Mindful Practice

video on Resilient Kids
 

 

 After watching this video and reading about Resilient Kids I think it is an awesome organization. Resilient Kids, is an organization whose program promotes the development of life-long skills, which includes focus, self-esteem, self-confidence, balance, empathy, and community. From my own experience I know what its like to not be able to focus in school. These kids have a lot of trouble focusing but for them this mindfulness training really helps. It allows them to be able to come back to a point where they can calm down and focus on what they need too. Children are wired, they get a little crazy and sometimes all they need is a few minutes to take the time to relax. It helps them grasps all those other feelings and sort of throw them out the door. In working with children I will definitely use some of these techniques. In my new job I work with girls who have a lot of anger and showing them ways to become calm will be so beneficial to their health. Its teaching them the tools to be able to do it themselves, which is why this organization is so important. The organization has already seen tremendous results in the schools they work with. I would really love to see this teaching in all schools because I think it will make a huge difference. My sister is a teacher in a middle school and she said that teaching has become more about discipline. I plan to show her this website and their philosophy to see if she can learn techniques teach her students so her classroom can become a more positive place for learning.  

 

http://www.mindful.org/mindfulness-practice/10-tips-for-being-mindful-right-now

^ tips for being mindful right now!!

Applying to Grad School (event)

The event that I attended was the Special Panel on Applying to Graduate School, on October 1, 2014

 

 

The event took place in Alger lecture hall 110. I attended the event from 12:30- 2 pm. The event was led by a handful of people, whom consisted of a grad intern, a person from the career development center, a professor from Harvard, and etc. They talked about whether or not grad school was in your best interest; when to attend; the process of applying; and financing your studies. We were given packets of information on everything the panel talked about.

 

In attending this event it refers to Nakkula Toshalis's reference to moratorium identity. Moratorium identity "is a developmental state in which one actively explores roles and beliefs, behaviors and relationships, but refrains from making a commitment". By exploring the option of grad school I am exploring the beliefs I believe in before making a commitment.

 

I attended this event because I am pretty sure I want to attend grad school but I did not know one thing about it before this event. From attending this event, I learned that getting experience can give you a better understanding of what exactly you want to do. Grad school is something you need to know specifically what you are interested in and right now I am on the fence. I am between getting my masters in the field social work or psychology.  This event helped me learn about establishing relationships with professors in the meantime and really getting an understanding of what my future will look like. I was given all the information I need in how to apply and finance and so on from attending this event which will be extremely helpful in my future

 

 

 http://gradschool.about.com/od/admissionsadvice/a/overview.htm
^ Parts of the Grad School Application

 

 http://www.ric.edu/graduateStudies/graduate.php
^ grad programs at RIC

http://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/articles/2012/08/10/7-tips-for-completing-grad-school-applications
^ tips on completing grad applications
 

 

 

 

 

Crossing Cultures: Class, Race & Culture

"A Talk to Teachers" by: James Baldwin

 "Creating Culturally Relevant Education " Youth in Action (video)

 I found this article extremely interesting and at the same time taken back by what the author had to say. I was taken back because what he said about a black man in a white society was true, sad but true. Oppression is real and people of color deal with it everyday. The article and video really focus on how culture plays a big part in a persons life. While the article focus on how society is menaced... "A whole country of people believe I am a nigger and I don't." it offers multiple examples how African Americans are born into a society that leaves little room to grow. the video focused on how students and parents approach to help create a culturally relevant education. Many of the students and parents felt like teachers didn't take the time and day to get to know them. As if they were just another face, another number, statistic in the crowd. I think many people experience this everywhere. I know being in college when I have a lecture of 200 people I feel like I don't matter. Its a horrible feeling and not how education should be taught. One should not go through school feeling as though they don't matter to the people trying to teach them. I think both the article and videos point to get across was that teachers need to take the time to connect with their students. Get to know them, where they come from, who they really are, and maybe just maybe the end results will be different.


This article made me think of something I did in the first grade. My teacher had every student color a picture of a person who was from a different country. When everyone was done we hung them all around the classroom. The point was to get across that everyone is different, we all came from somewhere and its not the same as our neighbor. I think Diversity should be brought to children's attention and should be taught and here's a link to teaching it.

http://www.uww.edu/learn/diversity/dozensuggestions.php

Aside from this weeks assignment, something the author said that really stuck out to me was..

