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Undergraduate Studies ePortfolio

Brittany SpahalskiBachelor of Psychology, 2011

Personal StatementPERSONAL STATEMENT

My ultimate goal is to get my Master’s degree in Social Work with a focus on Children and Families. I hope that in my career I am able to help and touch the lives of children and teenagers to make a strong impact and have a positive influence on their future. I strongly believe that issues we develop in our childhood impact us as adult if we are not able to resolve them when we are younger. The psychological impact and trauma that abused children endure creates lasting effects on them as adults. Not only do I want to be the person they can confide in and trust but I attain to be the person that can change this traumatic life cycle and allow them to proceed on a positive enlightened path instead of a destructive one. My good listening skills, ability to relate, empathize and understand are the skills I will incorporate in the work I will do. I don’t want to look at being a clinical social worker as a job but rather a goal I have in making a difference in the lives of others, with the motivation to reconstruct laws and make social change.

Currently I am working as a mentor and it has been an extremely positive, enriching experience for me. I feel happy and overjoyed working with my mentees because I am able to offer them advice and guidance that will assist them in making positive life-long choices. When I am not mentoring or going to school and helping others I am working. Free time is not a concept in my life because I am a busy bee and working to preserve a business that I created when I was 18. A huge part of my life is my business and my free time is spent working and taking care of business tasks that need to be done. When I became a vegetarian five years ago I changed my business to fit into my personal beliefs of selling cruelty-free products. Not only am I passionate about making a difference in the lives of children, I also believe that animals should have rights and need a voice. I am the type of person that will stand up for what I believe in because I know I can make a difference and change the world for the better.

ResumeResumeW O R K E X P E R IE N C E B ello Ir is / O w n er Jan u ary 2005 -P resen t O p era te an d m an a g e an o n lin e s to re b ea rin g re sp o n s ib ility fo r cu s to m er se rv ice , m erch an d is in g an d sh ip p in g , d es ig n , m a in ten an ce an d ad v e rtis in g . S tro n g fo cu s , m o tiv a tio n an d re se a rch w ere im p lem en ted to su ccessfu lly lau n ch an d e s tab lish m y co m p an y . R esp on sib ilities :

P ro v id e ex ce llen t cu s to m er se rv ic e b y m ee tin g th e n eed s o f cu s to m e rs O rd erin g m erch an d ise , m an a g in g th e p ro d u c t s to re fro n t an d p ro cess in g sh ip m en ts R esearch in g ad v e rtis in g v en u es an d em p lo y b u s in ess m ee tin g s D esign an d illu s tra te w eb s ite g rap h ics an d em a il c am p a ig n s E x ecu te o ffice m an a g em en t an d b u s in ess tran sa c tio n s

Icou ld b e / V o lu n teer M en tor Ju n e 2011 -P resen t E n co u ra g em en t an d g u id an ce a re o ffe red to teen a g e rs w h o a re a t r isk an d v u ln e rab le . E x p ertise , su p p o rt, ad v ice an d g u id an ce a re in co rp o ra ted b y e s tab lish in g a re la tio n sh ip w ith th e m en tee an d w o rk in g to w ard ed u ca tio n an d ca ree r ad v an cem en t. I a llo c a te sev e ra l h o u rs a w eek w o rk in g w ith m u ltip le m en tees . R esp on sib ilities :

In flu en c in g m en te es to m ak e p o s itiv e ca ree r an d e d u ca tio n a l d ec is io n s F ac ilita tin g lea rn in g an d g ro w th b y o ffe rin g k n o w led g e an d ex p e rien ce C rea tin g a fo u n d a tio n to h e lp m en tees m ak e th e rig h t d e c is io n P ro m o tin g o n lin e sa fe ty reg a rd in g b u lly in g an d v io len ce R ev is in g m en tees w o rk a n d h e lp in g w ith ed u ca tio n to o ls

E D U C A T IO N A rgosy U n iversity O n lin e J an u ary 2 0 0 8 - D ec em b er 2 0 1 1 B a chelo r o f P sych o lo g y H on ors: R eco g n iz ed b y A rg o sy U n iv e rs ity th ro u g h o u t m y d e g ree p ro g ra m w ith sev era l P res id en t an d D e an ’s lis t h o n o rs fo r m y ex ce llen t a cad em ic ach iev em en ts .

