How Mary Rowlandsons Puritan Beliif Influenced Her Narrative of Her Captivity Essay Example for Free

How Mary Rowlandsons Puritan Beliif Influenced Her Narrative of Her Captivity Essay Some people are just better suited for things and situations then others. If you want a really hard math equation done maybe you should look in the depths of the library. If you need help moving into a new house and are moving heavy stuff go to the nearest weight room. Everyone, for the most part, is usually good for something. In this narrative, religion is everywhere.With verse after verse being quoted from the Bible. Some people have many Gods while most have one reining all-powerful being. In the case of Mary Rowlandson, I believe her being a puritan and having the strong puritan beliefs made her more suitable for dealing with the trails she was about to face then say a everyday church goer. Being the wife of a preacher it shows in the text Mary was solidly grounded in her faith making and well knowledgeable See more: how to start a narrative essay introduction The Puritan Belief is one that was quite popular in the colonies at that time. Major Puritan beliefs are taken seriously. A Puritan had to be a hard worker, be honest about everything and to be able to be self sufficient even though they believed that life on this earth was of little importance, that they shouldn’t worry too much because life is temporary. That all people’s faith is already predetermined from the second they were born. From Mary’s point of view she was very obedient to her husband. The Father was the backbone of Puritan households; he had control over everything and led the family financially and spiritually. In the start of Mary’s captivity she is living in Lancaster with her family when the natives attack them. Almost everyone on the village is brutally killed or wounded or taken into captivity and bargained for goods from the colonist for their lives. Mary’s family members were either killed or wounded. She witnessed the brutality of the Indians as she describes in one man in her village wounded in the ground begging for his life and the natives ripped him naked and removed all his bowels (Salisbury, p.68). Now separated from all but her very wounded daughter the natives begin to take them northwest. Eventually her daughter, Sarah, passes away from her injuries. This trail in Mary’s life for many people would spell doom. I don’t think if Mary were a devout Puritan she would have not survived the hardship of losing her daughter plus the abuse of being a captive to the natives. Even with her strong faith Mary writes about her waning faith, the bitterness in her heart and intense sadness she is feeling During this time Mary describes the natives of being like demons. Workers for the evil doings of Satan (Salisbury, p.71). That the natives are more then just enemies of war but enemies of the Christian faith and the spread of the goodness of God. Saying many times over she yearns for the company of fellow Christians. While writing this narrative Mary constantly revaluates her faith. Even saying at one point after the death of her daughter then she has not been showing the lord enough attention on the Sabbath. Saying at one time â€Å"The next day was the Sabbath: then I remembered how many Sabbaths I had lost and misspent, and how evilly I had walked in Gods sight†(Salisbury, p.74). Mary realizes that she must keep her faith if she is going to survive this ordeal. She always quotes scripture to understand or squander any obstacle she faces. Even in the smallest things she quotes scripture, while walking she simply slips a quotes a Psalm, â€Å"When my foot slipped, thy mercy, O Lord, help me up†(Salisbury, p.96). Reinforcing her puritan beliefs that God had a plan for her. That everything that was happening to her was in an already predetermined plan. God though seems from my point of view was watching over Mary. When her wounds are worsening she happens to run into a British man that had similar injuries and showed her how to heal them. During one of the Indians raids on the Medfield colony, one of the natives recovered a Bible that they allowed Mary to read(Salisbury, p.76). When she needed food somehow she found a way to get food or some was provided for her. King Philip is a tribal leader that even though the war bears his name is not so violent him-self and makes Mary’s survival chances brighter. Mary gets word from a man that her husband is alive and she gets to see her children which gives her hope that she will live with them again. All these things some small some larger made God seem present with her. Mary knows the Puritan belief requires them to be self-sufficient. She foraged for nuts and grain and started sewing to trade for either meals or goods like tobacco, which she could sell. Mary is always honest with the natives. Never ling to them about her plans or what she thought. Mary Rowlandson’s narrative on this story did show me how during rough times during the early colonies these religious puritans held strong. Though some beliefs of the new bay puritans may be drastic if seems it was the perfect religion for that time. Throughout the story Mary is tempted with signs of rescue but never truly curses God or defiles him. Personally Mary’s story is very similar to Jobs, who she quotes one or twice, in which God allows Satan to bring many hardships on him to challenge his faith because Satan believe since God blesses Job with many things when all is taken from him he will abandon God and curse him. Job never does though saying to his wife, â€Å"Shall we only except the good things from God and not the Bad?† Mary’s perseverance eventually leads to her release and she is reunited with most of her family. Her Puritan belief kept her mentally and spiritually prepared for what she had to go through and inspired her to write such a powerful story of faith and hope.

