Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Ascension Catholic Church Visit
Ascension Catholic Church Visit The Ascension Catholic Church is located in 2950 North Harbor City Blvd Melbourne Florida. The close proximity of the church from my home enabled me make a visit to the church last Sunday for the morning mass at 9.30 am. My neighbor who is a member of the church had earlier invited me to visit the church with him on Wednesday evening. He further informed me of the churchs dressing code and even suggested that I accompany him to the church. However, since I wanted to get more exposure I declined this offer. Instead, we resolved to attend the Sunday service since it had higher attendance from the congregation (Ascension Catholic Community1). The Ascension Catholic Church is a member of the Diocese of Orlando that consists of other churches within Florida. The church is located in a serene environment that makes it an ideal location for worship. The actual church building has a sitting capacity of approximately one thousand two hundred people. On the right at the entrance, I dipped my finger and made a sign of the cross on my forehead in a holy water font. My neighbor friend informed me that the father had blessed the water and this is used as reminder of baptism. It further signifies respect as one enters into the house of God amongst Catholic faithful. The same routine is repeated as faithful exit the church (Ascension Catholic Community1). History of the church and nature of worshippers I was welcomed into the church by members of the welcome team who usher in new parishioners and orient them into the church. This greatly uplifted my spirits and I felt appreciated and recognized by the church. The congregation at Ascension Catholic Church varies widely representing all ethnicities and age groups of the community. The church has therefore created several masses to cater for all groups of the congregation. The church has further created special categories of the congregation ranging from pre- schoolchildren to junior high schools and teenagers. The adult population consists of special interest outreach groups that cater for disadvantaged members of the society such as the deaf (Ascension Catholic Community1). The deaf ministry for instance, holds special meetings with those with hearing impairments to encourage and nurture them spiritually. In addition, the job seeker ministry consoles those who have lost employment while also helping them in searching for other alternative sources of income. The Vietnamese community on the other hand, helps immigrants to settle comfortably in America. There is also a community of Hispanic Americans and a different one for Philippines at the church (Ascension Catholic Community1). The Boy Scout movement however, seeks to develop the physical fitness and moral characters of young men in the congregation. Retirees also have their unique group through which they share ideas and life experiences. Female members of the congregation sponsor days of recollection and other social programs and events that benefit the community. The bereavement ministry helps families cope with death of loved ones while also supporting funeral arrangements. The church also collaborates with the community of hope to provide shelter to the impoverished families to build homes. The church also runs a scholarship fund for bright children and uses volunteers to steer most of its daily activities. This further exemplifies the kind and caring nature of most worshippers at the church. For instance, the transportation ministry transports the sick and elderly to church services and hospital visits (Ascension Catholic Community1). Description of the church and significance of the symbols used At the front of the church at the pulpit, there was the bible. However, my friend corrected me that the pulpit was actually known as a lectern and the lectionary as the Catholics refer to it contains parts of the Bible that the father uses to conduct mass. There were different statues in different positions within the church. These statues represented different saints. Moreover, the saints, believed to be in heaven overlook upon the faithful and guide them in their daily lives. For one to become a saint, they have to live exemplary lives while on earth and present good examples to others. There was also a statue of Mary holding her baby, Jesus Christ (Ascension Catholic Community1). In front of the statue, there were lit candles that are a symbol of prayer. I also noticed 14 pictures all round the walls of the church. These Stations of the Cross tell the story of the suffering and eventual death of Jesus at the hand of Romans. These stations guide Catholic faithful in prayer during the lent period that precedes the Easter festival. At the front of the church, hanging from above there was a cross with a figure on it. This crucifix I was informed represented Jesus crucification on the cross. Some faithful bowed to the crucifix as they entered the church as a sign of respect and adoration for Jesus (Ascension Catholic Community1). At the middle front of the church, an altar covered in cloth with candles around it is the main figure. On the left of the altar, there is a baptismal font where baptismal rites take place on occasional basis. In addition, there was a