Early Childhood School Essay Example for Free

Early Childhood School Essay Education To Be More was published last August. It was the report of the New Zealand Governments Early Childhood Care and Education Working Group. The report argued for enhanced equity of access and better funding for childcare and early childhood education institutions. Unquestionably, thats a real need; but since parents dont normally send children to pre-schools until the age of three, are we missing out on the most important years of all? B A 13-year study of early childhood development at Harvard University has shown that, by the age of three, most children have the potential to understand about 1000 words most of the language they will use in ordinary conversation for the rest of their lives. Furthermore, research has shown that while every child is born with a natural curiosity, it can be suppressed dramatically during the second and third years of life. Researchers claim that the human personality is formed during the first two years of life, and during the first three years children learn the basic skills they will use in all their later learning both at home and at school. Once over the age of three, children continue to expand on existing knowledge of the world. C It is generally acknowledged that young people from poorer socio-economic backgrounds tend to do less well in our education system. Thats observed not just in New Zealand, but also in Australia, Britain and America. In an attempt to overcome that educational under-achievement, a nationwide programme called Headstart was launched in the United States in 1965. A lot of money was poured into it. It took children into pre-school institutions at the age of three and was supposed to help the children of poorer families succeed in school. Despite substantial funding, results have been disappointing. It is thought that there are two explanations for this. First, the programme began too late. Many children who entered it at the age of three were already behind their peers in language and measurable intelligence. Second, the parents were not involved. At the end of each day, Headstart children returned to the same disadvantaged home environment. D As a result of the growing research evidence of the importance of the first three years of a childs life and the disappointing results from Headstart, a pilot programme was launched in Missouri in the US that focused on parents as the childs first teachers. The Missouri programme was predicated on research showing that working with the family, rather than bypassing the parents, is the most effective way of helping children get off to the best possible start in life. The four-year pilot study included 380 families who were about to have their first child and who represented a cross-section of socio-economic status, age and family configurations. They included single-parent and two-parent families, families in which both parents worked, and families with either the mother or father at home. The programme involved trained parent ¬educators visiting the parents home and working with the parent, or parents, and the child. Information on child development, and guidance on things to look for and expect as the child grows were provided, plus guidance in fostering the childs intellectual, language, social and motor-skill development. Periodic check-ups of the childs educational and sensory development (hearing and vision) were made to detect possible handicaps that interfere with growth and development. Medical problems were referred to professionals. Parent-educators made personal visits to homes and monthly group meetings were held with other new parents to share experience and discuss topics of interest. Parent resource centres, Located in school buildings, offered learning materials for families and facilitators for child care. E At the age of three, the children who had been involved in the Missouri programme were evaluated alongside a cross-section of children selected from the same range of socio-economic backgrounds and Family situations, and also a random sample of children that age. The results were phenomenal. By the age of three, the children in the programme were significantly more advanced in language development than their peers, had made greater strides in problem solving and other intellectual skills, and were Further along in  social development. In fact, the average child on the programme was performing at the level of the top 15 to 20 per cent of their peers in such things as auditory comprehension, verbal ability and language ability. Most important of all, the traditional measures of risk, such as parents age and education, or whether they were a single parent, bore little or no relationship to the measures of achievement and language development. Children in the programme performed equally well regardless of scio-economic disadvantages. Child abuse was virtually eliminated. The one factor that was found to affect the childs development was family stress leading to a poor quality of parent-child interaction. That interaction was not necessarily bad in poorer families. F These research findings are exciting. There is growing evidence in New Zealand that children from poorer socio-economic backgrounds are arriving at school less well developed and that our school system tends to perpetuate that disadvantage. The initiative outlined above could break that cycle of disadvantage. The concept of working with parents in their homes, or at their place of work, contrasts quite markedly with the report of the Early Childhood Care and Education Working Group. Their focus is on getting children and mothers access to childcare and institutionalised early childhood education. Education from the age of three to five is undoubtedly vital, but without a similar Focus on parent education and on the vital importance of the first three years, some evidence indicates that it will not be enough to overcome educational inequity.

