Module 8 Blog

Module 8 Question: Television families often portray a variety of different parenting styles. Choose a television family and classify the kinds of parents according to the styles provided in the text (authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and neglectful.) Then describe the children in these families. Answer the following questions: 1. What kinds of challenges do these children face? How do they deal with them? 2. What kinds of things challenge these parents? How do they respond? 3. To what extent do the children’s activities and behaviors seem to result from their parenting?

            One family that stars on television that portrays different parenting styles is the Heck family from the show, “The Middle.” The parents in this show Frankie and Mike both have different styles of parenting. Frankie the mother, has more of a permissive type of parenting style because she loves her children and her husband, but she doesn’t always have everything figured out. On the other hand, her husband Mike shows a more authoritarian side because he loves his wife and kids, but might not always show it, but he knows how to keep his household under control. There are three children in the show and they are, Axl, Sue, and Brick. Axl is the eldest son who is a teenager who basically is the “meathead jock” of the family. He is a typical teenage boy and he always eats his family out of house and home, and also in his free time walks around in his underwear. He doesn’t always listen or have his parents trust. Sue Heck is the only daughter in the family and she has not quite found herself yet. She hasn’t found what she is good at, for she always fails spectacularly at whatever she tries, but one thing she doesn’t fail at is putting in effort. Last but not least, Brick is the youngest son, and he is known inside and out of the household for doing some odd behavior. He is very smart and helps his mom often with a car sale. All of the children handle what happens with good intentions. I feel as if though problems that arise with the parents include, how to handle a teenage boy who practically does nothing but play sports, and eats food, and how to give him a boost of some sort of motivation to do something. They might not always know what to say or how to respond to a daughter that always fails at everything she tries, and sometimes they are left speechless on what to say to their youngest son because he is so smart. I feel as if since the parenting styles vary between Frankie and Mike they might not always see eye to eye, therefore the children do not know how to respond.

Module 5 Question

Module 5 Question: What are the efficacy implications for teaching students inside the zone of proximal development (ZPD)?

           There are several implications for teaching students inside the zone of proximal development. The zone of proximal development is defined as a phase in which a child can master a task if given appropriate help and support. Teachers involved in teaching within the zone of proximal development have an increased depth in their teaching.  With guidance from parents or teachers, students are able to solve and completely understand a task on their own. In order to discover whether or not students are in a ZPD teachers might have the students work on problems or questions in silence, and alone. If silence is broken it can be interpreted that the students are having difficulty answering problems. In order to assist with the students in understanding problems teachers should work one on one with them. As a result of extra help from the teacher, students will be able to expand on their cognitive development, so they are able to complete problems themselves.

Module 4 Blog

Module Question #4: The text states that “adolescents appear to need more intense emotional stimulation than either children or adults.” What implications does this have for instruction. Peer-to-peer confrontations? Student-to-teacher confrontations?

            In relation to the idea that adolescents need more intense emotional stimulation than children or adults, it is important that the teacher addresses this. There is a point in life where we all reach a rough spot of emotion, or when we are at an emotional rollercoaster, and that is what it is like for adolescents. Adolescents are at the age where their bodies are changing physically and mentally, therefore their emotions are all in a jumble. If possible, teachers should attempt to create lessons that will somehow relate to the emotions of his or her students.  Once it becomes the time for peer-to-peer confrontations between adolescents it can be a rough time because they are at the point in life when they are trying to find themselves, and who their real friends are. At this age, they might have a hard time coping with the decision between right and wrong. We have often heard the saying “you are whom you associate yourself with.” Parents to their adolescent children most often use this saying because it helps with defining who you will become as a person. The way in which students and teachers interact with each other is different within the adolescent years. This confrontation changes because teachers go from being so called enemies to becoming role models for their students. Students may feel as if though they confide in their teachers more at this age. From my own personal experiences, I found that as years went on and especially my senior year, I was able to relate to my teachers more since they would talk of their college experiences and attempt to send us in the right direction.