Tag Archives: Spotlight

Spotlight Post 1

--Original published at Rachelsblog

Divorce has become a more common thing in the US over the past couple years, and the biggest debate on this topic is “Does it affect kids negatively or not at all?”. According to psychologytoday.com, their article “The Impact of Divorce on Young Children and Adolescents”, states that it does affect kids. Although, it states that it affects kids differently depending on the age they are when their parents get divorced. It shows that it intensifies a Child’s dependence and accelerates an adolescents independence. The research also shows that in a young child who has divorced parents, they have a harder time trusting as they grow up. They see their parents, who they used to depend on for everything, act in an undependable way, because they are separated. This article also takes a look at the adolescent age of when parents get divorced. The adolescent ones tend to act more aggressively towards the divorce and try to live a separate life from their parents because they feel as their parents have failed to keep the family together.

In the next article I found, emeryondivorce.com, titled “How Divorce Affects Children”, states that kids with divorced parents are affected negatively by it, no matter the age, although it all depends on how the parents handle the divorce. Children are at a higher risk of having psychological and behavioral problems due to their parents divorce. Children tend to be extremely stressed and have trust issues seeing their parents love fail and their families break apart. The article also shows the other side to the argument though. If parents handle the divorce maturely and talk to their kids through the whole process, kids will become resilient to it. The parents who do a good job of managing the divorce, normally have children that will come out of the situation perfectly normal, just like kids who do not have divorced parents. Although some children end up alright, they still may have worries about their future relationships and they may still have some trust issues. They may always have the “ongoing worrying” behavior.

The next article, verywellfamily.com, titled “Psychological Effects of Divorce on Kids” agrees heavily with my first article mentioned in my blog. This article shows that kids are almost always affected negatively by divorce. Kids may not only be stressed out and upset that their parents are divorcing, but study shows that most kids feel as if it their fault and place the blame and stress on themselves.  Young kids also struggle with the idea of why they must go back and forth from mom’s house to dad’s house, when at one point it was the same house for both of them, now its two separate. Some kids also act aggressively towards the divorce and favor one parent over the other, which creates an even bigger divisor in the parents. This article also assess the idea that children struggle long term with divorced parents. Their grades may slip, their behaviors will change, their own trust in their marriage slips, and when their parents go to get remarried they will tend to act differently towards the “step-parent”. This study summarizes the idea that children are better in houses of warm and comforting parents who are together, than in homes where the parents are constantly fighting and tensions are always high, which typically then ends up in divorce. This can cause many issues to the child mentally and sometimes physically in the present and the future.

The last article I found is in The Washington Post, titled “Divorce doesn’t always hurt the kids”. This article argues that children are not always affected by divorce. Children may have problems at home that even if the parents remained together, they would still be affected, for example, child abuse. This article also states that all children are different so they cannot be generalized. All children deal with the stress of divorce differently. If a child is really young, like an infant, they may not understand divorce. So when these children grow up, all they know is separated parents, they’ve never experienced their parents together. This article summarizes that parents really are the deciding factor on if their child is affected or not. If the parents do a good job with helping the child through the divorce, then they will hardly be affected and come out okay. If the parents make the child feel as if they are apart of the divorce and are constantly fighting in front of the child, it will affect them negatively.

Being a child with divorced parents, I take the side that it negatively affects the child. My parents divorced when I was 13, and they were constantly fighting in front of me and I felt as if the divorce was my fault for a little while. I watched my friends have full, happy families while mine was broken. Having to have split holidays and not knowing which parent I will spend the holiday with, has taken a toll. I have no other family members with divorced parents so being the only one in my extended family with has also taken a toll and affected me. Having divorced parents has not affected me in school, but has affected my trust issues and fears for my future relationships. Studies have also showed that some children develop a stronger relationship with one parent over the other after the divorce, and I find that that has happened in my life. Divorce takes a toll on each and every child differently, although I would never wish this life upon anyone, it has caused more stress in my life than when before my parents were divorced.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spotlight Post #1

--Original published at Sydney’s Side

A study, researched by Paul Amato and Juliana Sobolewski, found evidence that children of divorce have more negative outcomes when compared to children whose parents are still married. This is a credible source because the study is published by the American Sociological Review which is an academic journal. “The Effects of Divorce and Marital Discord on Adult Children’s Psychological Well-Being” conducted a seventeen-year longitudinal study to find the consequences of divorce. The researchers claim the stress of divorce is what causes the negative effects on children because they are unable to continue their mental development as well as comprehend what is going on around them. Therefore, they are developmentally delayed, and this problem will follow them into adulthood. Additionally, children of divorced parents are statistically more likely to have a lower socioeconomic status which could be attributed to the children being more likely to drop out of school early or more likely to not attend college. The researchers believe this is because divorce decreases the standard of living for these children as well as less parental involvement. Evidence from the study also shows, when compared to adults with married parents, those with divorced parents have lower quality relationships and report more conflict. 

Another study entitled, “Long-Term Effects of Divorce on Parent-Child Relationships: Within-Family Comparisons of Fathers and Mothers” focuses on the child’s relationship with their parents rather than how the divorce affects them psychologically. This study was published by the European Sociological Review which is also an academic journal and therefore is credible. The article shows the relationship between father and child is strongly impacted by divorce. The mother and child relationship is also impacted but not as strongly as the father. The study also found that there was an inequality between the parents, therefore one relationship was stronger than the other. It is concluded with the statement, further research is needed but it clearly shows there is a strong impact of divorce on parent child relationships. 

A magazine article published by the Scientific American proposes the idea that divorce may be hard on children, but they can adjust with no damage. The magazine is credible because it presents scientific studies monthly to educated readers and has been doing so for a long time. The article cites multiple studies that conclude divorce has little impact for children. One of the studies states initially children have short term problems with anxiety and disbelief but once they recover, very few have long term problems. The magazine also cites a study from Penn State University in which researchers compared academic achievement and behavior problems between children of different ages with separated or married parents. They discovered there was little to no difference between the groups. 

