Hello Everyone,✋🏾
Hope you all had a great week.
This is where I get to talk about my relationships and give an informal picture of the supportive relationships and partnerships I have in my life.
Relationships are important to me because most times in my life, after facing the ups and downs of daily living I feel comfortable knowing that I have the support of friends, family members, mentors and my boyfriend. Having the tsupport of the people I love and care about; who also feel the same about me gives me a sense of belonging and helps me to approach my responsibilities and daily activities and difficulties with confidence. Relationships are a form of "safe haven" for me.
Trust and honesty are important factors needed for most relationships among other factors and these concepts are important components of a relationship and partnership. The ability to be able to depend and rely on a person to be there when you need them aids the smooth run of a relationship. I trust the men in my life; my father and boyfriend to protect my interests and defend my honour when needed and they trust me to care for them and show the love and respect I have for them in the little things I do.
Partnership is about give and take; back and forth communication... Knowing what each persons preferences are and respecting it as well as maintaining a healthy communication skill furthers the idea of partnership in relationships. I have a partnership relationship with my mother and siblings; we are always there to support each other. Most importantly, I have a relationship partnership with a group of friends and we assist each other in our voluntary tutoring initiative. We help each other, tutor children from orphanages in primary schools and prepare them for scholarship opportunities in expensive private secondary schools for their full six years in school. We communicate, support, trust and are honest in our dealings.
As an educator, the diversity I experience in my relationship partnerships with people mentioned above in terms of different temperaments and different manners of approach to issues will help further and lay a good foundation for the relationship partnerships that I will have with children, parents and families. It is never always easy but challenges that may arise could be better handled.
Oluwatosin. ☺️
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
When I Think of Child Development
Hello Everyone, I would like to thank you for being a part of my professional development journey, I have learned from each of you one way or the other, I hope I contributed to your professional journey too.
When I think of child development, this image seems appropriate:
As an Educator, I learned about theories and concepts explaining how children grow, learn, play and interact with people and their society.
When I think of child development, this image seems appropriate:
 |
| Child Development as explored over 8 weeks is a summary of the words above. |
Reference
Image Retrieved from: https://brainstormingbusiness.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/cog-dev.jpg
Monday, December 7, 2015
Testing for Intelligence: Assessment
Assessing children is important and I support the concept because it is one of the ways of knowing the assimilation strength of children, working memory, level of knowledge, and the ability to recall information based on what has been taught. I say it is one of the ways because I don't believe that it should be only a one way thing; other methods could be used to assess children other than the obvious test and assignments given.
NIGERIA
Nigeria is my home, Nigeria is where I was brought up, it is where I know so, assessment in Nigeria is what I can talk about first hand.
Nigeria is a developing country as such, not so many things are the way it should be. Assessment systems could be better. Schools try to emulate British and American educational systems and some schools stand in between. Competition is healthy if it furthers knowledge acquisition and growth. In Nigeria, there are limited resources and jobs, at a very early stage, children are taught to study hard so the right paying jobs can be gotten. Assessment achieves everything other than its main purposes as mentioned in the introduction of this blog. I go to school to study, pass well and get a great job so I can buy nice cars,dresses and houses is the thought of an average Nigerian. In this type of environment not a great percentage of people are give the opportunity to discover their strength and weaknesses, learn to proffer solutions or make discoveries.
It is important to assess children both it is expedient to know that children do not develop the same way so a test for intelligence should not be done with comparison in mind.
NIGERIA
Nigeria is my home, Nigeria is where I was brought up, it is where I know so, assessment in Nigeria is what I can talk about first hand.
Nigeria is a developing country as such, not so many things are the way it should be. Assessment systems could be better. Schools try to emulate British and American educational systems and some schools stand in between. Competition is healthy if it furthers knowledge acquisition and growth. In Nigeria, there are limited resources and jobs, at a very early stage, children are taught to study hard so the right paying jobs can be gotten. Assessment achieves everything other than its main purposes as mentioned in the introduction of this blog. I go to school to study, pass well and get a great job so I can buy nice cars,dresses and houses is the thought of an average Nigerian. In this type of environment not a great percentage of people are give the opportunity to discover their strength and weaknesses, learn to proffer solutions or make discoveries.
It is important to assess children both it is expedient to know that children do not develop the same way so a test for intelligence should not be done with comparison in mind.