How Education Can Contribute To Peace

How Education Can Contribute To Peace First and Foremost, What is world peace? World Peace is an ideal of freedom, peace, and happiness among and within all nations and/or people. World peace is an idea of planetary non-violence by which nations willingly cooperate, either voluntarily or by virtue of a system of governance that prevents warfare. The term is sometimes used to refer to a cessation of all hostility among all individuals. (Wikipedia, World peace) We celebrate world peace on International Peace Day on September 21st. I think, without education, most of us wouldnt even know the meaning of peace. So as long as we learn and devote ourselves and our time, we will be peaceful. Peace has taught us a lot about Education and the same applies to Education. Education has made a big impression on world peace. Has it made a made a big impression on you? What is Education? Nelson Mandela once said Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. (Good reads, Quotes) I agree with him because education is in fact an important requirement of life. But this is just my opinion. Lots of people have different opinions about Education. Barack Obama said Im going to insist that weve got decent funding, enough teachers, and computers in the classroom, but unless you turn off the television set and get over a certain anti-intellectualism that I think pervades some low-income communities, our children are not going to achieve (Light a Fire, Educational Quotes) Aristotle said The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet (Heart quotes, Education) Galileo said I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldnt learn something from him (Heart quotes, Education) But I think, if youre able to read this and understand it, youre educated! Something important struck me as I was going through this website, it said I f you study to remember, you will forget, but, if you study to understand, you will remember. (Heart quotes, Education) Have you ever thought how something like Education has made an impact of peoples lives? But first we must ask ourselves, what is impact? Impact is the effect or impression of one thing on another. Children receive education at some point in their lives to enhance their social and intellectual abilities (Lynda Barrys the Sanctuary of School) Education can be given at any place at any time. But some people dont go to school. Why? When it comes to poor people, we can assume they cant afford it. But when it comes to rich people who can, what is the reason? Well, some rich children feel its ok to not attend school. I call this Lack of Courage. And some are simply influenced by their parents who are somewhat lazy and dont care about the educational rights of the child. When children choose education over drugs, thats a miracle (Bruce Almighty, Movie) Dont you ever wonder what education is like throughout Ethiopia? Education in Ethiopia has been dominated by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church for many centuries until so called official education was adopted in the early 1900s. Previous to 1974, Ethiopia had an estimated illiteracy rate well above 90% and compared poorly with the rest of Africa in the condition of schools and universities. Education received roughly 13% of the national budget in 1992. By 1995 the rate of illiteracy had dropped substantially to 64.5%. Projected adult illiteracy rates for the year 2003 even lower at 61.3% (males, 56.1%; females, 66.6%). (Education in Ethiopia, ONSOI) As of 1999, public expenditure on education was estimated at 4.3% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product).The current system follows very similar school expansion schemes to the rural areas as the previous 1980s system with an addition of deeper renationalization giving rural education in their own languages starting from the primary level (Wikipedia , Education in Ethiopia) Education can be provided into two types of school. Private (Like Sandford) and Government (run by the government where everything or almost everything is free). Ive learnt in both. From knowledge, I can say that students from government school take education more seriously than students from private schools. The reason for this is because that education is the only way to a better life, better job and better health for them. Like for example we, private school students can fail grade 10 and still have a chance in grade 11 (IGCSE) But government school students have only 1 chance in secondary school. If they fail grade 10, there is no IGCSE for them. Learning in a government school wasnt easy for me. I was used to private schools where if you forgot to hand in an essay or assignment, you get another chance. If you didnt hand in your assignment in government schools, youll get a slap in the face or a kick in the leg, which was very excruciating. But it was an amazing experience, getti ng perspectives from both schools and taking it with me to my journey as a student, a student whose obligation is to accomplish hers and hers familys potential. Also, we should consider the values which are essential, education will make you qualified for certain jobs and positions. Without it everybody in the world wouldnt know a thing. I will now demonstrate 11 interesting facts on education that you probably didnt know. 1. One in five adults in the developing world almost 862 million people cannot read or write. 