              Live Science is website that publishes reviews of recent scientific studies and is credible because it cites the studies it uses so its readers can fact check for themselves. Rachel Rettner recently published an article entitled “Divorce Not Always Bad for Kids” where she provides evidence from multiple research studies to show divorce does not always negatively affect or damage children. The children who lived in high conflict families, but their parents stayed together were proven to have more conflict in their future relationships when compared to children whose parents divorced. Parents who want to stay together for their kids may be causing more harm, it all depends on the situation. The article uses evidence to show that children with divorce parents are only affected for a short period following the divorce but if their parents fight and stay together, they are in a period of distress for most of their childhood. 

Divorce is not uncommon in America today, in fact it is relatively normal for peers to have divorced parents or to meet someone who is divorced. There is many different studies that look into the effects of divorce but it is still controversial. Both sides of the issues have fair points, but it really depends on the person. I agree more with the side that there are long term effects because there are many longitudinal studies and statistics show a big difference between children with divorced or married parents. But that being said, they are just statistics and a child can still grow to their full potential, just because their parents are divorced does not mean their life is going to be doomed. 

References 

Amato, P. R., & Sobolewski, J. M. (2001). The Effects of Divorce and Marital Discord on         Adult  Children’s Psychological Well-Being. American Sociological Review. Retrieved           from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=16&sid=d56a538b-9545-4992-8875-98aefd963d20@pdc-v-sessmgr02 

Arkowitz, H. (2013, March 01). Is Divorce Bad for Children? Retrieved                               from  https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-divorce-bad-for-children/ 

Kalmijn, M. (2013). Long-Term Effects of Divorce on Parent-Child Relationships: Within-Family  Comparisons of Fathers and Mothers. European Sociological Review. Retrieved from http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=24&sid=d56a538b-9545-4992-8875-98aefd963d20@pdc-v-sessmgr02 

Rettner, R. (2010, June 30). Divorce Not Always Bad for Kids. Retrieved from  https://www.livescience.com/6648-divorce-bad-kids.html

Spotlight Blog 1 (Option 1)

--Original published at Gracie's Blog

In the United States divorce is common, and there are several reasons as to why divorce may happen, but the long lasting effects on children needs to be kept into consideration. Children react from their parent’s divorce in different ways, depending on the circumstances. There was a test study done on 20 children ages 6-10 years. The 20 children were split half living in a united family and half living in a divorced family (Deshpande). The children’s responses to Adaptive Mechanism Schedule and Story Dynamics were recorded and the result was divorce impacts children in a negative way (Deshpande). Different children will be affected in various ways, depending on the gender, age, and how they cope with feelings. Children look up and adhere to their parents, therefore if they are present during arguments they feel stress and are aware of current feelings. When a couple is married, the children are all connected and part of the family; whenever the family gets separated everyone is affected. Younger children have a hard time understanding and adjusting to living arrangements between parents. Divorce is said to cause the children to end up struggling with management methods, losing virginity at a young age, and lesson the sense of masculinity and femininity as young adults. This credible source gave results from a research study concluding that divorce overall has negative effects on children and relationships. If children grow up seeing their parents fighting and deal with splitting their lives living with each parent, the probability of their marriage ending in divorce is high.

 

Jane Anderson studied the impact of divorce on children using roughly three decades of research and study. The results from evaluating children in families of divorced parents and families of married parents resulted in the conclusion that children living in families with married parents have better physical, emotional, and academic well-being. There were some instances where the parents would try and work things out and due to their effort, the children react positively. Only 45.8 percent of children get to age 17 before their parents get divorced, and 72 percent of marriages only last 14 years according to a study done in 2009 by an American Community Survey (Anderson). After a divorce people tend to get married again, but sadly that marriage ends in divorce too, causing the children to adapt to the recurring change. Results from a meta-analysis in 2001 shows that children from divorced families tend to score naturally lower on “academic achievement, conduct, psychological adjustment, self-concept, and social relations” (Anderson).

 

Although the majority of effects on children from their parents divorcing are said to be negative, there are also contradicting information telling us otherwise. In some cases, divorce has no impact on the children. In 2009 over 1,000 teenagers were asked to take the GordonPoll Youth Survey(™) (Jolivet). Teenagers ages fourteen to eighteen said they feel more independent and strong when asked about divorce. The teens also expressed how they are old enough to understand the circumstances and they want what is best for their parents. Therefore divorce may lead to children and teenage independence.

 

The thoughts on the effects of divorce on children is stereotypical and evidently there are not many studies showing specific negative results from divorce on children. Amato and Irving (2006) suggest that the events that occur during the divorce, not the actual divorce cause negative connotations for children of divorced families (Pantelis). A study involving families going through divorce received 76 responses from parents stating the impact of the divorce on the offspring ages 2-17 the their adjustments. The results showed that if the parent’s relationship with the child was balanced, it would help the child’s adjustment (Pantelis). This shows that in some cases divorced parents grow closer to their children, and are able to have one-on-one time with them.  

 

Based on what I have read, I think overall divorce impacts children in a negative way, making it hard for them to see what marriage actually looks like. Obviously if a parent’s relationship is dangerous and getting a divorce was the best option, then I would say divorce was overall helping the child. In conclusion, children are most likely to end up in a divorce also and can experience trouble with emotions and interactions if their parents get a divorce.

 

Sources:

 

Anderson, Jane. The impact of family structure on the health of children: Effects of Divorce. November 2014. Linacre Q. Date Accessed 7 October 2018. http://resolver.ebscohost.com/openurl?sid=EBSCO%3areh&genre=article&issn=00243639&ISBN=&volume=81&issue=4&date=20141101&spage=378&pages=378-387&title=The+Linacre+Quarterly&atitle=The+impact+of+family+structure+on+the+health+of+children%3a+effects+of+divorce&aulast=Anderson%2c+Jane&id=DOI%3a10.1179%2f0024363914Z.00000000087&site=ftf-live

 

Deshpande, Anuradha & Pandey, Neelam. Psychological Impact of Parental Divorce on Children: a Qualitative Study. 2014. Indian Journal of Health & Well-being. Vol. 5 Issue 10. Date Accessed 7 October 2018. http://content.ebscohost.com/ContentServer.asp?T=P&P=AN&K=99836849&S=R&D=a9h&EbscoContent=dGJyMNHr7ESeprU4zdnyOLCmr1Cep69SsKa4SLKWxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMOPY8of15LmF39%2FsU%2BPa8QAA