cabinet containing three vessels of oil. One is for blessing and strengthening those preparing for Baptism, another for the sick and the third is used in giving sacraments to the faithful. The tabernacle is used to keep holy Eucharist used in communion. The lamp hanging above this small place further represents Jesus presence in inside the special house. Therefore, the catholic take the tabernacle to be the holiest place in the church. The Pascal candle is a symbol of Jesus resurrection and is therefore replaced every Easter. Finally, the canopy hanging above the altar represents the time Jewish were wandering in the desert. Moreover, the canopy serves to remind Catholics of their journey with the Lord (Ascension Catholic Community1). The actual service and its significance We all stood up as an introductory song was sung as the priest and ministers entered and proceeded to the altar. The purpose of this opening song was to deepen our unity as the Mass began. After a greeting from the Father in form of a short prayer, we went back to our seats. A group confession of sins followed by singing a hymn before the Father closed the first session with an opening prayer that concludes the introductory rites to every mass(Ascension Catholic Community1). In the liturgy, we celebrated Gods word by listening to his message from the Bible. This celebration is essential to deepen our faith and thank God for the gift of life. A first reading came from the Old Testament to embrace the role of Jesus as a link between the past and present. This was concluded with a reflective psalm that also created an atmosphere of prayer. The second reading came from the book of Mathews to motivate us in facing the challenges of the modern world. The reading reflected our current challenge of electing a new president in the coming weeks and encouraged us to have faith in Gods guidance to make the correct choice (Ascension Catholic Community1). A gospel reading from the book of John formed the gospel reading for the Sunday and marked the climax of the liturgy of the word. The sermon taught us that by proclaiming the gospel, we welcome Christ amongst us. Listening to the Gospel proclaimed further reminded us and identified us with the first faithful who heard these teachings from Jesus himself. At the end of the reading, the father proclaimed the gospel of the lord to which we affirmed. After reciting the Apostles Creed, individuals presented their own prayers to the Lord from the altar (Ascension Catholic Community1). Worshippers then proceeded to give their offerings through a collection basket that went around. All types of gifts were also presented to the altar from a procession that included children. The father blessed these gifts and asked Jesus to accept them on our behalf. The father later conducted a different thanksgiving prayer requesting the Lord through his Holy Spirit to transform the gifts into his body and blood. This epiclesis recalled the last supper when Jesus shared the last meal with his disciples before his eventual betrayal. In a moment of silence, the church remembered the sacrifice of Jesus (Ascension Catholic Community1). The short meditation is crucial to keep his memory by believing in his death, resurrection, and eventual ascension. This memorial further challenges Christians to be ready to make sacrifices as Jesus did while remembering all those who have passed on. Afterwards, church attendants proceed to partake of the holy sacrament that represents Christs body while the wine represents his blood that he spilt to save humanity. Public announcements followed before the priest concluded the service (Ascension Catholic Community1). My experience The service was generally enjoyable except for some of the prayers that I was not accustomed to reciting. The visit was a revelation and I learnt many aspects of the Catholic Church. This has consequently changed my perception on Catholics and the presence of statues in their church. I fully understand the symbolism of these and fully appreciate their beliefs. Furthermore, the priest was lively and used real life experiences in relating the sermon to our daily life experiences. I also found the choir extremely wonderful by the hymns they sung and the dancing by little children from the Sunday school. Moreover, the congregation was friendly and very hospitable to visitors (Ascension Catholic Community1). What needs to be improved The church should expand the sitting capacity to accommodate more faithful. I noticed some worshippers stranded outside because of the limited seats available. The parking lot should also be expanded to accommodate more worshippers cars. However, these seem not to hinder the congregation visiting the church since all masses are always full (Ascension Catholic Community1). Conclusion I really enjoyed my visit to Ascension Catholic Church. Apart from the spiritual nourishment, I gained valuable insight into Catholic history and beliefs. My interaction with the friendly congregation further encouraged me to make regular visits to the church. Finally, I might just make more visits to the church in future to build on this new learning and spiritual experience. This will enable me to break the routine monotony from my church occasionally. Work cited Ascension Catholic Community, 2012. Web. 15th October 2012.