2. Most illiterate persons are female. In more than 20 developing nations, illiteracy rates amongst women exceed 70%. 3. As much as 115 million children of primary school age are not enrolled in school. 4. More than 226 million children do not attend secondary school. 5. Many children who do enroll in school do not graduate with even the most basic reading and math skills because their schools do not have enough teachers, books or facilities to provide a quality education. 6. Across the world many children miss out on their education because: They are made to work to help support their families and many other reasons. 7. in most developing countries, public school is not free. The costs of books, uniforms, and teachers salaries are borne by the students families. 8. School fees and related costs are a co mmon barrier to education. These charges are a greater burden for children from poor families, and disproportionately affect those who are racial and ethnic minorities, members of Indigenous communities and migrants. 9. Girls are more likely to be excluded from school than boys when there isnt enough money to go round. As many as two out of three out-of-school children are girls. 10. Social traditions and deep-rooted religious and cultural beliefs are most often the barriers to expanding girls educational opportunities in undeveloped countries around the world. And last but not least, 11. Educated girls and women are less vulnerable to HIV infection, human trafficking and other forms of exploitation, are more likely to marry later, raise fewer children who are more likely to go to school, and make important contributions to family income. (Facts on Education, Dosomething.org) Have you ever tried and compared education in LEDCs and MEDCs? Why dont we take Afghanistan and Italy for example? Afghanistan had an early childhood development program which provides environmental influences, which gradually interact with the developing abilities and disposition of young children to help develop social, emotional, physical, intellectual, and creative aspects of their personality. However, for the underprivileged children with social, economic, educational or emotional deficiencies, these programs provide stimulations designed to remove obstacles to learning (The EFA 2000 Assessment: Country Reports). The following table is extracted from UNESCO-IBE (2011), (World Data on Education VII ed. Islamic Republic of Afghanistan). It clearly shows the education/schooling system in Afghanistan. In Italy, Education for all means, in the perspective of UNESCO, the commitment of the 187 member countries to provide every human being with the real possibility of achieving at least that minimum educational attainment which allows a person to participate fully in the cultural, social, political and economical life of his/her country. The year 2000 assessment is then for UNESCO a very important step in the way towards that fundamental objective. It gives every country the opportunity of reviewing its recent past in the light of the effort made so that basic education becomes a reality for all (The EFA 2000 Assessment: Country Reports) Since 2008, the Pearson Foundation (Independent non-profit organization that aims to make a difference by promoting literacy, learning, and great teaching), the nonprofit arm of one of the nations largest educational publishers, has financed free international trips some have called them junkets for education commissioners whose states do business with the company (New York Times, Free Trips Raise Issues for Officials in Education) Many people in the world are trying to promote education for all. One of those people is Barack Obama. Barack Obama is encouraging people to follow the Education law, Similar to the Chinese government trying to encouraging the Chinese population to follow the One child policy. If you dont know, Education law is the area of law relating to schools and that deals mainly with schools, school systems and school boards charged with educating our children. President Barack Obama said No Child Left Behind. Obama said a few years ago that he was frustrated that