"The purpose of education, finally, is to create in a person the ability to look at the world for himself, to make decisions, to say to himself this is black or this is white, to decide for himself whether there is a God in heaven or not. To ask questions of the universe, and then learn to live with those questions, is the way he achieves his own identity".

To me this statement is the ultimate truth and It could not have been better said. This explains life itself and the purpose of not only education but how one will find who they are. But in order to find out who you are in life I think it stems from education what you learn, how you learn, and what you take from all the experiences you endure.

Open House (Event)

Rhode Island College hosted an open house on Saturday October 8, 2014

 

When I first walked up to the Murray Center I wasn't sure what to expect at all because I had never been to the college's open house before. I was freezing and a little thirsty so on the way in I grabbed hot chocolate they had outside. I also noticed that a bunch of things were happening on the quad and from what it looked like were different tours. As I walked inside the gym I noticed a bunch of tables set up with professors, students, parents, and possible future students. I walked toward the back where I knew the Youth Development table would be. Our table had a bubbles, pencils, candy, and brochures with Corinne and other students behind the table. I took a walk around with Regina to get a look at other tables and check out what was going on. There was a good amount of people walking around but not packed so people couldn't move. As I came back to the table Corinne didn't hesitate to put us to the test of explaining our major and the future possibilities. I told the possible future YDEV major the courses involved in this major and how I felt they give someone a huge opportunity. I explained that this major really gives someone more than just one area of expertise. You get the advantage of taking different studies and putting them all together. I explained that YDEV is really what you make it and used everyone’s career goals as examples. The possible RIC students relate to Nakkula Toshalis's reference to moratorium identity. Moratorium identity "is a developmental state in which one actively explores roles and beliefs, behaviors and relationships, but refrains from making a commitment". The students walked around open house exploring the campus, gathering information on different majors but have not fully committed to coming to RIC yet. 

I enjoyed attending this event and not just for the free candy. I was given the opportunity to project my passion onto others. I was able to advocate for myself and the Youth Development major that many people are not familiar with. It was a great experience to see students interested in some of the things I was but also the overall well being of youth. I realize that this is the beginning of the Youth Development major, which I love being a part of. I truly believe this major is so much more than what people project it as. in my opinion it is what you make it and it gives students the opportunity to take their own believes and turn them into a dream that best fits them.  

LINKS:
 http://www.ric.edu/futureStudents/  <----- RIC future students information page 
Nakkula Chapter 1 <----- Four Identities recognized
http://www.ric.edu/educationalstudies/youthDevelopment.php <----- Youth Development Page

Identify in Context

Nakkula Toshalis 2010 Understanding Youth: Adolescent Development for Educators

Chapter 2: Identify in Context
 

Context Mapping helps individuals really figure out who they are. It identifies identity vs. role confusion. Mitch asked Julian to list various spaces and relationships he negotiates with each day. In doing that he asked him to note when he feels safe and when he feels anxious. Mitch got Julian to recognize all the experiences that made him feel a certain way and asked him to create a superhero that could navigate through these challenges.

The Four Identities
 

foreclosed identity: "is one in which an individual has committed to a life direction or way of being without exploring it carefully and without experimenting with alternatives".

diffused identity: "is a state in which there has been little exploration or active consideration of a particular identity and no psychological commitment to one".

moratorium identity: "is a developmental state in which one actively explores roles and beliefs, behaviors and relationships, but refrains from making a commitment".

achieved identity: "occurs when the identity crisis is resolved and the commitment to the selected identity is high".

My Context Map

 

RHODE ISLAND COLLEGE

Student

Professors

Youth Development

 

HOME

Mom & DAD

Siblings

Rocky (puppy)

 

TEAMWORKS

Soccer

Teammate

Friends

 

YMCA

Co-workers

Children

Parents

 

 

 

 

The Construction of Adolescence

Nakkula Toshalis 2010 Understanding Youth: Adolescent Development for Educators

Chapter 1: The Construction of Adolescence


After reading this chapter I was really intrigued by the overall content and thoughts about child development. It made me think of a million different things. For example, my sister talking about how her students are jerks. Everyday she comes to my house and explains how her job has been more about discipline than actually teaching what she loves. She is an amazing art teacher and I really feel bad that she doesn't get the opportunity to teach children this neat skill.