Monday, January 20, 2020
Bernoullis Principle and the Wing :: physics bernoulli principle
Well we all love flying in planes from one place to another but have you ever wondered how those large vehicles stay in the air? The answer of coarse is the wings. Now that you know that wings keep a plane aloft you are probably wondering how they work. Wings keep a plane in the air because of Bernoulli's principle. In the following pages you will learn who Bernoulli was and how we can apply his principle to the wing model. Daniel Bernoulli ( 1700 - 1782 ), son of Johann II Bernoulli, was born in the Groningen, Netherlands. At the age of 13, Daniel was sent to Basel University to study philosophy and logic. Later he obtained his master's degree in philosophy at the age of sixteen. Although Daniel was interested mainly in mathematics, his father pushed him into the medical field where he could profit the most. Again, Daniel attended Basel and other colleges around Europe where he obtained his doctorate in medicine in 1720. While studying medicine in Venice, Daniel published his first book entitled Mathematical Exercises. Daniel soon became interested in fluid flow while working with the flow of blood and blood pressure. With the help of the famous scientist Euler, Daniel published his most famous book Hydrodynamica in 1738. In this book Daniel discusses equilibrium, pressure, and speed in fluids which led to Bernoulli's principle. Read on to find out about his principle. The Bernoulli's equation explains the how pressure and velocity are affected as liquid moves through a tube with segments of different area. The fundamental rule shown here is as the speed of a fluid increases, its pressure decreases. Now we can apply this rule to a wing traveling through air, otherwise known as an airfoil. When an airfoil is tilted upwards the air above the airfoil travels faster than the air below the airfoil because it has a greater distance to travel. The higher velocity above the airfoil creates a drop in pressure and the lower velocity below the airfoil creates an increase in pressure. This results in a "push" from the bottom otherwise known as lift. Since the wing is also angled upward a downward push is created from the trailing edge also pushing the airfoil upward. All of this allows a plane to fly. More efficient designs in wings have been made to allow maximum lift for different types of planes.
Sunday, January 12, 2020
Intrinsic and Extrinsic Barriers to Learning Examples, Definition
Intrinsic and Extrinsic Barriers to Learning Examples ââ¬â Essay Speech about inclusive Education Good morning principal and fellow colleagues. I have been given the task to talk to you about Inclusive education and the intrinsic and extrinsic barriers to learning and development. What is inclusive education? In line with international trends, South African education is moving away from special education towards a policy of inclusion (i. e. Inclusion of learners with disabilities, impairments and historically disadvantaged in terms of access to curriculum into mainstream schools). International and South African perspectives on inclusion are closely related to wider social concerns about human rights. The new Constitution highlights respect for the rights of all, with particular emphasis on the recognition of diversity. This implies an inclusive approach to education in the sense that all learners are entitled to appropriate education. It was argued by Engelbrecht et al. (1999: viii) that this is only possible if one education system is liable for educational provision, and not two systems (i. e. mainstream and special education system). However in order for it to be effective, schools, classrooms and teachers need to be prepared to change and supported in doing so. There has never been a formal exclusion in our country. Learners with a wide variety of special education needs were and are to be found in many classrooms. The difference now is that these learners are recognised as having the right to access the curriculum and the right to a curriculum which is appropriate to their learning needs. This has implications for the nature of the school and classroom environments, the nature of the curriculum and roles of teachers, parents and communities in the education of all learners. A commitment to inclusion does not mean that all learners with special education needs will necessarily be in mainstream classrooms. There will always be a few who are better catered for in separate environments. Inclusion and education for all The 1994 report from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), stated and I quote. ââ¬Å"The guiding principle that informs this framework is that schools should accommodate all learners regardless of their physical, intellectual, social, emotional, linguistic or other conditions. This should include disabled and gifted learners, street and working learners, learners from remote or nomadic populations, learners from linguistic, ethnic or cultural minorities and learners from other disadvantaged or marginalised area or groups. â⬠In other words, inclusion is not simply about reconstructing provision for learners with disabilities, but