ReflectionSSAL Reflection of Learning

Throughout my college career I have implemented and used the tools and skills outlined above to successfully work my way through college in addition to applying this applications in my everyday life. In the majority of my college classes I had to critically analyze and apply my knowledge and research to psychological perspectives and theories. My knowledge ranges from the basic concepts of what psychology is to the more complex theories to describe behaviors and how the brain works.

In several of my college classes I had assignments that needed to be research through the online library for scholarly and peer reviewed articles in which I had to identify the results of the studies. In addition I had to explore both the positives of the studies conducted and list potentially biases that could have affected the results. Power point assignments were used in certain classes and in some cases I had to work with other classmates on them. I have experience in creating and designing power point presentations, however I don’t have a lot of experience in delivering them orally because I have attended online school. I did however have to create notes in the bottom as if I were presenting the information to the class.

Psychological concepts were explored throughout my college experience and I not only have the ability to understand the concepts but to use reason and experience to apply this information and take a specific stance on the concepts while backing it up with the appropriate examples and research. I had to do extensive research regarding ethical guidelines for both ACA and APA and apply it to real life situations. Some of the situations did not have clear answers and I had to use my best judgment and apply my morals and ethics to certain situations where the guidelines were unclear. Furthermore I had to acknowledge how to respond if a situation occurred and negative results that could happen if in an ethical dilemma was not dealt with properly. Additionally, I examine situations and apply ethical guidelines to ensure safety and ethical issues do not occur. I recognize there are issues with discrimination and bias and can recognize them within minority and majority groups. I have the ability to understand these occurrences and work to change or diffuse them.

I am aware of and understand the major psychological theories and concepts and regularly apply them to situations in my life. I critically analyze people and situations and apply these theories and ideals to my everyday life as a way of understanding people and why they act in certain manners. For example you can look at an adult that doesn’t follow the law and you can apply theories to understand why they may act like this. It could be because of something that happened in their childhood like abuse or neglect or possibly because they weren’t taught the appropriate way to act. These theories are also relevant to making a difference and solving problems. Child abuse in particular is what I am working toward preventing. Applying psychology and theories to these perspectives allows me to understand why this type of abuse occurs and treatment for it. Furthermore I understand the results and detrimental problems that occur from abuse which relates to psychological applications and the ability for prevention and treatment.

In several classes I had to communicate well with other classmates when working on a group project in order to work together to get a good grade on our assignment. Furthermore I do volunteer online mentoring in which I implement effective communication and listening skills. I also try to employ nonverbal communications in everyday life and try to see people’s responses like facial expression and whether or not that matches with what they are saying.

Table of Contents

Cognitive Abilities: Critical Thinking Research SkillsCommunication SkillsEthics and Diversity AwarenessFoundations of PsychologyApplied PsychologyInterpersonal Effectiveness

Cognitive Abilities: Critical Thinking Sample Work

Having curfew laws helps protect minors from getting harmed and keeps them safe. The error is overgeneralization most likely based on past experiences with minors being harmed at night time

outside of their home (Ruggiero, 2008). Law enforcement officers may have been involved with minor cases in which a bad event occurred at night time when the minor was not at home. From those

incidences they have over generalized that minors are protected from harm if they are at home which they assume makes the minor safe. Most curfew laws state that a minor cannot be in a public place

during specified hours, however there are generally no restrictions from going to someone else’s house. If the law was made to protect minors, the minors can be hurt or put into situations and

circumstances that risk their safety. There is no evidence that suggests that keeping minors in their home after a certain time period will keep them safe. Furthermore, kidnappings and other safety

concerns for minors can happen any time of day and can even occur in the minor’s household.

Kids get into more trouble at night time and a curfew helps keep the streets safe. This is an error with stereotyping minors by assuming that acts of deviance by minors occur mostly at night time

(Ruggiero, 2008). This is based on an assumption that isn’t necessarily the truth. If a minor has a specific curfew and they act defiantly, the curfew isn’t going to prevent this from happening. In fact, it may

cause even more problems because the minor will sneak out and then the parent or guardian will not know where they are. This opinion is also unjustified because not all minors get into trouble and some

just want to socialize with friends. Furthermore, minors who tend to deviate from the law and get into trouble may do it at anytime in the day. They may skip school or even commit these acts after school.