 

Jolivet, Kendra Randall. The Psychological Impact of Divorce on Children: What is a Family Lawyer to Do? 2011. American Journal of Family Law. Vol. 25 Issue 4. Date Accessed 7 October 2018 http://content.ebscohost.com/ContentServer.asp?T=P&P=AN&K=67122024&S=R&D=sih&EbscoContent=dGJyMNHr7ESeprU4zdnyOLCmr1Cep69Ss6q4TbaWxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMOPY8of15LmF39%2FsU%2BPa8QAA

 

Pantelis, Konstantinos & Bonotis, K. & Kandri, T. It Attacked My Change: An Exploratory Study With Young Adults on the Impact of Divorce and Their Adjustment Processes During Adolescence. Journal of Divorce & Remarriages. Nov/Dec 2015. Vol. 56 Issue 8. Date Accessed 7 October 2018. http://content.ebscohost.com/ContentServer.asp?T=P&P=AN&K=111336673&S=R&D=sih&EbscoContent=dGJyMNHr7ESeprU4zdnyOLCmr1Cep7BSrqy4S7OWxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMOPY8of15LmF39%2FsU%2BPa8QAA

 

Spotlight Blog 1- Effects of Divorce on Children

--Original published at HuntersCollegeBlog

Divorce is something that many kids have to go through. My parents are divorced, and it’s not easy. But how does divorce really effect kids today? Are they really effected by it, or is it something that they can just move on from. The following articles explain how they feel divorce impacts children, if at all.

In the article entitled “The Psychological Effects of Divorce on Children,” Amy Morin, LCSW explains that 48% of children are living in a house with one parent, as a result of divorce, by the age of 16. She argues that kids normally struggle within the first one or two years after divorce. She says that some kids can bounce back from it, but others have a very difficult time with it. Kids can experience anger, anxiety, and even lifelong problems due to a divorce. Depending on their age, children can experience confusion about going back and forth between house, guilt, and anger towards one or both parents. Studies showed that the mother is often less supportive and her discipline becomes decreased after a divorce. Studies have also shown that kids that have gone through a divorce may have increased psychological problems, regardless of age or gender. Studies also show that children of divorce are at a higher risk for anxiety and depression. The author also writes that while divorce is tough on children, staying in the marriage just for the kids may not be the best option. The author made it clear numerous times that kids of divorce are at a higher risk for mental health issues. This source is credible, because the author has her LCSW, and the reviewer has their MD. The website has a medical review board that are all licensed and trained professionals, which is why I think this source is credible.

In the next article, Wendy Paris, an author, and someone who has had her articles appear in many news sites like Psychology Today, and The Washington Post, writes about how you can still raise happy kids, even after a divorce. Paris writes that a study done by Mavis Hetherington, who followed 2,500 children, showed that 80% of the kids were doing well. Michael Lamb’s meta-study done in 2012 also showed that children are well when they have good relationships with both parents, but the parents don’t have to be living in the same house in order for that to be true. Lamb’s general overview was that marriage isn’t what makes a child’s wellbeing- its the loving relationship between the parent and the child where the parents aren’t constantly having problems. Paris’s own points include making sure that stability is still being obtained by creating new routines, and creating positive moments for the children without involving the parents’ relationships. I believe this was a scholarly article because it included studies by Michael Lamb, who is a professor at Cambridge University. Wendy Paris was also a senior editor for Psychology Today, and has published articles in The New York Times, and Los Angelas Review of Books.

This third article explains how divorce can negatively effect children. Emery writes that divorce can be stressful for kids, and can strain the relationship between parent and child. He says that the transition between marriage and divorce can really impact the child, depending on how stressful, or chaotic it is. He also writes that kids can be of higher risk for psychological problems, anger problems, depression, and suffering school achievement. He says that a lot of children can get through divorce without having emotional or psychological problems, but children still report pain and worry about divorce and relationships. A study that Emery and Laumann-Billings did in 2000 showed that 73 out of 99 college students who’s parents had divorced 3 or more years said they’d be a different person if their parents weren’t divorced. 48 out of 99 said they had a more difficult childhood then most. This article was scholarly because the author, Robert E. Emery has a Ph.D. and is a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia.

In the last article, the author argues that while divorce can be difficult, it is better to get a divorce then stay in the marriage when there is constant fighting and arguing. The author argues that staying in the marriage when there is constant conflict and even possibly violence makes the children have to cope with the everyday affects of it. The article says that while divorce is hard on the kids, when it finally does happen, it can often serve some benefits to the children. These benefits include reduced fighting, since the parents are in two separate homes, and the child doesn’t have to be around negativity, things seem to become calmer after the divorce settles. Other benefits include happy parents, so their happiness can rub off on the kids, and the kids learn more about compromise, and using it as a skill. This article is a good source because Brette Sember, has her B.A. and J.D., and describes the other side of divorce, which is the side that most people don’t see, aka the more positive affects on divorce. This article was also written in the Huffington Post.

Overall, I feel that divorce hurts children, based on the readings, because there are so many different things that can result from a divorce, including psychological and behavioral problems. As a child that comes from a divorced family, I can attest to the fact that it’s a very emotionally stressful thing, and it can affect you, even long after the divorce has happened. I feel that the studies presented in these articles also leaned more towards the side of how divorce can negatively impact a child.

 

 

 

 

 

  1. Morin, Amy, LCSW (2018, August 24). “The Psychological Effects of Divorce on Children: Take steps to help kids bounce back faster.” https://www.verywellfamily.com/psychological-effects-of-divorce-on-kids-4140170
  2. Paris, Wendy (2015, March 17). “Yes, You Can Raise Happy Children After Divorce: What kids really need to thrive.” https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/splitopia/201503/yes-you-can-raise-happy-children-after-divorce
  3. Emery, Robert E. (2006-2018). “How Divorce Affects Children.” http://emeryondivorce.com/how_divorce_affects_children.php
  4. Sember, Brette (2017, December 6). “Why a Good Divorce Is Better Than a Bad Marriage for Kids.” https://www.huffpost.com/entry/why-a-good-divorce-is-better-than-a-bad-marriage-for-kids_b_6925236

Learning Styles– Are they a myth?

