[xmca] Priming the Pump - Influencing Initial Expectations

From: Elaine Parent (eparent@ucsd.edu)
Date: Fri Sep 02 2005 - 14:44:02 PDT


I was very glad I came today - - I learned a lot! I would like to
attend the Thursday meeting, if it is convenient.

I think there are all sorts of reasons for letting incoming students
(comm 115 and 199) know what other students have said about their
experience. Therefore, I recommend that the following be on the
website or included in the syllabus that they are given. I have
edited out a few of the remarks and suggest that you or Sonja (if she
is willing), do the same. it is below.

I will get back later today with some items for the pre-survey...
meanwhile, have some errands to run. It looks like Peg will be living
in the U-run LaJolla Del Sol and that should work very well for her!
ep

p.s. I cannot defend or understand the typefaces used below. Will
also attach the Word file.

                      This is what spring quarter students said about
their experience working in the 5th Dimension

             It Deepened their knowledge of children

 From just one day here, I learned so much about kids and their
social interactions with other kids…

I was reminded of the strength of intellect that children have… it
was delightfully surprising and I felt ashamed for forgetting so
quickly!

   I learned from the kids how to act around others, either by
example or by learning what not to do. … in observing some of the
actions made by the undergraduates, I notice that we engage in the
very same type of behaviors that we are trying to prevent in these
little kids. Was able to observe social aggression in my
undergraduate student group as well as the kids….

The kids taught me a lot, just in general…. To be more patient,
goofy, understanding, open and fun. From the program, I learned more
about children, my ability to adapt to them and about relationships
in general… working with these kids is probably the most fun I will
have in a course here at UCSD.

This experience made me more knowledgeable about the development of
children, but also the current dev and research of after-school
programs.. I did not know at the beginning that I was embarking on an
adventure of fantasy, technology and learning that will forever
change my perception on children, adolescence and informal education
that takes place after school

I had lots of experience with children earlier but was amazed at the
volatility of childrens’ emotions: also, that at one time a child is
the leader, the next time that same child is ignored or rejected.

It is more effective to entice kids to choose something themselves
than to make the choice for them and then try to explain your reasoning.

  I understand the crucial role that language has on children, and on
any other human - - in forming relationships, getting what you want,
expressing yourself. I am more observant… reading more deeply
into each thing that a kid says.. hear the words but also note the
facial expression, the tone of voice..

It wasn’t until I became close with some of the kids that it hit
me. There was so much about them that I didn’t know; so much about
them that no one knows, and thus so much there for me to discover.
My task was to find out who these kids were, to observe their
behavior, and if I could to find out why they behaved this way, but
in order to do so I had to be a kid again. The more I acted like an
adult, the more the kids backed away from me.

Someday the knowledge and experience that I have gained from working
with these kids will make me a great mother, and will definitely
influence the way I raise my children.

It deepened their knowledge of developmental psychology

   I was able to see more of the theories from Developmental
Psychology and distinguish different developmental stages.

I was also able to see more of the theories from Developmental
Psychology and distinguish different developmental stages.

  I feel that I have learned a lot about child development… able to
see the different theories that I have only been exposed to in the
classroom and in texts… it helped me remember these topics
after this experience… I expanded my knowledge of child development
more than I could have anywhere else!

The experience influenced their choice of career

  I realize how much I enjoy teaching others.. just how much I would
truly enjoy being a teacher… it has inspired me down that career path.

Children are so strongly influenced by the images they see over and
over again, and after observing the behavior of this group of girls,
I see that their biggest influence is the media, and that is why I
have chosen to center my research on the effects and influence of
media and popular culture on today’s children. I also realized that
I really want to work with children… I enjoy the environment and
their company.

Having this experience has definitely contributed to my decisions
regarding what I would like to do in the future… I hope to go into
developmental psychology or education someday.

For me, it was a way of finding my calling…I will go into
developmental psych.

The experience deepened their knowledge of the research experience

Coming into the 5th D – I was book-smart. I knew the terms, of the
research methods and of theories…but I had yet to apply it and hear
and use the lingo in everyday conversations with my fellow
undergraduates. For this reason, I feel as if my prior knowledge was
one-dimension, shallow and limited.

  I learned that to really understand human behavior it is important
to let go of structure and observe what happens when there is no
pressure.

I became more observant… reading more deeply into each thing that a
kid says.. not only hear the words but also note the facial
expression, the tone of voice..

For the first time in my career at UCSD I was able to step outside
the box and outside of the lecture hall, and it was an amazingly
refreshing experience…. I learned a lot about myself, children and
the process of participant observation and research.

This experience has taught me that to really understand human
behavior it is important to let go of structure and observe what
happens when there is no pressure.

It was an opportunity to get in touch with their experience as a child

A good way to re-experience one’s own childhood… to relearn, to
get in touch with earlier experiences.

My childhood essence is still a part of me, it just needed some help
to come alive again…. Thanks for the experience for bringing out the
kids in me!

What I think is most important… What I learned this quarter focuses
on the things that I forgot about myself… my interactions with
children reminded me of them.

  This Experience deepened my knowledge of myself

Not only did I learn many things about the kids, but I learned so
much about myself as well….

  Relationships with children reminded me of how important it is to
force myself to de-stress and relax every so often.

  I Realized how intimidated I was by mistakes I made…

I have also learned a lot about myself…. that I really enjoy working
with children and I have found that I have a passion for doing this…
how much I enjoy teaching others..

  Not only did I gain a deeper understanding of the children that I
worked with, but a deeper understanding of myself as well. I learned
a lot about who I am, and about my ability to work with children. I
saw things I never expected to see, I heard things that made me pinch
myself to see if I was awake, and I noticed, and realized things that
only this experience could have made me aware of.

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