Stereotyping people by their age and making the assumption that deviance occurs at a certain time is incorrect.

I am a parent and I should be making rules for my kids, not the government. I know what is best from my kid. The error is an unwarranted assumption (Ruggiero, 2008). The parent’s statement

explains they know what is best for their child because nothing bad has happened to them thus far disproving this assumption to be true. Just because you are a parent does not necessarily mean that

you know what is best for minors. For example, law enforcement officers are aware of unfortunate circumstances involving minors like kidnapping, murder or sexual abuse whereas parents may not know

or think about these incidents when making rules. Furthermore, when a child is over 18 laws still apply to them and parents. There are common laws that apply to parents and children including minors

being required to attend school or get their shots before entering certain grades. There are other restrictions that parents adhere to, possible without acknowledging them.

References

Ruggiero, V. (2008). Beyond Feelings: Guide to Critical Thinking. Retrieved on July 12, 2011 from http://digitalbookshelf.argosy.edu/#/books/007-7376331

Critical ThinkingResearch Skills Sample Work

Conclusion of Research Paper The impact of both physical and emotional abuse on a child can dramatically affect the individual’s development from childhood through adulthood with the effect lasting their entire life. The abuse ends with the individual consequently feeling emotionally scarred and significant damages to their mental state and well-being. The arguments presented in the articles that were researched conclude the various effects and issues relative to the impact of emotional and physical abuse on a child. It is evident that child abuse takes a toll on adults in both a mental and physical capacity. Some of the physical ramifications related to child abuse research conclude that obesity and BMI are negatively affected in adulthood by victims of child abuse (Bentley and Widom, 2009). Furthermore, two separate research studies were conducted to explore the impact that child abuse had on drinking alcohol and illicit drug use. The results showed women who were abused as children were more likely to drink daily and consume a large number of drinks in a single day (Widom, et. al., 2007). Several other studies conducted show the correlation of child abuse and the abused victim suffering from PTSD symptoms, depression and psychological disorders. Further research illustrates the psychological and emotional impact of child abuse victims including PTSD, internalizing and externalizing behavioral issues, antisocial behaviors, social maladjustment, disassociation, feeling defenseless and revictimization.

Although the results of the research correspond with one another about the traumatic impacts and psychological effects of physical and emotional child abuse, the research does not indicate why some victims are prone to certain disorders and effects while others are not. Several research questions could account for further developing the study and long term effects of child abuse which should include measuring the severity and length of time the child abuse occurred, the age and gender of the victim, whether or not the victim received therapy or treatment and who the abuser was. These questions could help gain further insight into how child abuse victims may internalize these events and the external behaviors that results from the abuse. It can help clarify if there are certain types of abuse that are more prone to specific behavioral and psychological issues and whether or not there are other factors like the age or gender of the victims that increases their chance of developing specific issues.

Communication Skills

Birth control being paid for by insurance companies is an ongoing debate. A law was recently passed that ordered insurance companies to cover birth control costs for women without requiring any co-pay (TheHuffington Post, 2011). Birth control has not been covered under the majority of insurance companies and an abundance of protests and court cases made the government take notice and pass a law requiring birth control tobe covered by insurance companies among other health care services for women (The Huffington Post, 2011). The law was passed for the sole purpose of preventing unwanted pregnancies (The Huffington Post, 2011).Research was conducted showing that women paying even a minimal amount of money for contraceptive through co-pays may discourage them to not use contraception, thus creating more unwanted pregnancies (TheHuffington Post, 2011). Other research suggest that this lowers the risk of having babies to soon together which can cause medical problems such as premature birth, autism and low weight (The Huffington Post, 2011).Information was presented to show the effectiveness of providing birth control without a cost and how it ultimately helps women and children. Some of the problems facing women who are unable to pay for birth controland have an unwanted pregnancy include delayed or no prenatal care, are more likely to smoke and drink alcohol and also experience domestic violence while they are pregnant (Fox & McCarthy, 2011). Incidentally, this maycause health and development risks and problems for the baby when born. The argument that insurance companies should cover birth control costs in conclusively viewed as preventing pregnancies and the mental and healthrisks associated with it for the mother and the child.

