Unstructured Free Time for School Age Children

Unstructured Free Time for School Age Children How Important is Unstructured Free Time for School Age Children? It has been said that children do their best learning when they do not believe they are doing so. We most often see this trend with kindergarteners, of whom find themselves playing games to learn to count, and singing songs to learn their ABCs. While the classroom has been an efficient location for the learning of academics, the playgrounds have been spheres of critical social skill development. These periods of unstructured free time, also known as recess, are essential for the childs development. The skills they learn during these periods of constant personalized play and imagination provide benefits that extend far beyond sharing and friendship making. There isnt one single reason as to why recess has been eliminated from many schools by their local school boards; there are a combination of factors of which have catalysed this motion. The most influential being a concern for safety and adequate supervision during the childrens recess periods. Some parents and administrators have felt that letting kids roam free for even 20 minutes during the school day is a safety hazard for the child. They fear that the child could get lost, or injure themselves from the unstructured and guiding free environment. This is the reason why many schools have banned dangerous games and activities, which further constricts what the child can and cannot do. Additionally parents also express concerns for the number of staff, meaning teachers or aids, available to supervise their children. Every parent wants their child to be the center of attention, and many carry with them the fear of their child being forgotten or ignored if something were to happen. Mor e often than not the issue rises to a greater level in the schools which lack an excess of funding to be able to hire extra aids in order to fill the teacher to student ratio requirement; most frequently the urban schools which lack much of the property taxes that fund rural schools. Additionally the past few decades have seen a larger push for academic success within our schools. States have pushed for schools to educate children where it matters, forcing the children to sit still and be quiet (Adams, Caralee). We can link this trend to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. It was created with the aims to even the playing field for disadvantaged students, but it instead lead to many controversial reactions and effects. Schools were required to test the students annually, and were required to show progress and success both as a whole district and on the individual student level. Those who failed to meet the acts requirements were penalized; meaning the school could be shut down or t he leadership team within the school could be changed entirely. (Lee, Andrew) The constant pressure to succeed in the classroom lead many schools to restrict recess for the children, and increase the amount of classroom focused time. It is unfortunate to see that when recess is concerned, the hazards outweigh the countless advantages which can be brought unto the childs mind and body. On the forefront of a childs development we most often find their social and emotional skills at an immediate influence. School is a large jump for many students, and their periods of recess activity have been found to be even more influential than their time in their classrooms. Socially, the free time provided during recess can facilitate the cultivation of new relationships by the children with their classmates. These relationships lead to the development of valuable communication skills and coping mechanisms. Take for example a group of children trying to organize a kickball game. First they must decide between themselves which people will be the captains, hence the development of their negotiation skills. Then they must choose which children will be on each team; creating the foundation of their cooperation skills, and problem solving abilities. Taking turns between kickers and outfielders is a prime example of sharing, as well as perseverance when someone gets tagged out and se lf control when someone gets upset about a decision. It has been seen that these skills, which can be perfected over the duration of the childs schooling, last for years past their graduation into higher education levels as well as the outside world. Learning to cope with problems and communicate when an issue arises are two social skills which can be continuously put into action throughout ones lifetime. Recess is a period of time wherein a child is given the freedom to choose; and even when the child doesnt participate in large group games they are still able to develop emotionally and socially. They can hopscotch and hula hoop; forming smaller and closer friendships with their counterparts. They have the ability to watch the kickball game; all due to the fact that recess gives the child the ability to chose to be themselves freely unlike in a classroom where the teacher makes most of the decisions. (Murray, Robert et.al) It is not to say that social and emotional skill arent deve loped in the classroom; we see children learn to understand authority through the teacher as well as when and where play is appropriate. Instead it can be said that the skills learned through free play create the foundation upon all other skills can be based. Where some have argued that recess is a waste of crucial school time, others have been able to recognize the cognitive and academic benefits unstructured free time provides for children. Through their own imaginative actions and experiences, children construct their own individual understanding mechanisms. The periods of recess create what is referred to as optimal processing; meaning a period of unstructured interruption after structured cognitive work. In order to effectively learn, the children need recess to subconsciously process all that has gone into their brains during the preceding classroom time. While they freely play, the childs brain files all of their newly acquired knowledge into new files and sections of their brain