Arts Integration

Ok, I'm getting so excited about resources that are available for teachers. Here is a link to a website by The Kennedy Center called ArtsEdge.  The website describes why arts integration is important and has links on how to incorporate the arts into specific subject areas. Check it out:


http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/educators/how-to/series/arts-integration-beta/arts-integration-in-practice-beta.aspx

The Arts and Technology

For my final paper I am investigating the relationship between technology and art education.  I am specifically interested in the benefits of technology in the arts for adolescents.  This is just one of many articles I have found but I thought it was worth sharing!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/inderpal-grewal/steve-jobs-arts-education_b_1007221.html

Reading Reflection: Behavioral Development

As adolescents begin experiencing emotional, physical, and cognitive changes it only seems natural that their behavior would change as well.  Behavioral development seems to be the most discussed and even feared aspect of adolescent development.  The media, in the form of movies, television, and the news often show teens engaging in risk-taking behaviors such as drinking alcohol, using drugs, and having sex.  Parents of teens often feel at a loss as to how to address those issues.  In the reading Developing Adolescents the authors cite that it is quite normal for teens to experiment with new behaviors.  In fact, experimenting with new behaviors goes hand in hand with the other aspects of development that we have discussed.  Emotionally, adolescents are forming a sense of identity and self-worth.  Cognitively and socially, adolescents have better decision-making skills and begin to develop opinions of who they are in relation to other people and the world.  As a result, teens may take risks they are uncomfortable with in order to fit in and win approval from peers.  This desire to be accepted is intensified during adolescence.  That intensity can lead teens to try things such as alcohol, cigarettes, or even reckless driving merely to be accepted.  For parents, family members, and loved ones who may have teenagers acting out it is important to be comfortable discussing these issues.  When talking with a teen it could be helpful to aid their decision process by discussing possible outcomes of their behaviors.  If a teen can come to their own conclusion they may be more likely to rethink a particular situation.  Sometimes all an adolescent needs is someone to listen as they work to come to their own understanding of a situation by using their higher developed decision making skills.  Behavioral exploration can be an exciting time for an adolescent.  This is a time in which teens can pursue their interests in healthy ways.  Adults play a large role by being an example of engaging in fulfilling activities within their community. 

Many of the readings for this section discussed depression in adolescents.  This is a hot topic within our country as rates of depression are rapidly increasing.  While it is natural for teens to experience emotional changes there are important behavioral signs that can help a parent discern whether their child has a more serious problem.  I was interested to read on Helpguide.org that depression in teens may manifest in various ways besides sadness.  In fact, for many adolescents irritability, aggression, and rage are common warning signs of possible depression.  These changes in behavior must be long lasting and out of character for the teen in order to be considered a red flag.  Parents must be careful when observing their child's adolescent development in order to recognize differences between normal and abnormal development.  There are many treatment options for teens struggling with depression.  I must admit that I was disturbed reading about prescribing antidepressants to children as young as six.  Medications may be necessary in some cases but it is imperative that all possible outcomes and side effects be discussed.  I am a firm believer that medication should always go hand in hand with counseling, especially in children and teens.  Adolescents are experiencing major changes which could possibly be intensified and complicated by medication.  They need an adult to walk with them through the important adjustment to medication.  I hope that prescribing medication will remain a last resort for parents with depressed teens.  Some antidepressants have been linked with increased suicidal thoughts.  It is also important to remember that adolescent brains are still developing so the full effect of some of these newer medications is not fully understood.  I found a few helpful links from various hospitals and medical schools that provide valuable information on both sides of the antidepressant argument.  I have listed them below:

http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Should_children_take_antidepressants.htm

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/antidepressants/MH00059

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/child-and-adolescent-mental- health/antidepressant-   medications-for-children-and-adolescents-information-for-parents- and-caregivers.shtml

The Youth in Foster Care reading particularly intrigued me.  The foster care system in our country is full of flaws, which can affect how students perform in school and even how they act in social situations.  It was disturbing to read what happens to foster care children as they "age-out" of the program.  Unfortunately, most foster children do not receive support once released from the system.  Also, many of those children do not have a high school diploma making it even harder on them when they are first on their own.  Reading about foster care reminded me that I will have a diverse group of students with many different life experiences.  After reading, I hope that I will be more sensitive to the various living situations my students could be experiencing.  I found some interesting articles discussing the process of "aging out" of the foster care system and have shared the links below:

 http://www.volunteerguide.org/hours/service-projects/age-out

 http://www.shelterforce.com/online/issues/125/fostercare.html

 http://www.wate.com/story/17421050/knoxville-organization-helps-teens-after-foster-care

