Movement, Environment and Community Memory Reflection

Movement, Environment and Community Memory Reflection In this paper, I will be sharing two different memories which are significant to me where I remembered learning about movement, environment and community in an integrated way. Then, I will be analysing these two memories which stimulate and making connections in the areas of movement environment and community. The two memories which are significant to me where I remembered learning about movement, environment and communicate has to travel back when I was about six years old and when I was twenty two years old. Both experiences occurred outside of school. The first experience took place at the playground, which is located on the ground floor of my block. My siblings, my brother and my sister and our childhood neighbour will always get together on weekdays for playtime after school. Our most favourite game of all time will be playing hid and seek followed by catch. We were always on the move, running to hide at the places which we shall not be seen. Speed was really crucial for us as we would run away from the catcher and at the same time we had bend our body low so that the catcher will not see us. Sometimes, we had to run very quietly to make sure that no one would spot us. Once we found a safe place, usually we would be hiding behind bushes, we would stay still until the catcher came nearer, we would begin running until we were ‘caught’. The environment was part of the experience as it provided the space for us to move about and hide. As we ran across rows of shops along the corridor, the community forms part of the experience in the game of hide and seek and catch. The neighbours were friendly and accommodating to let us play and running along the corridor and playground. This forms the big issue every time we wanted to play hide and seek as we were concerned how we shall not disturb our neighbours and shops while we enjoyed our game. The second experience which was significant to me happened when I was in sun moon lake, Taiwan. My friend and I took decided to rent scooter to ride around sun moon lake. The movement we had in this experience was the going on a scooter ride. It was specially challenging for us as it was my very first time riding on a scooter. While practising riding on the scooter, I had difficulty balancing the vehicle. Moreover, the direction was different from Singapore thus it took us quite some time to familiarise with the direction. When we were more familiar with the scooter, we began our adventure. At the beginning, we rode extremely slowly as the direction of the road is different in Singapore, and gradually picked up the speed along the journey. The ride added to its difficulty level when it only allows a single lane on each road direction and there were frequent tourists buses and cars on the opposite direction. During the journey, we stopped by at each attraction, which forms part of the environment. The lake was breath taking and it was the reason why we wanted to ride around the lake. We spent some time with the lake and its scenery. On our way back to the rental shop, we had to recharge our scooter. The people, which were part of the community, were helpful in replacing a scooter for us. They also provided the directions when we were not sure about the way to return to the shop. The big issue in this experience was to be able to ride on a scooter so that we were able to visit the lake. Without the help of the residents staying at sun moon lake, we would not be able to appreciate the beauty of the nature. In my first memory, I feel that my family have influenced me greatly. We spent most of the time together, thus we would play together. The community also influenced me and it provided us the space for our activity. In Singapore, due to the safety, some parents may not allow their children to play out of their sight. Families have expressed concern of safety even though they have preferred these places for play (Derr Lance, 2012). However, I am grateful that my parents allowed us to play at the playground with my siblings and neighbours while they are in the house. As we build on relationship with the neighbours in our neighbourhood, we looked out for each other and we get to enjoy this experience. My peers had encouraged and influenced me in my second memory. They had given me the moral support that I need and I picked up my courage to ride on the scooter. The people were also very friendly and patient to give me the time to practice on the scooter. Even though I had encouragement and support from my peers, I would not have accomplished if I were given the knowledge on how the scooter functioned. As an