for future use. It has also been observed that recess serves as a means for children to become more attentive. When they burn off excess energy and are able to let their imaginations run free, returning into their classroom settings allows them to produce more attentive and productive work (Murray, Robert et.al). Not only is their work more productive, but their brains are then rewired to be better. The complex environment on the playground leads to the complex rewiring of the childs prefrontal cortex. This is alternately known as the executive control center; where emotional, planning, and problem solving skills develop. Complex situations become easier to navigate for the child, as circuits construct themselves through the free play recess allows them to have. If recess is used in the manner by which it was designated, then we could see new generations better prepared for life, love, and higher education (Hamilton, Jon). Children must learn to be children, and all else can fall behind this simple fact. Just as it is essential for a child to go to school, it is also vital for them to learn how to use their imaginations. We can not as a society force children into all work and no play environments; it would be hypocritical seeing as our previous generations have always had recess and some had even had it twice a school day (Adams, Caralee). As it has been said, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Recess provides the essential periods of play for the childs development into a creative and productive adult. We must remember as a society that we are raising our future generations, not crafting mindless robots always focused on work. Our ancestors didnt create new inventions with rigid minds. They were innovative and creative to forge a new path forward for their futures, and our today. Thus, it is imperative that instead of following societys trend of fear and worry, we weight recesss benefits mor e heavily. It isnt about play; but about childhood and the betterment of our futures. Works Cited Adams, Caralee. Recess Makes Kids Smarter. Instructor 120.5 (2011): 55-59. ERIC. Web. 23  Dec. 2016. Hamilton, Jon. Scientists Say Childs Play Helps Build A Better Brain. NPR. NPR, 6 Aug.  2014. Web. 22 Dec. 2016. . Lee, Andrew M.I. No Child Left Behind (NCLB): What You Need to Know. Understood.org.  Understood, n.d. Web. 02 Jan. 2017. Murray, Robert, MD, and Catherine Ramstetter Catherine Ramstetter, PhD, et al. The Crucial  Role of Recess in School. The Crucial Role of Recess in School | From the American Academy of Pediatrics | Pediatrics. American Academy of Pediatrics, Jan. 2013. Web. 22 Dec. 2016.

Pollution and environment Essay

Junk science is the term used to refer on political and legal disputes that brands an advocate’s claims about scientific data, research, analyses as spurious. It simply means manipulating data that is the result of an experiment (Agin, 2006). There are many reasons why there are people who are engage in junk science. They want to change their findings and manipulate their outputs so that the outputs will agree to their hypothesis or target outcome. Personal motive is their driving force. The ethical standards are being violated because they do not show the real outcome of the experiment or study. Many sectors are now engage in junk science like universities, industries, faith group and even the government. According to Dan Agin who made published many books about junk science claims that these sectors twist science for their own gain. The benefits of their findings will not benefit the common people but for their own sake (Agin, 2006). According to Agin, there are two main cause why junk science is being done by these institution. These are fraud and ignorance. As what been discussing on the first part of the paper, deception on the results so that new development will occur. Ignorance comes to the scene when statistical analysis is being manipulated. It is very obvious that all results from statistical analysis are reliable. Agin gives examples as he mentioned from his book why ignorance is a main cause of junk science. One of his examples is the declaration of the Department of Agriculture of United States regarding on the issue of genetically modified foods. The department claims that genetically modified foods are harmless to human when eaten. But the department did not provide any proof on their findings. Instead, they broadcast their wanted result to the people without the result of their experiments (Agin, 2006). Agin is concerned to the welfare of the people on the possible outcome of junk science in the society. If a person asked where is junk science? â€Å"The answer is that it’s in the hiding of what you need to know. † There are many incidences where junk science can be observed. One of the first people who saw junk science results is the Fox News columnist Steven Milloy. He argues on the findings and results regarding on global warming, ozone depletion and other issue pertaining to the pollution and environment. He claimed that the results from the findings were not supported by experiment and statistical analysis. Because he wants to inform other people on the effects of junk science like suffering from a rampage against reason by special interests in government, commerce, and the faith industry, he made a website about junk science and the possible result of it in the society. From the institutions who are engage in junk science, the government is the most common committers. The government when making rules and regulation for their subordinates is actually made because on their personal interests. They will create rules and regulations that looks like it is concerned on the welfare of the society but actually the main benefits why they manipulate the findings in science is to expand their authority and to increase their budgets. People must be aware on the possible effects of junk science on the lives of many people. Concerned citizen must fight junk science so that it will eliminate the further damage that may be brought by junk science. Reference: Agin, D. (2006). Junk Science: How Politicians, Corporations, and Other Hucksters Betray Us Thomas Dunne Books.