Then I thought about my own life and my own experiences and the type of kid I was growing up. I remember being that jerk and it makes sense after this reading. I was in Junior High School and I was a class clown and talked ALOT! I got kicked out of class and had detention almost every night. My teachers were amazed how I still managed to get A's when I spent most of class time not in class. I also remember being overweight and not having that inner confidence in myself which is I think why I acted like this tough little shit. Towards the end of 8th grade I was skinny and became a whole different person. My whole attitude towards school changed, I mean I still talked a lot but I wasn't about being the difficult kid who got kicked out of class anymore.

I went into High School as a completely different girl. I had confidence in myself. I liked the girl I saw in the mirror and I think that made a huge difference. I got straight A's and didn't get kicked out of class. I always still had my little bit of spunk but in a different way. Until tragedy struck and I was back to my old ways. I tested teachers limits and basically did whatever I wanted. I was on an emotional roller coaster for the next three years of high school. I owe it to a few specific teachers for my success. The ones that really stuck by me no matter how much I pushed them away.

As I read the story of Antwon and Ms. Petersen I really thought about myself and my own life. I thought about my actions and what I was doing. " They are testing the nature and boundaries of their relationships and learning environments in which these relationships are created". "what kind of person they should be, who their friends ought to be, in what or whom they should place trust, or what kind of world they should make". This all makes sense to me and really opens my eyes. I was a child who had believed in something her whole life. I believed this world was safe, bad things don't happen, and people are nice. Then something horrible happened, the world I thought I knew was turned upside down. The people I thought were my friends stabbed me in the back and I lashed out. I lashed out on everyone and anything, I was angry. Now I'm not justifying what I did but I see it might have got me to where I am today. People spend their whole lives trying to figure out who they are and what their meant to do. This is something I figured out younger than most and that I am grateful for.

Back to teachers and my sister in particular remember why you became a teacher. Not because you wanted power over children but because you get satisfaction in teaching others something you love.

• Open up and connect with students because it makes a huge difference in the outcome than you expect. So many teachers or professors will shut you down and say you're just wrong. Not enough explain their point of view or are even open to another point of view. Everyone is this world was raised differently. They all have different viewpoints and different circumstances going on.
• Take the time to actually get to know your students.
•  Give them a place to feel safe
• Give them tools to be the author of their story

"BEING HUMAN REQUIRES THE AUTHORING OF ONE'S LIFE, OF ONE'S LIFE STORY"!

Youth in Action: Egg Drop Experience

Youth in Action did an activity with us today called the egg drop. The activity consisted of being handed materials and an egg and with those things you had to create something that would protect the egg when dropped from the window. My group was given a cup, condoms, papers, elastics, and that's about it. I had done this before in elementary school so I remembered that the key to your egg not breaking was making a light but secure surrounding. My group used the cup to hold the egg and used paper and other materials to make it secure. This was light and a secure way to protect the egg. We were going to use a bag as a parachute so egg would fall slowly. However, the Youth in Action members took away our plastic bags that we were using.

The egg drop experience was really fun until the members of Youth in Action came and took away our parachute. This is when I got frustrated and didn't want to do the activity anymore. After our egg broke I blamed the parachute being taken away.  Seeing other groups and the resources they had made me think how my group didn't have the same. However, I was only mad that our parachute was taken away. Coming back into the room and having the discussion about poverty I can see how it relates. Children in poverty start off with less resources and get things taken away from them all the time.

Is this fair?

No, it is extremely unfair that some children get overwhelming resources while others get none. However I truly believe that no matter what, life will always be unfair and that's the reality of it.

what can we do about it?