Congress didnt act to change the law that he has said is flawed, so he was moving forward with an effort to let qualifying states circumvent it. His plan allows states to scrap a key requirement that all children show they are proficient in reading and math by 2014. To qualify, the states must submit a plan showing how they will meet certain requirements such as enacting standards to prepare students for college and testing for those standards, and by making teachers and principals more accountable by setting guidelines on evaluations (Fresno bee, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2011) Shiza Anam, a six year old girl, is living with her mother, two brothers and two sisters in red light area, Lahore. Her mother is a worker who hardly earns an amount of Rs. 7000/ month (US $ 83 / month) from prostitution. With this limited income she is hardly able to meet the daily expenses of food and other requirements of the family. Her mother is not able to bear the expenses of her education and health care. Her two sisters and two brothers are also not going to school as her mother is not in a position to bear the expense of their educations. Her mother wants her to be a prostitute in future but she does not want to be a prostitute. She wants to get an education and to become a teacher in her life. She thinks that education is the best way to fight against deprivations, poverty and to get rid of the prostitution. But her mother does not have enough resources for her education. She does not know about her father as her mother is a sex worker. Her mother also does not know about her husband and the father of Shazia Anam. Currently Shaiza is going to Sheed School but she is looking towards the donors to help her to meet the expenses of her education. (Givology, learn to give, give to learn) Millions of people around the world can relate to Shizas story. To conclude, Education is an essential necessity of life and we all have the right to learn and respect anothers freedom of learning. I think positive change is possible. Youths are fighting for jobs and education is a campaigning organization fighting against mass unemployment. The Scottish say fight their system demand our future. Wisconsin families support a strong public school system because education is the key to creating a better future for our children by attracting companies and jobs to our community. In Addis Ababa, education is a key weapon in preventing girls from falling victim to child trafficking (Education in Ethiopia, UNICEF) If you want to be in education, said Canada, you cant be prepared to accept failure. (Fighting for education, and nations future, Harvard University) Word Count: (Excluding citations): 1993 Work-Cited List World Peace Wikipedia, 24 November, 2008, Web. October 31, 2012, Good Reads Famous Quotes, 22 November 2010, Web. October 31, 2012, Education Heart Quotes, June 27, 2008, Web. October 31, 2012, < http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/h/helenkelle101301.html> The Sanctuary Of School Lynda Barry Essays and Term Papers, 14 April, 2011, Web. October 31, 2012, < http://www.studymode.com/subjects/the-sanctuary-of-school-lynda-barry-page1.html> Education in Ethiopia Onsoi Blog, 25 July, 2012 ,Web. October 31, 2012, What are county EFA reports? Country Reports, 2000, Web. October 31, 2012, < http://www.unesco.org/education/wef/countryreports/home.html> Free Trips Raise Issues for Officials in Education Education, The New York Times, October 9, 2011, Web. October 31, 2012, Most states to seek exception to education law Publication, Daily Sparks Tribune, 30 October 2011, Web. October 31, 2012, < http://dailysparkstribune.com/view/full_story/16040963/article-Most-states-to-seek-exception-to-education-law> TVET formal, non-formal and informal systems World TVET Database, 2011, Web. October 31, 2012, < http://www.unevoc.unesco.org/worldtvetdatabase1.php?ct=AFG>

Gender Equality In Sports :: Women Sport

Gender in sports has been a controversial issue ever since sports were invented. In the early years, sports were played only by the men, and the women were to sit on the sidelines and watch. This was another area of life exemplifying the sexism of people in which women were not allowed to do something that men could. However, over the last century in particular, things have begun to change. Women are being allowed to participate now, including professional leagues such as the Women’s National Basketball Association, and the Ladies Professional Golf Association. Women in sports, especially softball and basketball, have become a big-time business. World War II is when the basis of women’s professional sports began. While the men were overseas fighting the war against the Nazis and Germans, the women entertained the people who stayed