is a means of extending educational opportunities to a wide range of marginalised groups who may historically have had a little or no access to schooling. This is of great significance in our country, considering our past (apartheid era). There are many journals and books based on inclusive education, and how to run an inclusive school and classroom, so before going on and on, I will briefly outline occurrences of barriers to learning and development of learners. There are two groups: intrinsic factors ââ¬â those located within the individual learner themselves. The learners are usually born with specific characteristics such as blindness or a missing appendage. The second barrier is extrinsic factors ââ¬â those emanating from outside the learner ââ¬â that is their environment, home, upbringing and teaching (Weeks, 2003: 19). If we look at: 1. Intrinsic barriers. The most prominent intrinsic factors are physical and/ or physiological impairments and personality characteristics which are caused by many factors. If Iââ¬â¢m tired of my own voice by now, I donââ¬â¢t want to imagine how you may be feeling, so I will only outline a few general causes (Weeks, 2003:21). 1. 1. Genetic or hereditary factors We inherit out genetic composition in the form of chromosomes and we receive an equal amount from each parent. Just as one inherits certain characteristics of the parents, for example eye and hair colour, so too, can a physical or physiological impairment be inherited. Examples of this are poor eyesight and low levels of intelligence. Sometimes abnormal genes are not inherited, but something goes wrong with the genetic composition during the very early stages of development in the uterus. This is known as ââ¬Å"chromosomalâ⬠or ââ¬Å"geneticâ⬠deviations. Downââ¬â¢s syndrome and Turnerââ¬â¢s syndrome may result and these learners usually have an intellectual impairment ((Weeks, 2003: 22). 1. 2. Before, during and after-birth brain damage A child may suffer brain damage before birth from various factors ââ¬â radiation, measles or syphilis injections, a defective placenta, an incompatibility of blood groups, etc. During birth they may suffer brain damage if there is a complication at birth and; after birth; brain damage may be caused by accidents, diseases such as meningitis and, polio which may result in permanent muscle paralysis. Here are a few forms of physical impairments that are directly associated to brain damage: Epilepsy, cerebral palsy, learning impairments such as dyslexia or dyscalculia and certain forms of intellectual, hearing and visual impairments. Learners with these impairments require special educational methods and aids and therefore have special educational needs, for example, blind learners require Braille machines. In the past, these learners were taught in special schools but now, the new legislation includes them in the mainstream of education (Weeks, 2003:22). 1. 3. Personality problems Some learners have specific personalities that have a negative impact on their academic achievement and gives rise to barriers to their learning. These traits may be inherited or could be shaped by extrinsic factors (Weeks, 2003:23). Examples:Some learners are extremely shy and cannot assert themselves. They lack confidence to ask questions and query statements.Rebellious learners and attention seekers do not want to respect the authority of teachers. Teachers become aggravated and frustrated with them, thus ignoring and punishing them regularly.This impacts on the learners achievement in a negative way as the learner loses interest and motivation for school work. Learners with a low self-esteem do not have the perseverance to excel. The slightest negative experience is an even greater discouragement on their motivation to do well. Now I will outline the second barrier which is: 2. Extrinsic factors. Extrinsic barriers are not barriers within the learners themselves. They are perfectly normal at birth but circumstances outside or beyond are so inadequate that they adversely affect their development and learning and ultimately cause barriers to their learning. Letââ¬â¢s take a look at the first factor (Weeks, 2003:23). 2. 1. Environmental factors 2. 1. 1 Unfavourable socioeconomic circumstances Learners of lower socioeconomic groups face many barriers to their success in education. Many do well in school despite the difficulties faced in other aspects of their lives. However, they are much more likely than their peers of a higher socioeconomic environment to be behind in their accomplishment and to leave school earlier and with fewer qualifications, and are at far greater risk of being excluded from school. There are many reasons why learners of lower socioeconomic groups tend to have low achievement. Some face so many difficulties in their lives that schooling may seem to be of low priority to them and to the organizations providing support. Schooling is also often given insufficient priority when making and reviewing care plans. There are additional factors associated with this way of life that are not conducive to achieving good academic results on the part of the learner. The following are examples of rife conditions: