Pedagogy

When I think about democracy, I think about diversity, equality and justice which are essential values in a democratic society.  In my life as a citizen, student and future teacher Ive had the benefit of experiencing these values.  I am fortunate to live in a diverse society in which I have been able to maintain relationships with people of different ethnicities, cultures, religions, socioeconomic status, and beliefs.  This has enriched my life and helped me to be open-minded.  There is beauty and knowledge in diversity.  Every person I meet is valuable as a human being and has something to teach me.  Likewise, others can learn from me.  For the most part, I have experienced equality and justice throughout my life.  I have the same rights and opportunities as others in my society, and I am treated fairly in my day to day life. I have the right to practice the religion of my choice. I am able to pursue my career goals.  In essence, I am free to live my life the way I choose as long as I do not interfere with the rights of others. 
   
In spite of this, experience has shown me that everyone in my society does not enjoy the principles of democracy at the same level.    In other words, because of discrimination various groups of people may not receive equal treatment.  For example, people are often treated differently based on physical appearance such as skin color, obesity, and even the manner in which they dress. With this in mind, I know that as a future teacher, it is my responsibility to create a learning environment that helps to alleviate discrimination and foster the values of democracy.
  
In my classroom I plan promote a sense of unity and belonging among all students.  I will teach about the beauty of diversity, and how we are all unique with special talents and abilities.  Equally important we will learn about our commonalities.  My classroom will be child-centered, and students will have the opportunity to participate, by voting, in the decision-making process.  For instance, sometimes students will be presented with several options for class activities and projects, and they will vote for the final selection.  Students will also have the chance to create individual projects and complete assignments based on their own interests and learning goals.  I will make an effort to avoid sex-role stereotypes, and encourage children to explore interest that are usually associated with members of the opposite gender.  Additionally, I will have students participate in team projects so they learn to work with others and to appreciate the contributions of others.  My goal as a teacher is to help students develop into well-rounded and responsible human beings who are able to live successfully in a diverse and global society.

Juvenile delinquency has been a major problem in the society for many years. In fact, the National Center of Juvenile Justices 2004 report included more than 1,660,700 violations and criminal cases wherein children and young teenagers are the main offenders. Typical cases would often include personal as well as public order offense. Property destruction and drug violations would also rank as one of the top legal violations among juveniles.
   
Today more than ever, these figures steadily increase by the number. Records now show that the cases and violations of minor offenders continue to climb by an overwhelming 43 percent. Such cases are especially pervasive in the United States. According to recent statistics, approximately 80 percent of the cases handled by the juvenile court would involve teenagers between the ages of 10 to 15. The other 12 percent would consist of 16-year old offenders while the remaining 8 percent are commonly 17 year old offenders.
   
If the number are already alarming as it is, juvenile delinquency cases proves to be even more distressing as a lot of these cases  involved very serious criminal offenses. In the previous years, there are about 193,700 drug law violations. Larceny and theft would sum up to a shocking 278,300 cases. Likewise, there are over 284,300 simple assault cases and up to 15,800 sexual offenses. Other legal violations would also include over 1,700 reported cases of criminal homicides, 29,000 liquor law violations, and 41,000 weapon offenses. Other serious offenses committed by young people would also include public order offense, vandalism, motor and vehicle theft, disorderly conduct, aggravated assault, arson, and obstruction of justice among many others.
   
The trend on juvenile delinquency proves to be something that would persist for years to come if the society refuses to take action now. Therefore, it is only fitting to take a closer look on juvenile delinquency and how the society can effectively prevent this from happening. This research paper provides a proposal on how to prevent and ultimately stop the pattern of young people offending and committing law violations. The proposal will primarily build on a research work regarding juvenile delinquency in order to understand the issues behind this looming problem. From there, this study will shift its focus by proposing extensive programs that will help prevent juveniles from participating from illegal activities.  It will similarly look at the different aspects of the program such as the judicial, welfare, as well as the risks in order to ensure the effectiveness of the plan.
   
The term juvenile delinquency has been commonly used by the media as well as by the society far too many times. In fact, it is usually a part of the news. Statistics would also show that the illegal acts committed by children and young adults are becoming more and more pervasive. However, the definition of this word would mean more than just a young adult committing a legal violation. The definition would also carry with it the proper judicial procedure on how to handle a case of a minor.
   
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention define juvenile delinquency as criminal acts and offenses committed by children or minors. The age of the child would often vary depending on the country, state, or jurisdiction. In United States, the judicial system defines a minor is an individual under the age of 18. In some states however, this may refer to a person below 21 years of age. Likewise, other countries such as Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom define juvenile as someone who is under 18 years of age.

Unlike adult violations and cases, most judicial systems handle juvenile delinquency differently. Violations and offenses committed by adult could easily result to persecution. However, a minor who committed the same mistake would be evaluated and treated differently.  Most countries have juvenile courts that are tasked primarily for handling juvenile cases. This type of court operates with the judicial philosophy that the child should be rehabilitated instead of punished. Depending on the severity of the violation, a juvenile can either be disciplined through various means. This is where juvenile rehabilitation programs come in.

A juvenile program is a special program conducted to rehabilitate the young adult. A minor that has been ruled guilty of a delinquent act, would often be sanctioned by the juvenile court with verdicts such as detention in an institution or probation or supervision in a residential facility. Depending on the severity of the offense, a juvenile charged of a violation may also be subjected to perform various community services as part of the rehabilitation program.

Most of the community-based rehabilitations provide treatment wherein the child or teenager will be asked to attend several workshops, seminars or classes. Common programs would include anger management classes, counseling, outpatient mental health programs, outpatient substance abuse programs, or literacy programs among many others. Although such seminars could contribute greatly to the treatment of the child, they can still be improved in order to make the entire course more effective. Apart from just stopping the ever increasing problem of teenage delinquency, a juvenile rehabilitation curriculum more importantly, prevent it from occurring. Thus it should include essential and beneficial programs such as academic skills enhancement, after school and rehabilitation program, alcohol and drug education, leadership and self development course, community awareness and mobilization, mentoring, and parent training.

Leadership and self development program should be one of the first programs that a juvenile offender should undergo in a rehabilitation center. Unlike other programs, this leadership and development workshop seeks to look both at the individuals good and dark side. It starts by allowing the youth to see at his innate goodness. This approach allows the person to understand that despite all of his or her wrong doings, he is still capable of achieving good and great things. Similarly, the youth will also have to confront his or her dark side. Dark sides are masks that people wear to protect him or her from the harsh realities of the world. This would often include negative emotions such as anger, fear, hatred, or sadness. Dark sides also manifest in the form of negative attitudes, thinking and behavioral patterns such as the feeling of not being good enough, the feeling of being unlovable, as well as the unrealistic expectations he or she may have with him or herself as well as with other people. This problem-focused part of the program is designed to help the person eliminate all the faulty assumptions about his or herself.

This behavioral therapy likewise, concentrate on specific action that can help change a negative behavior or thinking pattern by providing an environment that gives him support and understanding. For instance, a young person who is lagging academically may have a thought pattern that I am stupid or I am not good enough. These thoughts will then be replaced with a new thinking pattern that uplifts and encourage the person such as I am capable or I can do it. The teenager, through the environment, will then be habitually reinforced that he is a smart and capable.
Similarly, the youth will also be trained to cope whenever a dark thought would arise. This often includes deep breathing, stretching, and focused thinking. Such techniques prove to e very effective and at the same time very easy to implement. In fact, numerous psychologists and practitioners have drawn and used this theoretical foundation which allows them to use this in a variety of thinking pattern, behavior, and situation.

Academic enhancement skill is another part of this program. This course will allow the youth to develop his academic skills which in turn, will help him or her more successful professionally. Throughout the years, researches have shown that a child who has an academic problem is exposed to a significant risk of committing a legal violation during his or her later years. Conversely, a child who excels academically is likely to be more capable of sustaining and supporting himself in the future. Thus, focusing on the childs academic development will prove to be beneficial for the child for years to come.

Naturally, academic performance problems will be a main block in this course. However, these problems should be examined within the broader context of leadership and development program as it look at failure simply as a learning experience rather than a measure of who a person is.
Another good thing about this program is that it does not only focus on general subjects such as math or science. It also includes other equally essential subjects such as music, arts, language, and human kinesthetic among many others. Progressively and persistently engaging in a variety of subject will allow the youth to discover his or her talent and ultimately hone and excel with these gifts.
Similarly, after school recreation program is also an important aspect in a juveniles life. According to research studies, children and young teenagers are in great risk of committing as well as participating in violent activities after school hours. During these crucial and unsupervised hours, children are at a greater risk of using cigarettes, alcohol and drugs.

As the hours after school can prove to be very dangerous, after schools and recreational programs reduce the risk factors. It provides a much needed supervision and at the same time, it also enriches the childs experience by participating in socially, physically, and mentally stimulating activities. It allows them to interact with other people, create new friends which are also beneficial to their self esteem. Various researches now suggest that extra curricular activities can be an effective way to decrease possible school dropouts. Moreover, participation in such wholesome activities also promotes academic excellence and achievement.

Another aim of this course is to encourage the youth to develop new skills and interests. By simply meeting new people, he or she can also discover and learn new skills that he or she may use in the future. This may include sports, arts, crafts, music, and literature among many others.

Informing and educating the child about drugs and alcohol is also an important part of preventing the youth from engaging in illegal acts. Recent studies have shows that educating the youth about the negative effects of alcohol and drugs highly reduces the chances of possible substance abuse or addiction. Drug and alcohol education is especially designed to prevent and help young adults from abusing these substances. This program may be included as a part of the school curriculum. A review of related literature about drug and alcohol prevention suggests that one of the effective methods of relaying information to children is through interactive means. In fact, an interactive format can produce strong and positive results.