Measure Distances on a Map (How to Steps)

Maps are useful for more than just directions. They can also help you determine the distance between two (or more) places. The scales on a map can be of different types, ranging from words and ratios to pictorial scales. Decoding the scale is the key to determining your distance. Heres a quick guide on how to measure distances on a map. All youll need is a ruler, some scratch paper, and a pencil.   How-To Steps Use a ruler to measure the distance between the two places. If the line that youre trying to measure is quite curved, use a string to determine the distance, and then measure the string.Find the scale for the map youre going to use. They are typically located in one of the corners of the map. It might be pictorial—a ruler bar scale, or a written scale—in words or numbers.If the scale is a verbal statement (i.e. 1 inch equals 1 mile), determine the distance by simply measuring it with a ruler.  For example, if the scale says 1 inch 1 mile, then for every inch between the two points on the map, the real distance on the ground is that number in miles. If your measurement on the map is 3 5/8 inches, that would be 3.63 miles on the ground.If the scale is a representative fraction (and looks like 1/100,000), multiply the distance of the ruler by the denominator (100,000 in this case), which denotes distance in the ruler units. The units will be listed on the map, such as 1 inch or 1 centimeter. For example, if the map fraction is 1/100,000, the scale says inches, and your points are 6 inches apart, in real life theyll be 6x100,000 so 600,000 centimeters or 6 kilometers apart.  If the scale is a ratio (and looks like 1:100,000), youll multiply the map units by the number following the colon. For example, if you see 1:63,360, that means 1 inch on the map represents 63,360 inches on the ground, which is 1 mile.With a graphic scale, youll need to measure the graphic, for example, white and black bars, to determine how much ruler distance equates to distance in reality. You can either take your ruler measurement of the distance between your two points and place that on the scale to determine real distance, or you can use scratch paper and go from the scale to the map.To use paper, youll place the edge of the sheet next to the scale and make marks where it shows distances, thus transferring the scale to the paper. Then label the marks as to what they mea n, in real distance. Finally, youll lay the paper on the map between your two points to determine the real-life distance between them.After youve found out your measurement and compared it with the scale, convert your units of measurement into the most convenient units for you (i.e., convert 63,360 inches to 1 mile or 600,000 cm to  6 km, and so on). Look Out Watch out for maps that have been reproduced and have had their scale changed. A graphic scale will change with the reduction or enlargement, but other scales become wrong. For example, if a map was shrunk down to 75 percent on a copier to make a handout and the scale says that 1 inch on the map is 1 mile, its no longer true; only the original map printed at 100 percent is accurate for that scale.

