Roles in life

We all play a variety of different characters throughout our lives, and we are constantly in battle to try and balance each and every one of them. A "diffuse identity status is a state in which there has been an exploration or active consideration of a particular identity and no psychological commitment to one." We all participate in this personality exchange throughout the day. We become the daughter or son to our parents, to the student in the classroom, to the colleague and employee and our jobs. My own interpretation of a context map is to put all of these roles that we play when we are in different situations into our own map, because often if we think about all of the personalities we portray we could become a bit dizzy. Achieve Identity, Foreclosed Identity, Moratorium, and Diffuse Identity are all a part of how we can organize these sequential identities.

My own Context map 

Society:
   Rhode Island College student    
         Youth Development Major
             Waitress at Dublin Rose and Thames Waterside
                    Babysitter        
                        Graduate of Barrington High School 
                                 
                                                                           Family:
                                                                                Daughter
                                                                                   Sister
                                                                                       Girlfriend
                                                                                             Cousin
                                  Love:
                               My dog Newman
                                    Family
                                       Boyfriend
                                            Running
                                              Going to the gym
                                                 Obstacle course racing
                                                     Foodie

Girl's Rising

While in class last Friday we had briefly discussed a clip about a young girl from a developing country in which she was not allowed simple rights such as an education. Girl Rising talks about young girls from several different undeveloped countries that were deprived of these same rights. The documentary follows girls who have stood up against what is considered societal norms for women. Some have been beaten, raped, kidnapped, or deprived of education and their freedoms. These youth have been given almost nothing in order to survive let alone speak out, and here they are standing up for what they believe in and giving girls all over the world a hope for a better life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJsvklXhYaE




I worked with one of the non-profits last year called Plan USA which helps girls in these countries by providing them with food, shelter, clean water and even educations. The program, "Because I'm a Girl" focuses on women in these places specifically to help them become independent and educated. It is so horrible that these girls and women are faced with so many hardships starting at such young ages. It makes me think back to our classroom discussion about "childhood". While many of us think of jumping rope and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, these girls have barely been given the ability to be a child.

We take for granted all of the things that we have in our lives. Not many children in America have to worry about being able to go to school, because it is our right that we get to have a free education. People in other countries are not however given this right. In many countries if you want to go to school, you must pay for it and if you cannot afford to do so you may not have that ability. Most children in families suffering from poverty must go off to work at a very young age to help their parents make money. It seems like a sad thing to us, but in some cases they know no difference. I am hopeful for these companies and non-profits that are helping children and girls to stand up and be able to have their rights given to them. It makes me really want to go and get involved in these places and be a part of giving these children more opportunities in the world.

A new definition of Youth

"What would our cities look like if we all started to see youth as powerful assets instead of problems?"  Often there is the assumption that youth are trouble makers, they are young and naive and lack general awareness of the world around them. This misconception was struck down immediately while reading this article. These youth were given the opportunity to speak out and express themselves, which reflected significantly through these writings. While reading I could see that these youth had been given the opportunity to have a drastic amount of growth because of their capability to speak their minds.



"Arguments do no always have to be negative", these children have the ability to disagree with someone regardless of their role in society, but are able to construct their argument because they have been given that ability. People in this YIA program are able to disagree with one another, while still having the respect of that other person's opinion. This program allows youth to think for themselves, they are not given a set of ideas to think but instead are allowed to create their own.






"What got me through college was my ability to critically reflect on my own life history, the systems that shaped me yet often excluded me, and the vision I had for all young people behind me." While thinking back on my own experiences of my college education I had typically learned the most in those classes that allowed me to express myself. This idea of the teacher lecturing students for two hours while we frantically scribble down pages of notes needs to be changed. Classrooms are a place where community should take place, where we can have discussion, debate and critical thinking.

The Roots and Remedies gathering had this similar concept for the youth they worked with. The groups were able to come together and talk about different concepts such as "what is education", or "what is democracy". These youth were able to talk among each other and come up with visuals for these concepts. It is critical that we have programs like this that get youth talking and thinking about concepts that are beyond what surrounds them directly. I wish that when I was in middle or high school something like this was available to me. To get youth from all around the world together and see how different and alike their cultural backgrounds are would be such an enriching and enlightening experience that everyone should be able to have at least once.



Youth in Habitat for Humanity http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKjYxUD7b_g

What is PYD?

Positive Youth Development touches upon the basic foundation of needs that youth require. Positive Youth Development entails basic needs are met such as; food, shelter, and safety. They need to be taught values and connect with others. We know this is true by looking at research done by well known experts such as Maslow who formed the hierarchy. 

