Reference no: EM132688820

Purpose:

• Demonstrate comprehension and synthesis of recent course topics, themes and materials through responses to critical thinking questions posed by instructor.
• Integrate additional researched information into responses; deepening understanding of course themes/topics.
• Through discussion, explore and engage with differing ways of interpreting and making sense of the week's topics and materials, identify unanswered questions, seek to clarify or reinforce our understanding, etc.

To Do:

Part 1: Ponder, Research & Compose
Choose a question or two from the options below. Indicate the question/s you are responding to by providing a heading/subheading. Responses should:
• Demonstrate reading, comprehension, and ability to apply course materials and course learning. Make explicit reference to the course materials in your responses.
• Integrate perspective and insights from at least one additional non-course resource of your own selection. You can use any and all library resources and article databases, or other credible popular press resources. Please make sure to cite outside resources.
• Your response should be about 500 (min) words total and be proofread and edited for clarity
Question Options (choose 1-3 questions to respond to):

• Select another country's education system to research (e.g., Finland, Kenya). Discuss your findings, points of interest, problems/obstacles. Compare and contrast our US education system with your research take-aways.
• Discuss, reflect on and extend (in a way that is meaningful to you)Peggy Ornstein's recent work 'Boys and Sex'.
• Research ESL and bilingual education in the US. What differing perspectives can you find from teachers? Policy makers? How can our system best address the needs (socioemotional and academic) of children for whom English is a second language, and the dominant Christian-Anglo culture is a "second culture"?
• What are your reactions to David Elkind's (2001) concept of the "hurried child" described in the Instructor's Notes? Do you agree that children are more "hurried" now than in the past? What are the differences in the types of hurrying children may experience today in this country (as compared to the past)? Does it serve a purpose to point out the "hurrying" children experience?
• If you have access to several parents, talk to them about their parenting style. Ask questions about goals for their child, expectations and discipline. Can you characterize their parenting style? How do the children of these parents compare to what one would expect from textbook descriptions?
• With permission, interview members of a "blended" family. Discuss with each individual their feelings before and after the divorce and remarriage. Compare the family members' experiences to what was covered in the text/additional outside readings.

• Explore the suggestion that media does influence children's behavior, health, attitudes, values, stereotypes, aggressiveness, etc. What are some ways families and institutions (e.g. public schools) might be able to mediate this key agent of socialization?
• Discuss your reflections and key take-aways to the multiple materials discussing teen brain development. How/in what ways does this information change or alter your understanding of adolescent behaviors and/or how we can be meeting and supporting young people?
• In what ways do the elements of adolescent egocentrism reflect what you have seen and/or experienced? Why or why not? What are some positives of adolescent egocentrism? On a similar note, what are some of the social personality strengths of adolescents?
• What do you think about Neufeld and Mate's points? How does this balance with the idea of young people needing space to develop their unique selves? How might parents and other adult and community members effectively meet the attachment needs of adolescents while still allowing them "space" to "grow" their own selves?
• In reaction to the article on sleep, discuss the implications of teens not getting enough sleep, including what could be done to lessen the problem.
• Reactions and thoughts on the TEDtalk from Jean Kilbourne. What are some of the potential effects (physical, emotional, mental) on girls and women of trying to live up to our culture's ideal image of beauty? How does it impact self-esteem development and identity? What is the relationship between cultural ideals of thinness and the cultural obsession with dieting? With eating disorders? What are some stories media tell about women? How do they tell them? How do these stories impact young girls and women? And men?
• Use the biopsychosocial model to explain risk-taking behavior in adolescence. Think about the important developmental trends during this stage (cognitive changes, moral reasoning, and other psychosocial factors) and reflect on how these changes influences such things as decision making, receptivity, reasoning, etc. Given this information how might you develop and deliver an effective sexuality education program that might WORK?

Part 2: Discuss & Dialog
After everyone has posted their Home Group responses by Friday midnight, we will begin discussion and dialog over peer work and ideas. I will be looking for at least two discussion contributions. This can be feedback and insights posted to peer work, or a response to feedback provided to your work. Please read the following information about what effective online discussion looks like.