self-image conforms to what society defines as feminine. If you describe yourself as independent, assertive, and strong, then your self-image is consistent with the masculine ideal. Gender conceptions are important for understanding not only the self but the behaviors of others. As they grow up, children use information from parents, peers, school, and the media to form theories for how men and women should behave".  

I agree that children use information gathered from their world to to create an understanding of what it means to be a man and what it means to be a woman, which the book defines as gender conceptions (374). An individual's gender conceptions are influenced by his or her environment, because gender is a social construct. The gender roles and identities for men and women are radically different in certain indigenous African tribes than in Western US society. This is because expectations of men and women vary according to society and culture. 

The books lists stereotypical characteristics of masculine and feminine traits in both the text and Table 6.3. Feminine traits in table 6.3 are listed as "affectionate, sensitive, passive, emotional, cooperative, dependent, weak, gentle and fearful" (375). Masculine traits are "aggressive, ambitious, dominant, rational, competitive, independent, strong, tough, courageous" (ibid).  These traits are gender stereotypes created and perpetuated by Western culture. The book lists these negative, false generalizations as essential elements of gender. Who says that feminine is one way and masculine is another? Why continue accepting these stereotypes as normal and realistic? They aren't! They are just broad generalizations that could never, ever encompass the complex and unique nature of all human beings, regardless of their sex. Gender is social. Sex is biological. Gender is not linked to or dependent upon sex. Gender is a product of the culture we live in; it varies across the world and across cultures. Sex does not. 

The book defines gender in terms of masculine, feminine or androgynous. If a man fits into masculine traits he is in the "right" gender. If a man exhibits feminine traits, he is exhibiting characteristics of the "wrong" gender.  If a man exhibits characteristics of masculine and feminine traits he is "androgynous". I think this is laughable. Instead of creating a category called "androgynous" to encompass people who "don't fit", why not examine the power structures behind the system? Who says that human beings can or should be categorized as either male, female or androgynous? How does it affect our children's identity, self concept and self esteem to be inundated with expectations of how they should look, act, feel and socially interact based on their biological sex? Are these expectations positive? Why continue propagating them?

I would love to see teachers learning to accept the children they teach for who they are and for--not despite--the way they express themselves. this book's section on gender is a big disappointment for me and I urge people who read it to think twice about the information they are reading. 

Here are a few books that address some of the topics I've mentioned:

Foccault, Michael "The Archaeology of Knowledge" (1969).

Butler, Judith. "Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity" (1990). 

Butler, Judith. "Undoing Gender" (2004).

Essig, Laurie. "Queer in Russia" (1999).

Leblanc, Lauraine. "Pretty in Punk: Girls' Gender Resistance in a Boy's Subculture" (2000).

Blog 11

It was interesting to learn that so many things in your childhood stick with you for the rest of your life. Although interesting, its not so much really surprising. In the lecture it was stated that things like attachment, temperament, and self control affect how you behave through the rest of your life. As far as attachment goes, it was said that those who had a network of people to attach to and not just one central person were a lot better off and more social. It also said with the example of the abusing husband that depending on the attachment you have to different people you may behave differently and depending on how you feel about those attachments determines how you act on your feeling. Your temperament could also affect the way you live all your life because it basically determines the way you handle different situations and emotions. Obviously something like this would effect you for the rest of your life. And last but not least, the topic of self control in children was very interesting. The video about the marshmallow test was particularly interesting. I thought it was strange that they could predict the behavior of these kids later in life based on if they ate the marshmallow or not. Very interesting. Nothing i would have ever thought of, but it makes sense. Self control is a very important thing in life. It can definitely lead to success. Even the marshmallow experiment itself shows success or not. The experiment itself is just a model of an actual pay-off type situation in the real world. Sometimes, if you wait and have patience, it will pay off with a bigger reward in the end, which could definitely lead to a more successful life.

Blog #11

I have never considered shyness a hindrance to learning in the classroom yet it makes sense that it could impede a child from taking part in an activity that encourages social interaction. Unlike introverted students who prefer isolation and independent activities, shy students actually prefer working with peers yet are unable to do so due to a honed sense of self-awareness. And although research suggests that shyness in elementary school does not lead to anxiety problems in middle school or high school, educators believe that helping children overcome their shyness will help them become more efficient learners and better problem solvers in social contexts.

Shyness can be described as a "feeling of insecurity or discomfort during social situations (Meece, pg. 339)." Therefore, it is important that we help students overcome their social insecurities so that they can achieve in the classroom. One strategy suggested is to increase social interaction during instructional time. Employ "table talk," where the students can discuss questions and responses in a small group setting. Using shoulder partners is also an excellent tool. But, creating a positive and productive learning environment is crucial in helping kids overcome their shyness. A teacher should also, obviously, attempt to build rapport and trust with the student so that their self-esteem may blossom. In this case, a child and teacher can agree upon a "signal" that lets the instructor know when to call on the particular student. For example, a student may tug on his or her ear to let the teacher know that they want to answer a question and feel confident regarding the topic or subject. Once again, shyness plagues every classroom and it is the teacher's duty to create an environment where children can grow, develop, and overcome such social obstacles.