Maslow's hierarchy describes the basic needs that all humans require in order to be successful. The hierarchy starts with basic needs such as air, food and shelter, moving up to safety, protection and security. Then moves on to feelings of belonging and the need for love, family and affection. When someone has reached these they are then able to move on to esteem needs such as achievement, status, and responsibility and ending with self actualization. 

In order for anyone to be able to accomplish what they want to, they must meet these needs. I bring this hierarchy up because in Jutta Dotterweish’s introduction piece to her presentation she mentions how "young people cannot focus on learning when they are focused on survival." They need their basic needs met "before they are able to survive in a complex world." This seems like something very basic and well-known, but it is shocking how many people do not have these basic needs, and therefore find it very difficult to have a positive youth development experience.

According to Jutta we need to look at our society, it was claimed that our society is “socially toxic”. There are too many things toxic that are present in our society such as; poverty, sexism, racism, health threats, and violence to name a few. If all of these things are present, it makes it difficult for our youth to survive let alone try to become successful. 

Prevention research focuses on risk and protective factors. It "aims to prevent or reduce negative behaviors such as teen pregnancy, school drop out, substance abuse, and violence... Factors that lead to an increased likely hood that young people will engage in negative behaviors."

This is the purpose and reason for having the youth development program. It is the objective that we can provide programs to children and young adults in order to allow them to meet their basic needs and to move on to become successful. If children are able to have a positive environment at a young age, the hope is that they will become less likely to become involved in some of these toxic behaviors that Jutta discussed in her presentation. 

"The philosophy or approach that guides communities in the way they organize programs, supports, and opportunities so that young people can develop to their full potential." This is our ultimate goal as youth developers to ensure that all young people are able to work to their potential and have the equal opportunity at success. 

27 reasons why parents shouldnt text...silly digital Immigrants

I came across this link the other day and couldn't help but feel it was closely related to our conversation with Digital Natives and Immigrants.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/reasons-why-parents-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-text

BLOGGGGG

By blogging we are able to reflect on our own thoughts and values, and see how other people may differ with their own thoughts or opinions. Blogging enables us to write out our own experiences and express ourselves so that anyone is able to access and read about them. In having these documented experiences, ideas, or images we can see ourselves grow and develop throughout time.

Encouraging youth to blog provides these abilities. They can have these memories instilled, and as opposed to paper, it is something that is held in a concrete database that can be accessed for lengths of time. We want youth to be able to feel comfortable to express themselves and have these entries to look back on . It is easier for youth to use technology as a basis for writing down their thoughts, and allows more flexibility then a paper to show creativity and proof of knowledge on given topics.

Digital Native or Digital Immigrant?

Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants only puts my fears further into reality that very soon this world will be ran by computers. With technology at it’s near peak advancement, people are able to do things we never thought able many years ago. Now there are programs like “Khan Academy” that has children in classrooms learning through their computers. There is no longer the teacher to student interaction, and for that matter almost not any interaction at all when it comes to these new learning programs. “A really big discontinuity has taken place. One might even call it a “singularity” – an event which changes things so fundamentally that there is absolutely no going back. This so-called “singularity” is the arrival and rapid dissemination of digital technology in the last decades of the 20th century.”  As someone who would describe herself somewhere in between a digital native and digital immigrant, I have seen and grown up with drastic changes in the educational system. I have seen computers and touch screens take over in every day places like the grocery store, to banks, and now the school setting.

The Khan academy is a program all online that is able to teach children about any subject from math and arithmetic to science and reading. It provides coaching and tutoring for children who struggle with certain subjects. Teachers are now being given tutorials and are bringing these methods into their classroom. I do think this is hugely beneficial to many students, and helps the teacher in many ways. Those students who are struggling and falling behind are able to continue with the lessons they are having trouble with, while the other students who wish to go on to further their understanding are able to do that as well. Again, while I do think there are many benefits to this type of setting, it furthers my fears that this limited amount of interaction is just as unbeneficial to students.

Sitting in front of a computer all day, using this as your main source of education there is no interaction or socialization among other human beings. Students are going to become so glued to a screen and their social and emotional skills are going to become very limited. We can see this happening all ready; families out to dinner instead of talking to one another all sit on their Ipads and Iphones playing games, texting, or Tweeting. This is extremely unhealthy. Humans have an innate need to be social, so why are we making these children so incredibly unsocial?

Below I have provided an example of the Khan Academy and its lessons. It is pretty amazing that this one man has invented a program that has been used internationally. Even Bill Gates uses it to teach his children!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52ZlXsFJULI