This alcohol and drug education course will primarily focus on the negative effects of drugs and alcohol in the body. It will help the child to become aware the using these substance can cause serious and irreversible damages to their health. Likewise, this program will also help the youth identify and recognize various pressures and factors that could influence them to use alcohol and drugs. This may include internal pressures such as stress, depression, and anxiety and external factors such as advertising or peer pressures.

In order to make the drug and alcohol prevention more effective, the childs household should also participate. Targeting the childs first environment can highly help the child from using drugs or alcohol. Similarly, it also helps the parent creating a surrounding that is free from any harmful and illegal substance.

Vocational and job training is also an important part of a juvenile delinquent prevention program. This section of the program concentrates on diverting the youth from participating in illegal activities by providing them options that will not only expand their skills but it will also help them support themselves. It is based on the theoretical context of economic choice theory which implies that a person will also opt to choose a high paying job even if it is illegal. However, that educational attainment plays a mitigating factor in helping a person choose between what is legal and not legal.

The vocational training program provides a perfect platform in helping them find employment and even entrepreneurial opportunities that will help the youth especially those with only basic or low level educational attainment. This program can increase an individuals employability by teaching him skills such as cooking, making crafts, computer skills, and basic literacy programs among many others.
Mentoring is another essential part of this program. This is perhaps one of the oldest methods of juvenile delinquency as it can be traced back during the 19th century. Despite of its old history, this type of delinquency approach still proves to be very much effective. Studies and researches show that boding with an older or wiser figure has an important role in the psychological and emotional development of child. Having a nurturing figure during his or her early years will help the child become a nurturing and loving adult as well. A reason behind this is because the child often seeks someone to look up to or someone who can assist and teach him.

For a juvenile prevention and rehabilitation program to be successful, it is a must to find qualified and great mentors for the youth. For instance, the mentor should not only be good in giving a sound advice but he or she must also know how to really form a bond with a child. There should also be a certain level of communication between the mentor and the child. This means that the mentor must show only authentic feelings and empathy towards what the child may be undergoing. Mentoring is likewise an avenue where the youth can totally express themselves without the fear of being punished or judged. Thus, it is important for the mentor to project his or herself as a friend rather as an authoritative figure.

Leadership and personal development, academic skill development, after school and recreation, vocational and job training, as well as mentoring are programs that focus on the development of the youth. These programs are specifically designed to help the youth understand his or her capabilities, skills, abilities, and talents. Likewise, these courses are geared towards helping the child understand that and different negative things that surrounds them and how they can avoid them. Although these programs are all effective, it is also essential to take note that such courses will only be effective and efficient if there is support coming from the parents and the community.

The community plays a very crucial role in the development of the child. Thus, it is only fitting that the community should do its part in protecting the child from any illegal activities. This would of course include make the streets and the neighborhood safe and free from crime. In order to do so, there should be collaboration between the juvenile prevention center and the community. Doing this will allow the entire community to identify the real cause of the problem. This can be done by first educating the community about the looming and ever increasing problem about child delinquency. This will allow everyone to understand that this dilemma does not only affect the family of the child but it likewise, affects everyone in the community.

The prevention center can particularly help increase awareness by gathering everyone to a meeting. Visual aids and other audio video materials may also be used to help inform the community about the severity of being a juvenile delinquent.

The community can even be more organized by tapping the different institutions to help them spread out information about juvenile delinquency. For instance, the community can ask for support from the different schools in the area to help disseminate the information. Alternatively, the community can also tap help from the local government as well as from private sectors. This campaign can also be supported by the church and other local organizations and groups.

Involving the youth in this campaign is also a great way to let them understand the impact and severity of topic. This is also a great way teach them about the value of responsibility and cooperation.
Aside from the community, the home also plays a very critical role in the development and in the well being of a child. This is largely due to the fact that the home is the childs first environment. It is in this place that a child learns to understand what is right from what is wrong. This is also the place where he or she will understand the benefit and the consequences of committing something that is right and something that is wrong. Therefore, it is only fitting that the house and the parents should also do their part in preventing juvenile delinquency.

Parents of course, have the most critical role in the social development of the child. Thus, as early as possible, the parent must see to it that the child is properly educated about the benefits and prices that he or she has to pay whenever they commit something that is against the law. Similarly, the parent should also help the child development into a well-rounded person by exposing him or her, to various wholesome and worthwhile activities.

Problems and disappointments should also be handled accordingly by the parent. This can be done encouraging and nurturing the child instead of punishing them. Likewise, the parent should take on a positive role so that the child can have someone to look up to.

All of these can by conducting a parent training. Much like the community awareness program, this course is designed to train the parents and at the same time to educate them about the importance child development. Parents should also be educated about the impact of juvenile delinquency in the child, in the family, as well as in the community.

According to medical reports, childrens language abilities on entry to school have declined over the last ten years. It has become an integral part of family life and there is more than one television in each household. Modern day kids are having a separate television in their bedroom. Parents hope that the modern digital interactive software will greatly help their kids in the enhancement of their instructional qualities. As the addiction to watch television grows at a faster phase, there is an urgent need for people to understand the implications of the television for language development in young children. A review of the international research on the relationship between television and language development in children is discussed in this paper.
 
Relationship between Television and Language Development
The basic categories of language development from birth to five years include attention and comprehension, vocabulary development, expressive language, grammar and pre-literacy skills of phonological awareness, knowledge of narrative and of literacy. These skills are linked with toddler and preschooler language ability and reflect the main body of research in this field.
According to the Department of Education, language skills are best developed through reading and interactions with others in conversation and play. Excessive television watching can impede this development. Hours spent watching TV make risk-taking and social relationships difficult for many children.
 
Childrens Television
The classification of childrens television is plain and simple as one can straightaway say that the program may be either entertaining or educational. But, in reality, they are not what they meant to be. According to research, for children between the ages of two and five, high-quality educational television aids in many aspects of language development. But, children under the age of two dont gain anything from the educational and entertainment programming. Educational programs on television have a positive influence on children depending on their age and their pre-existing cognitive and language development and also the age-suitability of the content viewed. The following are the results of two major researches conducted to prove the effect of television on the delayed language development of kids.
 
Association between Television Viewing and Language Development in Children Under Age 2 Years
In order to study the association of television exposure with language development in children under age 2 years, a research was conducted among 1008 parents of children between the age group 2-24 months. The ages were confirmed by checking the birth certificates of the kids and the survey was conducted over telephone in February 2006. Questions regarding child and parent demography, interaction between parent and child and childs viewing of television programs were asked. Those parents involved in the research filled a form of the Mac-Arthur Bates Communicative Development Inventory (CDI).
 
Face to face as well as telephonic interviews were conducted to assess the time spent on television and parental perceptions of television viewing towards their childs development. Language development was assessed at the age of 2 years using the Clinical Linguistic Auditory Milestone Scale. A multi-variety logistic regression model was employed to analyze how television viewing is associated with the delayed language development of kids.
The association between normal CDI scores and television exposure were measured using the results of the questions.
 
The analysis revealed a negative impact of television on vocabulary acquisition in children between the ages of 8 to 16 months. A 17-point difference was associated in the analysis with each hour the baby watches television corresponds to a difference of about 6-8 words for a typical child out of the 90 included in the research. There are various reasons given for this association.
There is a strong advertisement given for various DVDsvideos that are intended to build a childs cognitive, language and brain development. Parents blindly believe it and expose their children to watch those DVDs and videos that produce the reverse results.
 
Another reason for the association between the childs vocabulary and TV viewing is that of residual confounding. Two examples can be given to illustrate this fact. Those parents who have a hectic work schedule at office, after returning home greatly rely on the childrens DVDs and videos to make their kids not to disturb them. Another example is that the parents of children who watch a heavy dose of programs in televisions are less likely to motivate their children in improving their language skill. Those children who keep watching television for a long duration are prone to face a deleterious effect on early language development.
 
Researchers say that a childs brain develops in a faster phase only between the ages of 0-3years. Environmental factors play a vital role in the brain-development of a child. When a kid watches TV, heshe is exposed to extensive absorbing but there is no developmentally constructive stimulus involved. This affects the brain development and language acquisition. The maximum time parents spend talking to their children and the maximum verbal input they give their kids, higher are the chances of language development. Baby DVDs contain limited language and display certain formal features that are not meant to help in vocabulary learning instead it leads to habits of mind that actually impedes it. Childrens programs usually have short scenes, little dialogues and a variety of visually salient but linguistically indescribable events. Though the childrens educational shows are carefully designed to meet the developmental needs of preschoolers, children under 2 years are unable to understand the cognitive and linguistic content of the show.
 
Cognitive development under 2 years of age can easily be measured by the vocabulary growth as it can be easily observed and also on of the major developmental tasks of the age. According to parents who allow the kids to watch TV programs, potential educational and brain development benefits are the main reasons for doing so. This research has much strength and a few shortcomings. The main strength is its effort to find out the association between television viewing and vocabulary growth. The main defect of the survey is that it is not representative of general population. Though the variables on which the sample is not representative are controlled in this analysis, there is a possibility for other family and child attributes that were left unobserved and it might have affected the sample, exposure and the outcome. A follow up study can be conducted to see whether the association identified has lasting significance.
 
Exploring the Relationship between Television Viewing and Language Development
Mark Milkovich, Mark Miller, Erwin Bettinghaus and Charles Atkin conducted a research among all kinder-garden through sixth grade students at an elementary school in a small mid-western city. Their television-viewing habits were assessed by asking them to indicate how often they watch shows selected on the basis of their popularity among children up to age eleven. On that basis, a measurement of language development was made. The reason behind this study is that, as the linguistic maturity of the children grows, they are able to recognize increasingly complex relationship among the words in the language. In the survey, the children were provided with a single stimulus word and asked to give a single word in response. Later, coders were asked to got through the data and recognize the relationship between the each stimulus-response pair. Since there were several types of relationships for each pair of words and each of them was complex, they were examined individually.
 
