In Conclusion

This class has been extremely beneficial to not only myself personally but my potential self as a teacher in the future. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the material covered.

I want to take this opportunity to thank not only my fellow classmates but you Professor Nellis.

And all my best as we all write our own stories.

Functional Analysis

Functional Analysis is examining a students inappropriate behaviour as well as its antecedents (what happened before) and consequences to determine the function of that the behaviour may serve for the student.

Functional Analysis is more open assessment than operant conditioning. Instead of just looking at the behaviour, but question the behaviour. This idea is called positive behaviour support and assess the whole situation.
There are five strategies to the functional analysis approach.
1: teach desirable behaviours.
2: consistently reinforce new behaviour in a way which the student will appreciate.
3: in your class to have predictable routines.
4: provide frequent opportunities for choice.
5: provide adaptations to support academic success.

http://behaviourprobleminchildren.com/tips-for-handling-a-behaviour-problem-in-children 

Operant Conditioning

Operant Conditioning isn't about controlling or managing behaviour but focusing rather on assisting children to become normal human beings.

This idea takes a critical look at schools and asks why a child's educational containment is so similar to their parents whether it be natural order or simply cultural capital.

There are four points to operant conditioning.

The first is the most effective concept for desired change and that is positive reinforcement. This concept adds something to the situation to get a desired change. Examples of this would be awarding a gold star to a child when they do something desired or marbles in a jar to get a pizza party or something alike.

The second is the negative reinforcement is one of the most difficult concepts because you have to take something away from the child to increase a certain behaviour. An example would be if a student recieves an 85% average on all unit exams they are excused from the final exam because of this achievement.

Thirdly is positive punishment where you add something to the scenerio to reduce behaviour frequently used. An example is giving that student detention or picking garbage.

The last and fourth ideal is negative punishment is to take away something to reduce behaviour. I think this is one of the most simple concepts for example it would be like taking away a students recess time.

These four concepts have a lot of potential and I know through my education I have seen all of them used. I'm not sure if those teachers were aware they were using a life long tool but there is a lot of truth in every aspect. They're not only applicable to educational processes but to everyday influences.

Differentiating Instruction

A teacher must modify content, process and product through student readiness, interests and learning profiles.

Content: "What" and materials of learning.

Process: "Action," what the students do.

Product: What students have created.

Student Readiness: Where the student is in terms of knowledge and skills.

Interests: What is it the student has some curiosity in.

Learning Profiles: Index card about student as a learner (may include self assessment questionnaires).

This is a idea associated with Tomlinson, which revolves around the common sense that children will learn the best when enlightened with their interests and passions.

Personally I know that I am more likely to listen and ask questions about topics that I am interested in or may know something about. Especially in cases of children that have more difficulty in the classroom, it is very important to reach out to them and not necessarily change your teaching style but make amends to assist them.

FAT City Workshop

I unfortunately missed these two classes. However from the couple sets of notes and Google searches, I learned that this video was about how hard it is for some children to learn in normal classroom settings.
Learning disabled children have difficulty because they suffer from anxiety of being called on from even entering the classroom. Mainstream classroom runs far too quickly for LD children to process the questions and answers.
In a classroom positive reinforcement is very important, and when a LD children is called on, they're embarrassed if they're wrong and if there's no reinforcement if correct there's no reason to volunteer.
Also just because someone understands a the words they will understand the passage or words together.
These are some of the main reasons LD children have such a difficult time and it's very important for us as teachers to assess and assist with this problems.

Group vs Self Learning

We got the opportunity to watch the TED Talk on "World Peace & Other Fourth Grade Achievements."

http://www.ted.com/talks/john_hunter_on_the_world_peace_game.html

This talk was presented by John Hunter who has created the World Peace game for his students. Through this game his students must think and reflect on many problems of the world. As well they develop compassion and acceptance for everyday tragedies and triumphs such as war, disease, natural resource discovery, and much more.

Hunter not only proposes an interesting way to get a classroom immersed in learning, but the World Peace Game is extremely self propelled. Reflecting back on my own learning, the years that teachers got us involved in our education are more easy to recall. I remember the rock unit in grade three because we polished our own rocks. I remember the Political unit in grade six because we had to run our own election, equipped with promotional buttons, posters and speeches.

