for anyone

  QUESTION 1
Piaget and Vygotsky shared some similarities in their developmental theories, but they also have some marked differences. Describe one area in which their views are similar and one in which they differ. Include an example for each of those areas. It can either be something you personally observed or a hypothetical example. 

QUESTION 2
 commenting on Nancy ideas and suggesting additional ways they could expand their ideas. 
Nancy idea
 
When I look at parent involvement the challenges seem to be around families and children of different cultures. There are often language barriers, as well as differences in the expectations of families. In some cultures, education is the most important part of a child’s life. I know that from experience, I have had some families who just do not understand play as a form of education. They feel as though it should be reading, writing, numbers. All day all the time, using materials that we do not use any longer. This can be difficult to make a family understand, especially if there is a language barrier. Many times, these families will not come to the school to volunteer and although they are involved in education, it is sometimes not developmentally appropriate. Working in a school with many cultures, I see this happen quite often. “Sociocultural backgrounds, experiences and events may impact learning and development.” (Souto-Manning&Swick, 2006) For example, a single mom trying to make ends meet by working several jobs may not be as involved in school activities as the stay at home mom, however this does not mean she is not involved in her child’s education.
I would say the best way to address the gaps is to keep the lines of communication open. I would find ways to reach out to the parent that I do not often see. Some of these ways could be email, phone calls or notes sent home. I have a child whose mom works long hours and I seldom see her. She places a notebook in her child’s backpack and I use that to communicate back and forth on a daily basis. For the students that are dual language, I have materials translated into their native language. I also try to have someone who can translate for me. I try to involve them as much as possible throughout the year. Even materials that I receive from the community, I try to get in the family’s native language. It is crucial to make that family feel a part of the school community. If they feel welcome and supported, they are more likely to be more involved in the child’s education.

QUESTION 3
  Review the interviews posted by Nicole. Identify the primary issues you see various families struggling with or experiencing. Are there any themes you can identify here? How do the responses differ regarding the varying cultural aspects?  
Nancy interview
For this discussion, I interviewed a mother who has a kindergarten-aged son and a second grade daughter that attend the school that I teach at. I taught both of these children at a center a few years ago before they attended public school. I have a good relationship with their mother and father due to my time at the center they used to attend.

What are some of the biggest issues the parents and child struggle with in regard to education?

Ashley states that the biggest struggle in regard to her children’s education is her relationship with their teachers. Ashley is struggling with her son’s kindergarten teacher. She feels that when she reaches out to her, she feels like a burden. She is discouraged as her son is more needy than her daughter was at this age and her daughter’s teachers have all been very helpful. She also states that her son has had a hard time bonding with the teacher.

What ways are the school administrators and teachers addressing their needs and providing support to them?

            Ashley feels that the administration is good about getting messages out to parents and providing updates about events and general things that are going on at the school. She also feels that her daughter’s teacher is very supportive and is friendly and willing to answer any of her questions. The main issue is with her son’s teacher.

How do they communicate with educators about their child and how is the communication reciprocated?

Ashley says that the main communication with her children’s teachers is through email. She receives quick responses from her daughter’s teachers but says it takes a while to receive responses from her son’s. If there is an immediate need for communication, Ashley says that she will call. She also tries to send in notes in the mornings voicing any concerns. The teacher will see these as they check the folders every morning when the students come in.

Does the parent believe the school supports their cultural and diversity needs and is in sync with their own beliefs toward education?

             Ashley and her husband feel that the school supports all of their needs. Her daughter has had some amazing teachers, and while she is not thrilled with her sons teacher, she still says that he is making progress. Her overall feelings are that her children are safe and being supported in the school.

QUESTION 4
 
Reply to the next 2 post. Be constructive and professional in your responses.
Trent post
 
One of my most favorite movies is “The Shawshank Redemption”, directed by Frank Darabont and based off of a short story written by Stephen King (IMDB, 1990-2019). The movie stars Tim Robbins, who plays Andy Dufresne. Andy gets locked up in prison for murdering his wife and her lover. Throughout the movie, the audience learns that he was innocent and falsely accused. By the end of the movie, Andy escapes from prison and lives out his life in Mexico.
This movie had many artistic choices that was well done. The story progression, the costuming, the tone of the move, and even the choice of actors was well thought out and executed. The best artistic choice the made was in having the movie narrated by Morgan Freeman. The timbre of his voice really helped set the mood to scenes.
I do believe the movie can be turned into a great play. Since the majority of the movie is in a prison there would not have to be too many drastic set changes and the use of the narration could be expanded upon to add in any needed background or to fill the set changes.

Ashley post
 One of my all time favorite movies is the 1993 film, The Sandlot. I’m a huge baseball fan as is my family so this is definitely a family film. There are a few elements that stand out to me that draw me into this film the major ones are the cast, dialog (script), wardrobe, soundtrack, and setting (plot). The film is set in the 60’s and follow a group of about 10 young teenagers who spend their Summer playing a never-ending game of baseball. Both the dialog and wardrobe used in the film definitely help the viewer see that the film is set in the 60’s. Specifically in regards to the wardrobe, you can see the baseball gloves that are used are not of those used in the present time or that of the time the film was made. The soundtrack was nothing but oldies which also helped relay to the audience the setting of the film. This film can most definitely be made into a stage play but with some minor conflicts. The baseball playing for the most part could be more focused on on the dialog as it can be hard to have the actors “play” actual baseball on stage as there’s no way to control how the ball is hit. For major scenes such as when one of the characters hits the ball into the Beasts’ yard, a prop can be used like that of a ball on a string or that scene can be depicted by using sound effects (think of a high pitch whistle rising and then falling). Although the film is primarily a cast of teenagers, I don’t see why adults wouldn’t be able to take on the role.