--Original published at Makayla Hockenbrock

There are many opinions out there about learning styles and whether one is better than the other. Many studies have been conducted to show if this truly is a myth or a fact. Teachers try and alter their ways of teaching to try and make the learning environment for the students better. There are many types of learning styles including kinesthetic, auditory, and visual. When children are younger, sometimes they are asked to take this test to determine what kind of learner they are. I remember having to take this test in the fifth grade. Not every child in the class got the same results because everyone learns differently. With that being said, a teacher could not simply teach with the focus of one learning style. This did not come to my attention until later in life when I realized how much pressure is on a teacher to be able to accommodate all the different ways children learn. So, if a child does not grasp a concept, is it the child’s fault, or is it because the teacher did not present the information in the context of that child’s learning style? Or are learning styles in deed just a myth?

 According to an article written by Bettina Brown, teachers teach the way they themselves learn information. Teachers obviously have been through a sufficient amount of schooling to get where they are. They also have been through the process of how to study efficiently and effectively. Since they have had that much experience, it is not shocking to me that they would teach with that same style. So, if teachers teach the way they learn, the question arises what the outcome may be if the learning style of a child matches the teaching style of the teacher. A study looking at this in high school students, found that the same two styles was more beneficial to vocational students and the mismatching of styles was more beneficial to field-dependent students. David Kolb, the one who is credited for starting the movement of learning styles, has said that “it is more effective to design curriculum so that there is some way for learners of every learning style to engage with the topic, so that every type of learner has an initial way to connect with the material.” Once that is met, a teacher can then work on stretching that learning style, so the child’s learning capability can expand. Children need to learn to be adjust their learning styles so that when they change teachers, they can still learn the information presented well.

 A study that was done on eleventh grade science students, using the inductive guided inquiry learning model, showed that the model influenced the students’ learning activities and achievement in the scientific field. The results showed that the convergers and assimilators presented steady performance improvement on observing, questioning, and design experiment, compared to the students who were considered divergers and accommodators. The model influenced the cognitive learning achievements, however, only convergers showed higher post test scores. This study showed that the learning model did showed sufficient improvement in the performances of the children, from all learning styles, in the scientific setting. This study shows that learning styles can be supported as helpful when it comes to a child grasping information in the field of science. In reference to that finding, it is then important to pay attention to the students learning styles so that they are able to get the best outcome of their education.

 In contrast, an article from Yale University states that there is an overwhelming agreement among scholars that there is no scientific proof that backs up the statement of learning styles matching teaching styles is what’s best. Also mentioned in the article, it says studies reject that students learn better through a self-reported learning style. It is then recommended that teachers take a wider approach to teaching which calls students to reflect on their learning and not focus on a specific learning style, which has shown to improve the learning outcome. For example, teachers can help a student differentiate studying styles and learning processes. That then will allow the students to choose their own preferences.

 In the International Journal of Instruction, Ivana Cimermanova presents findings on a study of the effect of learning styles on academic achievement in different forms of teaching. The researched examined the potential relation between learning styles and the form of teaching, as well as, the academic achievement of students. The study mentioned how now-a-days, technology has become a big part of education to enhance the learning experience of the children. The study conducted consisted of a group of online students and in-class students. To collect data, the Grasha-Riechmann Student Learning Style Scales was applied. At the end, once the data was collected, a Pearson correlation analysis was performed, and significant correlation only showed between competitive learning style and academic achievement in the online group. The findings from this study were as follow: “learning styles have no significant effect on academic achievement, form of teaching has no significant effect on academic achievement”, and lastly, “students with different learning styles do not statistically significantly differ in their academic performance based on the form of their study.”

 After researching this topic, I now have a new perspective to learning styles. I used to think that they were important and that I should think of how I learn best when it comes to preparation for exams and so forth. Now, I think it really doesn’t matter how I learn best, but how the information is presented to me from the teacher. Based on my findings, I believe learning styles could be a myth.

           

References:

Cimermanová, I. ivana. cimermanova@unipo. s. (2018). The Effect of Learning Styles on Academic Achievement in Different Forms of Teaching. International Journal of Instruction, 11(3), 219–232. https://doi.org/10.12973/iji.2018.11316a

Sudria, I. B. N. ibnsudria@gmail. co., Wayan Redhana, I. 2. redhana. undiksha@gmail. co., Made Kirna, I. 1. mdkirna@gmail. co., & Aini, D. ainiidiahh@gmail. co. (2018). Effect of Kolb’s Learning Styles under Inductive Guided-Inquiry Learning on Learning Outcomes. International Journal of Instruction, 11(1), 89–102. https://doi.org/10.12973/iji.2018.1117a

Learning Styles as a Myth | Center for Teaching and Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://ctl.yale.edu/LearningStylesMyth

Brown, B. L. (2003). Teaching Style vs. Learning Style. Myths and Realities.

Spotlight Blog Post: Learning Styles​​​

--Original published at Jayln's Perspective

As I read over the two options for the Spotlight Blog Post, I was flooded with a memory from the sixth grade. I can remember being forced to take a test which evaluated whether I was a visual, auditory, or kinesthetic learner. After seeing my results, I remember my teacher telling me that I was “shockingly auditory,” which meant I was not a mix of two learning styles, like most of my classmates; I pretty much just fell into one category. As I went through high school, I thought I was simply an auditory learner, and that is what I based my study habits and techniques around. Now, as I look back on my experience, it is interesting to see how much pressure was put on my teachers to specialize their lesson plans to adhere with the specific types of “learners” that were present in the classroom. Over the years, many teachers, parents, and scholars have taken sides on whether or not learning styles are relevant to consider when making lesson plans, or if they are simply just myths.

