Words of Inspiration and Motivation

Hey Everyone, It is week 4, 
This week I have learned a lot from professionals, educators and activists about Early Childhood Studies, how it was established, various contributions, how it has grown as a field and obstacles that need to be overcome. I have been inspired through their lifetime work, achievements, quotes and speeches and I have particularly been moved to ask questions about the educational system in my country and immediate community. Most of all, I have been pushed to look into the history and contributions made in the educational system, remarkable contributors dead and alive and their dream for education in my country. The quotes and speech excerpts I would like to share are from the two contributors in the Head start and Health and Well-being sectors in Early Childhood Education, and they are Marian Wright Edelman and Former President Lyndon B. Johnson.

I have grown to love Marian Edelman in just three days. In her commencement speech to the graduating class of Tarbut V'Torah in Irvine, she said"My generation learned that if we wanted to accomplish anything, we would have to get off the dime. Your generation must learn to get off the paradigm? It is the responsibility of every adult, parent teacher, religious leader and professional to make sure that young people hear what we have learned from life that helped us survive and succeed."  I love this excerpt particularly because it talks about working hard to see what we want into reality; my generation can be negligent and nonchalant, this is a wake up call for change. A quote said by Marian Edelman that I am in love with which I also shared earlier this week goes thus; "Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it”.  

MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN

Former President Lyndon B. Johnson contributed greatly in his time during the "War on Poverty" and one of his quote says, "Nothing matters more to the future of our country: not our military preparedness -- for armed might is worthless if we lack the brainpower to build a world of peace; not our productive economy -- for we cannot sustain growth without trained manpower; not our democratic system of government -- for freedom is fragile if citizens are ignorant.".

FORMER PRESIDENT LYNDON B. JOHNSON

In the multimedia presentation provided in week 2, here is a quote I love about passion and motivation: Leticia Lara (A Regional Manager for Outreach and Professional development for 0-3) says "... when I think about my passion as a person I also embrace who I am, who I am also as a woman and what my family has taught me... that creates a foundation for my passion... my passion has been evolving through the years, its an ongoing process, its like a ripple...". Passion is unique and is all about individuality; it could be about change in the same sector of a society, but the approach, experience and desire for change differs from every individual; this is my interpretation of her view on passion.

In conclusion, here are quotes from a Yoruba activist for education once upon a time in Nigeria: “Any system of education which does not help a man to have a healthy and sound body and alert brain, and balanced and disciplined instinctive urges, is both misconceived and dangerous.” 

“In order to attain to the goals of economic freedom and prosperity, Nigeria must do certain things as a matter of urgency and priority. It must provide free education (at all levels) and free health facilities for the masses of its citizens.”

LATE OBAFEMI AWOLOWO

REFERENCE

http://www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/lbjforkids/edu_quotes.shtm

http://myhero.com/hero.asp?hero=marianedelman

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/marianwrig390612.html#oJ6tgELeuohzxlFd.99

 Laureate Education, Inc. (2010). The passion for early childhood. Baltimore: Author.

http://naijafacts.blogspot.com.ng/2013/01/quotes-by-obafemi-awolowo.html

IMAGES

http://a1.files.biography.com/image/upload/c_fill,cs_srgb,dpr_1.0,g_face,h_300,q_80,w_300/MTE1ODA0OTcxNjc2NDM1OTgx.jpg

http://cooperproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/marianwrightedelman.jpg

http://api.ning.com/files/Ndk7aVkso5xTbyQQ7gQdwR40EUY9-yARdsS1gFc209e*4H0OELV9kTnaBVnOwX0eH7GJJIIgbRrp7JxoV1bSta0P2uesUybH/awolowo.jpg

My Childhood Web

Hey there, Its week 3!
I am excited to talk about my childhood and a few people in my support system.I come from a very big family. I have two grandmothers, one maternal grandfather, five Uncles and three Aunties whose children also have children. I am the first of four children in my nuclear family. All my family members care about me and were a part of my childhood; both extended and nuclear. A few who cared, nurtured and influenced me are as follows:

Engr Abayomi Akinsola is a Biomedical Engineer and he is my Father. He cared and nurtured me. I remember that my dad like I fondly call him used to take me out to restaurants. Every new one in town was our next stop the following weekend. My love for food and cooking hobby. My dad took me on dates to restaurants not because the food was more delicious at home; he used to say that "I am taking you out to places so that no boy will take advantage of you, the food is good, restaurants are great, but that should not determine your likeness for a boy. I hope you will do the same for your children" He taught me confidence, independence and the value of money.