Monday, November 23, 2015
Sicle- Cell: A Stress on Child Development
I was born with a blood disease common among people with African decent all over the world. This disease is called Sickle Cell. According to Web MD, "Sickle cell disease is caused by a genetic abnormality in the gene for hemoglobin, which results in the production of sickle hemoglobin. When oxygen is released from sickle hemoglobin, it sticks together and forms long rods, which damage and change the shape of the red blood cell. The sickle red blood cells causes the symptoms of sickle cell disease." It is inherited and requires a lot of attention and pain management.
As a child, it was difficult for me to have a stable social life and social skills because I was usually in and out of hospitals, missing school, and absent from major social events. I could not stay out late because it will be too cool, when I recover, I would not be able to do much because I want to build up the strength I had. I was know as a sickler which is what people call Sickle Cell patients. I had a wonderful and supportive family, they are still supportive. They made growing up for me as normal as possible; I have an undergraduate degree and basic resources that I need to survive as a person.
Regardless as a child, I felt isolated; like I was the only person that understood me. The inability to do what my colleagues did made me introverted and less willing to interact over time. As an adult, I still struggle with the challenges surrounding my health, but I can better handle them now. I had positive and negative experiences and discoveries. I discovered writing in isolation; i write poems now because I used to write about the unpleasant experiences I faced as a child. I learned how to enjoy reading and instead of isolation, I discovered solitude. I couldn't interact well and I am still learning daily about the right and acceptable way of interacting with different people who are not my family members.
In Nigeria, Sickle Cell is still a major blood disease that kills people and frustrates most family members. Awareness about sickle cell keeps going on, workshops are organised on choosing the right spouse with an appropriate genotype. Sickle Cell says pick the right partner and that is the struggle most people face including myself. Health issues constantly clash with culture, tradition and religion. The major problem of patients with Sickle Cell in Nigeria is the non availability of standard and adequate health care. Despite this people still survive up until the age of 90.
References
Web MD (n.d.) Sickle Cell Disease and Pain. Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/pain-management-sickle-cell-disease
As a child, it was difficult for me to have a stable social life and social skills because I was usually in and out of hospitals, missing school, and absent from major social events. I could not stay out late because it will be too cool, when I recover, I would not be able to do much because I want to build up the strength I had. I was know as a sickler which is what people call Sickle Cell patients. I had a wonderful and supportive family, they are still supportive. They made growing up for me as normal as possible; I have an undergraduate degree and basic resources that I need to survive as a person.
Regardless as a child, I felt isolated; like I was the only person that understood me. The inability to do what my colleagues did made me introverted and less willing to interact over time. As an adult, I still struggle with the challenges surrounding my health, but I can better handle them now. I had positive and negative experiences and discoveries. I discovered writing in isolation; i write poems now because I used to write about the unpleasant experiences I faced as a child. I learned how to enjoy reading and instead of isolation, I discovered solitude. I couldn't interact well and I am still learning daily about the right and acceptable way of interacting with different people who are not my family members.
In Nigeria, Sickle Cell is still a major blood disease that kills people and frustrates most family members. Awareness about sickle cell keeps going on, workshops are organised on choosing the right spouse with an appropriate genotype. Sickle Cell says pick the right partner and that is the struggle most people face including myself. Health issues constantly clash with culture, tradition and religion. The major problem of patients with Sickle Cell in Nigeria is the non availability of standard and adequate health care. Despite this people still survive up until the age of 90.
References
Web MD (n.d.) Sickle Cell Disease and Pain. Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/pain-management-sickle-cell-disease
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Child Development and Public Health
Hello Everyone, I hope your week went well.?
It has been an interesting read this week because I have been enlightened on the health related issues that affect the development of children either positively or negatively. The options of public health topics to choose from is interesting and I can not choose all so, in this post, I would be talking about accessing clean/ healthy water in my community and the new discoveries that I have encountered.
Accessing Healthy Water
In Nigeria, access to healthy water is determined by individuals because there is an allowance for citizens to decide to dig wells, boreholes, artificial dams or other means of getting clean water in their compounds. This allowance is as a result of the inconsistent function of the inter state water corporations in Nigeria. Some water corporations are either shut down completely because of lack of maintenance or proper management or they are not functioning. In Nigeria, there is no water bill like a few countries that I know of in the world.
Nigeria is mostly a capitalist society, as such, individuals own water companies that either produce table water which is commonly known as "bottled water" or sachet water which is commonly called "pure water". These companies are monitored by an agency called NAFDAC (The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control) which tries to ensure that clean water is produced. Despite this, a few companies do not pride themselves in the production of clean water because their focus is profit making.