Naturally not everyone is going to agree with me that self learning is the best. It is more so a priviledge which even through my own education students would abuse the opportunity with minimum performance; however some people learn better when it's hands on. Sitting in a desk listening to a lecture often gets boring and it's nice to have an activity to break the lecture up. I think a variation of group and self learning is necessary in a classroom.

Did You Learn Well in School?

I can always remember teachers telling my fellow classmates and I that not everyone learned the same. I remember being puzzled because for myself if I showed up for class, and even if I miss the odd class, I was still up to date on material if I asked for key points from someone who had attended. I can remember wanting to go out for supper on a friday night with a friend and them turning my offer down on the fact they had to study for a test the next week which I didn't understand, I just planned on reading over quizzes and looking over a chart or diagram the night before said test.

I guess for me retaining knowledge has always been something I've taken for granted. However as I got older, and more aware of those around me, it became clear how frustrating it was when school seemed to not be for you. My younger brother has extreme difficulty understanding in a normal classroom setting. He doesn't learn from reading. Infact, while he is an average reader for grade nine in regards to reading out loud from text or other book sources, he can very rarely tell you what he just read about. Through elementary teachers deemed him as lazy and simply a problem child. They didn't entertain the fact that this problem was something he couldn't control on the ground that our middle brother and I had been exceptional students who everything was straight forward to.

Unfortunately many schools are unforgiving. If you can't learn their way, that you simply have a problem. Coding is the process of assessing a single students needs which has a disability which may require extra funding and programming from a school. The student recieves a IPP (individualized program plan) to meet all their needs. This plan sets short term objectives, long term goals and assessing their progress to assist whenever possible.

My brother struggled and continues to struggle with his reading comphension because of the way his brain words. The school finally had a learning specialist in to assess my brothers learning in grade six after many visits to the proncipal from my mother and much pleading from another teacher. The specialist couldn't "code" my brother with anything specifically because he reads just fine and is operating at a math level higher than he should be, however in grade nine he now gets his exams read out loud to him and recieves one on one extra help in english from a teaching aid.

I suppose every system has its flaws, however I will somehow always have little faith in the education system in regards to the attention or lack therefore given to some students. After watching my brother so helpless, I never want that to happen to any other child. I have always felt guilty breezing through school so to speak while everything was such a task for him. That is one of the reasons I want to become a teacher.

Sexual Orientation

It appears that everyone has their own set of stereotypes. Stereotypes are simply a broad category of expected behaviour that limits a person, often times negatively and correlated with sexism.

There is also a certain gender bias which consists of unexamined baggage but is primarily being a good role model.

One of the most concerning gender issues is a cluster if negative attitudes and feelings towards gay people. This negativity includes intolerance, hatred and fear.

Homophobia was always in our school. It seemed as though everyone used the odd, "don't be such a fag," or other harmful and hurtful accusation. One of my better friends in my graduation class came out as a bisexual our grade eleven year. It was extremely hard for him growing up because he never had similar interests as the other twelve boys in our class, and they were very quick to point out his differences. I don't particularly place importance on a persons sexual orientation but rather their personality and that alike. He was always a good friend to me so nothing else really matters.

I would agree with the fact that researchers that males are typically more homophobic than females. Growing up in the same home with the same parents and environment acting on us, my brother has developed homophobia which I have tried to rationalize him out of. However it makes him uncomfortable to be around fellow males with the same sex preference. I think that it is a personal choice which we all make.

As a teacher it is our job to ensure our classroom is always a safe and comfortable learning environment. Growing up as I did I witnessed hostility and harassment that someone should've never been put through. I don't blame the teachers because they can't control what goes on outside the classroom as much as they would like to, however I plan on opening up in the classroom where kids are able to be themselves and not worry about what will happen after school hours.

Picturing the Ideal

In our modern day Western Culture it has become a common everyday activity to judge each other. With this knowledge we were asked to create our gender ideal.

For females we chose Kate Middleton deciding she was everything a woman should be, beautiful, classy and a role model for all.

http://www.people.com/people/kate_middleton 

http://www.glamcheck.com/entertainment/2010/11/07/gerald-butler-chips-in-for-a-noble-cause/

For males we decided Gerald Butler because he is athletic, successful and confident.

The fact is that gender isn't as simple as it seems. There is our sex or biological status which is simply whether we are male or female.

There is gender, which is the learned behaviour or sociocultural dimension of sex.

