It is important to take time and relax, enjoy the things that make you smile!

This adorable pig does the trick.

April 5, 2017

~Article: “Reconsidering Children’s Encounters with Nature and Place Using Posthumanism” By Malone (2016)

1) What are the basic assumptions that inform the reading?

-This article explores and reconsiders the view of children’s encounters with place as central to a place-based pedagogy that seeks to dismantle rather than support constructions of a nature-culture binary. 

2) What are the major organizing ideas?

-Reconsidering children’s encounters with the “more than human” world. Intra-species relations, place encounters and child-body-animal-place relations can teach us about questioning anthropocentrism and human exceptionalism. 3) What serious questions does the reading raise regarding the fields of child and youth study?

-How can applying approaches of new materialism and post humanism be approachable and simplified for students and their teachers/parents? This article is rich with knowledge, though much of the language used is not defined within the article and requires extra investigation.  4) What serious omissions are left out of the article or reading (if any)? 5) In what ways does this article reinforce, extend, challenge, or oppose your own views on child and youth study/research/practice?

-“By bridging the nature-culture divide, by rejecting moral, cultural and classist universalisms, the study considered what an embodied ‘child-nature’ collective in ‘place’ could look like.” (53) This article presents a new-to-me concept of supporting and encouraging children to become “embodied” in the child-nature connection and to engage with the “more-than-human” world.  6) What do you take away from the reading in terms of your own child and youth practice?

-Encouraging children to connect with nature and themselves in a “more-than-human” way presents as a kind of fantasy expression, though, realistically it is the merging of human experience with non-human forms. These engagement can lead children to further explore their limits and the limits of animals, nature and ‘place’, to re-imaging how to learn and how to educate and investigate ideas for a sustainable future. 

Class Discussion Notes from Leadership Presentation

From your perspective, what additional questions come to mind?

Week 9 Overarching Question

How can professionals working with diverse groups of children and youth present opportunities to critically examine identity markers and representative categories of people? Many participants in both research studies expressed views of “innate” and “biological” differences between persons of different ethnic backgrounds. How do professionals correct these generalizations that children have learned?

March 22, 2017

~Article: “‘You Want To Be A Girl And Not My Friend’ African-Amercian/Black girls’ play activities with and without boys” By Scott (2002)

1) What are the basic assumptions that inform the reading?

-The authors state that very little research is available on children’s social relations with peers and the interplay of gender and race; voices of experience of African American and Black females are missing particularly. Black feminist theory examines the intersection of race and gender.

2) What are the major organizing ideas?

-Racial positioning and stratified peer cultures within school environments pose limitations for individual’s identities, and restricts social interaction and acceptance among peers with “identified differences”. 3) What serious questions does the reading raise regarding the fields of child and youth study?

-Given the high prevalence of segregated neighbourhoods in Western societies, how was this research information not important to obtain 10 years ago?  4) What serious omissions are left out of the article or reading (if any)?

-To make comparison between racialized groups of people, a white population and an asian population may serve purpose for understanding how views develop depending on ethnic background and cultural practices. Perhaps measures of racial beliefs would be useful. 

Also, I found it strange that the research included the “lunch aides” as they are usually of the adult population and their voices are not needed to contribute to this research. 5) In what ways does this article reinforce, extend, challenge, or oppose your own views on child and youth study/research/practice?

-Largely, my take away from this article was the dynamic between male and female students on the playground and how the subtle ‘rivalry’ between each sex seemed to reinforce overall strength for female dominance, mixed of White and Black/African-American girls, though White girls maintain positions of power over Black girls when both populations are in the same space. The article extended my knowledge of racist practices among youth within school settings. Spaces that were predominant with a particular racial category was shown to produce different group dynamics and social expectations of the dominant group; to their benefit. 

6) What do you take away from the reading in terms of your own child and youth practice?

-All children deserve the right to feel they belong somewhere and with certain people, to develop trust in others and to feel safe. The research suggests that African-American girls may search for “ownership and accountability” as they transition into adulthood. This reading informs my practice to ensure the dismantling of hierarchical views of identity characteristics an individual may possess, and to constantly be aware and alert for injustice among peers of the same sex as well as different sex. 

March 22, 2017

~Article:“Children’s construction and experience of racism and nationalism in Greek-Cypriot primary schools” By Zembylas (2010)

1) What are the basic assumptions that inform the reading?

-Children are aware of teachers’ non-actions to racism that appears in their everyday lives. Racism and nationalism could be influenced by culture and the media. Racism exists as a kind of “rhetoric” in social circles, and these detrimental behaviour should be intervened. 2) What are the major organizing ideas?

