REFLECTION 8: PARENTS vs MEDIA!!

My parents raised me into being the young, wonderful person I am today. They have taught me to learn how say please, thank you, good morning, night and afternoon. It was their priority to make me know as a child that nothing came by easily it was always well earned. It was made known to me that we were neither rich nor poor we were blessed because we are alive and we are not suffering. Judging people by what they have was never been in my household and that is how I think that the media portrays social class through the newspaper, music, and/or internet. The media shows young minds today that if they are not living in the “glamorous” life they are poor and have no life at all. I strongly believe that the children who are not showered in money have a good outlook at life and work extremely hard to earn something. Looking at gender and thinking very hard about what I was taught it pretty much looks the same as what the media displays. I was taught that the girls are supposed to be inside while the boys are outside. I was always told to do my chores for example cleaning, doing laundry and every possible thing you could think of doing in the house. As I grew older I was taught that females are the caretakers of the household they are suppose to bear and rare the children, cook, clean and make sure everything is fine. With the media the same idea is portrayed but in a more vulgar way in some cases. Finally sexual relations, is the biggest one that is portrayed very different from how the parents wants their child to know about it. For me sex education was taught in school and by my parents. YES, I GOT THE BIRDS AND THE BEES TALK. It was the same that was repeated ABSTAIN, ABSTAIN and ABTAIN SOME MORE. My family believes in no sex before marriage and if not it should be done with the one you are extremely passionate about and not just anybody while the media to some extent portrays it to be ok. They make it seem as if it is a dirty deed at times with the language that is used and whom it is done with. I am extremely happy with the way I was brought up because the result is shown in everything I do.

BASED ON PROFESSOR MCNAIR'S BLOG POSTS!!

This is a heartfelt piece (RAINDROPS). This has to deal with how men grief whether you look at it from back in the early days or now in modern era. This explains further to my understanding that because society views men as being 'tough' they usually find a reason to hide pain or come up with an excuse to avoid showing their real true feelings. This article (A CASUAL LOOK) shows how young love or love on a whole behaves. Whenever it gets a hold of you your mind does not think, it is only your heart that tells you what to do. It is a great experience for each person in this world to fall in love .In this piece (TRUE LOVE) of writing which talks about true love, it shows how the body, mind and heart works together and as a whole. Sometimes in life an individual sees another person and feels as if that this person is the one and only. In some cases, this situation works out but in most cases, it does not and causes the heart to be in pain, become angry and in most cases scared to love again. (JAMESETTA ON MY MIND) Music is the soul of the world. It expresses sorrow, happiness, love and all other emotions. It is sometimes the best way to bring memories back to life. This allows the person to therefore express their true feelings rather than to hide it. In this post (THE BLUES HAD A BABY), it expands my knowledge on how music has transformed rock and roll 'n particular. Rock 'n roll came from a genre of music known as the BLUES!!! This kind of music is known to express emotions such as darkness, sorrow, hate and the most popular disobedience. This obviously changed the music world and had more people listening to this genre.

REFLECTION 7: Rites of Passage

Rites of passage in each culture are performed differently. I think it is a traditional experience that sometimes includes giving and\or sacrificing. This ritual is sometimes used to mark the coming of age of an adult into adulthood, fertility, death and marriage just to name a few. It is important in every culture because it shows the individuals on the outside that a significant stage in that person’s life has just occurred. After reading the articles Mt Kenya, Sitting Quietly and the Sambia I gained a more diverse knowledge on other cultures traditional experience. In the article about the Sambia, it was told how the boys coming of age was done. To me this was extremely shocking because I am not of that culture but after reading I have come to appreciate whatsoever it deals with. Male and female strength and sexual fertility is developed in this culture. In the next article, Mt Kenya, the procedure carried out were mind blogging not just, because they sounded painful but because it was inhumane. During this ritual the females’ clitoris is cut. Finally yet importantly Sitting Quietly. In this article, the individuals were rewarded for their bravery. I actually found it quite interesting and unique. The relationship between rites of passage and formal education is extremely clear. I think that the link between the mentioned is that it shows the development of a child while he/she progresses in school. For example, the child goes from kindergarten to elementary to middle school on to high school. It is like a baby growing into an adult. Each phase is a big milestone for both parents and children. Therefore, I think that rites of passage influence the formal education in some way or another. In conclusion, it is safe to say that the world is widely influenced by culture and rituals, which gives the people a different outlook at life causing them to be well rounded.