This concept of gender leads to the development of gender roles which outlines the expectations for thinking, acting, or feeling (cognitive, behaviour, affect) that is permitted within society.

In society we learn our cultural schema (cluster ideas), stereotypes and eventually blend them with our own ideas. There are four main views on gender development.

The first and most logical is biological which pertains to the cause of gender in gender make up and is simply the way our brains are individually wired.

The second is social learning which I think is the most important and strongest contributing fact. How a child learns by observation and modelling which teaches them gender depending on how they were/ are socialized.

Third is the cognative development theory which is related to Kohlberg in terms of the development sequence in relation to concepts of gender.

Last but not least, is the gender schema theory is an information processing approach where children also develop concept of gender.

I think gender is a very delicate topic which as teachers we have to be open to discuss. Since children are raised differently with other beliefs and values we have to understand that they are not neccessarily mesh with their classmates like we would like them to.

Happiness is A Luxury

Whenever someone has asked me what I want to be in twenty years, or what I want to do with my life, I have always answered, I want to be happy.

In class 16 we watched a video by Shawn Achor debating The Science of Happiness & Potential.

He claimed that it was his understanding, those who are happy are more productive. He has conducted studies and observed this at Harvard where the smartest, most intelligent minds study everyday.

Being as I have just completed midterm week as a college student I agree with Achor. My marks were far from what I wanted, and looking back I would bet that majority of that is based on fact I was so stressed out and worried anticipating the exams. I was a puddle all week just fretting about the tests.

I think as a teacher this is hard to address because of the expectations of society. Only one of my parents went to post secondary and only one of my grand parents graduated high school. The fact is that presently we have placed such high expectations on youth that the true talent is being lost, and falling in the cracks.

Even as a teacher, in the days of Laura Ingalls Wilder, all you needed was an interest in teaching and adequate schooling (I believe she had a ninth grade education).

I believe this pressure exerted by society is doing more harm than good. Now we have high levels of depression, suicide, and various other ailments.

As Shawn Achor went on to say, "Happiness is a Necessity."

What Determine's a Child's Success

As a teacher, your first job is to embrace the diversities a child may have that can affect the education of said child in a classroom. This may be easy or difficult. If you look at how school is organized majority of these speed bumps are easy to address.

1. Socioeconomic Status (SES): This inequality is unfortunately quite highly correlated with a child's academic success. It is a ranking system based on the hierarchy of wealth. You must try to avoid this having an effect on education. However I think this is a bigger problem in the cities because my highschool was small enough that the gap was pretty small.

2. Cultural Capital: The skills and habits inherited from family or community.

3. Reduce Barriers: This includes fashion (brand names), attitude and that alike. It is important as a teacher to watch that you avoid having expectations for specific students and to watch our own personal attitudes.

4. Multicultural Education: It is important that you empower students to take pride in their personal backgrounds. This empowerment will improve the community and their personal wellbeing.

This brings me back to my original point, what is it that determines a childs success? Thinking back to my schooling, I was always at the top of the class. For me this was not only an expectation of my parents, but of myself personally. I was encouraged to be the best I could be and to always try my best. So I think that home situation may be the strongest contributing factor to acedemic success. However I think having a strong role model also helps. Sometimes a child isn't lucky enough to have a foundation at home, and hopefully they can find guidance somewhere else. You should at least give them a positive learning environment where they have the opportunity to develop and potentially succeed.

What Is Your Multiple Intelligence?

Traditionally the two multiple intelligences that society has valued are those of mathematics and verbal. Mathematics is straight forward covering the areas of numeracy, logic and reasoning. Verbal is the more language oriented intelligence including writing skill, fluency with language, reading and speaking.

However there are numerous other intelligences which get pushed aside so to speak. There's musical, which includes differentiating between pitches and harmonies. There's spatial which an architect would fall under in terms of imagining things in 3D. Bodily kinaethestic people are those with a true talent for athletics, dance, gymnastics and those alike.

The intelligence I most relate to is interpersonal which includes sensitivity and the talent of relating to others. There is also the opposite to that being intrapersonal which is self knowledge, understanding and the power to bring the best out in yourself. There is naturalistic scientific which is an organic connection with the world. Spiritual intelligences believe they are connected to something larger than themselves individually. There is also existential which is an extremely philosophical outlook which is non religious but once again focused on the big picture.

