Sunday, February 16, 2014

Temika Mccann

Blog Assignment wks 6


Testing for Intelligence?
There are many forms of assessments that schools and educators use to see where a child developmental levels that range. Some of the general ones include: DRDP which allows access to observe, assess, and report on the development of school age children and Individualized Education Programs (IEP) which teachers, service providers, and administrators use to determine the level of a child. As a mother and educator, I truly believe that evaluations a great tool to use when it comes to evaluating children. I do not think that a single test score should determine the level of the child progress I personally believed that authentic assessment is better than assumption. Educators must be aware of the fact that children’s abilities can be measured in a variety of ways. I truly believe that cultural influences and environment play a key role in a child learning.  According to Berger (2012) parents may blame a child’s inability to grasp a new math concept or a low math test score on heredity, when in fact it may be because the child missed school when this skill was being taught and did not receive the instruction he needed in order to be successful. I believe according to Berger (2012) that a child’s IQ test can be raised extensively when the educator, child and parents are working together as a team. I also believe a parent’s negative outlook on a child can greatly impact how he/she will perform in school. 
China children being tested
According to  In ( 1986), China enacted the Law of Compulsory Education, which required every child to complete nine years of
formal schooling – six years of primary school and three years of junior secondary school.6 By the mid-1990s, China had basically achieved this goal. According Kong ( 2012).  China has a long practice of extremely valuing education. This began with the Civil Examination System, established in 603 AD, which was also exported to Japan and Korea later in the 7th century. It was a very modest, yet well-organized system for selecting officials, and was known for its truthfulness and fairness. These examinations evolved over many periods before their establishment in 1905. The system had three tiers of examinations, at county, provincial and national levels. There were variations, but the general method used with the school-aged children was an essay test, where the candidates were confined for days in an examination cell, fed with good food, and required to write essays of political relevance. To do this, they had to be familiar with the classics I also have discovered good handwriting and writing styles were also part of the basic requirements. The final level of selection was usually held in the Examinations Department, which was often part of the imperial organization whoever gained the appreciation of the Emperor, who was virtually the chief examiner, would be the champion, followed by a few runners-up.  These winners were appointed to various official posts according to their examination results. 2? After researching this information, USA kids have it easy compared to the children in China.  Children in China must study constantly and be confined to a room for days.
I would like to share how vital it is for educators to be mindful of how they approach their student’s parents. Educators must always be polite and positive when first approaching parents about any concerns they may have about a child. After reading the article this week, I am not sure that labeling is always the correct way to define a child.  According to Snow (2009) each child has a medical judgment and those diagnoses do not define the child.  This statement is so true, and I personally do not agree with labeling children.  Just because a child learns differently, has different social skills or has different features, doesn’t give anyone the right to judge that child.  According to Snow, (2009) most of the children being mislabeled are a direct result of the children’s learning styles not matching the teaching style of the caregiver/educator. I personally agree with this statement because my daughter once had a teacher whose teaching style did not work well with my daughter’s learning style. As soon as I transferred my child to another class, she did well and the teacher also recognized a positive change in my child’s work performance. We, as educators, just have to be mindful and try putting ourselves in others shoes and so we can be more empathic toward others.
Reference
Berger, K. S. (2012). The developing person through childhood (6th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.
Shanghai AND Hong, K( 2010) TwO DISTINcT EXAMPLES OF EDUcATION
www.oecd.org/.../hongkongchina/

Snow, K. (2003-2009). Redefining disability. Retrieved from http://www.disabilityisnatural.com/images/PDF/redefindis.pdf

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Saturday, February 1, 2014


Temika Mccann
Week 4 Blog
I have chosen to talk about Hunger for this week topics in   the world we live in today we take food for granted; however in other parts of the world such as Africa food is not freely available. I feel that people don’t realize how bless they are when they and their children can select a variety of kinds of foods and drinks from their refrigerator.  In other third world countries do not have the foods we have to.  Sometime we as adults do not understand how children are under so much stress due to the lack of food support that parent can provide for her child. Grown-ups usually miss the mark to be aware of the occurrence and enormousness of constant worry in the lives of children. According to research "parents perceive children as having lower levels of stress than children perceive themselves as having." (Humphrey, Helping Children Manage Stress, 1998, p.8) This is long-established by a nation-wide survey that "parents underestimate how much children worry" (Witkin, KidStress, 1999, p.11). This so true with the high level of stress w experience today, we know our children have somewhat effect by the stress.

I have not personally experience hunger myself, but had a family member that had experience huger. They experience stress, depression and worrying about what will eat from day – to –day. This took a huge toll on my cousin, causing a lot of angry and embarrassment. My cousin went through so many changes and how he was able to cope with the issue was by reading his word, support groups, meditation and help from food banks. He also survive daily meals were provided by supported neighbors, food banks and “this might sound disgusting”  it got to the point where his family had to eat out of trash bins just so they could survive to be alive. That why we should never look down on anyone; you never know how it feels unless you walk in someone else’s shoes.


The consequences that followed all that my cousin experienced was a lack of interest this took a huge toll on my cousin causing a lot of angry and embarrassment. It also affected his self-esteem. Children in South Africa are currently feeling these stress in a huge way. In the is unnecessary African people experience hunger in a huge way children and adults are affected by it these stress. In our current word, hunger has amount of stress on families. Grown-ups and children are all affected by it. In the “third world countries “around us, children are experiencing more stress at younger ages that. I could not even imaging if I had to go through what some of other women’s have to experience in other countries, I will have known Idea how I would be able to cope  with it. That is  why I do not take anything for granted and we are  bless to be able to have the freedom we have and the foods we can provide for our families is a blessing within itself. According to the 2012 Global hungry index  that south is ranked 9th in the world for highest hunger levels.




I truly believe what happens to those children that experience such trauma, it affects their bio social in a tremendous way first I will like to expound on some ways that children might be affected by it. For example, they may withdrawal from society.It also can affect one’s self – esteem and the child schooling, how well he/she performs on their schoolwork. Secondly, it can have emotional impact  on a child cognitive development  and by long-term stress this just add to what a child is already experiencing with all the trauma there are facing can overwhelm them  and can affect their thinking abilities to do well in school, Thirdly, when children experience ongoing stress it will affect their psycho-social development. For example, fear of the scrutiny and judgment of others exposure to natural disasters has a devastating impact on the psychological and social well being of children. The brain is affected when a child goes through this type of stress at a very young age. This can have a long impact on his adulthood in a significant way.

Conclusion,
We have to be thankful and always be mindful of how grateful we are. After during my search. I did not realize how much South Africa was really affected by huger. I did not realize that so many people around the world are experiencing so much lack of food and how children are under so much stress because of a lack of food. When stress takes a toll on a child’s life not only can it affect them psychologically, but it can have a long lifelong affect on their adulthood as well.



References


Humphrey, James. Helping Children Manage Stress, A Guide for Adults, Child and Family Press, 1998.

Worldwide, C., Thompson, J., Scenery, G., & Rahall, J. (October 2012). Global Hunger Index: The Challenge of Hunger: Ensuring Sustainable Food Security Under land, Water, an D Energy Stresses.Washington D.C.: International Food Policy Research Institute.


Witkin, Georgia. KidStress: What It Is, How It Feels, How To Help, Viking Penguin, 1999.