-Discrimination is a major theme, listing racism, nationalism, sexism, and classism. The author states that these “isms” are fused together with racism being the most prominent form of discrimination. Intersectionality theory works to uncover this bond and rejects the notion that people are to be classified and segregated; that these categories are not essential and not necessary to support in society at large. 3) What serious questions does the reading raise regarding the fields of child and youth study?

-Where do children learn discrimination from? Particularly racism, how do children become informed about these kinds of degrading and “othering” actions and behaviours? Within the study population of Cyprus, how might racist and nationalistic views in the media effect children, do they have easy access to media?

Importantly, are the teachers in the school representative of the community and of the children? 

4) What serious omissions are left out of the article or reading (if any)?

-Different sample populations from different parts of the world should be examined to gain a wider scope of understanding of how racism and nationalism develops across cultures.

5) In what ways does this article reinforce, extend, challenge, or oppose your own views on child and youth study/research/practice?

- “The social categories of race, ethnicity, class, gender and so forth serve as exclusion/incluson criteria.”(314) The article reinforces and provides evidence to support the presence of a power struggle among biased practices that support segregation (exclusion/inclusion). If power relations form inequities among children in their social circles, do power relations between teachers and students also exist, that reinforce racist views? It appears from the data collection that teachers working in classrooms with students of varying ethnicities and cultural rituals pay very close attention to the space they as teachers create for the children. 

6) What do you take away from the reading in terms of your own child and youth practice?

- “Children are actively involved in producing their own lives with important consequences for their self-esteem and social identity development.”(326) Children are aware of the actions they make but perhaps not fully aware of how those actions can effect others and result in consequences for both parties. I want to support children to explore the consequences of discriminatory behaviour with each other, and helping them articulate and “name” the type pf behaviour they are engaging in. Identifying racist beliefs and practices is a crucial part of overcoming stereotypes and to challenge the root of these beliefs in hopes of making effectual change.

Me walking into school Monday morning

Photos from Class 4, discussing articles visually.

Does the author’s rationale form a coherent argument for the research problem through the use of sound logic and relevant citations?

Week 6 Overarching Question

Eldén’s argument is coherent and thoroughly explains each aspect of the issue and uses logic and previous literature to support their claims and findings. 

Plowman’s article contains no argument, but states plainly that the photo diaries gained from the mobile phones captures children’s experiences, but logically, the method put into practice does not seem sound or to be eliciting the kind of data they aimed to collect.

February 15, 2017

~Article 2: “Using mobile phone diaries to explore children’s everyday lives” By Plowman and Stevenson (2012)

1. What are the basic assumptions that inform the reading?

-Using mobile phones with picture and text messaging as an ecoculoural approach to researching children’s everyday lives at home. 2. What are the major organizing ideas?

-The research method claims to show the variety of activities children engage in throughout the day when at home and their experiences. The authors state that this method can be altered to gather data in other contexts as well. 

3. What serious questions does the reading raise regarding the fields of child and youth study?

-Considering that these children are young and require their parents’ participation and selection of which experiences to document and how, is this method truly obtaining reliable data on their research subject? Are these accounts of children’s experiences really reflective of their experience, or of the child’s experience from the parent’s perspective?

4. What serious omissions are left out of the article or reading (if any)?

-The lens in which a child’s activity or experience is captured should be considered as a caveat. Additionally, the data collection process is parent-driven and parent-controlled. This kind of research method may be best used with children who are familiar with technological devices that can take pictures and notes, or to simply familiarize your selected population with the necessary technology to document what they choose and how. 

5. In what ways does this article reinforce, extend, challenge, or oppose your own views on child and youth study/research/practice?

-The article challenges my views on the benefits of adults (parents particularly) being closely involved with children’s research processes and data collection. I mentioned the role of technology and how this tool can be made available for children’s use, though, is this kind of technology accessible for all participants? 6. What do you take away from the reading in terms of your own child and youth practice?

-This article informs my practice to be mindful of parent’s perspectives on their child’s actions and behaviours. This is not to discredit their contributions to their child’s life, but to be aware that their perspective is bias and driven in ways that may not reflect what the child desires or requires.

February 15, 2017

~Article 1: “Inviting the messy: Drawing methods and ‘children’s voices’” by Eldén (2012)

1. What are the basic assumptions that inform the reading?

-The author contributes to the conversation regarding children’s voices and state that there are issues of representation in this research area. Research suggests that drawing methods can reveal children’s “authentic” voices and allows for the complex stories of children’s lives in care to be uncovered.