While is it possible to relate to more than one intelligence, as I mentioned above I see myself as a interpersonal intelligence. Ever since I was young majority of my friends would come to me with problems. I like to think my dominate features are compassion and understanding.

Where Do You Stand?

IQ: "a simple way to describe intelligence by assigning it a number that represents the ratio of mental to chronological age, multiplied by 100. Average IQ is therefore 100 and is based on a comparison between an individuals performance and that of comparable people."

In this class the most interesting thing we discussed for me was the common myths associated with a person's IQ.

1. IQ doesn't measure some mysterious quality, rather it is simply a measurement of performance on a test.

2. A person's IQ is not a constant variable, rather it is always changing.

3. IQ tests measure the only important variable worth testing. IQ doesn't determine key concepts.

4. Your IQ is impartial. However we know every test has its imperfections r bias.

This draws attention to the value in IQ testing, especially that done on children. Is a standardized test like an IQ test plausible for children? To me it seems a bit unappropriate. As children in Western society we are already subjected to expectations in our personal, acedemic and mental standing. The first time I remember having this pressure placed on myself is as early as grade six. If it was beginning that early for me, I'm sure in elementary schools it's beginning earlier now. It is wrong to place these tests on a child whose biggest concern should be who they're going to play with at recess or what they're going to have for supper that night. That's where I stand.  

http://www.free-iqtest.net/iq-score-guide.asp

The Care Perspective

Kohlberg's perspective of justice may be considered awfully narrow. Another theorist, Carol Gilligan saw this individualism and gave it a more feminine approach. She supported his theory but wanted to introduce a more relationship oriented spin on it with a concern for others. Gilligan combines Kolhberg's justice with her care, which is a theory I can really support. She sees a community instead of fifty individuals.

What Good Are Morals Anymore?

In class twelve we talked more about Kohlberg's levels and stages. His ideas consist of three stages with two different counterparts.

1. Pre Conventional
a. punishment: concentrate on avoiding personal unpleasant results.
b. hedonism: moving towards external pleasant things.

2. Conventional
a. "nice girl/ nice boy": concerned about what peers think and begin to internalize.
b. law & order: reference to formal convention of criminal law.

3. Post Conventional
a. social contrast: we're all in this together, challenge what is immoral.
b. universal ethical: weighs options and consequences. This is an area with great moral thinkers, so very few people ever make it this far other than Jesus or Gandhi.

Majority of the class (including myself) find ourselves in the "nice girl/ nice boy stage." For me often my biggest concern is what those around me are thinking. I wonder what people say about me, and therefore find myself over thinking everything I do. I would like to think I'm becoming comfortable enough to move onto the next stage however I don't think that will be in the near future.

Heinz' Dilemma

"Heinz wife is dying. One special drug discovered by a local druggist might save her but the druggist is selling it at an exorbitant price. So Heinz, after failing to borrow the money he needs, pleads with the druggist to sell the drug cheaper or let him pay later. But the druggist refuses."

In class we were proposed with this scenario and then asked what we would do in this situation and why. This is a pretty big question, as it challenges all your morals. This scenario pertains to Kohlberg's levels and stages of moral development where there are no right or wrong answers.

Reasoning is what matters in such a situation. Majority of people said they would steal the drug. They claimed that the consequences are worth it, because a human life is much more. However rather than thinking of myself as Heinz, I chose to think of it from the wife's perspective. Sure, dying and leaving my husband wouldn't be the greatest, but I wouldn't ask for my husband to steal the drug. I'm too selfish to think about him attempting the robbery, getting caught and leaving me alone. Besides that personal opinion, the drug is not even 100% effective and may not be worth the chance to obtain it. If the drug was defective I wouldn't want my husband to live with himself as a thief. I suppose I'm much too optimistic, but I just don't see the chance worth taking. I would rather focus on him spending my last days together and telling him all I wanted him to know before I passed on. I'm a strong believer that everything happens for a reason and that hardships will work out for the best in the end.