The perception of the argument presented is to diminish problems with unwanted pregnancies. The ideas and justifications appear to be valid at first glance, however there are some sources of errors that could beargued when looking at the specific reasoning and issues presented. The argument is based on an assumption that providing birth control with no co-pay will reduce unwanted pregnancies because people who are unable toafford the birth control will now be able to receive it. Furthermore, the argument also presents the assumption that because women now have the opportunity to get the birth control they will actually use it and prevent theunplanned pregnancies. There is no evidence to back up this theory. Although the proposition may be potentially beneficial for some women who truly can’t afford birth control and may actually take the contraceptive, otherwomen who need it may not actually use it. The understanding of the issue is biased because the belief that unwanted pregnancies will decrease by providing birth control at no cost is unwarranted and there is no evidencethat suggests otherwise.

The argument also contains research that was conducted depicting women who pay even a small amount for birth control are less likely to take the contraceptive then people who receive birth control at no cost. Theresearch conducted does not specify how many women were surveyed nor does it present any of the statistical information, therefore the results of the research cannot be deemed as unbiased because there is no informationthat explains how the results were obtained and from who. From a different stance, other research conducted explained the detrimental effects of unwanted pregnancies and the risks the mother and child may face such as themother drinking alcohol or smoking and the child being affected by it. Again, this information does not clarify how the research was conducted or who the participants were. Furthermore, there is no conclusive evidence thatsuggests the use of birth control can and will prevent these potential risks unless the study was conducted after the law was put into place and the researchers compared the results of unwanted pregnancies and risks and theincrease or decrease based on the availability of birth control. The specific example of women not receiving prenatal care and the increased likelihood of smoking and drinking alcohol when having an unplanned pregnancyhas no results or reasoning to back up the information and it is based on speculation and opinions.

References

Fox, M. and McCarthy, M. (2011). Institute of Medicine Report Recommends Free Women's Health Services. Retrieved from http://www.nationaljournal.com/healthcare/institute-of-medicine-report-recommends-free-women-s-health-services-20110719

The Huffington Post, (2011). Obama Administration: Health Insurers Must Cover Birth Control With No Copays . Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/01/obama-birth-control-health-insurance_n_914818.html

Ethics and Diversity Awareness

When Joe called Jill’s boss at the bank to check on her, he discloses that she was previously in counseling for anxiety and depression which is an ethical violation. This was confidentialinformation that Jill did not consent to therefore Joe ethically violated her confidentiality and privacy rights.

There are several ACA codes that Joe violated when breaching Jill’s confidentiality. B.1.b- Respect for privacy which discusses that Jill has the right to privacy and her attendingcounseling should not be discussed unless it beneficial to Jill (American Counseling Association, 2005). This code was violated because calling the boss invaded her privacy and did not benefitJill or the counseling process which had already been terminated. B.1.c- Respect for confidentiality in which Jill’s private information should not be shared without her consent or properjustification (American Counseling Association, 2005). Joe calling the boss and disclosing that she was going to counseling and the specific reason for her going violated her respect forconfidentiality. Furthermore, Jill did not give her consent to call her previous boss nor did Joe have good justification for delving this information. B.2.d- Minimal disclosure where Jill isproperly notified of the disclosure and only the pertinent information is disclosed (American Counseling Association, 2005). Joe did not inform Jill that he was calling her boss and he gave theboss information that was unnecessary. Joe could have simply called her boss to ask about Jill without revealing she was previously in counseling or what she was there for. B.3.c- Confidentialsettings, which explains when private information is discussed it is in a setting that ensures the client’s privacy from others (American Counseling Association, 2005). When Joe made thephone call to the bank there is no assurance that someone wasn’t standing close to the boss and could hear the information or that the phone was on speaker phone and could readily be heard byothers. B.3.e- Transmitting confidential information through phone, precautions must be taken to ensure privacy (American Counseling Association, 2005). This is the same as B.3.c where thecounselor did not take any precautions to make sure that the information was kept private and confidential when calling the bank.