The results of the study showed a consistent negative effect of television on the rate of language development. The fact that the effects are not larger than they are in terms of magnitude is not the exact reason for avoiding giving them careful consideration. Even if one child is judged to have an excellent vocabulary while the other has not, the observable differences in their actual behavior will correspond to only a small percentage of their total output. It is said to be a situation where small difference makes much bigger difference.
 
The research demonstrated the ill-effects of television on language development and provided indications of the nature of those effects. It also highlighted the research problems that must be overcome if someone attempts to provide a definitive statement on the effects of viewing on language development and suggested means for their solution.
 
Results of a Few Findings that Refuse the Hypotheses
Positive influence of educational television greatly rely on the age of the child, their pre-existing cognitive and language development and also the age appropriateness of the viewed content. Some of the findings are list below.

Before 18-22 months, children may learn effectively from live situations compared to television
Songs and speech from television are often imitated children by between 18 and 24 months
According to what parents believe, children learn language from television at 30 months. In an Australian study, parent interviews of children at 30 months demonstrated 86 percentage of 103 children in the study learned language 52 per cent learned musicrhymessong.
 
Few programmes such as Sesame Street help pre-school children to learn.
Children of age group between two and three who view programme Sesame Street have higher scores on language, maths and they get the readiness to go to school at age five. Watching educational software programs such as Sesame Street between ages two and three forecasted higher scores on language, maths and readiness to go school at age five.
 
Four-year-old children who spent a little more time watching this program Sesame Street are more probable than others who do not view this program to identify colours, count up to 20, recognize letters and tell connected stories.
 
Interest in learning and a positive insight of school learning are found in children viewing educational television show signs, which is retained in high school

According to the findings from the studies conducted on children of different age group, one can conclude that television viewing among young children have a detrimental effect on their language development. Though there are many studies that proved the above statement to be true, there also exist evidences from a few other researches that supports the idea of television viewing promotes language development. Interaction with adults was found to be the best suggestion for raising infant comprehension (imitation). If a child is extensively exposed to television, it may mean that interaction with adults is reduced. One can leave it in the hands of parents to make their own informed parental choices and decisions based on scientific information. However, it is advisable to keep television viewing hours to a minimum, especially for the under-twos.

To carry out the research, the pubmed central served as the main source for document retrieval. Google scholar also provided a few sources. At the time of search and retrieval, 13 articles appeared for television research in pubmed.com and around 4000 titles appeared in google scholar. Search terms for television include television, media and video as well as childrens television, educational television and television research. For language, terms like language skills, speech skills, speech communication, oral communication, language acquisition, language development, language disability, comprehension and vocabulary development are used. Terms searched for the age range were infant, pre-school, and early childhood. All the sources cited were secondary sources.

Reading is an important skill every human being needs to learn. The ability to read influences how an individual may succeed in school and later on, in life.  When one has acquired reading comprehension, the door to opportunities becomes wider, whether it is for personal or professional success. Reading then becomes a vital component in the education of children. 
   
The objective of reading is to learn the meaning of a text. However, the reading process is not that simple. Even cognitive scientists admit that the reading is one of the most interesting and cognitively complex systems (Berko, 1993). The assumption here is that reading comprises various components whose integration becomes integral to easy reading.  Sir Edmond Huey issues what is perhaps the most quoted statement about reading, calling the reading system as the acme of psychologists achievement (1993).  The reading process, no doubt is not that simple.  Before the individual can learn to decipher the meaning, he or she must be able to decode the word units. There lie skills such as word recognition, analysis, and the ability to differentiate oral from written language (Yopp, 1992).  Upon learning the spoken language, children realize that words can be broken down into sounds as represented by letters. This is the beginning of phonemic awareness.

 The sounds represented by the letters of the alphabet are known as phonemes (Berko, 1993). It has been said that phonemic awareness is the ability to detach the sounds within the words (1993).  Another definition by Stanovich (1993) marks phonemic awareness as the ability to separate sound units even minute than the syllable. Threading on the same line, Cunningham (1990) sees phonemic awareness as the aptitude to scrutinize sounds, separate from the language. It is especially useful since phonemes are not isolated units of sounds.   In other words, having phonemic awareness allows the individual to decode the sounds that make up the word. This insight enables children to distinguish the relationship between letter and sounds and in doing so, become equip to recognize word forms and read.

There are five level of phonemic awareness. The first level pertains to the manifestation of children with regards to sound appreciation in oral language in the course of learning nursery rhymes (Adams, 1990). The second level, on the other hand, refers to ones ability to compare and contrast sounds. Simply put, the second level is represented by the childs aptitude to delineate the sounds of words that make them alike or not. The third level of awareness, as ascribed by Adams, is the ability of the child to split syllables (1990).  By this level, the child is able to merge and break up syllables, thereby making the child realize that words can be broken up into sounds as they correspond to phonemes.  By level four, the child is able to do phonemic segmentation (1990). The fifth level of awareness is when the child is not only able to perform phonemic segmentation but can also manipulate, adding or deleting phonemes to create new words.

It is deduced that children as young as three are able to possess phonemic awareness (Berko, 1993).  Various researches revealed that toddlers display this level of phonemic awareness as a result of reading instructions that stress on stress-sound symbols (Berko, 1993). Furthermore, it is found that children respond easily to rhymes (Goswami, 1993).  Rhymes enable children to focus on structure of sounds. This way, they are able to pick up that words have differences and similarities in terms of sound. In essence, rhymes pave the way for the acquisition of phonemic awareness. Rhymes enable the child to distinguish individual phonemes.

Phonemic awareness is not the same as phonics. As aforementioned, phonemic awareness refers to the ability to not only comprehend oral language but segment sounds from words as well. On the other hand, phonics has to do with the ability to understand the relationship between specific letter sounds and specific words. To elucidate, a child that has phonemic awareness can specify specific sounds of the word dog.  A child that has knowledge of phonics meanwhile is able to tell the letter of the first sound (and succeeding sounds) of a certain word, like the word dog for instance.

It is found that children who possess familiarity with rhymes become good readers eventually. In a research conducted by Bradley and Bryant, it is revealed that preschoolers can already anticipate on the word pronunciation using comparison of rhythmic patterns (Goswami, 1993).  This is indicative of the relationship of phonemic awareness and reading.  In another study, researchers found that a child who knows 37 rhymes is able to read up to 500 of the most common words that appeared in elementary school text books (1993). As it turned out, phonemic awareness props up the attainment of reading as well as spelling, which leads to further honing the childs phonological comprehension. Discussions on the relationship of phonemic awareness and reading have led to various researches, all pointing to a positive correlation- that there a strong tie between the growth and development of phonemic awareness to nursery rhymes, inevitably leading to early reading awareness and  ability. A child that has acquired phonetic awareness is able to familiarize himself with the sounds that each letter has, thus is able to identify the individual letters of the word.  Such comprehension may lead to the ability to know the letters of the alphabet, facilitating the transition to read. Tapping phonemic awareness, over time, develops beginning reading.

It is important for teachers and all those in the field of education, to grasp the importance of phonemic awareness as a predictor of successful reading achievement. Phonemic awareness facilitates for understanding of the alphabet, critical to successful beginning reading. If this is the case, then a child that does not have phonemic awareness may not be able to identify words, in short, is a slow reader.  The childs ability to understand alphabet mapping and decoding is able to connect letters in to sound into letters, letters into words.  If teachers become aware of this, then they can create readings instructions based on this knowledge- creating training programs that focus on the levels of phonemic awareness- rhyming, decoding, blending, segmentation, and manipulation. Programs that encourage student interaction with both print and oral language are ways to promote phonemic awareness.

In summary, there are various researches that point to a correlation between phonemic awareness and reading. The acquisition of phonemic awareness is predictive of reading ability. While it is clear that having phonemic awareness facilitates reading acquisition, further studies need to be conducted on how much and what exact forms of phonemic awareness one must possess in order to benefit from it.  But for now, it is enough to stress the relationship between phonemic awareness and reading.