Reading Reflection: Social Development

Social development in adolescence involves new relationships between the adolescent and their family, peers, work, school, and community.  As teenagers enter adolescence the importance of spending time with peers takes precedence over spending time with family.  This is a major shift from childhood.  Adolescents with healthy friendships tend to have better self-image and perform better in school.  It is important for teens to develop a peer group in order to establish a sense of belonging and increased independence from parents.  Notice I did not say complete independence from parents.  In the reading from Developing Adolescents an important point is made in regards to the impact parents have on teenagers.  While parents may think they no longer have a major role in their adolescent's life family closeness is the most important factor associated with less alcohol and drug use and not smoking.  These findings can be an encouraging reminder to parents that although they may have less interaction with their teenager their role is not less important.  As educators it is important to remember that families can take many different forms such as single-parent, blended, foster, shared custody, dual parent, and more.  Family structure can play a large role in academic performance especially if a child's parents are going through a divorce.  Divorce is one of the hot topics we have mentioned in class.  It is a hot topic because not only does it happen to about half of the families in our country, it greatly affects adolescents emotionally, socially, and even academically.  In order to help a child cope with divorce it is important for parents, if possible, to parent harmoniously after the divorce.  Keeping economic effects of divorce at a minimum such as moving can also help a child when coping with divorce.  As always it is important for adolescents to know that they can express their emotions to a trusted adult figure.  If needed, counseling might be a helpful option that does not need to place a sense of shame on the individual.  It is important to encourage teens to find ways to express emotion and counseling might be a positive option.  There were many other important issues addressed in Developing Adolescents but these were the main issues I wanted to discuss.  As adolescents enter new social domain remember that some will flourish and others may take more time to branch out and engage in new social opportunities.  As parents, educators, and mentors I hope that we can allow for individual differences in social development while encouraging positive relationships to build healthy self-esteem.

The other readings for this section were all related to gangs within our schools and cities.  I will be the first to tell you that I have a lot to learn about gangs.  One of my biggest fears in entering the classroom is being naive about gang culture and its effects on students.  I want to be someone my students trust while also maintaining a level of authority.  The reading material Gangs: A Growing Problem in Schools provided a few descriptions of gangs.  A gang, according to the reading, includes a group having identifiable leaders, a group having a name or identifying symbol, or an organization whose members individually or collectively currently engage in or have engaged in violent or other criminal activity.  Generally there are more gangs within public rather than private schools.  While some may think gangs exist only in large cities recent findings suggest that gangs are moving into suburban and rural areas.  Another new finding cited in Gangs: A Growing Problem in Schools claimed that female involvement in gangs has increased.  Female gangs do commit crimes and may even carry guns.  The other readings provided valuable information about gang emergence and growth in the different regions of our country.  While I did learn many important things, for the purpose of this blog I will highlight important warning signs that may suggest gang involvement.  Some of these signs may include a sudden drop in grades, new group of friends, and being secretive or defensive.  Outward appearance may also show signs of gang involvement.  New clothes, jewelry, or tattoos are all important indicators.  It is important to note that some of these signs may indicate other social adjustment issues.  As someone who is learning about issues related to gangs within schools and society as a whole, I do not want to jump to conclusions and accuse students wrongly.  One thing I want to guard against is my own personal bias in regards to gangs and typical gang members.  I acknowledge that I have a lot to learn and I do not want to stereotype.  Gangs are not something to take lightly and I think it is important to educate ourselves on this growing issue. 