School Psychologists - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 927 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2017/09/12 Category Advertising Essay Tags: School Essay Did you like this example? School Psychologists A school psychologist works with students in early childhood and elementary and secondary schools. School psychologist and teachers, parents, and school personnel join to create a safe, healthy but yet supportive learning environment that focuses on the needs of students. School psychologists work with individual students and groups of students to deal with behavioral problems, academic difficulties, disabilities, and other issues. They also work with teachers and parents to develop techniques to deal with home and classroom behavior. Other tasks include training students, parents, and teachers about how to manage crisis situations and substance abuse problems. For example psychologists may suggest improvements to the classroom management strategies or parenting techniques, and evaluate students with disabilities, or gifted and talented students to find the best way to educate these students on one understanding. Often times it is necessary for school psychologist to have qualities or characteristics such as being mature, stable, and patient with students. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "School Psychologists" essay for you Create order Must be an excellent communicator and obviously possessing those skills especially in listening and speaking. One who inspires trust and confidence, and is intrigued with human behavior. These qualities or traits are said to be helpful to one who is interested in a career as a school psychologists. While most work in elementary and secondary schools, there are a number of different areas where school psychologists might find employment. Private clinics, hospitals, state agencies, and universities are possible sectors of employment. Some school psychologists also go into private practice and serve as consultants, especially those with a doctoral degree in school psychology. Typically a school psychologist job or duty is as follows, Consults with teachers, parents, and school personnel about learning, social and behavior problems; Teaches lessons on parenting skills, learning strategies, substance abuse, and other topics pertinent to healthy schools. Researches the effectiveness of academic programs and behavior management procedures, and study new information about learning and behavior; Assesses and valuates the wide variety of behavior, skills, emotions, and goals in the schools they serve. Intervenes directly with counseling services for students and families; Acts as an interdisciplinary team member in the special education eligibility process, administering IQ, personality, and achievement tests; Articulates test results to parents who are not familiar with psychological tests; Includes working with a wide range of student emotional and academic factors; Generally has offices in individual schools and serve one or more schools. To gain as position in this field of work it is necessary for one to have these credentials, or education background. Of course number one being a master’s degree in psychology or counseling that being the minimum requirement. But if a person residential place is Hawaii or Maine it is required to obtain a doctorate degree. Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania allow persons with a bachelor’s degree to serve as a school psychologist if they have completed the required amount of internship hours. However, each state has different requirements for school psychologists. Eighteen states now require national certification, in which students complete an internship in school psychology. Before you choose a school psychology graduate program, be sure to check the specific licensing requirements in your state. All school psychologists must be certified and/or licensed by the state in which they practice. National certification is available through the National Association of School Psychologists and consists of a masters degree plus 30 graduate semester hours, a 1200-hour supervised internship, and a passing score on the National School Psychology Examination. More than 200 U. S. colleges and universities offer school psychology programs. Students enrolled in masters degree programs will take courses in analysis of human behavior, behavior disorders, professional and ethical foundations, interview techniques, tests and measurements, assessment of personality, and psychopathology of childhood and adolescence. School psychology is still a relatively young profession. The National Association of School Psychology (NASP) was established and formally recognized as a doctoral specialty by the American Psychological Association (APA) in 1968. In 2002, U. S. News and World Report named school psychology one of the top ten hot professions. Many school psychologists in the field are retiring, creating a demand for qualified school psychologists. Job Outlook and Advancement, Employment of psychologists in all areas is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations through the year 2005. Indications are strong that students, who are affected by family strife, crime, alcohol and drug abuse, and other problems, will increasingly seek counsel of school psychologists. Those with doctorate degrees will find employment opportunities as administrators in large school systems or in school districts, or working at the state level in education. How Much Do School Psychologists Typically Earn? According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the U. S. Department of Labor, the average salary for a psychologist working in an elementary or secondary school is $58,360. Reschly and Wilson (1995) found that the average salary for a school psychologist in a faculty position was $57,000. The average salary for a practicing school psychologist with a doctoral degree was $51,000, with masters-level professionals earning an average of $40,000 per year. Psychologists work with people, developing relationships and comforting them. Other occupations with similar duties include: Clergy, Counselors, Human resources, training, and labor relations managers and specialists, Social workers, Sociologists and political scientists, Teachers special education. References: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U. S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2006-07 Edition, Psychologists, on the Internet at https://www. bls. gov/oco/ocos056. htm Reschly, D. Wilson, M. (1995). School psychology practitioners and faculty: 1986 to 1991-92 trends in demographics, roles, satisfaction, and system reform. School Psychology Review, 24(1), 62-80. CEC | School Psychologist. (n. d. ). CEC | Home. Retrieved April 20, 2010, from