October Extra Post

Independent Component

For my lesson plan on Monday, or Tuesday, I was planing on having "memory" books to explain my hook activity a little further. So I was going to bring my little book from when I went to preschool and then compare it to one from my kids, but I realized they don't have one! -gasp- It is the one thing I have kept from preschool and something I constantly look back at and smile.

My cover page with my school and year!

My karaoke choices certainly have changed :)

My little 's' is trying to fly away! How cute :)

So here's my new mission-if I choose to accept it, which I do.
Children don't remember much from their preschool years and it's really nice to have a little token of that time in one's life, so I am taking it upon myself to give back to my kids by making them their own personal memory books.
This is my new mission while doing my independent component this semester and I plan to post little pictures of my mission's progress. Here's to hoping for the best! :)

Blog 8: Research and Working EQ

1. What is your working EQ?
What are the most important skills a child can develop to have an impact on the way they excel academically?

2. What is a possible answer to your working EQ? Please write the answer in thesis format.
EQ: What are the most important skills a child can develop to have an impact on the way they excel academically? 

• Children, and their educators, should focus on developing their motor skills . 
• Social and interaction skills should be stressed at an early age as they both intertwine later in life both academically and personally. 
• Cognitive control, although rarely taught, is an important skill for success in school and life, that if not introduced at an early age can hurt children later in life.
• Educators must also be aware of the certain stages a child goes through and how to address them, as at these stages certain skills should be focused on more than others. 

3. What is the most important source you have used that has helped you come up with an answer to your working EQ?
The most important source I have found most helpful in helping me think of a working EQ is a scholarly journal by Adele Diamond, titled Preschool Program Improves Cognitive Control, it talks about a crucial factor in a child's life and that if it's missed it can affect a child later. This got me thinking about all the other skills necessary for a child to develop in order to do well in school and when they should develop them.

4. Who is your mentor, or where are you doing mentorship, and how does what your doing relate to your working EQ?
My mentor is MS. Chami and she works at Montessori Academy of Chino. By going to her classroom and interacting with the kids it relates and helps me answer my working EQ in the way that I get to see them being taught essential skills that will help them in future academic endeavors. They are being taught to work hands-on and how to interact with others around them -which improves their social skills-. I feel like my mentorship does a good job of knowing at what stage a child might be at and then helping them work on skills that need fine tuning, which I am now being introduced to and apart of by going, helping them do their worksheets, or just being a support for them and sitting there while they work.

Blog 7: Independent Component 1 Approval

What is it? Independent Component 1 is an opportunity for you to add a dimension of creativity and/or an additional outlet for research. The goal of the component is for you to explore your topic in more depth with this component. 

To get your idea approved now, please answer the following questions: 

1. Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.
For my thirty hours I plan to just spend more time with my mentor, in her classroom. I chose to do this because I feel like in order to really learn how early childhood education affects a child is by actually observing them in the classroom.
So, I plan on going on Wednesdays, in addition to already going on Mondays, and really interacting with the children by helping them with their work.

2. Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence. 
To show evidence of the work I will be doing with the kids I will post pictures on my blog of work they do, which includes; crafts, worksheets, drawings, etc. However, I'm not sure if I am allowed to take pictures of myself with the children, but I'll be sure to ask the Director and my mentor for permission.

3. Explain how what you will be doing will help you explore your topic in more depth.
As I mentioned before, my topic is Early Childhood Education, and I think to know how my topic really affects the kids I have to actually see it taking place. So by adding more hours with my mentor, I feel like that's the best way to gain knowledge and experience it first hand. By spending more time interacting with the kids I'll really learn how having an education early on helps them personally.

4. Update your Senior Project Hours log.
Senior Project Hours Log.