At a time when globalization has become the centre stage in dictating the consumerism and lifestyle patterns, music industries have turned into key cultural industries as they are involved in various social-economic aspects of the society at all levels.   Particularly, the industries have become a key defining element of peoples way of life through creativity that either directly involves them in the production and supply chain.  David (2007, p. 43) explains that the creativity inculcated in the popular music industries acts not only as a guideline to peoples way of living but are also used as reference points in addressing various issues in their lives.  This paper evaluates implications of the popular music industry while generating the holistic understanding of their creation and production process in relation to contracting. 
A brief analysis of the music industries
    The development of music industries has over the years evolved into a high profile niche between the artists, the music labels and market.  William et al (2007, pp. 51-52) explain that music production took a highly fragmented outlook after the invention of sound recording early in the 20th century.  However, the second half of 20th century saw major changes in the music industry through harmonization of the production process.   Following the strong influence that music exerts in the society, the music industry remains one of the most profitable businesses in the society.  Army (2010, pp. 102-103) argues that owing to this outlook, the music industries have increasingly centred on major recording labels which are currently defining the industries.  Technological development has further elevated the industries as global communities become key stakeholders in the chain process.  Therefore, as Hutchison (2010a, p. 405-408) pointed out, the music industries will continue growing in the 21st century in that they not only reflect the peoples culture, but holistically take part in defining it. 
The role of a recording label
    Recording labels are companies associated with music recording that have emerged in the 20th century and manage key brands as well as trademarks used in the music industry.  Music labels, as Hutchison (2010b, p. 351) indicates, form the heart of the music industry in the 21st century.   Hutchison (2010b, p. 355) further emphasizes that while facilitating the production, promotion and marketing of music, the labels use key contracts with various artists as the main route path for production.  In these contracts, the music labels have the following obligations.
Pay for the recording of a series of recording in the form of a recoupable advance
      Over the years, the music production has remained a major issue to artists due to myriad of logistics involved in the system.  Music labels have therefore formed an important facilitating element in setting the stage for artists with the correct environment for production.   Alistair and Nancy (2008, p. 1650) explain that an upfront fee is provided by the label companies to the artists for covering  all expenses involved in recording, production, mixing as well as mastering the record.  Notably, this payment is negotiable between the artist and the music label based on the set standards, the artists history, and general market speculation.   Furthermore, the recording contracts between the artists and music labels indicates that the recoupable expenses must be recovered by the label companies before the artists can start receiving the necessary sales royalties from their music sales (David, 2007, p. 56-57).  Though this is negotiable between the recording companies and specific music labels, it has remained a highly contended issue.
Provide for the mastering, remixing, arranging, production and post-production of the album
Army (2010, pp. 104-106) argues that success in any business enterprise is based on the ability to produce high quality products that can generate high profits amidst the prevailing competition in the market.  At this point, the music labels become very critical in facilitating the technical procedures and processes for an album production.  As indicated earlier, artists are usually ill equipped to holistically complete the recording process.   Music labels provide the mastering required for an album to suit the needed objectivity for the artist.  Snowman (2009, pp. 431-435) explains that mastering is seen as a very critical element towards suiting the target market by adding the needed aural enhancements and creating the necessary coherence in a song or album.  Through mastering a particular album, the music label inculcates the peoples orientation to generate acceptance and identity in the society. 
Remixing, arranging, production, and post production procedures further facilitate the musicians ability to concentrate on key components towards improving the overall quality.  As a result, the needed professional input is factored in the production process while generating an expanded outlook for them. William et al (2007, p. 74) argue that owing to their long term experience, the music labels are indeed in a better position to guide the whole process and make near perfect predictions of the market expectations.  Professionally, music labels approach this process with a business viewpoint a consideration largely accredited to their great commitment towards higher quality production which ultimately result to higher returns.   While the production process is critical in preparing the final product, it is the post production procedures that dictate the actual market performance in the market.  Therefore, the labels promise to further facilitate albums promotion in the market (Army, 2010, pp. 98-99).  With globalization fast changing the face of promotion in the market, most labels have equally adopted electronic marketing of different music products in the market.
Protecting music products for different artists
Notably, music labels as Snowman (2009, pp. 447-448) explains, are key investments that require effective management and holistic protection from destructive market forces.  Therefore, one of the key issues that labels promise the artists is guarding their music against destructive aspects such as piracy, music sharing, and free downloads in the market.   With intensification of the digital sales, most music products are easily pirated, downloaded for free or even shared online.   As an entity, unlike the artists as individuals, music labels cooperate with the music licensing authorities to address these problems. 
The musical act agreement
Completing the recording of an album by an agreed time
Sheila and Kenn (2009, P. 35) argues that a recording contract between a music label and an artists seeks to provide an effective timeframe for a given album.  Notably, the production process as indicated earlier is a highly complex process and involves a very large number of key stakeholders.  Due to the high costs involved in the whole process, most labels have established effective mechanisms of assessing the actual time required the final song or album to be ready.   Snowman (2009, pp. 440-442) therefore indicates that the agreement is seen by the music labels as an important consideration for reducing its overall costs while providing the best for the artists.  For the artists, completion of an album within the specified period of time is an indication of faster penetration to the market and marketing themselves while increasing their chances of benefiting from royalty sales. 
Work with personnel and in facilities agrees to by the label
As indicated earlier, to effectively complete the production of an album, an artist must have key support from all the relevant staff at all levels of production.   Hutchison (2010a, pp. 412-413) argues that most talented artists often fail to effectively capitalize on their capabilities due to lack of the necessary support.   This has been a major problem especially to new and upcoming musicians.  Therefore, music labels facilitate the artists ability to work with highly qualified personnel throughout the production period.   Indeed, though wording may be done by an artist himself, the personnel have great input towards enhancing its ability of meeting the key objectives at the market (Alistair and Nancy, 2008, pp. 1651-1652). 
As indicated earlier, technological advancements have seen the music industry move a step higher in the 21st century compared to the 19th and 20th century.   As a result, the music labels are able to remain in business due to their ability to maintain the required modern facilities for production.  Army (2010, p. 105) argues that artists are therefore allowed to use music Lecturers Name and Course NumberYou may include here a copy of the question if you think it is necessary. Or simply delete this comment

This is a report on the group work that consists of my reflections on the process of collaborative group working and the approaches the group chose to take. It contains an n overall picture of the group dynamics from the beginning to the end of the project. Personal opinions of the author, and recommendations are also included

 When we first formed our group we thought that we could easily finish the project without any internal friction in the group and we started our project on this positive note. We learned about each other and were formally introduced, however the fact remained that we had never worked with each other in the past and must start from the beginning. After our introduction we started learning about each others personalities. Personally, I am a somewhat shy person and not very outspoken and I learned that the other members had completely different personalities than my own.
After initial introduction, I observed that there was a lot of friction coming into the group as some of the members were more outspoken than others and did not give equal opportunity to others. I also observed that not all members were operating at an equal level, where some members wanted more say than the others. Furthermore, I observed that some members of the group wanted to impose their own suggestions on others without listening to all sides of the story. This I realized was a problem of leadership within the group and needed to be eradicated by clearly communicating that all members were on an equal footing and must contribute equally to the project.
After many initial disagreements, we learned that we must cooperate completely to finish the project on time. That is the time we realized that by arguing with each other we were only wasting our time and not contributing something valuable to the group. By this time I had realized that by being quiet, I was doing myself and the whole group a disfavour, also, the persons who were very imposing within the group had realized by this time that nothing could be achieved by imposing their will on other members and proper consensus must be achieved by discussing each topic objectively.
By this time, we had reached the end of the project and we had to concentrate on our individual tasks as well as finalizing them and incorporating them into the project as a whole. We had neither the time, nor extra effort to waste on arguing with each other at this time. We furiously worked with each other in the end to complete the project and successfully did it in the end.
There were four members in our group. All of us had different skill sets and different approaches to our project work. What we initially agreed upon was the distribution of work according to each persons skills and their interests. However, this did not work out very well initially as there were some members in our group who had a negative outlook about the project from the start. This negativity originated from the fact that each of us had a different approach to the project at hand and we did not succeed in communicating our differences to each other, which is why some group members thought that they were being dragged down by the other members of the group.
The idea of allocating specific tasks to each group member also seemed very good at the beginning, although we later learned that it was not without its disadvantages. Each group member had hisher own task at hand and concerned themselves only with their own task, this resulted in our inability to understand the project as a whole generally and other members tasks specifically. The same resulted in our difficulties to put the whole assignment together in a flowing and coherent project. Our inability to understand each others contributions also resulted in miscommunications and misunderstandings within the group, which we gradually overcame later.
Another issue that we faced initially was the problem of absenteeism. There was a lack of coordination between the group members and many members did not show up for the group meetings, due to which the delegation of tasks was delayed. This resulted in a lot of confusion within the group initially, because without mutual consensus the group was unable to proceed with the tasks, also, the group members did not know how to proceed with their work due to lack of agreement on the subject. This problem had a very lasting impact on the whole group and even till the end, our group had to suffer due to this initial mistake and the work was delayed, which we had to make up for later in the project.
The lack of coordination was evident even outside the university, where we seldom met. That meant that each person was going on with their task without any communication with the other members. Each member had hisher own perception regarding the whole project, the lack of coordination meant the individual perceptions about the projects were different within the group and because each member perceived the project differently, their work was different from what the other members of the group expected. This caused our group to have difficulties in finalizing the project later. Each members contribution had to be tweaked to make the project look cohesive. As such, each member contributed incompatible pieces of a jigsaw puzzle which had to be changed substantially to bring them together, even after doing that, some of the kinks were left in the project work, where we see that different contributions stand out in the whole project.
An annoying thing that we had to face due to our lack of proper coordination was that certain topics were repeated by two members of our group, i.e. due to the fact that one person did not know about the other persons topic, both accidently worked on the same. When this was discovered by the group members, a lot of unpleasantness ensued. The problem was that no member of the group wanted to change the topic after having completed their work and expected the other member to redo the other topic. These disputes increased the work of the whole group and caused a lot of delays. In hindsight, these disputes could have easily been averted by having proper communication between all group members.
Initially I was very reluctant to speak out at the group meetings because I felt intimidated by imposing personalities of our group. This resulted in me being quiet in most of the meetings. However, later into the project, I did become confident and made contributions in group meetings but this too did not go very well because due to my initial timidity, my suggestions were not taken into consideration. This distressed me very much as I felt that I was not making any contribution to the overall projects and I might be unable to implement my suggestions into our project. I talked about this state of affairs with another group member and was surprised to hear that she was facing the same problem. She said that she did not think the other group members were taking her suggestion into account. We both decided to help and support each other in getting our respective points across. By supporting each other, we gave each other courage and confidence in our abilities and this resulted in our communicating more effectively in our group and successfully getting our points across to the other members of the group.
As I stated earlier that some of the group members had very strong personalities, especially our one group member was exceptionally strong minded. This made other group members feel very left out in the beginning, including myself. To communicate anything to such person was extremely difficult, as one could not disagree with them comfortably. I learned throughout the whole project that the best way to communicate a disagreement with such a person was to make herhimself realize that the disagreement in not with hisher personality or individually, the disagreements were in fact professional and highlighted that each of us were different persons with our own specific outlook on things and we must judge the value of our recommendations on their essential merits.
Similarly, I did not ask many questions in the beginning of the project. The result of this was that I did not have the complete grasp of the project at hand and did not understand all the intricacies of my task. I realized that if I did not correct this, I would lag far behind the group and therefore I starting asking questions confidently and clearly in an effort to understand everything completely.
I do not think that I created any other problems in the group other than those I have already mentioned. I noticed that over time, the other members of the group became good listeners and this was one thing that our group lacked from the beginning. With exception of myself, I noticed that the some members were having trouble in actively listening to other members of the group. After noticing this problem, I tried to resolve it by communicating to the group that this is a problem we are specifically facing. When told clearly and frankly, the other members also realized that this was the case and all of us made a conscious effort to listen to each other and try to understand each other.
In hindsight, we can make a few recommendations about how we could have overcome the difficulties that we faced throughout the project. Firstly, we needed to make a cohesive plan at the start of the project and we should have learned what the strengths each individual member were. After establishing this, we should have made a schedule by mutual agreement and should have stuck to that schedule. This would have avoided the inconvenience we faced while doing our work. In addition to that, we should have familiarized ourselves with what the task of the other members were and what were the objectives that we were individually trying to achieve. After establishing our individual objectives, we should have set some objectives for the group as a whole and aligned our personal objectives to those of the group, so that perfect synergy is achieved (Bion, 1961).
Better communications could have been achieved by organizing more informal meetings within the group. In addition to that, in formal group meetings, we could have taken turns to speak in a specified order, so that the whole group listens to everyone in the group.
The conclusions that we reached regarding the project was the importance of young people in urban regeneration. We see that urban societies are regenerating at a rapid rate, and this needs to be related to the crime rate and young people that exist in our society. At the neighbourhood level, initiatives need to be started that make sure that young people are not left behind in the urban regeneration, and must feel included in the overall process of social change. Policies should be formulated based on the ground realities and statistics, not based upon assumptions.
New inclusion strategies need to be formulated to make sure that no person is left behind in the process of urban regeneration (Fritzpatrick et al, 1998). The importance of young persons is extremely crucial to the development of any society, because for the success of a development plan in the long run, young people in addition to other stakeholders, are key change agents that we need.
Urban regeneration is a market driven activity, where market forces play a major role. In free market economies, such a state of affair might affect young people specifically, who might be left behind in medium term, therefore, our group felt that government regulation and policy formulation is of utmost importance in this regard.