2. What are the major organizing ideas?

-The voice of a child should be regarded as a process, a function of thought, rather than a pin-point location of a child’s view. The relationality of care contributes to the expression or repression of children’s voices, which involves “negotiations, reciprocity, and deservingness” through which relationships are affirmed as equal or “deserving”, or are undermined. A sociological interpretation of drawings allows for the complex narratives to contribute to the scientific understanding of children’s voices. 

3. What serious questions does the reading raise regarding the fields of child and youth study?

-Acknowledging the relationality of care is tightly intertwined, in my opinion, with the importance of focusing on children as ‘active co-participants in their parent’s care’…and thus bringing children’s perspectives on care into research.

4. What serious omissions are left out of the article or reading (if any)?

-Drawing as a methodological approach seems accessible, but as suggested in previous research, the conversation about the drawing seems to be more meaningful than the drawing at face value. “Member-checking” could be useful when using the drawing method, to ensure that what we interpret and see in the produced image is what the child intends to communicate.

5. In what ways does this article reinforce, extend, challenge, or oppose your own views on child and youth study/research/practice?

-This article proposed a new lens in which to consider children’s voices as accessible, narrative thought processes, observed through drawing. Children can express themselves with flexibility and think “fluidly”, speaking to the nature of process. Meaning comes from the child’s interaction with others and environment, so as interaction continues, so does the child’s voice reflect the process of their thinking. The method of drawing is useful in research because it is another medium for children to express themselves and communicate, but it also allows the child to express their perspectives and display their understanding. “The drawing is a part of the whole picture”. 

6. What do you take away from the reading in terms of your own child and youth practice?

-This article reinforces previous readings’ findings and suggestions. Working to recognize and acknowledge children as active participants in their lives is the beginning, emphasizing the value of children’s voices and encouraging children to use their voices, in any context and using multiple means, is the challenge. The power dynamic between child and adult is the struggle and cause of stratified spaces. Children have the capacity to have an “ideal view of care” and what they’d prefer within a situation, and it is our job as professionals working for the benefit of the child to ensure their needs are met and their rights are respected and upheld.

February 8, 2017 **Online Class** due to winter weather conditions ACTIVITY #2 1.     Read the attached article by Leafgren (you can also find the article on Moodle) 2.     Answer the following questions using the Leafgren article: a.     Explain the concept of smooth space? Explain the concept of striated space?

— Smooth space is a concept of classroom space where children are “without boundaries, without aim or destination”, an explorative space with an extensive milieu. Striated space, similarly, is a concept of classroom space where teachers are setting the meaning of the space, they may “code and decode [the] space” and define the meaning of the routine, action, activity, etc.  My understanding is, that a typical classroom environment fluctuates between these spaces throughout their day; the teacher leading the class, the children taking initiative to explore ideas or subjects of interest, and the relationship that is constantly moving between the teacher and the student through the learning environment. (p. 286)

b.     Explain this quote: “It is through constant movement and communication among intersecting milieus that the nomad overcomes the territorializing or stratifying potential of the classroom milieu” (Leafgren, 2013, p. 279).

— My interpretation of this quote is that children are able to cope with the presumed ‘confines’ and structures of a classroom environment through the way that the child understands other environments. The examples of the environments the child may think of in relation to the classroom, or alternatively, imaginatively be in this place: “home, the community, the playground,…in front of the TV”. c.      Rewrite this sentence below in language we can understand (laypersons) “Getting in trouble is a kind of becoming - a nomadic avoidance of the repetition of the State form” (Leafgren, 2013, p.279)

— “Getting in trouble is a way to rebel against the system, to disrupt the cycle” d.     Find three quotes about “pencils” in the data and send them to me – your three favourite!!! —  M19. So, I love rhythm and play the  Tabla (Indian Drums). A while back, while bored in class, I started tapping my pencil on the desk and came up with some pretty sick beats. Since then, I’ve been messing around trying to create cool variations to imitate hip-hop and rap beats. —  M13. You are only allowed ONE pencil at a time. This cuts down on playing. —  M3. Place pencil between your top lip and nose as a mustache – normally, when bored.

You will never think of pencils the same way ever again!