On the University of San Diego website, there is an article posted called, “One Classroom, many Learning Styles: Strategies for Teachers.” This article communicates to teachers how critical it is that they successfully determine which learning styles are represented in their class to ensure their lessons plans are effective. Instead of using the typical “VARK” questionnaire to determine if a student is a visual, auditory, reading, or kinesthetic learner, they use the seven intelligences (founded by Howard Gardener). Gardener proposes that in a classroom setting, students can be labeled: visual-spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, or logical. Instead of believing that children can only be one type of learner, they theorize that children are stronger in one area but can also use other styles to understand new information. This website encourages teachers to use a student-centered approach. The teachers ultimately have authority in the classroom, but it is their job to assist students in learning with the styles that are specific to them.

“Understanding the Importance of Learning Styles,”  published on More 4 kids, is another highly supportive article. The author of this article is a mother who homeschooled her children, so it provides a different perspective than the last article. As she homeschooled her children, the author found that by adapting how she taught, based on their learning styles, was not only reflected in their academic performance, but it also made the process better for everyone. She stresses to teachers that if they neglect to understand how a child learns, it can result in conflict and even an inappropriate diagnosis (such as Attention Deficit Disorder). The author explains that she arrived at this conclusion because of her own experience teaching her two boys. As she began schooling her eldest son, who happened to be a visual learner, she thought that the techniques she used with him would also be effective for her youngest son. However, the youngest son was much more difficult because he was not performing well and he could not physically sit still. After being told by their family doctor that he should go on medication for ADD, the author decided to do some research of her own. She concluded that her son might be a kinesthetic learner, and all the visual techniques were frustrating for him.

Olga Khaazan, an award-winning staff writer for The Atlantic, argues against the use of learning styles in the classroom because they are simply ineffective. Khaazan begins, “The Myths of ‘Learning Styles,'” by discussing how Niel Fleming’s development of the “VARK” model gained its momentum during the self-esteem movement (the 90s). In the classroom, teachers were taught to view children like special individuals who had a unique learning style associated with them. As a result, the lessons should have been geared toward a specific learning style in order for struggling children to make sense of the material. She continues to critique how students grow up believing they already know how they learn, and since they feel defined by a certain learning style, they often get complacent in the classroom, and they develop bad habits when it comes to effective studying. Khaazan draws attention to the research of Daniel Willingham, a psychologist at the Univerity of Virginia, and Polly Husmann, a professor at Indiana Univerity to help support her claims against learning styles. To test the effectiveness of studying in a way that is specific to a learning style, Husmann had hundreds of students take the “VARK” questionnaire. After the students figured out how they supposedly learned best, they could choose whether or not they would apply the recommended strategies. As Husmann predicted, the students did not see improvements to their exam scores. Willingham theorized that by only catering to one learning style in the classroom, “educators may actually be doing a disservice” to the students because they are limiting the importance of other skills (theatlantic.com).

On the American Psychological Association website, Blake Harvard shares his negative opinions on learning styles, but instead of just critiquing the concept of learning styles like the last article, he takes it one step further by presenting more effective alternatives. Harvard starts by discussing that even though learning styles are no longer the backbone that gives structure to the classroom like they use to be, many institutions still wrongfully rely on them to shape their curriculum.  As an educator, Harvard was always asked to reach all the learning styles when he was teaching a lesson, but after a while, he realized that there was very little scientific evidence that supported learning styles. Instead, he began to research learning strategies that would be more effective in the classroom and were actually proven to reach children. Three examples of research learning strategies are retrieval practice, distributed practice, and interleaved practice. These are just a few examples of what student can do instead of focusing on studying one ineffective way. When a student uses the skill of retrieval instead of staring blankly at notecards, they are more effectively studying by attempting to retrieve information from their memory. These types of learning strategies require a student to be actively studying instead of just staring at a term and not connecting other information to it.

Before reading all of this research, I had always believed that learning styles were a necessary part of every child’s education. After gaining all of this newfound knowledge, I now see that there is actually very little scientific research that supports learning styles. As a “shockingly auditory” learner, I would tend to disregard any type of visual or kinesthetic learning strategies, and now as a college student, I see how this may have hurt me. I am currently adapting my study habits to include all type of strategies because each one is necessary when attempting to retain information. Instead of listening to youtube videos on certain topics like I did all through high school, I am now making charts and spending more time invested in the textbooks. It is important that all types of learning are integrated into the classroom so that schools produce well-rounded individuals who can problem solve, analyze, time manage, etc.

 

References:

Harvard, Blake. “Learning Myths vs. Learning Facts.” Psych Learning Curve, 17 July 2017, psychlearningcurve.org/learning-myths-vs-learning-facts/.

Khazan, Olga. “The Myth of ‘Learning Styles’.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 12 Apr. 2018, http://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/04/the-myth-of-learning-styles/557687/.

More4kids. “Understanding the Importance of Learning Styles.” Homeschooling Education Learning and Reading Resources, More4kids International, 10 Mar. 2011, education.more4kids.info/77/understanding-learning-styles/#respond.

“Teaching to Every Student’s Unique Learning Style.” University of San Diego, 5 Jan. 2018, onlinedegrees.sandiego.edu/teaching-to-every-students-unique-learning-style/.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Social

--Original published at Tiffany'sCollegeBlog

I have located three articles that explain peer pressure tips and what to do so that you don’t end up falling under peer pressure. Peer pressure is influence from members of one’s peer group and a feeling that one must do the same things as other people of one’s age and social group in order to be liked or respected by them. A peer is someone you look up to like a friend, someone in the community or even someone on TV. Peer pressure can be both a positive and negative influence and will challenge us do things whether they are right or wrong. Peer pressure can influence several areas in your life like; academic performance, who you choose for friends, it can influence who you mat choose for a boyfriend or girlfriend, it can influence decisions about sex, it may change your feelings about alcohol and drug use, and it can even determine your fashion choice. Though it’s different in many ways from high school, there is still pressure at college to “fit in” and to be liked by others. There is often peer pressure to do things you wouldn’t normally do “because this is college” and you are trying to meet new friends. For some people peer pressure may come from you directly, this may be because you are feeling different than everyone else even if they are not suggesting you join. Other times groups of friends can have certain activities and habits they do together. If you find that hanging out with people who tend to do things you wouldn’t normally do and you feel unaccepted unless you follow through, “get out” so you don’t fall into the pressure to “fit in.” There are many things you can do to get away from peer pressure. The first is simply to just say “no.” Other ways to handle not dealing with peer pressure would be: stick with what you believe is right, don’t judge others, try to find a new crowd, take action for others who are being pressured, and if all else fails, go to the college counseling center for support. 