Poor medical services, poor lighting, cramped, overcrowded and noisy homes makes studying difficult, limited time for study because learners are often expected to do house chores and work over the week end to supplement the family income, a lack of cognitive stimulation because there is little or no reading material at home, poor language use, a shortage of role models, a general attitude about resignation of life, Irregular and poor school attendance and lastly, a general relaxation of morals (Weeks, 2003:24). These destructive social circumstances usually initiate a chain reaction. There are few schools in these areas and when there is education it is not of a very high standard (it is related that good teachers are usually found in favourable environments). According to Reglin (1992) these learners would perform better at school if their parents and family members got involved with their school academics and social lives, which we as teachers utterly agree. 2. 1. 2. Urban and rural areas In cities, learners often grow up in apartment buildings, usually both parents and the single parent works. There is no parent supervision when learners return home from school and therefore the learner can do as he / she pleases. Young learners are confined to the flat and do not have the opportunity to play outside, whereas the older learners roam freely in malls a on the street. There is very little control over their schooling and homework and this leads to slim stimulation to scholastic achievement. Contrastingly, in rural areas, literacy is much higher than in cities. Parents who themselves are illiterate; do not always see the value of education for their children. They expect them to leave school at an early stage so that they can supplement the familyââ¬â¢s income. These learners attend school very irregularly because they have to herd cattle and till fields (Weeks, 2003:25-26). 2. 1. 3. Prosperous areas Environments need not be disadvantaged to have a negative effect on learnersââ¬â¢ improvement at school. In prosperous areas there are factors that give rise to barriers to learning in learners. Since these learnerââ¬â¢s grow up without hardship, have plenty of money and their need are provided for, these learners get easily bored and seek excitement elsewhere in the form of drug and alcohol abuse. Of necessity, these learners will show deterioration in school achievement. Additionally, pressure is placed on these learnerââ¬â¢s to achieve and this causes rebelliousness and depression. The second extrinsic factor is: 2. 2. Upbringing 2. 2. 1. Mistakes in upbringingLearners who are pressurised by parents to achieve, become hostile and negative towards school.Overprotective parents deny their children the freedom to become independent. Their decisions are made for them by their parents; hence they do not take responsibility for their work. Some parents show little interest in the activities of their children and do not encourage them to achieve academically.Poor disciplined homes allow children to do as they please. These learnerââ¬â¢s are disorganised and are not disciplined in their studying. Disorganised homes constitute one of the main causes of learning problems in learners. These are just to mention a few mistakes, the next factor in upbringing is:2. 2. 2 Unstable and broken homes. Another factor that plays a role in acting as a barrier is:2. 3. School factors Poor teaching due to the lack of qualifications, lazy and unmotivated teachers, stereotyped teaching methods, teachers are not looked at as role mod els and teachers do not have empathy for learners.Incomplete participation on the part of learners because of domestic vices, scholastic backlogs, emotional problems and peer pressure.Inappropriate study material.Inefficient school organisation.Crowded classrooms and,At-risk schools, where learners and learners are estranged, low standards and poor quality, incomplete studies, disciplinary problems and frequent absenteeism and teachers suffer from ââ¬Å"burnoutâ⬠.And the last two extrinsic factors to barriers to learning are, a difference in language and culture and limited job prospects. The latter is a well-known fact that because of the poor economic growth in our country, very few job opportunities have been created. This means that many school leavers do not succeed in finding jobs. Consequently they lack the will to achieve. QUESTION 2 2. 1. A Hearing Impairment For a learner with a hearing impairment the following steps will be taken by me (Weeks, 2003:158):Obtain advice from a teacher trained to teach the deaf. If possible the learner should wear a hearing aid.The learner must sit in front of the class.Speak to the learner while facing the learner so that he / she may read my lips (if possible) and pay attention to facial expressions, gestures and body language.Speak clearly, naturally and at a normal pace, unless asked to slow down.If the learner is not facing me, I would gently touch him / her on the shoulder or arm to indicate that I want like to talk to him / her.Explanations will begin with concrete, example working from concrete to abstract. The use of visual aids will be most helpful since vision is the