Zaira

4/22/11

Thesis The proper development and care of children is essential to the growth of the country, which is why it is fundamental to provide proper foster care not only in the United States, but worldwide. Proper care of children can reduce homelessness, psychological issues, reduce crime rates, drug abuse, and physical and mental abuse.

1. Adopting abroad · Hidden information/ lack of information about adopting children · Orphanages / institutionalized care · Bringing home your child 2. When the adoption doesn’t work and when it breaks apart your family 3. Troubled children · Children that come from abroad · Abused and neglected children 4. The issues concerning Foster care · Court and law · Instability in housing · Troubled children 5. Out growing the System · Studies · Hardships 6. Types of foster care · Kinship · Family/group homes · Foster homes

4/13/11

References Wendy, K. (n.d). Study finds orphanages can be a 'viable option'. //USA Today//. Retrieved from EBSCO//host// In this brief article, studies were made by Duke University students on institutionalized care on more than 3,000 children in Asia and Africa. The studies done on 6 to 12 year old children showed more positive results than most people would have believed. The children studied in institutional care were in good health and had less emotional problems. This research may be surprising for most people who have a negative view towards orphanages. The article found that its studies contrast with the U.S. and other Countries child-welfare policies which favor family placement instead of institutional care.

References ECKHOLM, E. (2010, January 31). A Determined Quest To Bring Adoptive Ties To Foster Teenagers. //New York Times//. p. 16. Retrieved from EBSCO//host//.. The article focuses on a program in St. Louis that helps children in foster care find long lost relatives. The purpose of this is not only to get in contact with a child’s family, but to also have the child adopted or be taken care by a relative. The program has received positive results, finding that a majority of the family members found are willing to adopt or look after long lost relatives. Finding a long lost relative isn’t the end, as always the children being adopted or being looked after go through years of therapy and counseling in order to adapt to their new families. With about 400 children in St. Louis eligible for adoption, finding a long lost relative is some of the greatest news one can hear. References BOSMAN, J. (2009, November 10). Report Says Foster System Keeps Children Too Long. //New York Times//. p. 28. Retrieved from EBSCO//host//..

This article mostly focuses on New York and goes over how the foster care agencies prevent children from being adopted, brought back home, or are constantly being moved. With thousands of children in New York under foster care, (more than 60% of children in New York are in foster care) the resources needed to keep in contact with families isn’t good enough to keep up with demands such as court dates (casework is often sloppy or incomplete). Another troubled system is the overburdened Family Court which takes too long to respond to cases and other duties. A partial solution offered in this article to these problems is to increase the number of judges in Family Court, take into consideration children who have been in foster care for more than two years, and to change foster care funding. Overall this article gives a good insight into the issues faced in busy foster care regions.

4/1/11

References Reilly, T. (2003). Transition from Care: Status and Outcomes of Youth Who Age Out of Foster Care. //Child Welfare//, 82(6), 727-746. Retrieved from EBSCO//host//.

Unlike the other articles that I have been reading, this article focuses on foster children that have grown out of foster care and the challenges that they face after ageing out of the system. Those who age out of foster care have a very slim chance of having a “normal life”. When leaving the foster care system, as many as 10% to 40% of youth were unemployed, and for those who did find a job had a hard time keeping their job. With 34% rate of graduation for foster youth, getting a higher education isn’t likely. Instead, studies have shown that youth who age out are likely to get involved in criminal activity, use drugs, and do other unlawful activity. Overall, by the time they leave the system, the chances of survival are slim and with multiple hard ships ahead.

3/28/11

References Peng, D., & Robins, P. K. (2010). Who should care for our kids? The effects of infant child care on early child development. //Journal of Children & Poverty//, 16(1), 1-45. doi:10.1080/10796120903575085

The article, “Who should care for our kids? The effects of infant child care on early child development”, focuses on how the first years of infants and children are important to their development. Even with this information, nearly 63% of children less than a year old are placed in some kind of foster care permanently or at months at a time. When studying the effects of development in childcare, researchers focus on three general areas, quality, quantity, and type of care. Even the research with infants is limited. Once again, in this article has found that boys are at higher risk of behavioral problems in the future than girls. References van IJzendoorn, M. H., Luijk, M. M., & Juffer, F. (2008). IQ of Children Growing Up in Children's Homes. //Merrill-Palmer Quarterly//, 54(3), 341-366. Retrieved from EBSCO//host//.

The article, “The IQ level of Children Growing Up in Children’s Homes”, explores children’s IQ levels raised in different child care programs. The article compares children in orphanages, family care, and adopted children. Studies found that those who were adopted at a young age have an average IQ level compared to orphaned children in foster care or in orphanages which have a much lower IQ level and even diagnosed as mentally retarded (this study was done in Lebanon).Interestingly enough, studies found that girls suffer less form the effects of child care than boys. Studies also found that children living in foster care can improve their development when they have enough toys to play with. Overall, when a child is raised in a well balanced family full of attention, that child will learn and benefit more than being neglected and abused.