back by playing baseball. Recently a major issue for women in sports is female coaches and their salaries. The salaries of the male coaches in athletics have continuously been on the rise. And on top of that, the male coaches make 159% of the money that female coaches make. Female participation in College athletics are also on the rise. However, the majority of funding in colleges goes into the men's athletic programs. Another issue of women in sports was the health risk to the women who compete. The recommendations of the scientists state that involvement in sports and other such physical activity reduces the likelihood of developing a number of life-threatening health conditions. Involvement in cooperative and competitive activities can improve a woman’s social outlook, sense of competence and emotional control.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart :: essays research papers

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s name is familiar even to people who know little or none of his music. However, Mozart’s fame is based on two different frames of reference: firstly, being the most famous child prodigy in music history (as both a performer and a composer) and secondly, his unquestioned brilliance as an adult composer of Classical symphonies, operas, chamber music, sonatas, church music, and concerti for various instruments. Perhaps what he is best remembered for are his operas.&#9; His astonishing rate of production continues to stupefy scholars today. In his short life, he composed over 600 works, including 21 stage and opera works. The most obvious distinction between Mozart and other opera composers is that he was the master of all other branches of composition. Mozart’s operas are from a mind that thought symphonically, so even if you don’t know what’s going on, you can tell you are listening to an extended piece of music in which the dramatic incidents form a part of a perfectly coherent whole. Mozart wrote from some excellent libretti, yet the music is always the dominant element, giving the action inflections of meaning the words alone couldn’t reflect. Furthermore, until Mozart’s emergence, operatic characters where generalized and typical. Mozart was the first to put real people up on the stage, people who had real emotions that were inconsistent and whose personalities were evolutionary. In 1767, the Mozarts went to Vienna where Wolfgang was commissioned to compose his first opera, La finta semplice, K. 51. Intrigues created by envious composers, prevented this first opera from being performed. However, another charming early theatrical work of Mozart, Bastien und Bastienne, an opera buffa, was performed in Vienna where it was greeted with much acclaim. His first major serious opera, Mitridate, was performed in Milan in 1770 when he was only fourteen, and it was received with unqualified raves that critics compared him to Handel. The 1780’s began the struggling times for Mozart, although the Emperor, who thought highly of Mozart, attended several of his "academies" but did little else for him. Eventually, there was an appointment as Court composer, but there were next to no orders for compositions. When a salary was added to the title, it was a meager one, and Mozart's last years, in spite of some notable successes (Figaro, 1786), were beset by financial worries, aggravated by Konstanze's (Mozart’s wife) many sicknesses and confinements. Although Mozart had initially thrived in Vienna, since he was in great demand as a performer and composition teacher, and his opera, The Abduction from the Seraglio, was a hit, life was seldom easy for him.

Vivid Use of Imagery in My Father’s Garden, by David Wagoner Essay

In David Wagoner’s poem, â€Å"My Father’s Garden†, the speaker describes his father’s job as a fruitful gardener that his father find very productive but does not finally yield anything of value. Through the use of vivid imagery, we are presented with two contrasting outlooks on life. In four stanzas, Wagoner’s use of imagery and metaphors shows us what he thinks of his father’s job, his education and subsequently, the choices his father has made throughout his life. We are first presented with image of an open hearth which directly sets the tone for the first stanza. The speaker description of his father as a knight in a furnace with where â€Å"white hot steel† (ln, 1) that is pierced by â€Å"his lance† (ln, 2) has a negative connotation. With the use of the words, â€Å"blazing† and â€Å"molten† (ln, 4), the setting is hell-like and ultimately gives us an insight into the speaker’s impression of his father. However, in the last sentence, the scene drastically changes from a mercilessâ€Å"open hearth† to a calm a scrapyard that is his father’s â€Å"kind of garden† (ln, 6). In the secon...