primary means of receiving information to the hard-of-hearing learner.For reinforcement, new vocabulary words would be repeated in different contexts and written in sentences, many words presented look al ike to the lip-reader.All announcements and instructions will be written.An interpreter will be used where needed.Vibrations and excessive noise will be avoided.I will not talk while writing on the chalkboard.When writing materials:Long sentences will be broken up Difficult vocabulary load will be reducedConcept density will also be reducedQuestions asked by other learners will be repeated so that the learner in question knows what I am referring to.Carbonless note taking paper can be used. The volunteer note taker needs to take eligible notes and then give the learner with the hearing impairment a copy.Obtain feedback from the learner at every opportunity as an indicator of the level of understanding.Provide an outline in advance of the lesson or activity to give to the child in advance and also list expectations. Encourage parental involvement, for example, attending speech therapy after school.2. 2. A Visual Impairment Depending on the type of eye condition and the amount of resi dual vision of the learner, assistance would be given (Weeks, 2003:151).A learner with myopia (nearsightedness) or cataracts:The learner must sit in front of the class, near the chalkboard so that he / she may see better.Repeat what is written on the chalkboard to help the learner check his / her own work.A magnifying glass will be kept on my table which may be useful to the learner if the print in textbooks is too small. Also when using duplicated copies, the print would be large, dark and visible.With regard to his / her notebook ââ¬â instead of using ordinary A-4 books, a blank book could be used by drawing horizontal parallel lines with a black koki ââ¬â this will be more visible to the learner and it will be easier for the learner to write between the lines.Contrastingly, if the learner suffers from hyperopia (farsightedness):The learner will be placed at the back of the classSince these type of children enjoy outside play more than having an nterest in school work, con crete apparatus would always be kept for their usage.As for a learner suffering from albinism, their eyes are sensitive to light, therefore:The learner would be placed in a darker place in the classroom, away from the windows and glare.If there is no dark side, curtains will be used to regulate the amount of light coming into the classroom.Due to a lack of pigmentation that protects the skin, they are very vulnerable to skin diseases and cancer.Therefore, to avoid sunburn, their school attire should be cotton long sleeve shirts and trousers, and hats with wide brims. Additionally, they should make use of medicinal creams for the skin. Textbooks can be recorded on tape for the learner. Also doors should be kept either opened or closed because open doors can be a potential hazard. The learner could bump into them and get hurt. Passages between desks should be kept clear to prevent the learner from stumbling over stray objects (Weeks, 2003:152). 2. 3. Cerebral palsy For a learner with cerebral palsy I would support the learner by (Weeks, 2003:180):First, viewing the classroom as if I were going to have to navigate it in a wheelchair or walker. Make sure the classroom is set up to provide accessible resources for someone in a wheelchair or with a limited range of movement.See that the learner is comfortable with his / her orthopaedic aids.Take time to introduce and explain these aids to other learnerââ¬â¢s.Build the learnerââ¬â¢s self-esteem at every possible opportunity.Try to have a way to secure paper or moveable objects to the workspace so they can be utilized without having to be secured by another hand.Look around for areas where the cerebral palsy learner might benefit from additional support, like a handrail or ramp. Understand that the learner might require additional time to reach the classroom or get set up for the class.If the learner has difficulty with handwriting, I would make use of a type writer and tea ch the learner how to use it.Insure that I know what to do if a cerebral palsy learner begins to seizure.Insure the time allocation for taking tests and completing tasks is compatible with the cerebral palsy learnerââ¬â¢s abilities or it could be orally.I would allow lessons and discussions to be taped.The learners would also be placed in the front of the class to help with vision or hearing problems. Use of small groups for discussion and work collaboration will encourage active listening and communication skills.Learners in the class would take turns to carry the cerebral palsy learner so that they get used to it, in case of an emergency or a need to improvise.QUESTION 3 Epileptic seizure Ease the learner gently to the floor, clearing the area of hazards and without preventing movements. Then I would place something flat and soft (like a folded jacket or a pillow that will be kept in the class) under the learnerââ¬â¢s head. The learner would be turned to one side to keep the air passage clear. I would not try to force his/her mouth open and neither hold