Lareau

I wanted to do the reflection type entry for this article because when the article mention middle class families and how the set up and interactions take place, all I saw was my house and myself....minus about twelve years haha. Growing up, I was always in middle class. My dad worked for the parks and rec dept of the city and my mom was a substitute teacher and then later, hired as a teacher's assistant. When my parents got divorced when I was eight years old,though, things became a lot more complicated. I was only a little kid but even I saw the changes... There were less of the "extra things" that we were used to in our lunch boxes, labels went from name brand to store brand and there was just an overall sense of "less than usual". Growing up like this may have many different effects on people. It may cause them to be more froogle and it may also make them strive for and want better than a middle class neighborhood. This article's mentioning about how tight money is in middle class families in the part where Kate and Mrs. Brindle are arguing about her birthday money hits home for me. When I was younger we were never allowed to just take our money and go to the store. Our parents put the checks in their accounts so that we would have to ASK FOR OUR OWN MONEY. The funny thing is, I used to have the same scenario play out at home as did in the article. The first couple of times it is whatever, mom is just holding my money. But then that time comes that I start to think well hey wait- that's my money... Then I ask my mom if it is my money then why cant I have it? She responds with something along the lines of you cannot be trusted to just have the money because you are a child. You will spend it on some nonsense and not buy anything useful. This would be followed by the argument about it being my money to waste so why does she get to decide what I do with it. And for the finale... BECAUSE I AM YOUR MOTHER. The article talks about many middle class children do not often challenge their parents. There is more of an understanding that you are the child and your mom is your parent and she knows best- end of story. While this is what happened in my middle class home, I do not want to assume it is the same for others in the class. This article just made me think about childhood not in the sense of the kids I am teaching but moreso the childhood I lived and how it shaped who I am.

Powerpoint on YD

**Hyperlinks** I chose to do hyperlinks for this post because, for me at least, the powerpoint was easier to understand with other articles and videos that related to it. It was hard for me to grasp at first because I did not understand all of the terms within the power point but finding this article helped me to attain a better understanding of what the power point was trying to describe.... I liked this article because it went into the sub categories of risk factors, such as low parent involvement and/or witness to violent behavior, and protective factors, such as religion and/or a high GPA. The way that the article was organized helped me to kind of piece the categories together and understand the diagram on the power point on YD.

I thought this picture was a nice alternative to the diagram in the powerpoint.. I felt that it does a good job at displaying the information in an simpler yet more descriptive way. It shows that you have to have a balance between the risk factors and the protective factors in order to have effective prevention. I also liked the fact that the lists are displayed on a balance =)

Pensky and Wesch

**Reflection** When I first read this article, it was for another class and every time I read it, the article still has an impact on me. I think this article hit home for a few reasons. My younger sister and I are the "tech savvy ones". This is within our older siblings, our parents and our boss at work. We now both work in the office at the dining center and the minute our boss got a promotion, we had to teach her everything.... and when I say everything I am not joking. We had to teach her even simple things like cut and paste, how to send an email, how to print emails...it was rough. And then when we go home on the weekends it is the same story with our mom. Luckily we do not have to teach her too much of the computer stuff but when it comes to texting or messaging of any kind- forget it! We had to explain the difference between smiley faces and winking faces. Then after we conquered the smiley debacle, it was the shortcuts and acronyms. I am thankful that she does not have a touch screen because God only knows what kinds of messages I would be getting throughout the day... -_-

She is getting better and so is our boss but i think of this article and video every time they reach a new crossroads haha. For example our boss will come downstairs and be so excited to tell us that she searched for, replied to and printed out an email..

Just makes me realize how easily these things come to us and how we are the "digital natives". We hold the magic conch so to say haha ;)

About Me

My name is Amanda and I am a Youth Development major here, at RIC. I was originally attending RIC to be an elementary/special ed teacher but I changed my major my junior year because I decided that although I know I want to work with kids, I also know that I do not necessarily want that to be within the confines of a classroom. I want to help kids learn and grow but I think that can be accomplished in so many other ways instead of with a book and a sheet of a paper with a pencil.