The discussion question links the two variables, college degree and ease of employment. These will be used as keywords in searching for sources. Discussion evidence covering these variables will be obtained through the search for journals, magazine and newspaper articles. The evidence supporting the position on this argument will be presented in the essay using a point-by-point system. The essay will be organised into three sections, the introduction, discussion, and conclusion. The introduction introduces the problem of employment for college graduates given the economic recession as context. The assumption that a college degree promises jobs to graduates will be discussed together with possible differences in the expectations on employment of students graduating with degrees and their actual experiences in obtaining employment will also be mentioned. The introduction will also present the thesis for the discussion, which is the position disagreeing with the argument that a college degree makes employment easier. The discussion will present evidence using two arguments. The first argument will compare the ease of employment of those with and without college degrees. This argument will consider if there is any difference in the ease of looking for jobs for people with and without college degrees. A conclusion will be made on the evidence presented. The second argument will consider the ease of employment for those with college degrees. This argument will determine the ease of finding jobs for different individuals with college degrees. A conclusion will also be made based on evidence. The essay will conclude with a summary of the thesis and the arguments presented together with implications of the discussion on the role of college degree in seeking employment after graduation, the emerging issues relating to factors such as degree choices and employment policies, and even some possible solutions. 
Introduction
    Employment is a challenge to college graduates, especially given the global economic crisis affecting all economic sectors. Labour statistics indicate an increase in the unemployment rate of individuals between the ages of 20 and 24, which in the United States increased from 9.4 percent in 2008 to 15.3 percent in 2009 (Johnson, 2009). Graduates in 2008 and 2009 comprise a significant percentage of individuals in this age group who are without jobs. The real world situation differs from the assumption that obtaining a degree eases employment (Brooks and Everett, 2009). Over the past decades, more people have obtained college degrees as a stepping stone towards their long-term career. Employment readiness is better achieved in the process of obtaining a college degree as shown by a 2006 survey of employers in the business sector indicating their perception of the greater employment readiness of those with a college degree in terms of critical thinking skills and professionalism (Olson, 2007). However, this only informs about the edge of individuals with a college degree over high school graduates but not on the ease of employment. Even if having a college degree provides an edge over those without a college diploma, this does not necessarily mean an easier experience in getting jobs because of competition and other factors determining employability.
Discussion
    Getting a degree does not necessarily make it easier to find a job. Comparing the rate of employment of individuals with and without a college diploma as well as job opportunities open to degree and non-degree holders supports this argument. The rate of employment determines how well individuals are absorbed into the pool of employed individuals and the extent of job opportunities determines the likelihood of finding jobs. The comparison would determine if a college degree makes a difference on these aspects.
    A report from Sapphire, an employment firm for IT companies, showed that 66 percent of vacancies are jobs requiring college degrees while the remaining 34 percent did not require college diploma (Tuggle, 2008). However, the firms focus on IT-related employment to explain the requirement of a college degree. Most IT jobs are highly technical and require specialised skills that are expected from college graduates. Similar sectors are also likely to indicate greater employment opportunities for college graduates. A report by Express Employment Professionals, an employment firm processing employment for a wider range of sectors indicated that 12 percent of jobs processed required college degrees, 42 percent required high school diploma, and 13 percent needed associate degrees or some college attendance (Tuggle, 2008). In looking at the broader picture, the jobs existing now and emerging in the next decade are expected to concentrate on 28 occupations, with 5 occupations requiring college degrees and 23 not requiring a college diploma (Tuggle, 2008). This means that even if the rate of employment is higher for individuals with a college degree in more technical fields, the overall employment rate of individuals without college degrees based on current and projected work demand is higher. With rate of employment as a determinant of ease of employment, this means that having a college degree does not necessarily ensure ease in finding a job. 
    Employment projections for 2004 until 2014 indicate that employment opportunities for those with college degrees will be around 14 million while those without a college degree will reach around 42 million (Crosby and Moncarz, 2006). Given a 1 to 2 or less ratio of individuals with a college degree to those without a college diploma in many industrialised OECD countries (McIntosh, 2008), the employment opportunities for individuals without a college degree is greater by more than twice the employment opportunity for those with a college diploma. As a determinant of ease of employment, the lesser job opportunities for those with a college degree, even in considering the number of those with and without a college diploma, means greater competition for those with college degrees. This translates into difficulty in finding jobs.
    There is variance in the ease of getting a job for individuals with a college degree. Earning a college degree does not automatically translate into having a job after graduation. A number of factors that affect competition in different sectors determine employability or the ease in obtaining jobs.
    The course taken in college determines the ease of finding a job. A survey of 9,000 graduates in 2003 showed that the rate of integration of those with career-oriented degrees is higher by 3 percent than those with academic degrees (Zaragoza, 2009). The difference is not very significant. A study of the experiences of British Columbia graduates in the liberal arts and applied education courses five years after graduation showed that those with applied education degrees were more easily integrated into the labour market when compared to graduates of non-applied education courses (Adamuti-Trache et al., 2006). In looking at employment opportunities in the context of the global recession, these mostly relate to career-oriented and applied courses (Tuggle, 2008). Many employers also look for experience in hiring (Tuggle, 2008 Brooks and Everett, 2009) and a previous on-the-job (OJT) training with a company increases the chances of being absorbed into the company (Hilpern, 2008). This heightens competition with experienced individuals and with curriculums covering OJT components.
    Disability affects the ease of finding a job even with a college degree. The ease of employment of college graduates with disability is strongly linked to the effectiveness of existing employment services that facilitate the negotiation with employers (Brooke et al., 2009). These services match job skills with employment options. However, the evaluation of employment services shows a limited number of these support services as well as many inefficiencies (Brooke et al., 2009). Even if armed with a college degree, finding jobs is challenging for individuals with disability even through employment services and even more difficult if locating jobs on their own.
     Race is a significant determinant of the ease in finding a job even for college graduates. Racial inequity in employment is evidenced by the 8.4 percent unemployment rate of 25 and older black male degree holders as compared to the 4.4 percent for while males with college diplomas (Luo, 2009). This indicates the greater difficulty experienced by black males in finding jobs even with a college degree.
    Gender determines the ease of employment in gender-segmented jobs depending on the course. Jobs in the education, health and social service sectors offer greater employment opportunities for female college graduates when compare to male-dominated fields. There is the tendency for females to be overrepresented in female-dominated fields, which translate into greater competition and more difficulty in landing a job. The competition in male-dominated fields rests on the perception and preferences of employers, which affects the ease in being hired for positions especially by female college graduates.