the tongue, nor would I put anything in the learnerââ¬â¢s mouth. If the learner is known to have epilepsy, I would follow the parentââ¬â¢s instructions (a written and signed copy of instructions). When jerking movements stop, the learner will be allowed to rest. When full consciousness has returned to the learner, he/she would rest under supervision. If a seizure lasts for longer than 10 minutes or if another starts right after the first, I would call for emergency services. The parents of the child will be notified of every seizure the child has during school hours. If the learner has no history of epilepsy, the parents will be notified immediately and have an immediate check-up by a medical doctor (Weeks, 2003: 189-190; Epilepsy, South Africa, Reg. 001-912). Additionally, all learners in the class will be trained to help the epileptic learner during a seizure; however, only two specific learners will be assigned to help each time so that all learners do not leap to the epileptic learner when a seizure occurs. The rest of the class would clear and create space. QUESTION 4 4. 1. ECD Phase At any school one can witness a variety of different behaviours. Behaviour patterns are acceptable if they elicit the approval of adults and peers. However, a class can include learners who:Show aggressive behaviour and react aggressively towards others.Have a display of bullying, threatening, or intimidating behaviour.They physically abuse others.Deliberately destroy other's property.Show little empathy and concern for the feelings, wishes, and well-being of others. Show callous behaviour towards others and lack of feelings of guilt or remorse.They may readily inform on their companions and tend to blame others for their own misdeeds. The above behaviours become apparent and should be taken in a serious light when:They occur to a serious extent and over a period of time.The symptoms appear to worsen.They occur in conjunction with social aggression.They negatively impact the learnerââ¬â¢s academic development. Furthermore, behaviour problems are unaccept able when they prevent:Other learners from participating in class activities. The teacher from managing class activities effectively. If I have a learner with the above behaviour in my class the following steps (Essa, 1995:22, cited in Weeks, 2003: 237) will be taken to support and assist the learner:Investigate the causes of the problem behaviour.Problem behaviour can stem from non-variable external factors (Essa, 1995:22, Weeks, 2003: 237) such as chronic illness, food or environmental allergies, or the childââ¬â¢s diet. As a result the child may feel a bit irritated, function on a generally lower level or experience a lower level of tolerance. These problems may not be removed but I as a teacher will treat such a learner with sensitivity, be supportive and try to create an environmentally friendly space for him / her.Positive reinforcement is one of the most important techniques and is used in conjunction with others to change unacceptable behaviour or encourage positive behaviour. I would show the learner approval by either smiling, hugging or saying something positive. This would be repeated regularly to achieve quick and good results.Ignoring the learner proves to be a very effective strategy.à It is very useful when learners try to secure the attention of adults through their irritating or unacceptable behaviour. But when the child acts in a positive manner then I would pay attention and praise the child and reinforce positive behaviour. Also if the child persists with the negative behaviour, all teachers would be asked to ignore him/ her.When aggressive behaviour should be stopped, the learner will be withdrawn from the group and be given a time-out. The child should be warned beforehand only when the third transgression occurs should he / she be removed from the group / class.The child will be taken to an isolated area and explained why he / she has been removed and then be left there without looking or talking again to the child. The rest o0f the class will be told that he / she needed a time-out. Only after a certain amount of time (when I feel itââ¬â¢s time-up) will the child rejoin the class. Positive behaviour reinforcement will begin immediately thereafter.If th e Learner is overwhelmed by the classroom activity and is over sensitive to stimulation will be allowed to move to quiet corner for a while until they feel calmer.The reason for his / her behaviour is external and therefore this strategy will help him / her to calm down.Prevention is an excellent technique, but can only work if I am aware of what leads to the problem behaviour and if Iââ¬â¢m a keen observer. This method is effective for younger learners who do not have self-control and who do not yet have the ability to express themselves.Redirection can be used for a two year old by directing the childââ¬â¢s attention away from something and by giving him / her a toy to play with.Two year olds do not possess the social skills of sharing things; therefore the child will gradually learn these skills with my help. If it was an older learner, he / she will be guided to overcome social problems.A child of four or five is often willing to change problem behaviours and feels embarra ssed about an outburst. I would therefore find a quiet, calm place and discuss the situation and work with the child to find a workable solution.If I feel a learnerââ¬â¢s problem behaviour is a result of need for attention, I would use the special time strategy.