February 8, 2017

**Online Class** due to winter weather conditions

~Article: “‘I can’t forget’: Experiences of violence and disclosure in the childhoods of disabled women” By Shah, Tsitsou and Woodin (2016)

ACTIVITY #1 1.     Please attach to your email the 2016 article you have chosen to analyse. THEN in the body of your email using your chosen article do the following: a.     What is your authors’ THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK?    (In other words, what theory informs the work, the philosophers or theorists used)  THIS IS A HARD ONE – IF YOU ARE NOT SURE THAN TAKE A GUESS – no harm in guessing – remember we are here to learn —“ Therefore, listening to and understanding disabled victim-survivors’ perspectives on childhood violence is essential to improve micro-, meso- and macro-level relationships and practices that oppress and infringe their human rights.” (p.523) The authors are looking at a particular population of children that have mental or physical challenges and have experienced violence/abuse during their childhood, which includes ‘violence’ outside of the mainstream child protection rights. The others seek a method to improve the life quality of these children, and acknowledging and respecting their basic human rights. b.     What is your authors’ METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK?  EX:  Ethnography, Case Study — The methods used in this research were mixed of four components of data collection through empirical fieldwork; a survey, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and life history interviews were the methods used for data collection. The authors methodological framework suits the theory and the issue being investigated, by collecting individuals’ stories and disclosures of their experiences of violence in childhood. c.      What is the research question – problem emerging? — The problem emerging from the research is that disabled children, particularly girls, are not educated about the forms of violence that effect them, nor are they protected or respected when their rights are overlooked. This action is referred to as ‘the pattern of disablism’. (p.525)

Did the author(s) address the major current theoretical perspectives on the problem at hand?

Week 4 Overarching Question

All three articles discuss the current perspectives of children’s voices and suggest methods to support the expression of these voices and how to recognize and appreciate children’s contributions to their lives. Reflexivity, hermeneutics, and answerability are identified as theoretical perspectives used to observe the issues being addressed.

February 1, 2017

~Article: “Progressing children’s participation: Exploring the potential of dialogical turn” By Graham and Fitzgerald (2010)

1. What are the basic assumptions that inform the reading?

-The authors state that children’s experience of participation, and how children’s participation in social and political life is presented among professionals, their participation is seen as “ambiguous and uncertain”.  The authors assert that the best methods of understanding children’s true participation in everyday life has not yet been found, and suggests the “dialogical approach” as a means of reconstructing the perception of children’s participation and how to elicit children’s experiential accounts of participating. 

2. What are the major organizing ideas?

-The authors outline four main issues; clarifying ambiguity, acknowledging the “complex interplay” between limits and possibilities of participation, moving beyond the tension of participation by reimagining what participation is for children, and the role of dialogue to facilitate the recognition of children’s participation. Great importance is placed on how professionals recognize children’s participation, and what is considered participation now in “contemporary life”. The use of dialogue is critical and is the guiding method of this approach.

3. What serious questions does the reading raise regarding the fields of child and youth study?

-The article raises this question, how do professionals support the voices of children in all situations, or are there situations where children are only then “allowed” to contribute their say? Adults have “trivialized” children’s voices, as adults are deemed the “knowledge holders”. This power dynamic divides the children from the adults and suggests that there is something inherently superior about adults, rendering children “incapable” of moving outside of adults’ guidelines. How do professionals, in practice, provide the space and relationality necessary to facilitate children to feel that their contributions and voices are equally, if not more so, important than adult voices?

4. What serious omissions are left out of the article or reading (if any)?

-The research focused on what children verbally shared about their experiences of participation and asked them about their contributions and how they felt about it. This is useful and valid, but excludes children who use other forms of communication, and does not examine the kinds of “messages” and “information” about the experience in the moment of participating that could be expressed with physically, or perhaps, within the child’s mind. Accessing this information would be difficult, but it is not acknowledged that these are also forms of dialogue. 

5. In what ways does this article reinforce, extend, challenge, or oppose your own views on child and youth study/research/practice?

-The dialogical approach to participation recognizes, respects, and integrates information received through conversation with children to inform their rich understanding of their lives and their surroundings. The article reinforces that children are aware of social and political life and know how to be involved in these choices and conversation in their everyday lives. “Respecting children’s views as equal shareholders” is vital to the deconstruct of the power relations that hold adult voices above children’s.

6. What do you take away from the reading in terms of your own child and youth practice?

-This article presented the opportunity to reflect on how I view participation and place value on the actions I choose to see as a child participating. I must be critical of myself when making choices that concern children, and ensure that they can contributed to the decision without constraint. Ensuring that children feel comfortable and safe enough to share the information they have to contribute is important, and I feel the way to ensure this is through a secure relationship with children in my care.