Community Service: We Must All Give Back to the Community Essay

I earned volunteer hours as a member of the County High Students in Philanthropy organization. I joined Students in Philanthropy my junior year in high school mostly because I wanted it on my college applications but partly because my mom has a part of the organization when she was getting her degree. My mom loved being a part of Students in Philanthropy and so I thought it would be the best choice for me. I had no clue just how much fun I would have over the course of two years. I definitely did not expect to become a member of State College’s Students in Philanthropy when I started college two years ago, however I am now a member and I love it. Through being a part of such an incredible organization, I volunteered with the Life Skills students at County High, helped build a house ...

Sexism in Sherlock Holmes

Sexism can be identified as being prejudice towards someone or for stereotyping or discriminating them, on the basis of gender. However, Sherlock Holmes is not sexist within the book, dramatization and modernized episode. In the novel, â€Å"A Scandal in Bohemia† by Conan Doyle, the protagonist Sherlock Holmes is not portrayed to be a sexist character. To begin with, Sherlock insists on having Doctor John Watson remain alongside with him. Just before the King of Bohemia enters for his consultation with Sherlock Holmes regarding his case, Watson offers to leave but Sherlock responds by saying, â€Å"[n]ot a bit, Doctor. Stay where you are. I am lost without my Boswell†¦ it would be a pity to miss it. † (5). Sherlock invites Doctor Watson to stay in the room before the King of Bohemia comes in. This shows that Sherlock cares for having his friend and colleague in the room when he is working. Sherlock is not discriminating against the male sex because Doctor Watson is a male figure and Sherlock wants him to stay so that way he can record any details and understand all that is going on and afterwards help him with their case. Furthermore, Sherlock Holmes addresses Irene Adler in a respectful manner. After the great scandal that threatened the Kingdom of Bohemia is resolved, Doctor Watson says Sherlock, â€Å"[w]hen he speaks of Irene Adler, or when he refers to her photograph, it is always under the honorable title of the woman. † (13). Whenever Sherlock is speaking of Irene Adler he uses the term ‘the woman’, which is not used as a demeaning term. Instead it is a title that Sherlock’s uses to show his respect for Irene. Since Sherlock has respect for Irene it illustrates that he is not sexist against women. Therefore, Sherlock Holmes is not sexist because he insists of having Doctor Watson remain alongside with him and addresses Irene in a respectful manner. Within the dramatization â€Å"A Scandal in Bohemia† directed by Paul Annett, again Sherlock Holmes is also not depicted as a sexist character. Firstly, Sherlock Holmes is attracted to someone of the opposite sex. When Sherlock Holmes said â€Å"Irene Adler had a face that any man would die for†, he preferred to take her photograph to a rich ring from the King of Bohemia’s finger. Sherlock clearly finds Irene Adler to be beautiful and would much rather keep her picture then the King’s ring. Sherlock is very attracted to Irene since she outwitted him. He thinks highly of Irene as opposed to being sexist against her. Moreover, Sherlock supports the marriage between a male and a female. When Irene and Norton are about to get married, they need a witness for their marriage to be legalized. Therefore Sherlock who is in disguise witnesses the marriage between the two. The fact that Sherlock is there to witness their marriage shows that he indeed supports the wedding between the two. He is not displaying any sexism towards either males or females in this example, because he is not discriminating against them or favoring one gender over the other. For these reasons, Sherlock is not sexist in the dramatization because he is attracted to someone of the opposite sex and he supports a marriage between both a male and female. Lastly the modernized episode from the television show â€Å"Sherlock† is based upon on â€Å"The Scandal in Belgravia†. Here Sherlock Holmes is not represented to be a sexist character. Firstly, Sherlock Holmes puts his own life in danger to protect a woman. When the American CIA’s harmed Mrs. Hudson, Sherlock became angry and killed all of them. This shows that Sherlock cares for Mrs. Hudson. Although the CIA’s were well equipped with guns that could easily harm them all, Sherlock was determined to save Mrs. Hudson. Since Sherlock put his own life at risk to protect Mrs. Hudson’s, it shows that he is not sexist against women, especially when he saved the life of one. In addition, Sherlock Holmes saves the life of another female. At the end of the episode when the Karachi terrorist group were about to chop off Irene’s head, Sherlock rescues her. Sherlock helps Irene escape when she was on the brink of death. If Sherlock was sexist, then he would have let Irene die. However, he cannot let anyone be cruel to her which demonstrates that he is not sexist against females. Therefore, Sherlock Holmes is not sexist in the modernized episode because he saves the lives of two women. All in all, I believe that Sherlock Holmes is not represented as a sexist character in the book, dramatization and If only one dramatization between the two that we watched in class were to survive, I would choose the dramatization of the episode â€Å"A Scandal in Belgravia† from the television series â€Å"Sherlock†. I would choose this version because it is a modern version based on the book. As time has pass, it is difficult for people to follow along and understand the English language that has been spoken in the past. Thus it will be easier for the future generation to understand this version because the language is English from the twenty first century, as opposed to the other dramatization which was made in twentieth century. Also, this dramatization expands on the storyline. There are a lot more scenes added such as the hiker dying with the boomerang in the beginning or Irene Adler almost being killed at the end. These scenes make the episode more action packed and intriguing to watch. Also, this dramatization introduces more advanced technology such as the camera phone, internet blogs, modern firearms and a science laboratory that holds advanced equipment. Not only that but more characters are introduced such as Sherlock’s Holmes brother, Moycroft, the CIA group and Moriarty, who all make the episode very entertaining! In addition, it has more appealing genres then just mystery, there is action, romance, and comedy. Furthermore, the entire cast for the television series has wonderful acting skills. Its two stars, Benedict Cumberbatch, who plays Sherlock Holmes, and Martin Freeman, who plays Doctor Watson, they have such amazing chemistry. They make the episode livelier and humorous to watch. Therefore, I believe that the modernized dramatization should survive because it is easier to follow along through the vocabulary, it expands on the plot and has an amazing selection of wonderful actors and actresses.