My personal value on the confidentiality situation is that the counselor got himself into a predicament that could have been avoided had he followed the ethical guidelines set forth. I canunderstand him wanting to call Jill’s boss to make sure that she was doing okay, however that was absolutely no reason that he needed to disclose that he was a counselor, the Jill waspreviously attending counseling or that she was suffering from anxiety and depression. Joe could have simply called the boss and asked how she was doing and said that he was a family friendand he hadn’t heard from her in a while. When trying to obtain the information about his previous patient he violated her trust and privacy and because of this, her personal information andhistory could be discussed by other people and could affect her in the long run. If Jill becomes aware of this and she has further issues with depression and anxiety she most likely will not seekhelp from a counselor because of the violation of trust and privacy.

There are similarities and differences in the ethical codes of the ACA and APA in regards to confidentiality. The APA follows Principle E: Respect for People’s Rights and Dignity whichillustrates the importance and rights that client’s have with privacy and confidentiality (American Psychological Association, 2010). 4.01 Maintaining confidentiality in which counselors areobliged to keep confidential information protected (American Psychological Association, 2010). 4.05 Disclosures describes that the client’s consent is necessary to disclose confidentialinformation or that a law must exist if the consent is not given by the client (American Psychological Association, 2010). The similarities between the ACA and APA is that the counselors aresupposed to maintain confidentiality unless they are given consent by the client, if a law obligates them to disclose this information or if there is possible harm to an outside party. Furthermore,both the ACA and APA have codes that the client should be informed if this information is going to be discussed with others, with or without the client’s consent. The ACA goes further anddiscusses other realms of confidentiality that the APA does not. For example, the ACA outlines if information needs to be disclosed, it is a minimal as possible. Furthermore, the ACA informsthe counselor that the information needs to be discussed in the proper setting and precautions needs to take place if transmission of information is through electronic sources or telephone.

References

American Counseling Association, (2005). ACA Code of Ethics. Retrieved from http://www.counseling.org/Files/FD.ashx?guid=ab7c1272-71c4-46cf-848c-f98489937dda

American Psychological Association, (2010). Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx

Foundations of Psychology

The death penalty is a controversial subject that some people are opposed to while others are for this type of punishment. Whether you are for or against the deathpenalty, most people believe there are positives and negatives and wish something would be different. One aspect that most people will agree on is individuals who aresentenced with the death penalty and are later found to be innocent is one of the biggest flaws and problems with the death penalty. While some people are completelyagainst the death penalty as a punishment, others find this punishment acceptable in certain circumstance and situations. When a person is a threat to society, the deathpenalty may be used as a means to protect people in society from this person. Another case that is more accepting of the death penalty is when the individual up for thedeath penalty murdered children. It is also agreed upon that cases with circumstantial evidence are not fair and those individual should not be given the death penaltybecause of the possibility of innocence. Additionally, people who committed murder once are not generally a threat to society and should not be put up for the deathpenalty. In contrast, people against the death penalty entirely say that sentencing a punishment of murder onto someone that committed murder is hypocritical and sets astandard that violence is okay.

While everyone is entitled to their opinion and views will often vary between people, there are some research and statistics that should be looked at to explain howthe death penalty affects society. One of the reasons people are against the death penalty is because of the errors and flaws in the system and in court that can imposedeath on a person that is innocent or did not have a fair trial. In these instances, many cases that go back to court and are retried get a lesser punishment or are found tobe not guilty(Argosy University, 2011). Furthermore, 416 innocent individuals were sentenced with the death penalty since 1900 and 23 of them were put to deathwhich is a huge reason that people are opposed to the death penalty (Argosy University, 2011). Even though the death penalty may be used as a punishment to preventmurder, statistics show that states that impose this sentence have a higher rate of murder than those without it (Argosy University, 2011). The brutalization effect isanother factor to consider which explains a publicized death penalty case in which people are desensitized and killing is justified and viewed as acceptable (ArgosyUniversity, 2011).

I conducted an interview prior to writing this article and the interviewee made some good points for the death penalty such as saving society and preventingindividuals from hurting others however I am still opposed to the death penalty. I considered several points she made including that if the person is an escape risk orharmful to others then the death penalty should be imposed. We discussed super maximum prisons but we both felt that was cruel and unusual punishment. After theinterview I had to consider my feelings on the death penalty because I was completely against it other than terrorists or serial killers. I am still on the fence aboutindividuals who murder children but I am more willing to accept the death penalty against a child murderer than someone who only kills one person.