REFLECTION 6:- 'Little Rock Nine"

Having read the article in the textbook according to CUSHNER etal, I am having mixed feelings towards the situation of ‘LITTLE ROCK NINE.’ I would have loved to be one of the nine to break segregation back in history but on the other hand I definitely would have hated to be treated as if I were nothing just because of my skin color, my hair, my eyes and/or my nose. As a child, you do not want to feel uncomfortable no matter what the circumstances are. Each child of this world is equal in the eyes of humans as they are in the eyes of God. They all deserve the same education because equality is power. On reflecting, I think I would have felt protected, safe and secure if I had to have armed guards for me to enter the institution for learning. I would not have wanted to be deprived of such value. Therefore, I would have done everything possible in my power to get a good education. Although it is known that these children were ridiculed and abused verbally, they still pressed on no matter what their surroundings were. The shouts at these children were preposterous. The higher-class people of the town made it obvious and renowned that colored folks were not wanted in the town nevertheless in the schools. This was so because these individuals had the mindset that blacks were slaves therefore they needed no education and if any, it should be little and whites are slave masters thus them having all the education. For me to be one of those children being shouted at I know that emotionally destroyed I would be. Reason for that is that these children at such a tender age thinking that the world hates them are not an easy task for them to cope with. As today, a teacher to be, I definitely am happy that I got the chance to read and reflect on such a historical event. This implores me to be a neutral individual in life and in the working field when I get there because LIFE IS SHORT, therefore LIVE IT TO THE FULLEST and DO NOT DEPRIVE OTHERS OF WHAT IS IMPORTANT. Actually, do not deprive anyone of anything in the world LIVE, LOVE and LAUGH together.

REFLECTION 5: CULTURE

Culture is the way of life of a people. Their personality, the way they behave, the food that they eat, the clothes that they wear and the people they socialize with. This is all considered the culture of a person. For example, Indians eat special kind of food that have been blessed by their god Allah and is considered righteous to eat; the term they use is halal. The women also have to cover up their entire body because their belief is that the woman’s' body is only to be showed or exposed to her spouse. They also have to marry within their caste. When I was a child, I was taught to be open-minded but I still think it is an unknown fact how some people grow up and become adults who want nothing to do with anyone that is not like them. When growing up in a certain environment for so long, it is hard to adapt to anything else but what we have been brought up with. Culture is what makes a person, it is everything around us. Although there are different cultural backgrounds and beliefs, I have always been told never to criticize or judge a person because of where he or she is from or how they act. Everybody is different in his or her own way no matter the different cultures. They are going to have their own beliefs about a certain something. I have always believed that there is only one God but Hindu’s think differently and I believe that every race should come together and mix and reproduce to become one but Indians think differently. I have a Jamaican culture and I think our background is unique from others. Our music, dances, food, language- "patois" is what makes who I am today. Nevertheless, we Jamaican are connected to many other cultural backgrounds. Jamaica has a very diverse culture and is one of the multi-cultural countries in the world. Each person in the world should remember that culture is learnt, shared, based on symbols and is adapted and integrated. Cultural diffusion is the main way in which culture is learnt whether it may be directly or indirectly. This dictation influences and creates individuals in the world today.

REFLECTION 4: MY TAKE ON DIVERSITY

Being in a diverse course, I have come to understand that not every child learns in the same pattern. Each person is different in personality, looks, and the mere way they carry themselves. I think I am prepared for diversity because of experiences that I have incurred. I have had the opportunity to work with children with disabilities, different cultures, different races and different ways of life. Each child had their own way of thinking and doing things whether their reason was because it is how they knew how to do it or that was how they wanted to do it. I am extremely happy I got a chance to do so because that experience opened my eyes and made me feel well prepared and safe when it comes on to how children think, act and believe. This assures me that in the future I am destined to continue believing in being non-prejudice. No child or individual should be judged or treated based on their color, race, culture, learning abilities and/or age. Every person deserves equal treatment therefore in education every child deserves the same teaching. I am open to hear and reach out to everybody in whatsoever ways I can.

REFLECTION 3 :FRAMEWORKS, PARADIGMS and PARADIGM SHIFTS

To know different solutions to different problems, teachers must have a mind set to explore options and ideas, not to just think that there is only one solution to a problem. For example mathematics, there are different ways to find out a single solution. My idea of paradigm tells us there is always something more than what is expected. According to the dictionary on answers.com, a paradigm is a set of assumptions, concepts, principles and practices that constitutes a way of viewing a reality for the group of people that shares them. Therefore, a paradigm shift is simply a change in practice. The change in how you think and analyze situations that changes certain solutions to certain problems giving a different answer or the way you think about a certain thing looking in depth. For example a woman’s face, if she considers it ugly. If you have experienced a paradigm shift, you would see more than UGLY. You would see the wrinkles, the acne, the light spots different from the dark spots, a mere scar, an error made in an eyebrow waxing. This is what paradigms are. Looking beyond what is actually there.

Teachers should experience paradigm changes in the classrooms because of the advancement in science and technology within society, which has dominated the world. They are the stepping-stones for new generations; therefore, they should be well equipped with new changes in the world. Good teachers practice ways such as paradigm shifts. They do so because they want the best for their students. They should not just teach the basics in the curriculum but they should try their very best to teach beyond that such as teaching the students how to deal with problems that will arise in life. This theory is guaranteed to have a positive impact on the individuals that it is shown to because they will not just know what is in the books but they will become well developed and well rounded individuals.