Well in my opinion there are some things that need to be changed but both individual and institutional. I do believe that giving resources to individuals can help people strive further in life. However, the blame isn't all on the individual there are people who are in a vicious cycle. The poor stay poor no matter how hard they try. This is when the problem needs to be changed in just about everything to school systems, minimum wage, living expenses, and so on. These aren't things that will get changed over night. The more people stand up and try to change it I think will help it be changed faster.

All in all I am a strong advocate for people that try no matter how little they have. Maybe it is because how I was raised or maybe its because of my own traumatic life experience. I believe that life is this crazy, messed up world but you determine the beauty you see in it. Its not going to be perfect or easy in that matter but it will be worth it. I believe it depends on your values, what really matters to an individual. People come from nothing and make something of themselves everyday. I believe if you put the effort in you will see results. Life isn't about materialistic things because in reality you can learn to read without a book. I think people take for granted what they do have and are so focused on what they don't have. I think it makes a difference if you constantly look at your neighbor and envy them for everything they have that you don't. Nobody is going to have the same as everyone else. Not everyone is going to be handed a brand new car when they get their license, but that doesn't mean they cant drive. Some cities of Rhode Island have it way better than others. Some schools have way more money than others. That doesn't make those kids more talented or better off because they came from a richer neighborhood. What I'm trying to get at is yes the environment totally  impacts a persons way of life, but so does the individual. This is why I believe that live skills should be taught in school or in organizations. I think children could value from guidance in everyday life so they have the equal opportunity to make something of themselves.


Fun article on ways to take control of your life!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brenda-della-casa/life-tips_b_4538457.html

What Kind Of Youth Am I Going To Serve?

Pathologizing the Poor: Implications for Preparing Teachers to Work in High-Poverty Schools
By: Kerri Ullucci

This article is extremely interesting and makes valid points. Ullucci tries to get across the impact of poverty on youth. "1 in 5 children below the age of 18 live in poverty". This can impact how a child experiences life. Children in poverty are less likely to have things others take for granted. Ways poverty impacts children include environmental issues, health issues, child labor, community, violence, mobility, child care, transportation issues, mental health issues, and shelter issues. "These circumstances undoubtedly influence school performance and academic outcomes". These children are extremely disadvantaged but another factors goes into play on how teachers can deal with it. There are four myths about poverty that teachers should rid their students of. They are:

1. Anyone can pull themselves out of poverty ( The Bootstraps Myth)
2. Those who are in poverty are lazy, welfare queens, and/or irresponsible (The Individual Faults Myth)
3. Poor children are not particularly smart or school-ready (The Educability Myth)
4. People in poverty share a common "culture" (The Culture of Poverty Myth)

In order to help these students Ullucci promotes educators to grasps a better understanding of poverty and how it impacts students. In return they can then anchor questions that can guide conversations and activities to update perspectives on poverty. " We assert that any framework for understanding poverty and learning be based on a comprehensive and critical set of ideas that do not blame students in poverty for being poor and cast them as inferior, but that recognize the social, political, and economic conditions, which have profound influences on the day to day lives of students in these communities".


After reading this article I thought about a project I did over the summer for Social Work 325. For this project I acquired a better understanding of poverty itself. Like the author suggested many people including myself belief the myths of poverty. People think that it is so easy to get out when in reality it is not. The project I did focused on Olneyville and I spent a lot of time researching and observing this community. What I realized was there are a lot of organizations trying to help rebuild Olneyville and help the community out of poverty. However, it still remains to be in poverty and many of the people will remain in poverty their whole lives.

Olneyville Housing Corporation is a great organization that does a lot for this community. Here's the link to their website (THEY HAVE INTERNSHIPS ) ttp://www.olneyville.org/our-mission

Thinking of where I want to work and what kind of youth I am going to serve I am honestly not 100 percent sure. I do know that I want to make a difference in a lot of children's lives. I tutored in an overcrowded providence school and knowing that my students started getting 100s on their tests in the subject they were struggling with made me feel good. I like helping children in need and knowing I made a difference in their life. Looking at the statistics of all the children in poverty makes me sad because it isn't fair. If I've learned anything in life it would that it is extremely unfair! However, my thought about children is that every child deserves an equal opportunity to succeed and be happy in this world. Bad things happen everyday and are going to happen everyday. I want to be that voice of reason that gets through and changes their mind.