Relating Philosophy to Pedagogy Essay

Within any early childhood education (ECE) setting the pedagogy of the educators will have great impact on the programmes and philosophies which the children within that setting will be influenced by. Teachers have a responsibility to build and maintain authentic, open, reciprocal relationships with children, families and the community (Gailer, 2010). This is not only an integral part of the early childhood curriculum Te Whariki which has relationships as one of its four foundation principles (Ministry of Education [MoE], 1996) but also part of the teaching standards and ethics. As a teacher I relish in the chance to build relationships with many different children, all unique in their culture, strengths, ideas and way of being. The importance I place on relationships sits well with both Vygotsky’s and Bronfenbrenner’s sociocultural theories. Vygotsky emphasised the importance of the people surrounding a child, seeing them crucial for supporting and enhancing the child’s development. Bronfenbrenner extended this into a model of contextual factors, using ideas about five kinds of contexts surrounding the individual child including their micro- and meso-systems where the interactions of their day-to-day realities occur (Drewery & Bird, 2004). These theories have been vital in the development of New Zealand’s early childhood curriculum, Te Whariki, and so my understandings of these and with my personal philosophy I hope to have the skills to be able to build respectful reciprocal relationships with all learners. Building these relationships however is not as easy as people outside of the profession often assume. Appendix 2 shows Suzie Gailer’s (2010) article on being professional, the article discusses how professional integrity of practice is reliant on teachers having a particular set of values, respect, authenticity, empowerment and transparency. The image of the child is culturally constructed and linked to our time and place in history, the image I have as a teacher today of children is very different to that of which I was viewed as a child. My image of the child has altered as I have gained both practical and theoretical teaching experience. In my first practicums I did not necessarily know what to expect about building initial relationships with children but as I have gained knowledge I now know that children can be trusted to build these relationships in timeframes which are right for them. Te Whariki (MoE, 1996) presents the image of children as competent learners and communicators and I now uphold this image in my teaching practice and as a parent (Appendices 3, 4 & 5), along with the values of respect which I have articulated through the following of Magda Gerber’s work. From my own relatively limited practical experience and theoretical knowledge I can relate to the notion of Edwards & Nuttall (2005) where â€Å"the pedagogy, or ‘the act of teaching’, is not only mediated by educators’ understandings about the children, learning, and the curriculum; their understandings about the social settings in which they work, their personal experiences beyond the workplace and their engagement with the centre’s wider community all have a role in determining the educator’s actions† (p. 36). My own underlying beliefs, values and philosophies all impact on my teaching style and, although often unconsciously, on the way I relate to individuals. Commitment to reflective practice, the personal philosophy I have articulated and the desire for professional development will aid me in holding true to a pedagogy which is responsive in time as well as to individuals. This pedagogy with its identified aspects of assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation is influenced by my values and experiences and I attempt to explain and reflect upon these in this essay. The main assessment process I use is ‘Learning Stories’, an approach developed by Dr. Margaret Carr. Learning stories show a snapshot of a learning experience which has been shared with the child or children involved and are a record of the interests and strengths of the child. Research shows that learning is more effective when it is derived from interests, encouraging motivation and the sense of confidence that comes from working within one’s own strengths. The learning story framework is based on the belief that developing good learning dispositions is the most important skill in early childhood and this fits well with my values of respect and having the Te Whariki image of the child, a confident, competent learner and communicator. The foundations of learning stories are the dispositions found in Te Whariki and in my own learning stories these are highlighted, showing fellow educators, parents and whanau how I work to support children’s learning in all aspects of the programme and curriculum (Appendices 4, 6 & 7). Upholding this image of children in practice is however met with challenges. Woodrow (1999) describes how there are resulting constructions of childhood based on how individuals experienced childhood, on cultural artefacts and on professional knowledge, Ellen Pifer (2000) also describes these conflicting images in her book Demon or Doll (Appendix 8) which has truly opened my mind to ways of seeing individuals. Other teaching professionals may hold different images of children such as the child as innocent or as an embryo adult and this will impact on the way they act around and towards children. Having a commitment towards reflective practice and regularly evaluating my personal pedagogy will allow me to deal with these challenges, giving me the skills to explain my viewpoint and understand that of others so that the best possible outcome is achieved. To undertake such assessment it is important to build a relationship with the children