Only those who can afford basic needs (Food,Clothing, and Shelter) can afford to dig wells and boreholes. According to Aquafield (an agency concerned about the consumption of clean water), "although ground water (depending on the depth) can be a source of "clean" water, this raw water should still be tested and ultimately treated prior to usage. The bore holes and wells are easily exposed to heavy minerals which on its own are carcinogenic like arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, lead etc. Due to the presence of these pollutants, it is necessary to test and perhaps treat this water prior to use. However, this is presently not the case due to lack of access to water test kits as well as treatment options."
This leaves families of low income and their children facing the ordeal of getting healthy water. They are faced with water pollution and bad sanitation. When they have no access to healthy water children are prone to malaria and diseases like typhoid associated to the scarcity of clean and healthy water.
The agricultural sector in Nigeria suffers from this scarcity because food security cannot be assured when there is no clean water to grow crops. Scarcity of affordable food can affect the nutrition of children. It is a great percentage of families that have no access to clean water; people who have access to water are the lowest percentage of the Nigerian population.
In conclusion, according to Joseph Muta’aHellandendu, "water scarcity is both a natural and a human – made phenomenon. There is enough freshwater on the planet for six billion people but it is distributed unevenly and too much of it is wasted, polluted and unsustainably managed." Nigeria is blessed with various sources of water like dams, rivers, springs and rocks but the uneven distribution makes access difficult; poor maintenance is also working against Nigeria. Sanitation has been a constant obstacle to the access of healthy water. Despite this, governmental and non-governmental organizations are working constantly to harness the provision and proper distribution of clean water.
It has been an interesting read this week because I have been enlightened on the health related issues that affect the development of children either positively or negatively. The options of public health topics to choose from is interesting and I can not choose all so, in this post, I would be talking about accessing clean/ healthy water in my community and the new discoveries that I have encountered.
Accessing Healthy Water
In Nigeria, access to healthy water is determined by individuals because there is an allowance for citizens to decide to dig wells, boreholes, artificial dams or other means of getting clean water in their compounds. This allowance is as a result of the inconsistent function of the inter state water corporations in Nigeria. Some water corporations are either shut down completely because of lack of maintenance or proper management or they are not functioning. In Nigeria, there is no water bill like a few countries that I know of in the world.
Nigeria is mostly a capitalist society, as such, individuals own water companies that either produce table water which is commonly known as "bottled water" or sachet water which is commonly called "pure water". These companies are monitored by an agency called NAFDAC (The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control) which tries to ensure that clean water is produced. Despite this, a few companies do not pride themselves in the production of clean water because their focus is profit making.
Only those who can afford basic needs (Food,Clothing, and Shelter) can afford to dig wells and boreholes. According to Aquafield (an agency concerned about the consumption of clean water), "although ground water (depending on the depth) can be a source of "clean" water, this raw water should still be tested and ultimately treated prior to usage. The bore holes and wells are easily exposed to heavy minerals which on its own are carcinogenic like arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, lead etc. Due to the presence of these pollutants, it is necessary to test and perhaps treat this water prior to use. However, this is presently not the case due to lack of access to water test kits as well as treatment options."
This leaves families of low income and their children facing the ordeal of getting healthy water. They are faced with water pollution and bad sanitation. When they have no access to healthy water children are prone to malaria and diseases like typhoid associated to the scarcity of clean and healthy water.
The agricultural sector in Nigeria suffers from this scarcity because food security cannot be assured when there is no clean water to grow crops. Scarcity of affordable food can affect the nutrition of children. It is a great percentage of families that have no access to clean water; people who have access to water are the lowest percentage of the Nigerian population.
In conclusion, according to Joseph Muta’aHellandendu, "water scarcity is both a natural and a human – made phenomenon. There is enough freshwater on the planet for six billion people but it is distributed unevenly and too much of it is wasted, polluted and unsustainably managed." Nigeria is blessed with various sources of water like dams, rivers, springs and rocks but the uneven distribution makes access difficult; poor maintenance is also working against Nigeria. Sanitation has been a constant obstacle to the access of healthy water. Despite this, governmental and non-governmental organizations are working constantly to harness the provision and proper distribution of clean water.