References

Argosy University, (2011). Psychology and Criminal Justice Lecture Notes. Retrieved on June 17, 2011 from http://myeclassonline.com

Applied Psychology

Katherine’s description of the sudden feelings of nausea, dizziness and breathing problems appear to be a panic attack. Panic attacks unexpectedly occur without anyreason and you feel intense symptoms from it like Katherine displayed (American Psychological Association, 2010). Furthermore, Katherine is avoiding certain situations shefeels that may contribute to the symptoms occurring which is another symptom of a person who had a panic attack (American Psychological Association, 2010). The fact that hersymptoms were so severe that she had to stop the car illustrates the severity of the panic attack. The main symptoms that depict Katherine had a panic attack is that it occurredsuddenly, it was severe enough that she had to pull over when driving, she felt dizzy, nauseous and had trouble breathing (American Psychological Association, 2010).Additionally, Katherine is trying to prevent another panic attack for occurring so she is avoiding things she feels will trigger another attack such as not talking to her parents whoshe probably feels started her panic attack (American Psychological Association, 2010).

Katherine does not meet the criteria for a dissociative disorder but she suffers from Depersonalization symptoms. The main symptom Katherine displays is her feeling likeshe is outside of her own body watching herself (Argosy University, 2010). The symptom occurred during a panic attack which is an indication of depersonalization however itdoes not meet the criteria for a disorder because it occurred during a panic attack (Frey, 2010). Furthermore, depersonalization and symptoms of it can occur because ofKatherine’s sleeping problems which can attribute to these symptoms arising (Frey, 2010). Although the symptoms appear that Katherine may suffer from the dissociativedisorder, the fact that it only appears to have occurred during a panic attack prevents her from being diagnosed with the disorder (Frey, 2010). If Katherine has the feelings ofdisassociation such as watching herself outside of her body when she isn’t suffering from a panic attack then Katherine can and should be diagnosed as suffering from adissociative disorder. In order to actually diagnose her, I would need to know if she only suffers from disassociation during panic attacks or whether she suffers from them atother times too. That is the main difference in whether or not she is suffering from the disorder.

Katherine may appear to have a few different disorders based on the symptoms and behaviors she displays. Katherine appears to be suffering from an anxiety disorder,most likely Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Katherine mentioned she has problems sleeping which is a symptom that occurs when suffering from an anxiety disorder (ArgosyUniversity, 2010). Another symptom Katherine displays is being irritable which may indicate she has an anxiety disorder (Argosy University, 2010). She also appears to be havinganxiety issues because of the abuse she suffered as a child which is where the symptoms derive from.

Another disorder Katherine is suffering from is PTSD. One of the biggest indicators Katherine suffers from PTSD is having nightmares of the abuse which is preventing herfrom sleeping, in addition to feeling like her father is coming up to assault her (Argosy University, 2010). Katherine seems to be reliving the traumatic events that happened to herduring her childhood which is also causing her to avoid her parents (Argosy University, 2010). Katherine is displaying all of the signs of PTSD. These include having flashbacksand nightmares of the traumatic event of sexual abuse, avoiding her parents which is a reminder of the abuse, feeling like she is unable to love her parents, having troublesleeping and even her relationship problems with her daughter and her husband (National Center for PTSD, 2007). The abuse Katherine suffered from as a child is causing heranxiety and distress and now Katherine is suffering from PTSD as a result of the trauma.

References

American Psychological Association (2010). Panic Attacks: The Hallmark of Panic Disorder. Retrieved on November 15, 2010 from http://www.apa.org/topics/anxiety/panic-disorder.aspx

Argosy University (2010). Maladaptive Behavior and Psychopathology Lecture Notes. Retrieved on November 15, 2010 from http://myeclassonline.com

Frey, Rebecca (2010). Depersonalization disorder. Retrieved on November 15, 2010 from http://www.minddisorders.com/Del-Fi/Depersonalization-disorder.html

The National Center for PTSD (2007). What is PTSD? Retrieved on November 15, 2010 from http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/what-is-ptsd.asp

Interpersonal Effectiveness

For the attention task I completed the visual activity which exemplifies a child trying to read a book but has distractions (WGBH, 2002). The activity has a story that you are supposed toread and answer three questions after you read it. To illustrate the problems children who suffer from attention deficits issues they flash pictures of a window with the sun shining through andkids playing soccer in a field (WGBH, 2002). The activity depicts how children who have to focus on something in school such as reading may have problems because they are being distractedby other things in the room, such as what is going on outside the window or what other kids in the classroom are doing. Children will face cognitive challenges because they are unable toconcentrate and focus on the task so they don’t fully understand the information they are supposed to read or complete because of their inability to focus.