and these reciprocal relationships are another key part of my philosophy. This value has changed with my experience and theoretical knowledge, in my initial practicum I was unsure about how to go about building relationships that are both respectful and reciprocal (Appendices 9 & 10) but my confidence in this has, and will continue, to grow (Appendix 11). I believe that building a reciprocal relationship means sharing aspects of my life with children and not expecting them to reveal themselves without the favour being returned. I have a huge passion towards animals and I have shared this with the children on my last two practicums by taking along my guinea pigs (Appendix 12). The children feel aspects of empowerment and trust as I allow them to be intimately involved with a very important part of my personal life. Building such relationships prior to undertaking assessment highlights the spiral nature of teaching and the aspects of pedagogies. Taking the guinea pigs to the centre required planning and careful implementation, including discussion with staff and families to ensure cultural needs were met. Some cultures do not agree with the keeping of animals as pets and in order to uphold the respectful image of the child and relationships with the family and community I needed to accept and respect this belief. The centre policies and legislation also play a role in planning and implementation, health and hygiene regulations needed to be considered for this activity and for others many different policies will come into play. For further assessment and planning the involvement of colleagues and whanau in the learning stories and other documentation would play a vital role in the continuation of the interest but unfortunately the short nature of the practicum did not allow for this. Cultural needs and matches weight heavily in the planning and implementation stages of my pedagogy. This is linked to all the values in my philosophy; relationships, respect and equity. These values mean that I believe in focussing on skills and talents rather than on deficiencies to create learning environments, for example respecting that crying is a valid attempt at communication and can be a qualified learning experience (Appendix 11). Nyland (2004) describes how the participation rights and contexts of infants’ knowledge can be overlooked in childcare settings. On-line discussions with fellow students regarding this reading give support to the idea that disrespectful environments adversely affect the identity and participation of children. What happens in an environment when an identity is missing altogether and children are faced with images of white middle class able bodied members of society? What message is that giving to these children and their families? You don’t belong? You are not a real member of our society? We don’t value you? The environments we plan for the children speak volumes about how we view society and the people we respect and value (Ellis, R. , Fuamatu, P. Perry Smith, A. M. Moodle; September 2011). During planning I therefore need to think ahead about resources which reflect the cultures within the setting and the community. This can be achieved through communication with other educators in the setting, parents, and other members of the community such as kaumatua or the local priest. Planning for social occasions is also important to me as I feel they link the ECE setting with the wider community and social values. This includes events such as Mother’s and Father’s day (Appendix 13) as well as cultural occasions such as the Lantern Festival, Diwali and Pasifika events. Although during such planning I am mindful of the goals and learning outcomes which Te Whariki and the teaching standards present I also constantly remind myself of the holistic nature in which the learning will occur. Lawrence (2004) describes the shift in thinking and programme planning in ECE settings over the past two decades, from keeping children busy to planning cycles and then Te Whariki. Lawrence clarifies that although the word planning is still used; it is not in the traditional sense of the word but rather can be seen as â€Å"reflectively responding to children’s thinking (p. 16). † An example in her rticle shows how the learning experience of children can be very different to that pre-planned or expected by the teacher (Appendix 14). A challenge presents itself where teachers have been trained and had experience in times where different planning programmes were utilised, disagreeing views and beliefs can lead to conflict within teaching teams and a dedicat ion to reflective practice is required by all parties if favourable outcomes are to be reached. This reflective practice is a vital part of the evaluation process of my pedagogy. What worked? What didn’t work? Where do I go from here? Schon (2002) described how the entire process of reflection-in-action, where our knowing is in our action, is central to the skill practitioners have in dealing with situations of uncertainty, instability and uniqueness as well as valuing conflict. Holding true to a value where children are respected as individuals and valued for their own unique set of skills, uncertain and unique situations are inevitable in the day-to-day practice of an ECE setting. With the set of reflective skills I now possess I hope to be able to turn these situations of uncertainty into ones of learning, for both myself and children involved. With continuing professional development and an ever increasing amount of practical experience I feel I am in good stead to continue my career as an early childhood educator and support the children within my influence to grow up in line with the aspirations of Te Whariki, â€Å"competent and confident learners and communicators †¦ a valued contribution to society†.