Mrs Oluyinka Akinsola. She is a business woman and she is my Mother. She was a stay at home mom till I was a teenager. She taught me about responsibility (by assigning house chores), self-control, about the bible (by reading bible stories to me everyday), and she taught me about being a lady of substance. She used to say that she did not have much to offe me other than the bible, its the way she knew how to get by daily. She would say repeatedly to me "Wisdom is the principal thing" In everything I do she believed that wisdom made the difference, she drew my attention to religion as a way of life.

Mrs Loko, she was my lesson teacher/ home tutor. When my class teacher saw a dull girl, Mrs Loko saw intelligence, I didnot believe that I could get good grades till I met her. She paid attention to me, encouraged me, told me stosies about her childhood to make me laugh. She helped me to work on my spoken English and taught me to stand out and be more confident in my ability to succeed as a child. I owe my ability to be academically sound and confident to her.

Mrs Aina Akinsola is a retired midwife and farmer she is my Paternal grandmother who kept me rooted in my culture. She spoke my local dialect to me, taught me songs, and showed me traditional attires and how they are worn. I remember enjoying her company; I still do because I visit her every week.

Mr Samuel Odunola is a retired Civil Servant. He is my Maternal Grandfather. He used to get me notebooks, Biro and pencil at the beginning of every school session. He encouraged my writing skills. He used to check  my report card and encourage me to try better in the subjects that had low scores. Education to him was an important legacy that he wanted his female grandchildren to have because most of the women in that side of my family were not educated.
Their influences still impacts my life because culture, religion, and education
 are important to me. My social life has a balance, I know that I deserve the best from any man because of my dad. I do not allow any treatment from a man that is less than the best and I have not yet been easily deceived or taken advantage of.
Here are pictures of some of my family members:

Myself and my Paternal Grandmother

Myself and my Aunt Toyin

My mother and immediate younger sister on her 50th birthday last year.

The second is myself and Aunty Mummy as we fondly call her (will tell you the history behind the name someday) She is Omolola.

Myself as a kid with my Paternal Grandmother

Myself and my Maternal Grandmother.

Myself and my immediate younger sister Omololami in a Yoruba attire bought by my Paternal Grandmother

My youngest sister Pelumi and only brother Ifihan who is the last born.

Myself and My Father

Myself, my Maternal Grandmother and my Mother respectively.

Myself, My Maternal Grandfather and Omololami my immediate younger sister.

This is just a part of my childhood web.I am also the first Grand-child of my Maternal grandparents'. My uncles are hardly around because they are busy University Professors and Doctors for pictures but after an upcoming family reunion I hope to get pictures taken with them so I can share.

Childhood Is an Adventure; Lets Be Aware

Hello Everyone,
Hope you had a wonderful  week? My week was eventful.
I welcome you all to my week 2!

This is a picture of me when I was two years old
( I am in my Yoruba traditional attire called 'Iro' and 'Buba' which can be translated as a top and wrapper respectively. While the material is called 'Ofi')

This is a current picture of me.







As a child, I read so many books but the title of one of my favorite books is The Sugar Girl by Kola Onadipe. I love it because it is about the adventures of a girl who got lost in the village forest while she was on an errand for her wicked Step-Mother. There are not so many children books in Nigeria that talk about a girl on an adventure. It fascinates me that he girl can be boldly portrayed as brave; while other children books talk about girls in traditional settings who are not willing to get married and girls in schools who find learning difficult.

I love quotes in general because I believe that they say a lot about issues in few strong words. Two quote that say a lot to me about childhood are quotes by Late Nelson Mandela, The Former President of South Africa There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children. and by Late  Lady Bird Johnson, The Former First Lady of the United States  Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them.

Children are cute and lovely. We can all learn from them; from their imaginative power. I believe that the should be one of the priorities of a nation; they grow up to be adults and leaders tomorrow. Lets invest wisely.