educator, we should focus more on the knowledge rich experiences so that environmental education can be translated into meaningful learning experiences than relying on the concept of teaching which relies on nurturance and empathy with young children (Fleer, 2007). The two chosen memories were both experiential and placed-based learning. The first memory would contain more of experiential learning as we are constantly looking for a new location every time we hide and we learn a new hiding place by doing it. We would often hide behind the bushes and pretended that the bushes are the wall that nobody would see us. Children use these places as â€Å"remarkably responsive with a fantastical mixing of the material and the imaginary† (Derr Lance, 2012, p. 118). On the other memory, sun moon lake is a place-based learning environment as my peers and I explored the place together through moving around the lake on a scooter together with the help of the people at sun moon lake. The nature was there for us as we appreciate it. This made me reflect on how I can understand better how children perceived between nature and environment. Further research on how notions of nature and environment are socially constructed would define the home context with the available resources including play sites and family involvement such as gardening or visits to the gardens (Payne, 1998). The growth of an individual profile will encompass significant life experiences and this would be an important contribution into the research issues of how time and place impact the conceptions and values of nature (Payne, 1998). Relating it back to my experience at the sun moon lake, it did influence me on how I perceive nature and it develops me as a person. In my first memory, the gross motor skill was featured. It was prominent that as we have to run, and hide against the time was we did not want to be ‘caught’ apart from that, we also did squatting and tip-toeing in our hide and seek activity. As for the second memory, my body and eye-hand coordination have to work concurrently as I rode on the scooter. Reflecting on my physical movement made me feel that I had the freedom to move around in the environment. As a teacher, I feel that I have to be conscious on how children have the ability to create space and social affordances. Initial findings suggest that all children have the ability of discovering affordances and forming their classroom environment (McLaren, Ruddick, Edwards, Zabjek, McKeever, 2012). When we are engaged in play, it improves motor and cognitive skill and as well as attention capacities (Derr Lance, 2012). Safety procedures were considered when I was engaged my scooter ride in at the sun moon lake. The rental shop owner briefed us through the safety precautions that we need to know in case of emergency. Helmet was provided during our ride so ensure our safety and we were given emergency contact numbers just in case our scooter broke down. As for my first memory, even though we had the freedom to run around the playground and along the shops, we were aware that we should not be tampering the environment and disturbing the people around us. We also had to be considerate not to run into shops to hide as that would disrupt their business. As I looked back on my past experiences, I see that movement, environment and community are closely inter-related to each other and how each area complement and influenced each other. I feel that there is a need to advocate parents and children to be engaged in movement, environment and community through spending quality time and interactions together. They could be spending time at the picnic, or taking a walk in the park. As an educator, we play a vital role as a facilitator and support when children are engaged in the processes of discovery and exploration (Young Elliot, 2010) and we have to act on it display positive attitudes and learning towards movement, environment and community. References Derr, V., Lance, K. (2012). Biophilic Boulder: Childrens Environments That Foster Connections to Nature. Children Youth and Environments, 22(2), 112-143. Fleer, M. (Ed.). (2007). Young children: Thinking about the scientific world. Watson: Early Childhood Australia. McLaren, C., Ruddick, S., Edwards, G., Zabjek, K., McKeever, P. (2012). Children’s Movement in an Integrated Kindergarten Classroom: Design, Methods and Preliminary Findings. Children, Youth and Environments, 22(1), 145-177. Payne, P. (1998). Childrens conceptions of nature. Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 14, 19-26. Young, S. Elliott, S. (2010). Just Discover! connecting young children with the natural world. Croydon, Victoria: Tertiary Press. Name: Loo Si Hui