Attachment has been identified as a protective mechanism for problems (Janssen, Schuengel and Stolk 2002). Children and young adults are especially prone to utilise contact, proximity and familiarity as a solution to problems and stress (Bowlby 1982). This attachment is developed to an adult other than their parents (Bowlby 1984). It was also shown in a study that the personal characteristics of a professional affects the type of relationship developed with a young person (Kesner 2000). It has also been defined as a long-term relationship characterised by affection and constant seeking especially in times of stress and problems, and causes a feeling of security and comfort (Ainsworth 1989). Attachment relationships are important because it increases the coping mechanisms of children.
As an adult, I have gained the trust and confidence of my friends sister. We have known each other for at least ten years, and time has kept us attached to each other. She specifically came to me for guidance when she is having difficulties on deciding what education means to her. At the same time, she has been experiencing pressure from her family and distraction from her friends. The essay will show how as a confidante I was able to influence her in determining the right path for her, which is to continue her education. Providing guidance is not an easy task and the essay will also use several theories such as Kolbs experiential learning theory, Maslows hierarchy of needs, Schns reflective practice, Joharis window and pedagogy and andragogy that are relevant and helpful in the guiding and decision-making process.
Theories and Models
    Kolbs experiential learning theory According to Kolb (1984), learning is defined as an interactive process which consists of four learning modes concrete experience, abstract conceptualisation, active experimentation and reflective observation. The theory emphasises that learning does not come from experiences alone. An individual has to reflect on it so he can gain and enhance their understanding (Metallidou and Platsidou 2008).
Schns reflective practice The importance of reflecting is further emphasised by the second theory which is Schns reflective practice. Reflective practice is commonly and widely used especially in education programmes partly due to its association with a high level of intellectual skills. This theory started with Donald Schn in the year 1983 when he stated that reflection is further categorised into reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action. He also stated that the reflection process starts when a person experiences troubling, puzzling or just a new or interesting experience (Clouder 2009 Wolfensberger, Piniel, Canella, and Kyburz-Graber 2009).
Adults who provide guidance to children can use these theories as a means to influence them. One can encourage them to talk about it, and while talking incorporate reflection. One can also input ideas and suggestions that are helpful and appropriate on the situation. For instance, my friend is losing interest in continuing education but she is experiencing pressure from her family. As a confidante, I encourage her to talk about the possible causes why she is losing interest in education and what she may think would happen if heshe drops out of school, in contrast to continuing schooling. I told her that if you want to do something it comes with a reason. And that reason is formulated with thorough thinking. With this logic, I asked her why she would rather drop out and counter it with reasons why I think she should continue her education. By stimulating the actual person to reflect on the pros and cons, they gain a deeper understanding of the possible consequences of their decisions and how it will affect them in a long-term basis. Reflection also allowed me to provide my individual assessment of the situation and provide my personal feedback on. My feedback will serve as reliable unbiased information but from a different perspective. This approach allows them to formulate their own decisions and be responsible for whatever they may decide upon, whether to take my advice or not. Allowing them to decide on their own also gives them the confidence that they are in control and that they have a say on the things that they do.
    Maslows hierarchy of needs This model categorised human motivations into basic, safety, belonging, and self-esteem needs. According to this it, the highest level that an individual has to achieve or satiate is self-actualisation. It also emphasised that lower levels of human needs or basic needs such as air, food sleep, and shelter must be first satiated before moving on to the next level but it all ends in fulfilling ones potential. The second level of the model is safety needs which takes the form of home and family. The third level is belonging needs. This is important because it is innate to an individual to have the need to feel that they are part of a group or organisation that provides them with love and affection and at the same time embodies their ideals and philosophies (Clarke, Islam and Paech 2006). This is supports the assumption that the type of attachment forms varies depending on personal characteristics and attitudes. This level, however, does not imply that simply belonging to a group will satiate the need for belonging. The next level is self-esteem safety or the need to be empowered and recognised by the people surrounding them. In terms of guidance, the model emphasized two areas where adult support is important, and these are emotional needs, specifically belonging safety and self-esteem (Bolen, Lamb and Gradante 2002).
    In the case of my friend, she is being pressured by her family and distracted by her friends. The inability to satiate belonging with her family and friends may partly be the reason why she came to me for help. My presence helped her feel that there is someone she can turn to, a supportive network and the feeling that she is not alone. By constantly informing her of my presence and willingness to helped her feel that there is a place where she belongs. Using the model, I also made her realise that she can achieve self-actualisation, or the fulfillment of her potential through education. My advice to her is simple continue her education for herself so she can achieve more, and not because her family is pressuring her. Fulfilling her education alone can make her feel that she achieved something if it is not an achievement already, and it will allow her to have more options for her future especially in terms of employment. Having more options will permit her more chances for fulfilling herself in means she thinks are suitable. Being educated will also allow her to do and contribute more for her family and society, and for her contributions she will be recognised. By emphasising that she has more to gain, now and in the near future by fulfilling her education, I was able to make her realise which path to take for her to become a better person and how she will achieve it.
    Pedagogy and andragogy Andragogy is based on the assumption that adults with vast experiences which constitute the minority, look for independence and autonomy in their learning and development while the majority of learners are experiencing strict adherence to established methods and patterns which are similar to being oppressed (Thompson 1987). Pedagogy, on the other hand, is defined as the conversion of consciousness either as a teacher, learner or knowledge within structural constraints (Lusted 1986). It is also characterised by the feature of standing back and creating time and space. This is defined by allowing autonomy and providing opportunities for children to develop their own solutions and means of achieving their goals (Cremin, Burnard, and Craft 2006).
Emancipation and enlightenment can be achieved through pedagogy, however, it requires that an individual be taught liberating ideas through committed learning. Lectures do not necessarily teach an individual ways to critique or how to construct ones own meanings and definitions in life but it can aid an individual in increasing consciousness, altering perceptions, shaping criticism and making their own definitions based on their experiences and other references. This can be achieved by allowing children to develop and enhance their self-awareness and by decreasing structural constraints in the forms of the educators need to control and validate. Moreover, educators are given the task to encourage children to believe in their potential, develop their sense of possibility and give them opportunities to try.
    In my friends case, her familys pressure on her to continue her education acted as the structural constraint on achieving her self-awareness. Excessive pressure can cause an individual to the other path, away from the constraints without fully realising the consequences. Too much control and bad influence from the wrong crowd can also cause a child to rebel. By mediating, she was able to realise that education is not a confinement where she is trapped but rather a means where she can learn and achieve her own ideas and definitions. I told her to keep her eyes on the prize, let go of the distractions and stay focused. Emancipation and enlightenment cannot be achieved without adequate knowledge and proper learning. I told her to think of education as part of a journey and not an end itself. By giving her the opportunity to decide for her own, she was able to develop and enhance her decision-making skills and at the same time believe that she is able to make right and valid decisions for herself. It also gave her the opportunity to try and test herself. It allowed her to develop attributes like risk taking, independent judgment, commitment, resilience, and creative thinking. In situations like this, children should not be controlled but rather encouraged to be on their own while providing adequate support and love.
    Johari Window This model is constructed to develop self-awareness which is a basic element in establishing personal boundaries, exploring prejudices, and developing personal goals and critical thinking skills. It has been developed by John Luft and Harry Ingham, featuring four windows referred to as windowpanes. The windowpanes are categorised as arena (open spot), blind spot, faade (hidden area) and the unknown. The arena represents the area of information that is known to oneself and others. These can be ones name or age and other information that are shared publicly. The blind spot represents information that others know about the person but does not necessarily mean that the person is aware of. These commonly take the form of feedbacks. The faade represents the opposite of blind spot. These are information that one knows and are aware of but does not share with others. These take the form of insecurities, feelings and experiences that we choose to hide to the majority and revealed to a selected few that the person trusts and feels comfortable sharing with. Lastly, the unknown area represents information that no one knows, not even oneself. It can take form of potentials and abilities not discovered yet. The model allows an individual to increase the open area, become aware of blind spots and disclose the hidden areas (faade and unknown). The model also implies that as an individual increases the open spots and becomes more self-aware, the other windowpanes decrease (Johari 2007).
    This model can help her list everything she knows about herself which is known to others as well like her characteristics, skills and abilities. She can use these information to answer her current dilemma, with her current skills and abilities will she be able to be without education Or with this information at hand, will she gain more with education It will also help her be aware of things that others know about her. Feedbacks, whether positive or negative, can help an individual become a better person because she will be aware of the positive side, things which she needs to maintain, and her negative side, consisting of things which she needs to change or improve. By being aware of these, she can increase her open spot. The third spot, the faade, can help her list all the things she hides and reflect on why she keeps it to herself or accessible only to a limited number of people. We learn thru our experiences, and we would not learn if we continue to shut ourselves out. This information can take the form of insecurities and thru reflection she can gain a deeper understanding on how she can rid herself of insecurities. I told her that to achieve something you want, you have to know and believe that you can do it. And knowing that you can do it comes with knowing that you have the skills, knowledge and abilities to actually do it. Lastly, with this model she can become aware of her hidden talents skills and abilities. It can also make her aware of her inner wants or dreams. Through this model, she can increase self-awareness on things that she can use to be a better person. Also with this information, she can establish personal boundaries because she knows what things she can do and what things she need to learn more. It can also help her determine future goals. She will also be able to ascertain what she can do on a long-term basis and at the same she will enjoy.
Conclusion
    Relationships with a young person are not easily formed. They commonly have a lot of things going on with them and only confide to a few, mostly to those they trust other than their immediate family. My friend of 10 years had a dilemma with her education and came to me for guidance. As an adult, I have the responsibility of guiding her towards the right path. I am also at power and position to influence her in making her decisions and deciding her future. Using the models and theories above, we were able to find an answer which is right and suitable for her.
    Using Kolbs experiential learning theory and Schns reflective practice, she was able to reflect on her current situation. Through reflection, she was able to thoroughly think the reasons that caused her to think twice about education. Moreover, this process allowed me to suggest my ideas like things that I would do if I am experiencing the same situation. By not controlling her and imposing things on her, I was able to maintain her trust and confidence. It is also in line with pedagogy, where actual learning is achieved by allowing autonomy and independence in the decision-making process. The two models reviewed Maslows hierarchy of needs and the Johari window increased self-awareness and self-actualisation. By being aware of her skills, whether known or hidden to her helped her realise what her limitations are and what she can do to achieve fulfillment of her potentials as a child. As an adult and friend, I have to recognise that she is capable of thinking acting and deciding on her own, but this capability has to be coupled with guidance, support and love. Allowing independence is not synonymous with abandonment. In addition, as an adult, my responsibility is not to impose but to ensure that through what I know and what I had experienced, I can influence and guide a child towards a better path without taking her independence away from her.

