Thursday, March 25, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Set Back Once Again
This week brought yet another set back in observation. I had been planing on observing once again at Aldo however due to fog I was unable to find any other time for me to go and observe before Spring Break. However, due to my work and other opportunities I believe I have enough experience to complete this project.
In regards to the project our team is working very well together and I look forward to the final result. We are all very interested in our topic and incorporating everything we have observed in our different situations. As a team we have all been working together very well and everyone has been doing their part. I am very pleased with how are team is actually embodying the ideals of cooperative learning.
In regards to the project our team is working very well together and I look forward to the final result. We are all very interested in our topic and incorporating everything we have observed in our different situations. As a team we have all been working together very well and everyone has been doing their part. I am very pleased with how are team is actually embodying the ideals of cooperative learning.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Direction? Calling?
The role of play in early childhood education has always been an area of not only interest but also passion for me. Previously I was unaware of the research behind it, the studies done, or the implications of it. I relied solely on my own experience and what I have observed of children around me. While writing my weekly reflections I have found myself becoming increasingly passionate and at points agitated about what I had read and then filled with a desire to spread and share my knowledge to help others. It has been these experiences that have made me stop and think about my future.
Recently my mind has been filled with questions about what exactly I am called to do with my life and where I want to see my journey to take me. I have no question that the field of education is where I am meant to be. I have an incredible passion for teaching, children, and finding out and then promoting what is best for them. I have never once questioned whether or not this is the field for me. However, recently I have begun to explore the options that lie within the field of education more. Previously I viewed a career in education as solely a one track road which lead directly to becoming a classroom teacher and although this is an incredibly noble, wonderful, and vital role am beginning to see that the field of education is much more varied than I had ever previously thought. I am in no way ruling out the possibility of becoming a classroom teacher, in fact I am pretty certain that that is where I will end up however, I am beginning to play around with the ideas of what else I could do to help in the education field. Do my skills lie in research, being a formal advocate for a certain area of education, writing and publishing works, ect. Although I honestly don’t really know how to approach these, what they would require, or even if it’s something that I was be good at the idea that there are multiple opportunities out there is both empowering and terrifying at the same time.
Recently my mind has been filled with questions about what exactly I am called to do with my life and where I want to see my journey to take me. I have no question that the field of education is where I am meant to be. I have an incredible passion for teaching, children, and finding out and then promoting what is best for them. I have never once questioned whether or not this is the field for me. However, recently I have begun to explore the options that lie within the field of education more. Previously I viewed a career in education as solely a one track road which lead directly to becoming a classroom teacher and although this is an incredibly noble, wonderful, and vital role am beginning to see that the field of education is much more varied than I had ever previously thought. I am in no way ruling out the possibility of becoming a classroom teacher, in fact I am pretty certain that that is where I will end up however, I am beginning to play around with the ideas of what else I could do to help in the education field. Do my skills lie in research, being a formal advocate for a certain area of education, writing and publishing works, ect. Although I honestly don’t really know how to approach these, what they would require, or even if it’s something that I was be good at the idea that there are multiple opportunities out there is both empowering and terrifying at the same time.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Video Reflection
Today's video was very interesting and beneficial. I was particularly interested in the comparisons between city kids, country kids, and suburb kids and how their environments and lifestyles affect not only what they play but how much play they actually participate in. I was surprised to learn just how much of a disadvantage children in the "suburbs" are. However, my one critique of the movie was that they seem to ignore the small town environment, that many kids, like myself grew up in which in my opinion is a good mixture of the suburb, city, and country. Failure to acknowledge this paints a broad generalization of a large population of the country.
The other issue I do not believe that the video dealt with but that is a major issue in child rearing is the competitive atmosphere that parents in this country in particular fall prey. It is the mindset that "my child must be better than all others" that often leads parents to over plan and structure children's lives. It is also this drive that ever increasing phenomenon of "preparing kids for college" at an early and early age. However, this competive nature is so ingrained into the American phsyce that only by fully embracing the Einstein quote "We can't solve problems using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them" can Americans get past this and finally start doing what is apprioate for thier kids.
The other issue I do not believe that the video dealt with but that is a major issue in child rearing is the competitive atmosphere that parents in this country in particular fall prey. It is the mindset that "my child must be better than all others" that often leads parents to over plan and structure children's lives. It is also this drive that ever increasing phenomenon of "preparing kids for college" at an early and early age. However, this competive nature is so ingrained into the American phsyce that only by fully embracing the Einstein quote "We can't solve problems using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them" can Americans get past this and finally start doing what is apprioate for thier kids.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
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