Entry for this Module
Once again, for this journal, you will write or share a video or recording of your reflections on a set of questions and topics. As you connect what you are learning to your own life experiences, you will think about the concepts from a different perspective and engage in meaningful learning. This week, we’re thinking deeply about language development.
The majority of people who live in the United States use English as their primary language. However, over 22% of all children between the ages of 5-17 speak a different language in their home (U.S. Office of Management and Budget, 2021), and for most of these children that language was Spanish. In the United States, education is a right (not a privilege), which means that many of these children learned English in a school setting. All children are entitled to free and appropriate education (Individuals with Disability Education Act Amendments of 1997 [IDEA], 1997), and language considerations must be part of the educational environment.
Learning (and keeping) a native language provides opportunities to be connected to family and cultural values. However, sometimes children are placed in educational programs where this benefit is lost or not available, which is unfortunate as children who are completely bilingual (speak, read, and write in two languages) have the advantage of enhanced memory and attention. Later in life, being bilingual may even protect from dementia (Chaprarro, 2019)! If you’ve had a bi- or multilingual experience, this is a chance to reflect on it and share your stories.
Journals do not require citations. However, they do require you to reflect on your own development as a child and how you became the adult you are today. Please answer each question thoroughly; remember this is an opportunity for you to link the module content to your own life and how each of these experiences has affected you. Some of these questions may require you to ask your parents questions. If your parents are not available, or you had a different birth and early childhood experience, please share that information.
Share your answers to the following prompts:
What was your language development like? Language development has several stages; please share a specific story or memory of learning sounds, gestures, words, or sentences. For example, if you received speech therapy you can share your experiences here.
Many children experience situations where they are non-native speakers or need to learn a new language. Share your own experiences with this, OR share a story about someone you knew from your school, church, or other community who needed to learn a new language as a child.
Socioemotional development is important during middle childhood. Think about yourself as a 6 to 11-year-old. How comfortable were you around others, especially your peers? What were your childhood friendships like? Now think about interacting with adults: as a middle-aged child, were you comfortable communicating with adults? When you think of yourself as a child between the ages of 6-11, were you social? Did you know how to speak to adults? In these social situations, did you understand the accepted pragmatics?
Speaking in public is a situation in which many of us are not perfectly comfortable. However, public speaking is very often required in our professional workplaces! How do you think your experiences as a child have influenced your comfort level with public speaking? Share a story about any kind of speaking you’ve needed to do in the workplace, and connect it to your child’s development.
Submission Instructions
For this journal, you may choose to write your answers, or you may create a video or audio recording. Journals do not require citations but you are required to reflect on your own development.
Evaluation
In Modules 2, 4, and 6, upon submission of your journal entries, you will be graded complete/incomplete based on the individual-entry rubric (Rubric Journal 2,4,6) and you will be given some feedback. Please notice that an “incomplete” in any of your submissions will impact your grade in the final journal submission in Module 8.
In Module 8, you will be allowed to go back and add or make changes to your past three entries. You will then be asked to submit four entries with each entry titled accordingly (“Week 2 Entry,” “Week 4 Entry,” “Week 6 Entry,” and the new “Week 8 Entry”). This 4-entry submission will be graded holistically using the Final Journal Rubric.
Criteria Ratings
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeQuantity and Timeliness of Journals
Complete
This submission was completed on time. Engagement fulfills the format criteria (audio, voice, video) as specified in the instructions.
Incomplete
Journal submission was not submitted as specified in instructions. If submitted, it may have been after the due date.
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeQuality of Journal Content
Complete
Journal submission demonstrates evidence and effort to complete the task in the assignments and addresses the questions with specific examples and thoughtful insight.
Incomplete
Last Completed Projects
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