The first article that I have found talks about parents and how they should help their child resist peer pressure. The article has ten steps that help you inform your child of what to look for and how to handle peer pressure. The ten steps are: establish good communication, stay involved in your child’s daily life, maintain reasonable rules, help your child establish healthy friendships, encourage healthy activities and hobbies, talk to your child about smoking, alcohol, and drugs, teach your child to trust her instincts, help your child say no and mean it, establish a code phrase, and count on the support of good friends. With establishing good communication, having a close relationship with your child can make it easier for them to resist peer pressure. Having daily conversations with them, listening, offering support and advice and answering their questions can make it easier for them to come to you from everything. Staying involved and spending time with your child helps as well. Don’t be a helicopter mom but knowing where they are going and who they are going with can show them that you care and they will trust you. Having some boundaries can be beneficial as well as setting rules and having consequences if they are broken. Making sure that your child understands the expectations that you hold can connect a strong relationship between you both. Making sure your child stays with the friend group that helps he/she grow will be important. Making lasting friendships and packs to not do certain things together can build great relationships with others. As well as giving examples of good friends versus the bad ones. Being encouraging and supportive for you child’s favorite activities can help them with their self-esteem and developing healthy relationships. Making it known of what’s good and what’s bad can make it known as to what is important and what is not. Following what your gut says can be important on deciding who to listen to and what to say as an answer for whatever that person asked. I personally enjoy making a pros and cons list and doing that helps me way out what is good and what is not. Having a code word can make it easy for your child to say they need your help in front of someone without actually saying it. Having a good support system at home and at school can encourage your child to let his friends know that they have each others backs. I think all of these can be very helpful as long as you stick to it and make them all happen. It’s not good to start a support system and then have it broken. You have to be careful on who you trust and who you cont on as friends. 

http://www.healthcommunities.com/healthy-living-guides/index.shtml/10-ways-to-help-your-child-resist-peer-pressure_102 

The next article I chose relates to many ages including college students and parents and how to eliminate peer pressure as best as you can. Peer pressure can involve many things like stealing, drugs, sexual activity, dangerous behavior, and alcohol. The article starts with explaining peer pressure and how some people can get dragged into it. Then it talks about tips that can stop you or persuade you to resist peer pressure. Lots of people are dragged into peer pressure because they are afraid of being rejected by others or they don’t want to be made fun of. They can resist peer pressure by making eye contact, not making excuses, and sticking up for themselves. The article discusses the different types of peer pressure like spoken, unspoken, positive and negative. Spoken peer pressure is the most visible and easily understood form of peer pressure. Unspoken can happen through the power of a look or gesture. It can be sufficient enough to coerce someone into doing something that makes them uncomfortable. Positive peer pressure is the most beneficial influence that opens up new horizons and reinforces the decision to stay away from bad behavior while negative peer pressure encourages a person to do harmful or dangerous things. It can be more subtle and manipulative. The article then discusses tips for parents on how to encourage your student to do the right thing. It goes into how college brings new environments, situations, and expectations. A few tips towards the end that the article gives for kids of all ages are: spend time with those who resist peer pressure, learn how to be assertive, ask for help if necessary, get out of the situation, choose friends carefully, use the delay tactic, think ahead, provide your own positive pressure and go with your gut. I think this article is very, very well written. It gives a sense of peer pressure for everyone and not just one group of peers. I think that there isn’t much more to say because it covered a lot of ground with peer pressure. 

https://www.accreditedschoolsonline.org/resources/peer-pressure/ 

Spotlight Post #3

--Original published at Jenna'sPSY105blog

When first diagnosed with a mental illness, people typically have two options for their plan of treatment: psychotherapy or medication. Each option has their own benefits and drawbacks, but it is important for each person to weight their options before making their choice.

An article on Forbes titled “A Few Things That Therapy May Do Better Than Medication, According to Science” argued that psychotherapy is more effective in the long run. Eventually people stop taking medication are taken off of it when they are “better,” but studies show that people who suffer with depression and take antidepressants are more likely to relapse later in life when they are no longer taking them. They also mentioned the benefits vs. risk ratio, which essentially refers to the fact that there are so many risks and side effects when you take medication, but there aren’t when you are simply talking to a therapist. I think that this article is a pretty reliable source, mostly because the writer interviewed a psychologist and author named Shannon Kolakowski and used a lot of quotes from her stating that this route is the best one to take.

Another article I found that supports psychotherapy over medication is on Huffington Post titled “4 Ways Everyone Can Benefit From Therapy.” A lot of people who are depressed or have a mental illness have a hard time talking to people about what they’re dealing with and choose to keep their feelings bottled up and stored away. This is about the unhealthiest thing you can do to yourself when you are struggling with any kind of issue, especially when you have a mental illness. The article says that studies show that talking to someone out loud about how you feel has a significant therapeutic effect on your mental state. You will feel so much better when you verbalize your feelings to a trained professional and can get your problems, no matter how small you feel they are, off your chest. I feel that this article is pretty trustworthy because the author cites different studies done on the topic and she quotes many health professionals and psychologists to back up her stance on the subject.

On the other hand, an article in Behavioral Health Evolution titled “Medications Play a Key Role in Treatment is pro medication for treatment of mental disorders. Although it is not a cure, according to the article antidepressants are effective in treating symptoms by up to 60 percent and show a significant decrease in most clients. They can also help minimize cravings and help people struggling with substance abuse resist the urge of using, and they help with preventing relapses. While some disorders can be treated with simple talk therapy, some are too severe to not have patients on some kind of medicine to reduce bad symptoms and keep people from being a danger to themselves as much as possible. I would say that this article is pretty accurate and reliable because the website itself specializes in providing expertise, resources, and advice on treating substance use, mental health, and co-occuring disorders.