A Digital Nation

It's no secret that Canadian society is becoming more and more technologically advanced and this includes education. When I worked an a work experience student in grade one last year the changes to how the students learned was eye opening. When I was a grade one student we wrote journal entries, counted pennies and listened to tape cassettes. Now in grade one they have computer class, count apples on a Smartboard, and all are required to have their own calculators.
It's one thing to give grade ten, eleven and twelve students lap tops, but do grade ones really need a computer class?
This is a really two sided argument. Personally growing up my parents were always faulting my brothers and I for the amount of time spent on the computer on MSN and Google. They didn't understand the hour conversations we had on the phone with friends we would see the next day. When we asked for a cell phone in grade ten, they didn't think it was necessary. However now we depend on our Blackberry's for communication. Texting, Skyping, and Facebooking have become common terms in society as well as dominate forms of communication.
The increase in technology is concerning to some people because they worry we are losing important aspects of human interaction. Thinking back when is the last time you received a hand written letter? This used to be an everyday occurrence, and now if you asked a sixteen year old to write one, they wouldn't even know where to begin. Critics are worried that face to face communication is becoming extinct and that people don't know how to socially interact. Viable concerns when you reflect on the addictions teens are developing for video games, texting and Myspace.
In class we watched a video with facts on the effects of technology on education. Researcher's went to one of the top universities in the US and talked to the top multi taskers in the school. It turns out that all that texting, emailing, and Facebooking between studying and writing essays may be inhibiting our ability to learn and retain knowledge.
Being an aggressive multi tasker myself this was alarming. I've always gotten good grades, and been able to keep up with all my social needs. When I do anything my phone is near by. I don't even know how to study without music playing and it has to be a pretty tough test to make me turn my phone off to look over the notes.
Research continues and we are left wondering, as the digital generation are we only setting ourselves back that much more?

Getting Your Priorities In Line

Who is to say what the most important part of a person is. Whether that be the hobbies that define them, who their friends are, or what they choose to do with their lives, everyone has their own story.

In class yesterday we talked about Erik Erikson who studied the eight stages to human development. He believed that there were eight ideal concepts that an individual must establish otherwise they will progress in life with a less desirable trait.

1. trust vs. mistrust (birth to 1 year, child will focus on love & warmth)
2. autonomy (Independence) vs. shame & doubt (1 to 2 years, a child begins to develop the idea of being their own being)
3. initiative vs. guilt (3 to 5 years, a child will begin to take ownership for himself)
4. industry vs. inferiority (elementary age, a child is extremely curious)
5. identity vs. identity confusion (adolescence)
6. intimacy vs. isolation (early adulthood, a person will search for romance & love)
7. generativity vs. stagnation (40 to 50 years, a person realizes they must leave a mark)
8. integrity vs. despair (late adulthood 60 years +, it's a time to reflect & be happy)

These concepts are cultivated through emotional and psycho-social development. Erikson focuses on the whole person, and doesn't narrow his investigation. This is what really sold me on his knowledge because it was so reasonable. His research makes sense even to the average person because you don't have to be a doctor to understand.

His concepts made me think about my priorities in life. This could consist of a broad range of things. First, my education is turning out to be my main drive lately. Once I complete this I will be able to not only work on making a difference in my life, but all my students. Secondly is my family. Since my sister is so young, only in grade two, it is difficult for me to be away from her so much because this is a really busy time in her life. There is also my boyfriend who is becoming a bigger part in my life as time goes on. All three of these priorities are really important to me so I have spent a lot of time balancing them.

Active Learning

In class seven we discussed the true value in setting targets. Anybody could tell you that setting these goals in anything in life. When you have something to work towards, it makes the struggles and sacrifices worthwhile and rewarding. Reflecting back upon those hardships give the outcome a sweeter taste so to speed. A accomplishment gives you confidence you can't develop anyway else.

With this being said, when a person embarks on such a journey (especially a student) it's important to provide them with all the support possible. This support of course needs to be specialized for each individual. Different people, are different. They have different personalities and require different kinds of support.

Personally I believe my own inclinations and preferences for teaching would be logical and straight forward. I see myself as a flexible and open person. I think a big part in being a good teacher is focusing on what your strengths are and working with those. I pride myself on being a compassionate and understanding person, this has always helped me in teaching instances, including my time as a work experience student and the president of our local 4-H club.