The Theme of Death in Haydn Middletons The Lie of the Land :: Middleton Lie of the Land Essays

The Theme of Death in Haydn Middleton's The Lie of the Land Haydn Middleton's The Lie of the Land is a complex book filled with many themes. One of them, which I focused on, is the theme of death. Death seems to be shown as a means to an end. In the beginning, David sees death as an inevitable, horrible event that he must face up to all too soon. "I'm going to die" (p. 16) David states to Rachel during his first visit to the Samaritan Center. "I know I've got to die, Rachel but I'm a coward" (p. 18). David's death won't be one of the ordinary. David is one of the chosen. He is one of the sons of the sky. He is tormented by the woman's voice, the one who chose him, who is always overshadowing him. The woman, possibly the angel of death, has an elaborate plan laid out for David. It began when he was first conceived and will continue on until the day that he dies and beyound. "In her vindictiveness she would call these new sons of the sky westward. And, at the gateway to Albion, she would make them perform, in that brightest light that sits forever upon the darkness, the dance of death..." (p. 85). The island of Albion seems to be referred to as hell. David speaks of being in contact with "...the keeper of the gateway to hell" (p. 18). The island is believed to be a "...rendezvous for the souls of the dead" (p. 79). When the time comes the woman will call to the sons of the sky and take David to the island of the dead. David didn't fully understand his fate until it was explained to him by his stepfather, Emrys. Later in life, when David is married and a son of his own, the power of the woman took over his mind and body. She willed him to committ one of the worst crimes possible. He took the life of another human being. And in the process he lost his own life as well. Not literally, but he lost his family and his soul. He had nothing. "I am the son of the sky, he thought. And after so many years, he knew what that meant. He knew that he would dance before his time. And he knew, too, glancing down at his child, that there would be more than one end" (p. The Theme of Death in Haydn Middleton's The Lie of the Land :: Middleton Lie of the Land Essays The Theme of Death in Haydn Middleton's The Lie of the Land Haydn Middleton's The Lie of the Land is a complex book filled with many themes. One of them, which I focused on, is the theme of death. Death seems to be shown as a means to an end. In the beginning, David sees death as an inevitable, horrible event that he must face up to all too soon. "I'm going to die" (p. 16) David states to Rachel during his first visit to the Samaritan Center. "I know I've got to die, Rachel but I'm a coward" (p. 18). David's death won't be one of the ordinary. David is one of the chosen. He is one of the sons of the sky. He is tormented by the woman's voice, the one who chose him, who is always overshadowing him. The woman, possibly the angel of death, has an elaborate plan laid out for David. It began when he was first conceived and will continue on until the day that he dies and beyound. "In her vindictiveness she would call these new sons of the sky westward. And, at the gateway to Albion, she would make them perform, in that brightest light that sits forever upon the darkness, the dance of death..." (p. 85). The island of Albion seems to be referred to as hell. David speaks of being in contact with "...the keeper of the gateway to hell" (p. 18). The island is believed to be a "...rendezvous for the souls of the dead" (p. 79). When the time comes the woman will call to the sons of the sky and take David to the island of the dead. David didn't fully understand his fate until it was explained to him by his stepfather, Emrys. Later in life, when David is married and a son of his own, the power of the woman took over his mind and body. She willed him to committ one of the worst crimes possible. He took the life of another human being. And in the process he lost his own life as well. Not literally, but he lost his family and his soul. He had nothing. "I am the son of the sky, he thought. And after so many years, he knew what that meant. He knew that he would dance before his time. And he knew, too, glancing down at his child, that there would be more than one end" (p.