On a site called Good Therapy, I found another article titled “Psychotropic Medications” that speaks pretty highly about medication to help with treating mental illnesses. For example, medication can give you a boost when you’re so depressed you can’t even find the motivation to get out of bed. When you have anxiety, medication can ease your mind and make you less worrisome about the small things. If you are schizophrenia, medication can be the thing that helps you gain the stability and control you are lacking. While medication isn’t necessarily going to completely cure the mental illness, it can definitely contribute to the difficult symptoms to subside. Also, psychotropic medications can alleviate some of the fears of everyday life and can possibly lead to the patients coming out of their shell and becoming more extraverted and social. I think that this article is useful and reliable because the author backs up their information by providing research studies that prove that it is accurate and trustworthy information.

While all of this information is useful to know when choosing which type of therapy would best suit your needs, I think that psychotherapy would be the route I would go, at least at the beginning. I already take a lot of medications as it is, and adding more to my morning routine is not something I would want to do. Plus, with medications comes side effects, which are not fun to deal with while trying to better your mental health. Also, I think that everyone can benefit from talking about your problems, because no matter how insignificant you think they are, they could be negatively effecting your mental state. I know that I am guilty of bottling up my emotions and I think that meeting with a professional who would keep me accountable for saying how I feel would definitely lift a huge weight off of my shoulders and put me in such a better headspace. Plus, I would become more in tune with my emotions and get to know myself better and why I am the way that I am, which is a very important, eye-opening thing that could definitely help in the long run.

 

Sources

Article #1: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2016/05/06/a-few-things-that-therapy-may-do-better-than-medication-according-to-science/#3a6528d14243

Article #2: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/07/benefits-of-therapy-and-life-coaches_n_5635389.html

Article #3: http://www.bhevolution.org/public/index.page

Article #4: https://www.goodtherapy.org/drugs/psychotropic-medication.html

Spotlight Blog Post #3

--Original published at Kirsten's Kreations

For this post I chose to do the second option of Hoarding. I have people who are close to me that are hoarders, thankfully not as extreme as the ones on the show, and I have seen the show a few times. It bewilders me to see how people can let their house get as bad as some people let it. Frankly, I am the kind of person who can’t stand messes. Recently I visited family and my uncles basement I stayed in had food crumbs all over the floor and the one room smelled awful do to the dogs sometimes using it as a bathroom. I felt so gross that I wouldn’t walk around the house without shoes and avoided the dog smelling room as much as possible. However, the people on this show can be so bad the one person was living in his backyard because his house was filled to the roof with trash.

No matter how extreme the one thing everyone has in common with each other on this show is the hoarding didn’t happen until after an extreme tragedy occurred in their life. Because their hoarding is a result of a tragedy it really raises a question as to if these shows are more harmful to these people rather than beneficial. Personally, I believe they are harmful because they are already feeling stressed and hurt from their family members forcing them to drastically change their ways. Showing their pain on t.v. for the world to see makes them feel even more stressed and vulnerable which can harm their mental health even more which seems highly unethical to me. If families are truly worried about their loved ones then they should help them in privacy rather than exploit them.

When preparing to do this post I did a lot of searching on sources to back up if these shows are beneficial or harmful. Frankly, I couldn’t find anyone who believed this show benefits the hoarders. Every source had reasons to believe the show is harmful to the people being shown. So instead of discussing two sources why this show is good and why it is bad, I am going to discuss three sources explaining why this show is harmful for the people on it. One of the sources does give a brief explanation as to why it can be good.

“Hoarding Reality Shows Might Do More Harm Than Good”

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/17/hoarding-reality-shows_n_7605804.html

This article mostly discusses about how the shows are harmful but does also talk about how some people on the show say they have credited from it. Information from the British Psychology Society in the article discusses how reality shows should stop entertaining people with the mental illnesses of others. A researcher on the topic of hoarding also believes these shows promote pressuring people to get rid of all of their belongings (trash or not) which is not a healthy way of going about helping them because clearing the clutter isn’t going to help their mental well being. The people on this show would need long term cognitive behavior therapy in order to work on stopping the hoarding. Some people have claimed if it wasn’t for the show then they wouldn’t have come to terms with the fact that they have a problem which led them to seek the help they needed to clean their house and help their mental well being.

This source is credible because they found people who were affected by these shows and got first hand accounts and also included the links to where they found their sources of information.

“The Problem That Piles Up”

https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2018/02/problem-piles-up

This article explains a lot as who what hoarding disorder is and what helps and doesn’t help people with the disorder. This source is credible because it references a lot to the source that they used for their information and also provides a link to that sources for people to use. In the article it references, Dr. David F. Tolin of Hartford Hospital’s Institute of Living, as saying people who have a hoarding disorder lost their ability to control their decision making. Because of this, when the people are forced to decide whether or not they should throw something out their brain overreacts leading them to believe everything is important even if it is a piece of trash. It seems the best way to try and get someone with a hoarding disorder to take care of themselves is by being gentle and having calm conversations with them. These show are more often than not the opposite of treating someone with a calm and gentle manner.

“Hoarding: why forced clean-outs are unsuccessful”

https://unclutterer.com/2010/06/03/hoarding-why-forced-cleanouts-are-unsuccessful/

This article is credible because it has links to some of the information at the end of the article and it also credits a book that was used for research that was written by hoarding specialists.  This article points out what is mostly disturbing about these shows is they don’t educate the public on hoarding being a mental disorder but rather as people who are lazy and giving up on life. This article does a great job of transferring the information written by the specialists into the article. The specialists pointed out how it harms the hoarders to have a family member or the public (health departments) show up at their door ready to clean their house out without warning. In fact, they says it traumatizes them further because they see these things as their life and for someone to throw it away without them wanting to.  It also only changes the living conditions temporarily because the person isn’t getting the help for the disorder they need.