Race as a Social Construct

Race as a Social Construct Omi and Winant’s discussion from â€Å"Racial Formations† are generally about race being a social construct and is also demonstrated in the viewing of Race – The power of an illusion. Omi and Winant have both agreed that race is socially constructed in society. Ultimately this means that race is seen differently in different societies and different cultures. Media, politics, school, economy and family helps alter society’s structure of race. In the viewing , also media as well as history seemed to create race by showing how social norms have evolved in different racial groups.For example, â€Å"Rules shaped by our perception of race in a comprehensively racial society determine the presentation of self, distinction of status, and appropriate modes of conduct† (Omi and Winant 20). In other words, people tend to make their own rules for categorizing racial groups. We humans (usually more powerful ones) have set these arbitra ry divisions and then call them real. Race is defined differently within each culture. For example, as explained in the viewing, people in Africa see a person that is white in the United States as black.This because they define their races by socioeconomic status not the color of ones skin. Race is a social construction. And as a social construction, race functions as a source of management that sustains the importance of certain groups and the maintenance of other groups. This concept only becomes reality when people behave in ways that perpetuate subordination. Race should be expressed as a concept but unfortunately people misuse race. Race has now replaced the older concept of culture.As a concept race came to be defined by superficial attributes like hair type and skin color. â€Å"Film and television, for example, have been notorious in disseminating images of racial minorities which establish for audiences what people from these groups look like, how they behave and who they are†(Omi and Winant 23). Race is just an idea and or a biological myth. According to the viewing , humans don’t differ much genetically. Actually humans are genetically the most similar species. Why are humans so genetically alike?Humans have not existed long enough and have yet to evolve into various subspecies. â€Å"Race is indeed a pre-eminently socio-historical concept† (Omi and Winant 21). So race is historically made and not biologically. There is nothing real about race, a social construct, unlike a river which is absolute. A river will escist regardless of people thinking, agreeing or accepting that it does exist. Race requires people to collectively agree that it does exist , unlike a river. Although race does not exist in the world in an objective way, it still is relevant in today’s society.It is obvious that race is real in society and it affects the way we view others as well as ourselves. Race is a social construct that is produced by the su perior race and their power to regulate. â€Å"The category of ‘white’ was subject to challenges brought about by the influx of diverse groups who were not of the same Anglo-Saxonstock as the founding immigrants† (Omi and Winant 24). Frankly, ‘white’ was the norm, the others were considered an outcast. The dominant group in society are the one whom created restriction for group membership by defining race as a biological factor. White is seen as a ‘pure’ category†, as stated in the reading (Omi and Winant 21). Those who were ‘black’ were biologically inferior to a ‘white’ person. This is how the color line became about. Because of the color line , race was used to justify the captivity of the vastly growing free ‘black’ population early in United States society. â€Å"Differences in skin color and other obvious physical characteristics supposedly provide visible clues to differences lurking u nderneath† (Omi and Winant 23).The existence of racial ideology helps create racial sterotypes and myths. For example, in the viewing it was pointed out that American Jews reportedly dominated basketball during the first half of the 1900s. However , now it seems as if African Americans dominate the NBA. Concepts like ‘Black athletic superiority’ is the belief ‘black’ people have traits that have been acquired through genetic or een environmental factors. These factors help them excel over all other races in athletic competitions.The theories of racial differences and their possible effect on athletic ability have been noticed since the nineteenth century. More interests were attracted to the subject soon after the 1935 Track Championships, were Jesse Owen’s record breaking performance had shocked white Americans. â€Å"Temperament, sexuality, intelligence, athletic ability, aesthetic preferences and so on are presumed to be fixed and discernib le from the palpable mark of race† (Omi and Winant 23). The dominant group in society has always defined race which sets every other race inferior.Race creates many differences in social status. Status is indicated by race. This can either include or exclude people from more social constructs. This can also prevent or allow certain powers or privileges. Race is a social construct fueled by agreement and acceptance. Throughout history race has been the core of our society. It is vital that people begin to realize that race is and will always be â€Å"an unstable and ‘de centered’ complex of social meanings constantly being transformed by political struggle† (Omi and Winant 26).