Fast Food and Childhood Obesity Essay

In the past decade there has been a rise of obesity in children. I believe along with many credible sources that a lot of the reoccurring obesity problems we face with children have to do with fast food. You could almost say that fast food is kind of like a drug for kids. It is always fun to go out to eat as well as take in food that is high in calories and saturated fat. Although fast food may be a large factor in childhood obesity, it is also safe to say that it’s not the only factor. Are we placing too much blame on the fast food industry for making our kids obese, or is it our fault as parents and caregivers? Fast Food Then and Now Compared to how fast food chains functioned when they first opened and how they operate now you will see a huge difference; not only in their food selection but also in the portion sizes. For example, when McDonald’s first opened in 1955 their cheeseburger was only 1. 6 ounces and now you can get a cheeseburger for almost 8 ounces (Monte, 2008). The sizes are almost a 400 calorie increase—400 calories could be more than one whole meal for a child. Every year portion sizes are essentially getting larger and larger. A small now would have been a medium just five years ago (White, n. d. ). Not only have the portion sizes gotten larger but so has the menu. Fast food chains now have been offering smoothies, sundaes, pie slices, and even cinnamon rolls. They offer more menu options that offer more calories and saturated fats. Along with these they have also gotten better with offering some healthy options too like apples and low fat milk, but who goes to a fast food restaurant to get apples and milk? There are 3,039 possible kids’ meal combinations and out of that only 12 combinations meet the nutrition criteria for preschooler’s and 15 for all other children (Oren & Dodson, 2010). The only kind of company who would essentially poison children like that is ones who are trying to make a fast buck and that is the goal for all of these fast food companies. They don’t realize or they do and just don’t care that they are poisoning our youth and even adults. Advertisements For the past ten years or so fast food chains have been advertising to children. Kids spend more time watching TV than any other activity they do besides sleeping (Nestle, 2006). Fast food chains have taken advantage of this by placing most of their ads on programs like Nickelodeon, Disney, and even PBS. They know that if they spend millions on advertising on children networks that they will get their return on investing in them. Children see more than 32% more fast food ads on TV now than in 2003 (Oren & Dodson, 2010). In 2009, McDonald’s spent the most out of all the fast food companies on advertising to children. They spent almost 900 million dollars targeting ages 6-11. Subways was in a very far out second spending a little over 400 million dollars targeting 12-17 year olds (Harris, Schwartz & Brownell, 2010). Studies have also shown that Hispanics and African American children see more than 50% more fast food ads than white children (Oren & Dodson, 2010). With this there are more fast food chains in African American and Hispanic dominated neighborhoods. Family Statistics You can probably assume that every family in the U. S. goes to fast food restaurants on occasion but some go more than others. Studies have shown that families with lesser income are more exposed to fast food than other families who have a higher income (Block & Scribner, 2004). With the economy the way it is, much more people are making much less and this is causing more and more families to visit fast food places rather than eating at home. You can go to a fast food joint and spend ten dollars for the whole family to eat rather than spending hundreds of dollars at a grocery store. In an article I just read, less than one third of Americans are eating their meals from scratch; meaning actually cooking and serving them to their families (Voigts, 2005). This was published seven years ago—just think of where we are now! I conducted an interview with my sister, Morgan Dutton, who is an extreme fitness guru, health nut, and she also has children. I asked her what she thought about this obesity epidemic in our youth and she said, â€Å"I cannot believe all of the staggering statistics regarding kids and fast food. I am not sure why parents wouldn’t want their kids eating the healthiest food option rather than the fastest. Kids are starting to get diabetes earlier and it reduces their life span by years. Fast food is essentially killing our kids, it may be slowly but it is happening (personal communication, October 15th, 2012). † Drawing the Line So whose fault is it that our children’s generation is getting more and more obese? Should we blame it on fast food—when can we blame ourselves? As a parent I want my child to live the longest healthiest life they can live and when I take them to places like McDonald’s and Burger King I am basically poisoning their body. It may be fast food that is making them obese but isn’t it our fault for taking them there in the first place? Exposing them to that kind of food especially early on in their life is only going to make it harder for them when they get older and can make their own decisions. Conclusion Rather than placing blame for the obesity problem with our children maybe we should be taking action. You could blame fast food chains for making your kid obese or you could even blame yourself because you took them there. Parent’s need to start making better decisions on what they are putting in their kids bodies because they may outlive their own child. There are so many chemicals and toxins in fast food that people are not aware of. Fast food may be cheap and it may be fast but in the long scheme of things, it is killing our kids.

The Blackest Blots on American History Free Essay Example, 1500 words

At the beginning of World War II, millions of immigrants arriving in the United States from Japan, Italy, and Germany were officially classified as "enemy aliens. " Following Japan surprise attack on the U. naval base at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the US government was very worried about the possibility of espionage by Japanese Americans. Although many Japanese Americans were enlisted as soldiers in the US Armed Forces, some people gave in to fear and paranoia and clung to the groundless suspicion that Japanese citizens would sabotage the US war effort. On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, authorizing the relocation of Japanese Americans living on the West Coast to inland concentration camps. The US War Relocation Authority was created to prevent the feared espionage. They built 10 internment camps in states such as Idaho and Arkansas. Japanese Americans living in Washington, Oregon, and California were forced to leave their jobs, homes, and in some cases, their families, to move into the camps. Over 110,000 people, half of them children, were forcibly relocated against their will, even though they had committed no crime. We will write a custom essay sample on The Blackest Blots on American History or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Conditions in the camps were deplorable: armed guards patrolled the barbed-wire perimeter, medical care was inadequate, and entire families were forced to live in poorly constructed, one-room cells. The camps were closed when the war ended in 1945. It wasn't until the 1970s that details began to emerge about the atrocities committed by the US government against Japanese Americans. Of the thousands detained in the camps, 70,000 were US citizens. In 1980, Congress established the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians. After examining the impact of the internment period on the Japanese American community, the commission concluded that the federal government was guilty of discrimination against its citizens.