Spotlight #3

--Original published at Loretta Gabrielle

College students

The article gave different ways to combat peer pressure in college and the inevitably of facing it. A way to fight peer pressure is staying busy and avoiding parties. The point this tip is trying to discuss is to avoid situations pressures due to the environment. To do so, leaving and eliminating the party and potential negative environment will avoid these pressures. I find this tip useless and will just have college students get into more trouble than they are.  If you say the way to not feel peer pressured is to avoid college parties where inevitability there is alcohol, it is like using absence as the only way of safe sex. The point is, neither method works. The next tip they discussed was the difference between college and home and having more freedom. It later discussed if you are feeling pressure to just politely decline, leave a situation, anonymously call the police, and talk to adults you trust. I find this tip helpful. The idea of this tip can come from obedience pressures. If someone is stressed out because they are in a fraternity and are told to do a task given by their older fraternity brothers, they may feel pressured to go against their beliefs and take on the other person’s norm. The article later listed different way and resources on what peer pressure a student may be facing with different article attached to it. The solution from this is to avoid conformity from the pressures you face in school social settings. Instead of doing the steps which have worked for other people doesn’t always help you. If a student feels the need to take on the beliefs and ideas of another person, they are conforming. The only addition I would add to the article is using the college help centers and therapists the school provides as well. The article trustworthy and mildly resourceful.

Athletes

Athletes deal with pressure in every aspect of their career. When dealing with sports a stressor can deal with an upcoming competition. The expectation can cause a lot of pressure to do well in the sport. The article described different ways in which to deal with pressure. First, reframing the situation and deciding whether or not it is positive or negative pressure. Negative pressure relates to negative thoughts and doubts surrounding the performance while positive pressure are nerves and excitement before a competition. The tactic the article gave is to reframe the pressure which is negative and make it positive. To do this it requires using key words and reinstating the positive pressures you feel. An example of this is connecting being nervous with preforming well so when you feel nervous it is a positive pressure. The next tip is reducing external source of pressure which can come from parents, coaches, friends, and other outside people who add to any uneasy feelings. This idea of pressure coming from your friends and family can correlate with situational pressure. The environment you surround yourself can change your belief or in this case, confidence, and negatively impact one’s performance. The purpose of this tip is to get rid of any external distractions and possible negative pressures. The next tip is reducing internal sources of pressure which come from self-set expectations. This differs from the athlete as some people perform well with internal pressure and some do not, so finding the balance and level of difficulty for the athlete is able to balance the internal pressure. Since some high preforming athletes work well under self-set expectations and internal pressure, as an athlete you may conform to their strategies. Although this may work for one athlete, it doesn’t ensure internal pressure will work for you and conformity will not benefit your preformace. Recognizing the symptoms of being under pressure can be butterflies or heart and breathing pick up. This tip suggested creating high pressure situation in a controlled setting and I understand the purpose and overall benefit of this step but I disagree with it. As an athlete, I do not find stimulating high pressure situations beneficial. I recognize the larger risk but this technique does not help manage peer pressure it just creates ways to detect them. The next tip regards training pressure which can come from other people and trying to match how much and how far they have gone in practice or in their athletic career. This is training with and against different athletes which can have different levels of peer pressure. I disagree with this point as no matter what sport you play you should be working as a team rather feeling peer pressured to keep up with a teammate. The purpose of a team is to support each other not drag each other down which this article alluded to. On the other end, following the training of your mentors and peers can be seen as obedience pressure. Freshman or younger players in sports may look up towards the older players on the team and feel the need to follow their behaviors and beliefs because of an authority figure. The article suggest having a checklist to ensure the athlete has everything they need in place. I didn’t find this article helpful at all. It gave some helpful tips but it lost track of the main question regarding peer pressure which it originally was discussing. I don’t find these tips helpful for athletes at all.

Parents

The parental peer pressure discussed in this article regarded the leniency of what rules to enforce and what responsibilities to allow your child and when. This stems from what other parents allow or don’t allow their kids to do. Other issues regarded social and cultural traditions one family has over the other and the children or other parents doing a certain thing different than how they do it. Parent’s struggle with feeling the need to conform and take on the beliefs and behaviors done by other parents. An example of this can be raising your voice at children. The social group norm in America is to try and not raise your voice at a child while in a Hispanic home it shows you care. If the parent with a cultural background see’s the way other parents raise their children without raising their voice, they may feel pressured to conform and take on the beliefs and lifestyles of other parents. Situational pressures differ and if as a parent you believe that your child shouldn’t have ice cream every day but the other parents let their kids get ice cream, you may feed into the environment. The environment you are surround yourself can impact your judgement based off of the situation.

The article listed several different ways a parent can deal with these peer pressures which were finding your inner strengths, strengthening your support system, go with your gut, be assertive, don’t debate, practice self-care, gain respect, and increase family time. So what does this mean? Finding your inner strength allows the parent to reflect back on how they were raised and the beliefs and lessons they want to teach their children. Strengthening your support system is finding other parents and children’s who have similar parenting techniques. Going with your gun is allowing the advice of other parents but doing what is right for your child and not what was right for some else’s. To be assertive you need to have confidence in what you are instructing or teaching as a parent rather than fall into peer pressure. Don’t debate with other parents as to what is right or wrong, do what works for you. For being assertive and debating, the topic of obedience comes into play. If one parent who seemingly has more experience with children and comes from authority, the parents may feel pressured to adopt their behaviors in parenting. Practicing self-care is important no matter what stage of life you are in, especially parenthood. Self-care helps take on challenges and focus on bettering the parent which betters the children. Gaining respect from children is important throughout development. During a child’s development, the parent isn’t supposed to try and be a friend to their child and please them but to protect them, instill culture, lessons, teach behaviors, and education. Lastly, spending family time for one parent might be a movie night when for another parent it is puzzles, either way it is quality time spent together as a whole. These are all methods on how to resist parental peer pressure and I believe the article did an excellent job in addressing helpful tools and strategies. I find all eight methods in the article to be useful tools parents who feel parental peer pressure should use.

 

https://www.bestcollegereviews.org/dealing-peer-pressure-college/

https://www.freelapusa.com/6-tips-on-dealing-with-pressure-in-sports/

https://www.courierpostonline.com/story/life/2017/01/20/8-ways-cope-parental-peer-pressure/96835714/