Childhood Obesity

I've selected childhood obesity as my course project challenge.  I chose childhood obesity because I see some many children and families living with obesity.  First Lady, Michelle Obama, has worked on initiatives such as Let's Move Campaign and the National School Lunch Program to help address childhood obesity. 

I believe a healthier lifestyle which includes fresh fruits and vegetables, home cooked meals, and exercise will improve the lives of children and attack childhood obesity.  I see a lot of families which frequent fast food restaurant, consume a lot of high sugar drinks, and have limited physical daily activities.  The busy life styles of many on the go families can contribute to an unhealthy life style.

What kind of barriers do you feel families face concerning childhood obesity? 

Just a few of my thoughts

"Don't underestimate me.  I know more than I say, think more than I speak, and notice more than you realize."
- Author Unknown

These are two simple sentences with such a powerful messages.  When we think about young children, most of us often think of them as empty vessels to fill.  But in reality, young children know so much more than we think.  They are natural explorers and gain knowledge through their daily experiences.  Adults often do just what the quotes says "underestimate" children.  They are capable, rational, thinking human beings full of knowledge, potential, wonder, and discoveries.  They know and understand so much more than the questions we are asking them.  Even though they might not communicate to us all that they know, they still are knowledgeable.  Adults have to recognize the potential and capabilities of young children.  They know things and can teach us some things, too.  But more important than that, they are watching us and forming opinions about us, themselves, and the world around them based on their interactions with us. 

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has"
-Margaret Mead

Advocates, early childhood professional, parents, children, and the global community all can have an impact on the direction of education around the world.  It is a must that concerned individuals get together and speak out and for appropriate education for young children.  Because if we do, we can change how the world treats and appreciates the learning and development of young children.

Websites to put into your favorites
www.lessonslearnedinlife.com - full of inspirational quotes
www.acei.org - international early childhood site featuring current global issues, research, publications, & advocacy issues
www.naeyc.org - early childhood education site features policies, research, topics, professional development, & standards for parents and professionals in the United States
www.TED.com -features various topics in different languages of global issues
www.edutopia.org - educational site showcasing articles, blogs, videos on all topics from prek-12 grades
www.bridgemi.com -a news website featuring educational stories by Chastity Pratt in Michigan

Current research that made me say, "ummm"
Arnett, J.J. (2008).  The neglected 95%:  Why American psychology needs to become less American.  American Psychologist, 63(7), 602-614.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer).  (2013c). Cultural responsiveness [Video].  Baltimore, MD:  Author.

Chabet, A., Billot, A., Rouxel, C. (Producers), & Balme's, T. (Director). (2009).  Babies [Motion picture] Universal City, CA:  Focus Features

Meaningful Writing

 

 

Writing is an important form of communication.  We are able to tell people about our thoughts, feelings, intentions, wants, and needs.  But mostly writing is an expression.  In the Reggio Emilia Approach, there are many ways in which a child expresses themselves.  They refer to the many forms of expression as The Hundred Languages of Children.  Children could demonstrate their knowledge and expertise by drawing, painting, singing, dancing, talking, and the list goes on.  It is important to provide children with many opportunities to show their knowledge, practice their skills, and communicate with others.  Sometimes we as educators only allow children to communicate via one method or style.  As children are developing and acquiring skills, experiences have to be meaningful to them.  It is boring and useless to have children copying and practicing writing their names 5 times on a sheet of paper.  What if your boss told you to write your weekly report 5 times?  What's the point of doing that?  Like in the video, there were many opportunities for the children to practice writing their names such as making cards, lists, and labeling work. 

 

We want children to experience learning with a purpose.  There is a little girl in my class whose mother wanted her to learn her address.  The girl was very capable of doing so, but just wasn't interested.  She kept trying to invite us over for another home visit.  When we asked her where she lived, she was like on Mendota.  We told her we need to know the address, the numbers on her house.  And that's the only way we can find her house because there are many houses on Mendota.  She went home and wrote down numbers off the front of the house.  She came back to school excited to share her address with us.  Well, we kept losing the address.  Before long she had learned it, and was able to write it down by herself.  Children are no different from adults in the fact that we all want the things we do to mean something.  When children learn things with a purpose, they are able to make those skills apart of what they know.

 

What ways do you like to express yourself? What are some of the ways the children you know choose to express themselves?

Bullying

Young children often mislabel situations as bullying.  Just the other day a student told me that another child was bullying her.  When I asked her what happened, she said, "He won't play with me."  I have heard adults say that the kids were just playing around when one child wrestles the other to the ground.  So, what is bullying?  According to the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), "bullying occurs when a person is exposed repeatedly and over time to negative actions on the part of one or more person." 

Bullying happens more often than we think.  NASP said that 30% of children reported being involved in bullying as neither the bully, victim, or both.  Children bully for various reasons.  Some children may bully to feel cool or popular, to be in control, or even to feel excepted.  Others are bullies because someone else is bullying them.  Whatever the reason children who are being bullied should not be made to feel as if they are doing something wrong.  In the Everybody Hates Chris Video, the principal gave power to the bully.  Even having the bully and the victim in the same room to explain the situation is empowering to the bully.  Chris was made to feel like it was his fault he was being bullied.  The principal even asked Chris why he thought he was being bullied.  The principal decides to make Chris and the bully go on a field trip together as "buddies!"

What do you think the principal in this situation should do?  What kinds of measures can parents, students, and school personnel put in place to prevent bullying?  If you were being bullied, what would you except the adults around you to do to help you?

If you would like more information on bullying you can visit the National Association of School Psychologists website at www.nasponline.org and look under resources.  There is also a website for a bullying prevention is www.olweus.org which is a program aimed at reducing and preventing bullying.  This program has been implemented in more than a dozen countries around the world. 

Play

Play was such an important aspect of my growing up.  I spent hours outside playing with my cousins.  We even ate at the picnic table outside.  My cousin, Dawn, and I spent a whole summer creating a hotel for worms.  We built this fort around the worm hotel which was basically made of dirt we molded with water.  We would collect worms all day to put in the worm hotel in the evenings.  The next morning we would be so upset that someone had "stolen" our worms.  We spent the whole summer trying to figure out what happened to our worms.  Then one day we noticed the worms digging into the ground and disappearing.  We finally realized our worm hotel didn't have a floor.  And the worms were escaping back into the earth by digging tunnels in the ground.  We solve the great worm escape by filling a box full of dirt and putting our worms inside.  We put our "worm box" in the middle of our fort for safe keeping.  We learned so much that summer.  What is your most memorable play experience as a child?