I am one of four children, 3 biological. My older sister is cousin by blood but my aunt could not take care of her so my mom adopted her before I was born. So I have always grown up with her as my sister. My parents are divorced and I think that has had a HUGE impact on who I am and what I want for my future. I have experienced many things throughout my life but I choose to live by the motto: " what doesn't kill you makes you stronger". I try to live life without regrets and learn from things that could have gone better. I tend to not see things as mistakes if I learn from them because then in that case they are lessons. Things may not happen as I had planned but that does not make them mistakes.... Other than that, I am an open book so if anyone ever wants to ask questions I am rarely hesitant to answer them :)

This is just something that I found while looking for decorations for my bulletin board in my building for October... just something I feel everyone can apply to their own lives :)

The Blog Post With An Impossible Title

WHY DO WE BLOG????? In today's society, we blog for many reasons... to express ourselves, to relate to others, to compare differences, because we have to, to broaden our horizons, to learn, to laugh, to keep in touch and sometimes it is just because we have nothing better to do at the moment. We blog for our own personal reasons and on some level, liked we talked about in class, we are "alone together".

WHY SHOULD WE ENCOURAGE YOUTH TO BLOG????? I think we should encourage youth to blog because it is an ever-present outlet. An outlet for creativity, to vent, to inspire others, to just let it all out. The blog is always there and as the phrase "live and learn" goes... over time, you will live and learn. Blogging over time allows individuals to see their growth over time and I think that is something that every youth strives to see. They want to see where they have been, where they are and where they can go from here.

Hi ho. Hi Ho. It's Off to Work We Go!

Child Labor Article By Gwen Sharp, PhD I chose to do the reflection response for this article because it really hit home with me for multiple reasons. First of all, I live on the Warwick/West Warwick line and the streets that are in the surrounding neighborhoods are lined with old mill houses and decrepit old mill buildings as well as the mills themselves. I remember learning about how the kids would work all of these long hours, going to work with their parents, and being put in so much danger just to have some miniscule amount of money to rub between their fingers.... not even to keep actually but to contribute to their family. My childhood was thankfully nothing like that. I can relate to the olden times in some ways more than others, however, because from the moment I can remember, I was working. Sure it may have been my lemonade stand at the end of my drive way when I was little but by the time I was in fifth grade (11 years old??) I had started babysitting for two families before and after school as well as during the summer and school vacations. I saved up all of my money and while I was still in fifth grade, I was able to buy myself a cell phone. Why I needed one that young? No clue- because in all honesty I really didn't NEED it... I just wanted it and worked for it. Then in junior high, I bought my own laptop- also from babysitting. This probably just sounds like rambling but I swear there is a point haha. All of these things I was able to go and do with my money, the kids years and years ago were not. It was not their money. It went to mom and dad to buy food or clothing or necessities. I am no stranger to working hard...my parents got divorced when I was eight so coming up in a single mother household was not easy but it made me who I am today. we worked and cleaned and did yard work and chores but what these kids went through makes my childhood look like a walk in the park. I cannot even imagine experiencing those same things while I was growing up, and NEVERMIND today's children (sorry for the generalization). I feel like a large majority of todays youth is just very accepting and I do not mean solely of other's lifestyles. there is a lot of "I will take whatever I can get" and this sense of privilege that I have never seen so much of before. Sure I would get upset if I didn't get what I wanted when I was younger but today's youth just expects these things. New phone, new clothes, education paid for, car, etc... Would be interesting to set them up in the lifestyle that the kids in the article had to endure... I know I am rambling at this point but this article made me think of all of these things. Those children experienced and witnessed some pretty awful things and I honestly don't know I today's younger generation would be equipped to do the same....