Reading Reflection: Cognitive/Emotional Development

During Adolescence there is a distinct transition from childhood into a new world full of abstract thought and strong emotion.  Cognitively, adolescents are able to use higher reasoning skills.  These new reasoning skills allow teenagers to plan for the future, consider many points of view, and voice personal beliefs about the world.  Adolescents possess efficient methods of organizing information and articulating their newfound worldviews.  As the article The Maturing Adolescent Brain points out, their new skills can cause frustration for parents.  Teenagers often discuss lofty issues and enjoy challenging their parent’s beliefs and values.  The readings pertaining to adolescent cognitive development offered many tips for parents and guardians to use when engaging in conversation with teens.  The most notable suggestion to me was the importance of actively listening and validating adolescents' views.  Showing respect for teenager’s opinions can demonstrate a positive example of conversing with someone even if you do not agree.  It can also help the teen to explore other possible viewpoints.

In Developing Adolescents the writers mentioned that there are not significant differences between males and females in regard to cognitive development.  I found it very interesting that during adolescence abilities in math, reading, social skills, and athletics are roughly the same but girls feel more confident in reading and social skills while boys feel more confident in athletics and math.  Unfortunately gender stereotypes are still present in our education system.  Females are often encouraged to pursue more service-oriented careers while males are often encouraged to pursue careers in the sciences.  I don't think that is a bad thing as long as students are not driven towards an option based on societal expectation of gender roles.  I specifically remember a college math professor speaking about male abilities within math and sciences compared to females.  I was saddened to hear that professor perpetuating beliefs on the university level.  As individuals preparing to foster a love of learning I hope that we encourage students to explore subjects they are interested in regardless of being male or female.

There were many more topics covered in the readings for cognitive development but in order to remain somewhat concise I will briefly address the last topic I found particularly interesting.  I really enjoyed reading about Gardner's multiple intelligences and Sternberg's theory of intelligence, which included creativity as an important aspect.  Adolescents have many ways of learning and experiencing the world around them.  The readings made it clear that when they can personally relate to learning material chances for academic success greatly increase.  I think finding ways to include creativity in the classroom will be very beneficial to all students.  Creativity in the classroom can engage students and encourage critical thinking along with a new experience of subject matter.  When teaching adolescents Sternberg and Gardner's intelligence theories should be considered.

Emotional Development in adolescence is a time in which teenagers are forming a sense of identity.  Emotions are ever changing for a teenager as they have even more physical, academic, and social expectations placed on them.  These new and unfamiliar situations provide the basis for a teen’s ability to cope with stress.  Angela Oswalt says that adolescents need social support to navigate these new situations and stresses.  It is important for family members and friends to realize that some people are more sensitive to stress than others.  If a teenager has a harder time adjusting it is important to find ways to encourage healthy stress reduction.  The readings provided many tips for maintaining healthy habits in adolescence in order to use those skills throughout adulthood when dealing with stress.  It is also important that teens experience positive self-esteem from many outlets rather than just one.  If a teen’s sense of self-worth comes only from playing a sport their esteem would crash if they ever experienced a physical injury.  Parents and educators should encourage interest in a broad range of subjects and activities.

I particularly enjoyed Maureen Manning's discussion of self-esteem.  She made an important point that self-esteem can sometimes be exaggerated and labeled as the cause of all evil.  Maureen used the example of a female student who had behavior and self-esteem problems.  When teachers addressed her situation as a whole they took into consideration many factors and examined possible academic problems.  They noticed that this student had trouble reading.  When paired with a reading specialist she not only improved academically but had less behavioral problems, which resulted in higher self-esteem.  That example spoke volumes to me about the importance of considering many factors that affect emotional health in adolescents.

Another important issue that affects emotional well-being of students is immigration.  This is a hot topic within our society but it is important to see the implications for our students.  I believe that everyone deserves a public education regardless of immigration status.  For those students who may be undocumented it is important for teachers to consider possible stresses that could affect their academic performance.  I in no way am trying to say I understand how these families and students may feel but I do know from the readings and personal research that undocumented immigrants experience discrimination within our society.  As an adolescent that adds to the already overwhelming experience of cognitive and emotional changes.  I think our job as educators is to encourage diversity within our classrooms.  Students should work together in order to learn from people who may have a different life experience.

Cognitive and emotional changes during adolescence present educators with many opportunities to encourage healthy habits in those pivotal years.  Those changes can provide teens with new interests and ideas.  Cognitive and Emotional development during adolescence shapes who teenagers will become as adults.  I hope to encourage teens to use this time to explore who they want to be and how they want to impact their world.