à I will set a special time which I can spend alone time with the child. Probably every alternate day or twice a week. During this time I would do what the child would like to do and fulfil his / her wishes.Another strategy that can be used is a highly visible reinforcement like a star chart.à Successful positive behaviour is reinforced in this manner and it should not be used as an indication of failure. The use of the above techniques depends on the type of problem behaviour and the child. Hyperactivity and Distractibility are manifestations of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Hyperactivity is actually a surplus of motor activity where learners are over active, running around, fiddling, touching everything in their path, never quiet, pushing and kicking other children and moving about without any purpose or aim. This can be quite disturbing and irritating for both the other learners and the teacher as well. Distractibility is also known as ââ¬Ësensory hyperactivityââ¬â¢, refers to children that are continually moving around, on the go in terms of attention. Most things that they see or hear (sensory stimulus) catches their attention, but they are unable to concentrate on one particular thing for a long time. They are unable to control their attention, because any slight sound or movement distracts them. Due to this, they are unable to complete tasks and move from one unfinished task to another. Hyperactive and distractible learners cannot pay attention to instructions properly, often misunderstanding when spoken to, cannot wait their turn during tasks, act impulsively and therefore come across as undisciplined. These learners also seem to have temper tantrums and rapidly changing moods which makes it difficult to handle them in the classroom. This cam result in the learner having a poor self-concept because they of the many mistakes they make. It is important for teachers and learners to work together to being able to better handle these learners and this can be done by having a better understanding of this particular kind of behaviour. :- Recognising the symptoms and identifying the learners strong and weak points:-Identifying easy and difficult tasks and situationsIdentifying sills necessary for each task and situationInvestigating your own thoughts and feelingsOther peopleââ¬â¢s reactions Understanding the learnerââ¬â¢s world:-Learn to understand the learnerââ¬â¢s behaviourKeeping the learnerââ¬â¢s level of development in mind Discussing problems with the learnerVerbalising the learnerââ¬â¢s unexpressed feelingsCommunicating more than wordsAnticipating problems rather than waiting for themDistinguishing between the learner and the learnerââ¬â¢s behaviourProviding Structure such as relationship, task and situation structure is also important as it provides the learners with safer environment where they are able to develop optimally. Therapeutic discipline is also important and is different from punishment because it shapes, corrects and reinforces behaviour. (Weeks, 2003: 239-246) Who is going to be tasked with integrating music & math? Who's going to be responsible, in any school, for joining the arts w/other subjects? IME, most elementary classroom teachers have come through public school systems whose arts have been eviscerated, so those teachers are FAR less likely to be musically literate than they might have been when I was in public school *mumble mumble* years ago. As an elementary general music sub a few years ago, I pretty much had to co-opt teaching limericks in the 4th-grade poetry unit because their classroom teachers didn't really understand, musically, the meter of the poems; even teacher-created limericks left a lot to be desired in terms of the 6/8 meter/rhythm characteristic of limericks. I find it hard to imagine that they'd be the best folks to use rhythmic or metric subdivisions to teach fractions. So will this task fall then to the music teachers? Elementary music teachers in MCPS already have their own music curricula to deliver, even wi thin the ââ¬Å"intrinsic barriers to learningâ⬠approach of Curriculum 2.0 ââ¬â and they see the kids once per week, assuming no field trips/assemblies/standardized testing/snow days/holidays, AND they have to spend time assessing what they're teaching already because ââ¬Å"Data-Driven.â⬠When could they possibly find time to do this in addition to what they're already tasked with doing (which is theoretically to get kids to a basic level of music proficiency in less time per week than classroom teachers have DAILY with kids in reading, so already set up to fail )? Is there going to have to be concentrated staff development to get classroom teachers to a level of musical proficiency that will enable them to add one more thing to their curricula?
Saturday, January 4, 2020
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)