 Design of a toy is one of the most fascinating occupations, especially when it is done with assumption that it is for ones own child. Today the world is more sophisticated in producing toys that develop the child starting from infancy. Psychologists take part in designing toys and reveal aspects that were never considered as a compulsory part in toy design. Findings in psychomotor development transferred the toy design and production, as well as use into a strategically important factor in child development, whereas it had been considered a means for entertaining the child (Goldstein, 1994). Even the way of entertaining currently has changed and serves the needs of normal development of a child.
    Infant developmental toys focus on the development of the childs five senses, motor skills and cognitive thinking, as well as his social and emotional skills, in simpler words, the toys intend to help children master the following skills
Identification - Following objects with the eyes
Function - Grasping objects with the hands
Exploring with feet
Sitting with support
Scooting, rocking and bouncing
Identification helps that the child makes a choice, starts to recognize and mentally gets prepared for a more individual behavior. Through the course of time the child starts to recognize and react, which is already another level for the infant, development of social skills.
Toys that develop social skills involve actions that should be done with others. This serves as a channel of communication and helps that friendly relations are established between the child and the adult. This becomes more important when there are no other children at home.
Toys that encourage these behaviors include bright primary colors, simple designs, a bulls eye pattern or facial features. Windup and bouncing toys are good for the development of eye movement, as are toys that can be pulled on with the hands, such as toy key rings or interlocking plastic rings.
I found some colorful thread at home and decided to try knit toys. The choice was in fact interlinked with first of all my desire to have something unique at home unique in its solution and excellent in safety and quality. The thread was 100 cotton, and I was going to stiff it with medical cotton. Then I took the cell of a kinder surprise, filled it with beads and stored inside to bounce when shattered. Several small houses could be made and hung above the infant, in order he could drag, make the objects move and hear the voice of bouncing.
    Small house was my first attempt it was soft, very funny, colorful and very light. The home made soft toy would have the basic bright colors red, green, blue and yellow.    
Kenneth Soddy confirms that the infant starts to recognize its favorite toy at around 10 months, although they recognize their mothers at around three months, and the food or bottle at five-six months (Soddy, 1999). Also, the child expresses disappointment when the toy is taken away at six months. However, modern research proves that the first 0-3 months as well are very crucial in the child development. The toys and their functionality allow that the cognition, physical and social skills start to develop.
    The toy I designed addresses the following needs, which is not only directed to a child but also involves some link between mother and infant relationships.
Thus, the toy develops sensation, visual perception, direction of visual perception, cognition of colors, combination of colors and the cognition of form. It is ecologically safe. Being very light and soft it is easy to hold. For the mother the act of designing a toy is the act of ensuring one more convenience or developmental opportunity for the child as an additional parental care.
The bright colors enhance that the target location, which is attractive to the infant, keeps the vision focused on the object (Granrud, 1992).  This process ensures that the psychomotor development is encouraged.
To summarize the above stated ideas I would state that the toy I designed met the set objectives it bounced, was funny and colorful, was soft which enhanced easy grasping and was light, which ensured that an infant will not have to make efforts in associating with the toy.
The most important aspect is that it is safe. Safety issue is the top priority aspect in developing infant toys, as infants tend to taste it. Ecologically clean materials and shape and functionality that may in no way harm the child are met in my case. 

    Design of a toy is one of the most fascinating occupations, especially when it is done with assumption that it is for ones own child. Today the world is more sophisticated in producing toys that develop the child starting from infancy. Psychologists take part in designing toys and reveal aspects that were never considered as a compulsory part in toy design. Findings in psychomotor development transferred the toy design and production, as well as use into a strategically important factor in child development, whereas it had been considered a means for entertaining the child (Goldstein, 1994). Even the way of entertaining currently has changed and serves the needs of normal development of a child.
    Infant developmental toys focus on the development of the childs five senses, motor skills and cognitive thinking, as well as his social and emotional skills, in simpler words, the toys intend to help children master the following skills
Identification - Following objects with the eyes
Function - Grasping objects with the hands
Exploring with feet
Sitting with support
Scooting, rocking and bouncing
Identification helps that the child makes a choice, starts to recognize and mentally gets prepared for a more individual behavior. Through the course of time the child starts to recognize and react, which is already another level for the infant, development of social skills.
Toys that develop social skills involve actions that should be done with others. This serves as a channel of communication and helps that friendly relations are established between the child and the adult. This becomes more important when there are no other children at home.
Toys that encourage these behaviors include bright primary colors, simple designs, a bulls eye pattern or facial features. Windup and bouncing toys are good for the development of eye movement, as are toys that can be pulled on with the hands, such as toy key rings or interlocking plastic rings.
I found some colorful thread at home and decided to try knit toys. The choice was in fact interlinked with first of all my desire to have something unique at home unique in its solution and excellent in safety and quality. The thread was 100 cotton, and I was going to stiff it with medical cotton. Then I took the cell of a kinder surprise, filled it with beads and stored inside to bounce when shattered. Several small houses could be made and hung above the infant, in order he could drag, make the objects move and hear the voice of bouncing.
    Small house was my first attempt it was soft, very funny, colorful and very light. The home made soft toy would have the basic bright colors red, green, blue and yellow.    
Kenneth Soddy confirms that the infant starts to recognize its favorite toy at around 10 months, although they recognize their mothers at around three months, and the food or bottle at five-six months (Soddy, 1999). Also, the child expresses disappointment when the toy is taken away at six months. However, modern research proves that the first 0-3 months as well are very crucial in the child development. The toys and their functionality allow that the cognition, physical and social skills start to develop.
    The toy I designed addresses the following needs, which is not only directed to a child but also involves some link between mother and infant relationships.
Thus, the toy develops sensation, visual perception, direction of visual perception, cognition of colors, combination of colors and the cognition of form. It is ecologically safe. Being very light and soft it is easy to hold. For the mother the act of designing a toy is the act of ensuring one more convenience or developmental opportunity for the child as an additional parental care.
The bright colors enhance that the target location, which is attractive to the infant, keeps the vision focused on the object (Granrud, 1992).  This process ensures that the psychomotor development is encouraged.
To summarize the above stated ideas I would state that the toy I designed met the set objectives it bounced, was funny and colorful, was soft which enhanced easy grasping and was light, which ensured that an infant will not have to make efforts in associating with the toy.
The most important aspect is that it is safe. Safety issue is the top priority aspect in developing infant toys, as infants tend to taste it. Ecologically clean materials and shape and functionality that may in no way harm the child are met in my case. 

I. Developmental Overview of the Theory
    Erik was born on 15 June 1902 in Frankfurt. The identity of his true biological father was hidden from him. His mother was a Jewish from Copenhagen and was married to a Jewish named Waldemar Salomonsen. In 1904, his mother Karla Abrahamsen remarried a Jewish pediatrician named Thedoro Homburger. After being adopted by his stepfather, Erik Salomonsen became Erik Homburger. Little was known about his true father and because of that, he has spent his childhood struggling to belong to a Jewish community that renounced his awkward tallness and his blue eyes. When he went to grammar school where he couldve finally gained acceptance, he was often teased for being Jewish.
    The young Erik isolated himself from his stepfather and because of this he likewise stayed away from the practice of their religion. In later life, he was often criticized for renouncing his Jewish identity. What his critics probably did not realize, his estrangement from the Jewish identity was not due to the oppressed state of the Jews in that era  nor for the lack of respect to the tradition, his seeming renunciation of his Jewish background may be basically because of the absence of the feeling of belongingness to the social institutions that should have served as his home.
    After high school, Erik wanted to explore his talent as an artist. However, this was not encouraged by his stepfather. His stepfather wanted him to pursue his studies in the field of medicine. Refusing such order, abandoned his home and he took art classes in Baden State Art School. When not in school, he wandered around Europe and visited museums where he could further find inspiration to improve his artistry. In his wanderings, he reached Vienna and was able to get acquainted with Dorothy Burlingham, a friend of Anna Freud  daughter of the well-known father of Psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud. Erik was attracted with psychoanalysis and began to train in the field at the Vienna Psychoanalytic Institute. He likewise studied child development, focused on the Montessori Method of education.
    In 1933, after graduating from the Vienna Psychoanalytic Institute and after the Nazis came to power, Erik and his wife went to Denmark and later on to the United States of America. After a series of stints working at hospitals and schools, he was accepted at the Yale University. He worked in the Institute of Human Relations and became a professor at the Yale Medical School. At this time, his attention was focused on children and how their cultures tend to influence their varied sense of development. He spent a year in Sioux reservation in South Dakota and much later on, he likewise observed the children of the Lakota and Yurok Native American tribe. This proved to be a monumental discovery for Erik. He was able to observe patterns of development among children and how their environment influenced their behavior as they grow up.
    His American citizenship was granted in 1939 and officially changed his name to Erik Erikson. According to his son, Kai Erikson, this decision was made in order to establish himself as a man  of not belonging to anybody than himself. Some writers however, believed that Erik liked the idea of bearing the fathers name in the Scandinavian tradition. Hence, it may be deduced that it only means that Erik may have been the name of his real father (Boeree, n.d.).
    While dedicating his life to the pursuit of explaining human development through a theory that will be encompassing enough to cover all stages of development, Eriks wife bore him a handicapped son named Neil. The child had severe Down syndrome and was not expected to live long. Erik and his wife decided to institutionalize their son and hide this fact from their other children. While Erik may have been only protecting the interests of his other healthy children from the possible effect of having a handicapped sibling in the family, it would still be almost unbelievable for Erik  who has suffered much rejection and pain from the lies that he was brought up with, to want his children bear the same fate  by committing a lie that could have similarly induced them with the same pain and difficulties. Lawrence J. Friedman, Eriksons biographer said that Neil became the tipping point for which Erik and his wife Joan developed the theories of child development that was eventually published in Childhood and Society in 1950. 
    After his success in his book, Erik Erikson spent ten years of practice and teaching at the Austen Riggs Center, a famed psychiatric facility. His work catered to the emotionally troubled young people. In 1960, he became a professor of human development in Harvard University. In 1969 his book, Gandhis Truth received a Pulitzer Prize and a US National Book Award. In 1973, he was selected for the Jefferson lecture  the highest achievement bestowed by the US federal government for humanities. His lecture was entitled Dimensions of a New Identity.
    Erikson was a Neo-Freudian theorist. Hence, he also believed in the psychodynamic make-up of personality, including the structure of the id, ego and superego. However, he refused to adhere to the Freudian concept of ego, stating further that the ego plays a more relevant function in the formation of personality and human development. In fact, his psychology was attributed to the ego, and the struggles or crises that correspond with each life stages. Erikson expounded that in experiencing the best and worst of the crises in each stage, the individual could develop a virtue which could aid him her to the resolution of further crises. Otherwise, the individual may develop malignant tendencies of coping that would hamper his her development and social functioning.
    The following is a matrix of psychosocial stages of development according to Erik Erikson based on the 1959 issue of Identity and the Life Cycle (Psychological Issues vol. 1,  1).   