Blog 11

While going through the lecture and the book, the section that appealed to me most was the one on "Delay of Gratification." It's interesting that there was such a long-term study based on the delaying of gratification for preschoolers up through adolescents, and that they were able to conclude that (in the case of the 'marshmallow test'), those children that were able to delay the gratification of eating one marshmallow to have two would later be "...more confident, self-reliant, and able to cope with stress as adolescents."

I enjoyed reading about this test, as well as following the link and listening to Dr. David Walsh's brief explanation of the project. I also was extremely interested in hearing what he had to say about the importance of telling children 'no,' and not bending to their will just to quell a tantrum. His book is geared mostly towards parents, but his website appeals to teachers as well; we all need to recognize that importance before we enter the field and let the kids run all over us. If we can train our students to defer their gratification, then we can probably guide them to the well-adjusted life they can have as adolescents.

Another subject with which I can identify is "parent-child attachment." This attachment relates to child-peer aggression, sociability, social competence, and peer popularity. In the case that immediately comes to mind, one of my former students perfectly reflected his parents. I'll call him "Danny" for this example. Danny's parents were incredibly involved in the school. They both worked, but still made time to come to the school and help out when they could; for example, they both played in the student/teacher basketball game, and volunteered time as chaperones. They had an easy demeanor, and the adults just naturally liked them. This was reflected perfectly in Danny's peer relationships - he was friendly with everyone, wanted to help out wherever he could, and had all the energy of his parents. I only wish that every parent was like that - it would be so easy to teach children if they had that level of eagerness.

Blog 12 Response to Kristine R by Cathy Morgan

I agree with you about the quote for the power point •“In order for students to become self-regulated, they must have the opportunity to observe strategic behavior and to practice those behaviors.” p. 125 This quote in the PowerPoint helps to exemplify the importance of modeling healthy emotional regulation and behaviors with students in your classroom.” You make several good points when you talk about “Establishing emotional self-regulation is so essential because it allows students to be a part of a positive social environment in which students can express emotions in a healthy way in a safe learning environment.” Over all I agree with everything that you said, I believe that I can also use this part “The section on emotions was very useful to me as an educator and I believe creating safe and pleasant environments and giving students several opportunities for discussion and emotional growth is very important in a classroom and children's life skills development.” I work with children 3 to 5 and I can help them understand their emotions and the need for safe environments.

Blog 11 Emotions and Self-Regulation Cathy Morgan

After reading the pages in chapter 6 and looking at the power point I found this concept it be of great interest to me. When I am teaching my preschooler’s I have seen both of these: Observable behaviors and the Self-Regulatory process which I might add is very different in different children. I believe that this statement off the power point is very true “Developing an enduring emotional bond between caregivers and children supports healthy emotional development.” I have worked with many children in all ranges of temperament, working hard to build the trust and bond with some children takes a lot of time but I have seen it payoff. This is a good statement “Attachment may impact emotional development across the lifespan.” I have seen this in both my X-husband (did-not have good attachment with any of his family) and my own boys (do have good attachments with their families). I like to try and model this kind of for young children and help them use it “In order for students to become self-regulated, they must have the opportunity to observe strategic behavior and to practice those behaviors.” p. 125. I was surprised by how much of an impact we as teacher of young children (birth to 5) have on the development of the child’s self. In the text on page 341 it talks about “From early attachment relationships children begin to construct an “internal model” of self and their social relationships that includes the root of self-esteem and security.” Who that is mind blowing. To think that is just a few hours a day Monday through Friday we can help children form a strong bond early in life. I really liked the “Focus on Teaching Helping Shy Children in the Classroom” on pg. 339 and I will be using several of those ideas and strategies. One of the best things we can do for children is to model and support their ability to exercise control over their emotions, talking about feeling and identifying both positive and negative emotions. Letting children know that we all have these different emotion and that the emotions are o.k. to have but the way in which we deal with them is the real issue.
(Meece, Daniels)

The Book

Post # 11

•“In order for students to become self-regulated, they must have the opportunity to observe strategic behavior and to practice those behaviors.” p. 125
This quote in the PowerPoint helps to exemplify the importance of modeling healthy emotional regulation and behaviors with students in your classroom. According to our text self-regulation involves the deliberate use of cognitive or behavioral strategies to achieve a desired goal such as reducing unpleasant emotions or redirecting inappropriate behavior. Establishing emotional self-regulation is so essential because it allows students to be a part of a positive social environment in which students can express emotions in a healthy way in a safe learning environment. Students emotions and experiences are affected by so many elements including their primary caregivers and family situations. In the classroom you will have students at varried levels of temperment who deal with emotions in a plethora of ways. The text was very helpful to me as an educator because it discussed researched based strategies for dealing with problem and emotion issues in the classroom. The problem-focused coping and emotion focused coping are very useful to know (pg 347) because they deal with finding solutions and analyzing situations and helping students identify skills to cope with emotions (i.e frustrations, sadness, over excitement etc.) The emotional development chart on pg 347 was very interesting to analyze the processes of emotion and the regulation at the varied age groups. The section on emotions was very useful to me as an educator and I believe creating safe and pleasant evironments and giving students several opportunities for discussion and emotional growth is very important in a classroom and children's life skills development.