The Stages of Learning

In EDPY today we were introduced to Jean Piagot's stages of development.
1. Sensorimotor: This is easily explainable, as it is a child from birth to two years. A child at this stage feels through it's senses what is going on to it's environment. There isn't a true thought process but rather, the ideas of being hot, cold or hungry. I remember as my sister grew up struggling to determine what was wrong when she cried simply because she couldn't tell me.
2. Preoperational: This is the age where children develop symbolic thinking where they place value on symbols. This stage takes place at about age two to seven. My sister is now in this stage and it really made me think when we began to talk about 'animism' a common form of intuitive thinking. When she sees something happen, she tries to make sense of it through the knowledge base she already has. For instance when the leaves begin to change color in the fall, she assumes that the trees are sick. Another example would be how a child at this age has no or little distinguished difference between herself and others. She assumes everyone is the same, and knows what she is feeling (egocentrism).
3. Concrete Operational: This is upper elementary, ages seven to eleven where they are finally develop reasoning. This age is pretty self explanatory as it's the age where children are not babies anymore and begin to learn the concepts of conservation and seriation where things have purpose and order.
4. Formal Operation: This category includes children from eleven to fifteen as well as those through adulthood. This is the final stage were the icing is put on the cake so to speak. You develop your abstract learning and deductive reasoning. You begin to think about the consequences and long term effects of any choice you make.
It is important to remember that these stages are subjective because children develop and mature at different rates. As we discussed in class it is also deceptive because a child may exhibit aspects of more than one stage at a given time.
This concept however really got me thinking about how those around me act in regards to what stage they're in. It gives you real insight into certain aspects of people's actions.

What Do You Work For?

Education is a field that brings together a lot of ideas. You are a leader, a shoulder to cry on, a role model, and many more things. With this responsibility comes the fact that there has to be a reason for teaching.
In our fourth class we watched the Ted Talk: How Great Leaders Inspire Action. Even though this "Ted Talk" did not directly involve being a teacher, it offered an interesting insight into how as a teacher, you are a leader and share characteristics with those people in other careers such as business people.

We discussed the obvious question of why we decided to become teachers once again. We were proposed with the question, what will you teach for?

Will you teach for the money? Will you teach because of the hours, summers free? Or will you teach for the dream?

This are some pretty heavy questions if you ask me, simply because that's a lot to think about. After all we are just embarking on our first year of education towards being a future educator...
For me, I want to say it's for the dream. I have always loved working with others, especially the younger generation. The event that will always stick with me is my high school graduation day in May. I had worked as an work expierence student in the grade one and two classrooms, so I promised them a visit all done up for the graduation ceremony. I will always remember walking down the hallway. I remember all the kids asking for hugs and telling me how I looked like a Princess. They all told me I couldn't leave and school wouldn't be the same without me. Just to hear that is so rewarding.

We All Have Our Own Story

Educational Psychology is something I have taken for granted through my own personal education. There is a lot to think about before you begin to teach someone, whether it is a single person or a group.
Primarily you have to think about the fact that you may be a lot different than a certain individual. You have to think about their own experiences, preferences, learning style, ect.
With these thoughts and knowledge it proposes some interesting questions...
Our professor today asked us, "What do people think of teachers?"
For me there three different kind of teachers. There are the good ones. These teachers are the reason that I myself got interested in the route of a Bachelor of Education. They are the reason I got up in the morning, and did my homework. They made a day go by faster, and made school a better place. There are the teachers that are simply there. You don't remember them being good or bad, you still paid attention in their classes. However they never made a real impact on you or "your story." And finally, and probably most significantly, there were the bad ones. The teachers that either just didn't want to be there, or simply shouldn't have chosen the career path of teaching. I suppose they are also a big part of why I want to be a teacher. I remember dreading certain classes for what seems forever. A bad teacher can ruin a whole subject for a person.
Because of these three kinds of teachers I have vowed to always be the best I can be. That is a life goal of mine, but now is especially important given my career path.
Today in class we were also asked to "please recall and reflect upon your own life and education."
We discussed the use of effective teaching methods. This discussion for me was maybe not as helpful as the opposite, the use of ineffective teaching methods. I can remember these methods much clearer. I myself am a very flexible learner, being able to understand many methods. However for my brothers and some of my friends, it was always difficult to grasp certain lessons and concepts. I remember how some people could just never do well in certain teachers classes simply because that teacher had a set teaching style.
This has made it clear to me the true value in connecting with others, and more importantly students to make sure their needs are met. I vow to never be one of those people who truly believes, "my way or the highway" is a logical phrase to live by.
I really am enjoying the opportunity to use reflection on my past personal experiences to connect to what I am learning in this class and look forward to future classes.