For reading I completed the decoding activity which was extremely difficult and actually gave me a headache. The task was to decode a passage using a key with phonemes. They replacedcertain letters in the words and you had to replace the letters with the letters in the translation key. The activity was designed to show how children have trouble decoding phonemes and how itplaces problems with them being able to sounds out words and read (WGBH, 2002). This issue can impair them from being able to decode the phonemes to read the text and pronounce the words(WGBH, 2002). If the child is unable to understand and decode the phonemes it can cause a serious struggle in trying to read words as they relate to sounds. In other words, it is similar tosomeone reading a foreign language that they have never been introduced to before.

I did the composition activity for the writing section which shows the difficulties some children face when trying to put words on paper. The task was to look at a picture and write a shortstory of a few sentences about the picture. While doing this you have to put the first three words at the end of each sentence, add an h after every word that begins with t and change an to on andvice versa (WGHB, 2002). When you complete the story and read it, what you intended to write was not how it was displayed on paper. The activity shows how children may know what theywant to say in their mind but they have problems writing the information in the correct sequence on paper (WGHB, 2002). This can create a world of problems for children in school when theyhave homework to do. Although they know what they want to say, getting the information on paper is often a difficult struggle from them. Even though they may be able to get some of theinformation on the page, when someone else reads it, the story may be completely different than the child intended it to be.

I completed the arithmetic activity under the math section which shows problems that children have with understanding basic math. They show you a typical addition table that you usewhen learning math where the column and the top row meet is the answer for the addition problem. The activity however shows a different table that you are supposed to use to answer the mathproblems they give. I tried figuring out the addition and multiplication charts and I still don’t understand the concept of them and how you use them to conduct the math problems. I am reallygood a math and this exercise really confused me and still continue to. Children who have problems with math have a hard time grasping the basic concepts of it, therefore creating a struggle andtaking a long time to complete one problem. Furthermore, they activity explains how it is supposed to mimic when you first learned math and had to figure out the steps to complete the problemand how long it would take (WGHB, 2002). Not only does it take them a long time but they have difficulty understanding the math problems which may create problems in the future when tryingto do more difficult and complex problems when they can’t understand the basics (WGHB, 2002).

I found both the phoneme and arithmetic activities to be most difficult but I couldn’t even figure out how to complete the arithmetic problem so I would say that was the hardest. Whentrying to complete the basic addition and multiplication math problems you have to use a chart the activity provides you with. I am completely unaware of the type of chart and how theinformation is organized. This creates problems when you are supposed to use this to help you with the basics of math. For example, the first problem was 11 + 11 which is a simple math problemto complete however using the chart, I could not figure out how to solve the problem (WGHB, 2002). The addition table for example has both the top row and left column in numerical order from0-5 (WGHB, 2002). Normally you would take a number from the column first and matching it with a number from the top row you are trying to add and the box where the numbers meet is theanswer. This chart has the column for 1 lined up with the row for 5 which should be 6 but instead has it as the number 10 (WGHB, 2002). I obviously know that 5 + 1 does not equal 10 but I haveno idea how this chart is actually used based on this. I am not aware of the format of the chart and how to use it so it created seriously problems when actually trying to complete the mathproblems using it because I couldn’t complete one.

References

WGBH (2002). Misunderstood Minds. Retrieved on February 25, 2011 from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/misunderstoodminds/

My Future in Learning

Learning- life long processI acknowledge that learning is a life long process and will remain open to new information and experiences to extend my learning throughout my future. When attending Graduate school I will implement the tools that I learned from my degree and personal experience to grow and enhance my learning in future endeavors. Learning will help me in the future to grow and achieve my personal goals and dreams. It will allow me to be understanding and open to new experiences and cultures.

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