Reflection - 923 Words

In my time as a student at Winthrop University I have been a part of many different experiences that have molded me into the future educator that I hope to become. Some of the biggest experiences that have helped shape me are my class time in CRTW 201, my class time in EDUC 220, and my time teaching private lessons with the Clover High School Band Program. Each of these experiences has played a large role in helping me become the teacher I am today and the teacher that I aspire to be. The first experience that shaped my view of teaching was my class time in CRTW 201. While the majority of Winthrop students does not enjoy attending any general education classes, this one was different. I always enjoyed going to CRTW because the class†¦show more content†¦Through the course of the semester, we created assessments related to our content areas and give them to other students in our major. This class revealed to me why assessment is important and the best way to assess in a music classroom. Through this process, I realized that students need just as much of a â€Å"written knowledge† of the content as they do a â€Å"playing knowledge†. This aligns with Standard 4. Assessment, Element 1. The teacher candidate designs, selects, and implements valid, reliable, and appropriately differentiated assessments that are aligned with short and long term goals. In my future classroom, I will take the knowledge that I have acquired and create many different types of assessments to gauge my students’ learning. The most significant experience during my time at Winthrop, has been the opportunity to teach private music lessons at Clover High School. I was fortunate to be given to opportunity to work with the bands at Clover High School since I first started at Winthrop. One of the first things I noticed when I started working over there is that this school was very different than the school climate I came from. It took a few weeks of getting to know th e students for me to figure out why I was struggling to get through to them. The problem I was having was getting them to buy/keep up with anything on paper that I assigned to them. I quickly realized that giving them digital copies of stuff would let them have accessShow MoreRelatedReflection1650 Words   |  7 PagesIan-Bradley Tancred This essay analyses and describes what reflection is and how it supports your personal and professional learning. It elaborates upon how and why recognizing your strengths and weaknesses are important and how they can enhance lifelong learning. It describes what arguments and assertions are, what the differences are between them and which one is better. Debnath describes reflection as a means of self-examination to learn from knowledge and experiences which will help transformRead MoreReflection1479 Words   |  6 PagesReflections Both simple and complex reflections were used. A simple reflection used towards the beginning of the interview transpired into, â€Å"pretty active out doing a lot of things.† Alternatively, a complex reflection used when reflecting on Sarah’s feelings about what her friends think about her not socializing subsisted of, â€Å"it bothers you thinking about them, wondering about your intentions.† I used twice as many complex reflections as simple reflections. Unfortunately, I should have usedRead MoreReflection On The Word Reflection 701 Words   |  3 PagesFor me the word ‘reflection’ means taking time to really dig deep into my thoughts, to contemplate something meaningful and significant, to make a decision that often involves me and my future. It has a personal and emotional connection. Daudelin (1996) uses the word ‘reflection’ to encourage managers to create time to recognise the value of learning from past and current work s ituations (‘experience’) and to adapt this learning to new situations. I would prefer to choose the words ‘thought’ or ‘consideration’Read MoreReflection1218 Words   |  5 PagesReflection on your personal development Reflection is a major factor in developing self-awareness to improve services provided to everyone around me, this is to develop my own understanding in realising the good and bad made previously. Moving forward with a better understanding, as well as rectifying the mistake whilst recognizing the good points, (Horton-Deutsch and Sherwood, 2008). Working in a domiciliary setting and visiting vulnerable adults within their homes, I am constantly tryingRead Morereflection703 Words   |  3 Pageshelpful/ inspiring. Your completed template form and content should be a CRITICAL reflection of the paper/ chapter content but NOT merely summarize what you have read. TEMPLATE FOR REFLECTIONS ON EXPERIENCES DATE: PLACE: The experience 1. What experience are you reflecting on (class session, project group meeting, particular piece of reading, other)? Give a brief account of this experience. 2. 3. Reflections on Experience 4. 2. Looking back, what was particularly memorable/ interestingRead MoreReflection Of Illusion1635 Words   |  7 Pages Shattering a Reflection of Illusion I stare blankly at the blinking caret. Propped up snugly against three quilted pillows and one calculus textbook is my laptop. To be more specific, a laptop opened to an empty Microsoft Word document. Writing a speech is no easy task, but writing a valedictory address is like playing darts with spaghetti. Humbly accepting the position as the class valedictorian, I have been graced with the task of writing an excerpt that would fill my classmates’ hearts withRead MoreNursing reflection.12855 Words   |  52 PagesReflective Essay This essay will look at reflection on a critical incident that has promoted a positive outcome. It is not a very major incident but it stands out as it has a potential for learning. This essay will identify and explain Johns (1994) model of reflection and explain what reflection is and why reflective practice is necessary and how it can be used. Schone (1983) recommended reflection on critical incidence as a valuable term, sited in Ghaye and Lillyman (1997) a critical incidentRead MoreReflection Essay1616 Words   |  7 Pagesintegral part of nursing. It will also demonstrate how reflection enabled me to make sense of and learn from this experience, as well as identify any further learning developments needed to improve my practice and achieve the level of competency needed for when I qualify as an assistant practitioner. While discussing the knowledge underpinning practice, evidence based literature will be reviewed to support my discussion and for the purpose of reflection the essay will be written in the first person. SpouseRead MoreReflection On Self Development Through Reflection1854 Words   |  8 Pagesthrough reflection is a key issue of education and learning (Kennison, 2012), where you learn through experience (Tashiro, Shimpuku, Naruse and Matsutani, 2013), learn to self-evaluate (Duffy, 2013), identify gaps in knowledge and detect where further training or study is required to improve practice (Olarerin, 2013). Ultimately reflection is thought to be constant learning from practice, thus refining knowledge and experiences and putting them into practice (Naidoo, 2013). Within my reflection examplesRead MoreReflection Essay781 Words   |  4 PagesI determined that I needed a new interest, something to keep my mind engaged and challenged. I enrolled in the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) through the Columbia Southern University (CSU) just for fulfillment. This reflection assignment exercise proves to be the catalyst for my future college endeavors. The assignment to reflect on DBA program dreamed of taking steps towards realizing those ideas and course accomplishments right now. Due to time some course assignments, I will embrace,