Emotion

The lecture was interesting and the thing that stuck out to me the most was the attachment theories. The one I aim to have with my children, and I'm sure everyone else does too, is the securely attached child. In this category the child used the parent as a secure base and feels comfortable enough to explore and play. I see this happening when a child plays on the floor with some toys and crawls around to a new object, they will turn back around and look at their mom (or caregiver) and check to see if they are watching them and may even chatter at them. Then the baby is comfortable to continue playing and occasionally turn back to check on mom, basically using her as a secure base to play around.
Also it was fascinating to learn that attachment styles guide a persons behavior through out their life. So looking on the bright side if a caregiver is responsive to their child in their needs for protection and also allows exploration, then child develops a model of self as lovable and self reliant, and sees others as loving and dependable. This is my goal for my future children and I'm grateful I learned about it.

Blog # 11

When reading the chapter the part that stuck out to me the most was on p. 349 where they discussed teachers talking about emotional competence. This has made me think about how important being an educator is. Being an educator is not only about teaching students the necessary academic skills needed it involves more than that. Even though there are only academic standards I feel that there are unwritten standards such as emotional competence. I liked how on this page they gave some key things that teachers can do to promote emotional competence. I took many helpful tools that I will do my best to implement in my classroom. Such as, creating an environment that is comfortable for my students, being the role model in my classroom and show how you should handle your emotions. This is very important because students will be able to personally see what they should be doing to handle their emotions. Another beneficial thing that teachers need to is show students positive way to handle their emotions. We need to show them strategies that will help them be successful.

Blog 12, week 3

In response to Chris Caseldine. I agree with Chris about questioning the indepence of a child at an early stage of development. The book states that the better the realtionship a child has with their caregiver the more likely they will turn into an excelling child. I do not think it is best to put an individual stage at an early development. I think the longer a young child is being comforted by a caregiver the stonger the bond that is formed.

Blog 11, week 3

Emotional self-regulation is using behavioral strategies to achieve a goal. It is used by students to develop relations with peers, and for learning. Self-regulation is shaped by the caregivers of a child. The child pays attention to the way the caregiver speaks, acts and carries themself as a person. As the child gets older, they begin to have control over how they act in stressful or unpleasant situations. If the child was taught from an early age how to handle situations that might not be to their liking, then they will handle the situation in a positive way. It is the responsibilty of parents and teachers to help teach young children how to handle certain situations.
Teachers can help students with emotional competence in many ways. They need to create a positive and accepting classroom. They need to be example setters for their students. They also need to talk with their students and explain how to handle the different emotions.

Blog 12, Week 3

Keith you are correct in stating strained relations at home can lead to adverse consequences at school. The stress that children go through during this time becomes multiplied when issue arise or are on going at home. From what I've taken away from the book, children act out when they see no other way to express their feelings. The sad fact for some students is that their teachers may be the only positive influence in their lives. This puts educators in this situation in a tough position. Not only are they responsible for their educational development, they also become a psychologist to the child. Educators in this position can only do so much to help the student; however, whatever positive influence the educator attempts can help. Page 355 list a number of successful interventions which need to be used with these student. The list revolves around one simple notion, be supportive and responsive. Educators do not have all the answers; however, well meant positive guidance can help a student through troubled times. Something as simple as just listening to a students problems may help that student through the day.

Blog 11, Week 3

Page 340 discusses an important fact about attachment. Namely, is the Western focus on independence correct for early childhood development? My argument is not concerning whether Western independence is correct or not, rather, is it correct to interject independence at an early developmental stage. "Children's social and emotional development is firmly rooted in early relations with parents and other caregivers" (p. 339). As such, is having an infant sleep in its own room to instill independence correct for proper attachment. As stated in the book (p. 340), Japanese infants and mothers are rarely separated thus strong bonds form. Granted that Americans and Japanese have different societal values, it would be interesting to see a study comparing the attachment of Americans that were not separated from their mothers in the first year verses ones that were. Independents is an important part of being American; however, it may not be best to interject this value in an individuals early development. Close bonds are important at that stage of development which an independent mindset may overlook.

Response to hcalik

I think that the way that kids and teens view themselves have a lot to do with whether or not they do well in school. It makes since that how we view ourselves would affect how successful we are in our lives. Children who do not see themselves as worthy or smart are of course going to feel less inclined to actually give a legitimate effort when it comes to their studies.