Stage (age)Psychosocial crisisSignificant relationsPsychosocial modalitiesPsychosocial virtuesMaladaptations  malignanciesI (0-1) -- infanttrust vs mistrustmotherto get, to give in returnhope, faithsensory distortion -- withdrawalII (2-3) -- toddlerautonomy vs shame and doubtparentsto hold on, to let gowill, determinationimpulsivity -- compulsionIII (3-6) -- preschoolerinitiative vs guiltfamilyto go after, to playpurpose, courageruthlessness -- inhibitionIV (7-12 or so) -- school-age childindustry vs inferiorityneighborhood and schoolto complete, to make things togethercompetencenarrow virtuosity -- inertiaV (12-18 or so) -- adolescenceego-identity vs role-confusionpeer groups, role modelsto be oneself, to share oneselffidelity, loyaltyfanaticism -- repudiationVI (the 20s) -- young adultintimacy vs isolationpartners, friendsto lose and find oneself in a anotherLovepromiscuity -- exclusivityVII (late 20s to 50s) -- middle adultgenerativity vs self-absorptionhousehold, workmatesto make be, to take care ofcareoverextension -- rejectivityVIII (50s and beyond) -- old adultintegrity vs despairmankind or my kindto be, through having been, to face not beingwisdompresumption -- despair    The aforementioned matrix provided an accurate overview of Eriksons theory. Unlike Freud, Erikson believed that development is based not only on the unconscious drive and desires, but rather, to the everyday influences brought by ones family, peer groups, culture and all other social systems within the individuals sphere. It is through each persons fulfillment of the struggle for each stage could she possibly gain the necessary virtues and values, necessary for a healthy functioning.               
II. Current Theoretical Research
    It is said that Erikson developed his theory out of his personal experiences concerning his identity. Thus the stage of ego identity versus role confusion became one of the central concepts that have been developed  not only of Erikson but also of other developmental psychologists who have chosen to follow his footsteps. Barbara Angler, the author of Personality Theories (2006) placed much regard to the development of identity to the ability of one person to be a productive member of society. Thus, while fidelity and loyalty may provide a person with the necessary quality to resolve his her challenges in life, the development of fanaticism or repudiation may lead to a loss of identity  a sense of confusion, of not knowing the purpose of his her existence as a person. She may resort to unproductive mechanisms such as drugs and alcohol, just so she could fill the void in his her person.
    Certain empirical researches have likewise ensued in order to lay down the necessary scientific proof for Eriksons theories. Most notable among these researches is the study conducted by James Marcia, who further expounded on the importance of ones capacity to resolve the crisis of identity at the adolescent period of human development.
    James Marcia further expounded this specific stage in the psychosocial human development by stating that the quest for identity does not encompass the extreme forms of knowing and confusion. Rather, such stage is composed of four major groups of identity status. These are identity diffusion, identity foreclosure, identity moratorium, and identity achievement. According to his paper published in 1984, identity achievement is when a person, who has undergone crisis in the identity managed to resolve it and commit to such identity. Identity diffusion on the other hand, is a status where individuals who have not yet experienced a crisis and have not yet made a commitment to their identity either. Identity foreclosure is a status where individuals who have not yet gone through a crisis already decided to make a commitment. This  in part may due to the influences that their parents have imparted to them in the course of their life. Finally, identity moratorium is a status where adolescents who have already been struggling in a crisis still refuse to take a stand or commit to their own respective identities. The crises that may be involved in this stage of development do not only involve those that directly affect them  such as their families or peer groups. This may even be regarding more abstract ideologies on politics, occupation or religion. The struggle may also be centered on their own conception of self  their gender roles and the expectations that the society may have bestowed upon them which they do not want to fulfill.
    While James Marcia focused on these developments in the adolescence period, Erikson maintained that the quest for identity is a lifelong struggle. From infancy, the child gradually develops a sense of awareness of self. She would gradually learn the I, and how I or me is different from them or others. This awareness is incorporated with the development and realization of ones skills and abilities, coupled with physical, emotional and cognitive changes as one ages.
    Erikson likewise hold similar belief with Piaget in a sense that, both believed that the emergence of abstract reasoning abilities occur at the time when one is in full control of hisher basic concrete logical skills. This capacity entails an adolescent to take full control of his her beliefs, to gain full cognizance of reality, to explore the world and create ones niche in it. Whether one chooses to get to know himherself better or rebel against the social institutions that reared him her is a manifestation of a personal choice to establish ones identity in the society.
III. Field Experience
    The researcher has been fortunate to have had the chance to interview a professor of social work from a reputable university in the Philippines. The following has been the course of our interview
    Q. What subjects are you currently teaching
    A. I am teaching two subjects, social welfare perspectives for third year college students and mental hygiene for fourth year college students. My students age range is about 17-19 years old  all in their late adolescents.
    Q. I am actually making a paper about Eriksons theory of psychosocial development. Could you say that the crises presented  particularly in the stage of identity vs. role confusion are manifested by your students
    A. Part of the social work curriculum is actually the study of Eriksons psychosocial theory and I am rather fortunate to be able to witness how my students become educated of the crises that they are undergoing. Each student has a special reason for pursuing social work as a degree  considering that in our country, social work is not a very celebrated profession. Four or five of my students studied social work because it was already predetermined by their parents, some of them failed in their first career choice and some  well, they are the ones who honestly believe that they could make a difference through helping others. I believe that in their journey to establish their own identity  to create their own place in our society, the students grow and eventually discover who they are and what they really want in their lives. Some time before graduation, they usually experience this sense of confusion, or even fear. What if they could not pass the licensure exams for social workers when they graduate Could they truly make a difference Is this really the life that they want Most of the students  in their experience with others will then realize the meaning of their profession, their passions and patience are tested and if they emerge to be enthusiastic in spite of all of these, they know that they have somehow made the right choice. 
    Q. Do you think then that Erikson is correct in his assumptions
    A. I admire Erikson as much as I admire other prominent psychologists in their field Maslow, Rogers, Skinner, Freud, Piaget, Frankl, Kohlberg and even Freire. Basically, Erikson stood out because he has provided an almost complete road map of human development in the psychosocial context. His observations and his hypotheses were flawless, and somehow, each person is able to relate with the theory that he presented.
    Q. Aside from that, what do you think is Eriksons major contribution in the study of human development
    A. Erikson brought people to a cognizance that they have the capacity to shape their future according to how they resolve their struggles, that development is not as mystical or unconscious as Freud and Jung may assume, but rather it is made up of conscious choices and opinions.
    During the interview, the researcher has observed the significance of the knowledge on Eriksons theory to how the professor deals with her students. In the course of the discussion, the professor said that she regard her students as not only mere recipients of knowledge, but as capable and thinking individuals and systems who have their own set of identities and struggles. Because of this, she avoids stereotyping each behavior manifestation made by her students. They are perceived as unique  and in their uniqueness they are able to carve their own significance  not only in their own future but as part of others as well.
IV. Assessment of Theory
    The theory is heuristic in the sense that Erikson spent most of his life by carefully observing the dynamics of children from different set of cultures. His critics may have found his studies lacking scientific depth and precision, but one could not deny that his set of principles provided a profound influence in the study of human behavior. As there are certain facts that could not be quantified by mere use of experiments and statistical treatments, it could be deduced that Erikson is one of those who has proven themselves to succeed without the necessary scientific background that a study usually requires.
    Eriksons ego psychology provided one of the most exhaustive explanations of human development  its framework based upon realistic virtues and malignancies that people tend to develop as they fail or succeed in resolving their own issues. The development tends to be chronological in a sense that each stage of life is marked by a corresponding crisis. Though many social scientists disagree with the linear rather than the more agreeable cyclical progression of development, one could not agree that most of the studies that later on developed used Eriksons theory as one of their foundations. Eriksons theory likewise provided a fresh take to psychoanalysis after the dark Freudian theme of libido and instincts.
    Upon studying the theory, I could not help but look back and examine the significant aspects of my life that may have been reflected in the psychosocial theory of Erik Erikson. I realized that my life is made up of conscious choices and such consciousness in turn has a significant impact to the influences of the organizations which I became a part. I have struggled in these crises as well, though my childhood memory does not provide for an accurate illustration of such struggles. I only remember random thoughts but I am glad to have realized that every step I make, every decisions that I undertake, all of my mistakes, my failures and successes contribute to who I am right now.
    Just as Erikson had succeeded in placing childhood in the context of society, I believe that my own childhood was comprised of the experiences that I gained and the expectations, insights and prejudices that I have developed.
    At the course of studying Erik Eriksons life and work, one could arrive into conclusion that his lifes work only reflected the kind of life that he had, the kind of principles that he possessed, and the kind of philosophy that governed his actions. Like the crises in his psyschosocial theory of development, he was also beset with such crises  particularly in terms of establishing his own identity. Fortunately, he became a living evidence of his assumption, at the time when he decided to become Erik Erikson.