 |
| Two major brands of bottled water in Nigeria Costs $0.70 for one |
 |
| Pure water in sachet Costs $0.05 for one |
 |
| Pure Water in bags Costs between $0.90 and $1 depending on location
References
Aquafield (n.d) Drinking Water in Nigeria Retrieved from: http://www.aquafieldservices.com/index.php/8-news/15-drinking-water-in-nigeria
Joseph Muta’aHellandendu, (n.d.) Health Implication of Water Scarcity in Nigeria. European Scientific Journal August edition vol. 8, No.18 ISSN: 1857 – 7881 (Print) e - ISSN 1857- 7431
WSMP(Water and Sanitation Monitoring Platform) (2008) NIGERIA- Country Summary Sheet, 2008 Retrieved from: http://www.unicef.org/nigeria/ng_media_Water_sanitation_summary_sheet.pdf
Images retrieved from:
http://www.ackcity.net/sachet%20water-1.jpg
http://royaltimes.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/pure-water-bags.jpg
https://nlipw.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/bottled-water-Nigeria-e1423925661328.png
|
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Child Bearing Experience
Hello Everyone,
I honestly do not have a child bearing experience, neither have I experienced any childbearing experience but I decided to check YouTube. Some videos were blocked because of my location; I am currently in Paris on a business thing. However, after watching several videos both interesting and somewhat horrifying but beautiful, I had to call my mother to ask for her experience of my birth.
She said it was smooth even though I weighed 3.80 kg. She said that when she felt the labor pain my father took her to the hospital and she gave birth with ease. She really did not give me details like I expected. In the videos I watched about childbirth in the US in the 1960's, the interesting aspect to me which I was unaware of until now is the part of childbearing that involves the birthing of the placenta. I had no idea that a child had to be placed on a mothers chest to keep warm, suckle and make the birthing of the placenta easy.
In Nigeria where I am from and where I live, childbirth is never seen or experienced by a woman till she is married,pregnant and in labor, the only people that have a preview of childbirth are Doctors, Nurses, Mid-Wives, and women in rural areas who do not have access to hospitals. Most women recount the experience as painful, messy and unpleasant but joyful in the end.
In Africa however, the gender of a child determines the development of a child and the experiences a child will have throughout the life span. A baby boy's birth is celebrated more than a girl's because its a patriarchal society. A child's birth is pretty much the same in Africa as it is in the US; the only difference is the treatment of the placenta. It is examined in the US and used probably for research but in Nigeria particularly, the placenta is given to the father of the child to do away with. It is usually buried in a place known to the father alone because of the fetish and religious environment we live in. Nurses cannot be trusted to handle it with care and there is no adequate technology in place for research or preservation.
In conclusion, it was a pleasant thing to watch how children are brought into the world. I learned a lot especially about the placenta and the fact that the birthing passage area could expand that much. Though I have heard horrifying stories, I look forward to the motherhood period of my life.
I honestly do not have a child bearing experience, neither have I experienced any childbearing experience but I decided to check YouTube. Some videos were blocked because of my location; I am currently in Paris on a business thing. However, after watching several videos both interesting and somewhat horrifying but beautiful, I had to call my mother to ask for her experience of my birth.
She said it was smooth even though I weighed 3.80 kg. She said that when she felt the labor pain my father took her to the hospital and she gave birth with ease. She really did not give me details like I expected. In the videos I watched about childbirth in the US in the 1960's, the interesting aspect to me which I was unaware of until now is the part of childbearing that involves the birthing of the placenta. I had no idea that a child had to be placed on a mothers chest to keep warm, suckle and make the birthing of the placenta easy.
In Nigeria where I am from and where I live, childbirth is never seen or experienced by a woman till she is married,pregnant and in labor, the only people that have a preview of childbirth are Doctors, Nurses, Mid-Wives, and women in rural areas who do not have access to hospitals. Most women recount the experience as painful, messy and unpleasant but joyful in the end.
In Africa however, the gender of a child determines the development of a child and the experiences a child will have throughout the life span. A baby boy's birth is celebrated more than a girl's because its a patriarchal society. A child's birth is pretty much the same in Africa as it is in the US; the only difference is the treatment of the placenta. It is examined in the US and used probably for research but in Nigeria particularly, the placenta is given to the father of the child to do away with. It is usually buried in a place known to the father alone because of the fetish and religious environment we live in. Nurses cannot be trusted to handle it with care and there is no adequate technology in place for research or preservation.
In conclusion, it was a pleasant thing to watch how children are brought into the world. I learned a lot especially about the placenta and the fact that the birthing passage area could expand that much. Though I have heard horrifying stories, I look forward to the motherhood period of my life.
Friday, October 23, 2015
Note of Thanks
The end of this module is finally here! It has been an insightful and interesting journey so far. I may not be able to thank everyone of you for your support and contribution to my growth so far but this is a good avenue as any. Thank you to you, you and you; to everyone I say thank you for: reading my posts,being kind to me with words, supporting me beyond my expectation and making this academic and self enriching journey an experience worth having.
Oluwatosin Akinsola.
Oluwatosin Akinsola.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)