References Pickert, K., & Shuster, S. (2010). When the Adopted Can't Adapt. //Time//, 175(25), 34-39. Retrieved from EBSCO//host//

This article focuses on “difficult” children being adopted and readopted that come from different countries, in this article specifically form Russia and Eastern Europe. In addition the article " When the Adopted can't Adapt" follows a family in New Jersey that have three adopted boys form Russia, all having psychological problems despite their normal appearance. According to the article, these children come form orphanages that have neglected children, abused or that have been virtually been left alone form a very young age. Many American parents that have adopted children from Eastern Europe feel cheated for not having been warned that their child would have psychological problems, which then results in the child being readopted to another family. These children also have very few medical records compared to orphans form Asia. It is important to have good social worker in order to avoid unintentionally adopting a difficult child and having to put that child up for adoption again. For those being put up for readopt ion, they usually do settle down with another family and get help.

3/23/11 Pecora, P. J., White, C., Jackson, L. J., & Wiggins, T. (2009). Mental health of current and former recipients of foster care: a review of recent studies in the USA. //Child & Family Social Work //, 14(2), 132-146. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2206.2009.00618.x

This article is a study done by Peter J. Pecura which focuses on the psychological problems that children under foster care confront. Issus involves anything from emotional, physical, mental and even sexual trauma. Not only do the children have Psychological problems, but are also slow in developmental problems (even to those compared with general developmental problems); this can be seen in children as young as five years old. A child’s trauma can start even before they enter the foster care system with their original family. Among adolescents, depression, and attention deficit /hyperactivity disorder were the most common conditions found (ADHD). Overall this article gave a great insight into the Psychological problems those children who are under foster care deal with. This article came with a variety of different graphs and tables to better demonstrate how abused children compare with foster kids. Not only did the article study children of different ages, but also of different races to see how they compare under the same or similar conditions.

3/11/11



While searching for articles to use for this project, I have come to appreciate the schools database more. With the school data bases, the information is more reliable and accessible. This is one of he issues the three articles talked about. Most students don’t know about the databases that they have access to and continue to just be internet sources. With access to school databases, students have newer information available when it comes out, and there are many more sources and articles available than on a regular internet search. Research projects aren’t only informative, but they also help the student in other areas, such as organization, timing, improvement in writing, a more worldly view of the world, and also give students a deeper insight into a topic. With the proper research skills, the benefits in a career are limitless. With the proper research skills communication, networking, and even transferring jobs are much easier. Overall there are endless benefits for obtaining the skills or proper research.

3/4/11



CON This article on IB focuses on how competitive programs, such as IB, can affect a students stress levels. “For students enrolled in academically rigorous college preparatory programs, such as the International Baccalaureate <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> (IB) <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">program  <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">, the amount of stress perceived may be greater than typical”. The article says how the IB program just adds unnecessary stress for students. IB students examined for this project showed 7 prime categories of stressors. While regular students show stress related to personal and parental issues, IB students demonstrate stress levels with academics, due to all the requirements of proficiency in the program. It is also shown in this article how IB students have a much more difficult time overall socially during transition. During the years of transition, from middle to high school, students need all the support they can get because of accumulated stress. Overall, this article expresses how stressful getting a good education can be.

PRO

The pros on the IB program was more challenging to look for, but this article gives the reader the necessary information to understand the IB program. This article covers the origins of the IB program and how it is used to further enhance a student’s education. The IB program was designed to accommodate children whose parents travel abroad often and are forced to move a way often. With the program, students can go any participating school around the world and still be learning the same things. As part of The International Baccalaureate pregame, students are not only encouraged to improve themselves academically, but to share a more universal and peaceful view of the world.

2/25/11

Power Point

2/23/11

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Nassaar Christopher’s article, ”, mostly consists of the ever present theme of child abuse throughout Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest”. “ The theme of the abused child is an undercurrent in several of Wilde's earlier works, buried deep below the surface at times but more prominent now and then”(Nassaar Christopher). One of the most common types of child abuse seen throughout Oscar Wilde’s works is abandonment and rejection of children. This is seen in Oscar’s earlier works, such as “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, and “The Young King”. In these works, children are abandoned by their biological parents and often rejected by them. The children in Wilde’s works are also beaten and live in unthinkable conditions, such as in “The Happy Prince”. The theme of child abuse in “The Importance of Being Earnest” appears as satire. The play mocks how Jack was lost by Miss Prism and toys on the word “earnest” and the characters reaction to it. Although a sensitive issue for people during the Victorian era, Wilde used “The Importance of Being Earnest” as a way to laugh at his earlier works based on the tragedies of child abuse. Besides the satire on child abuse, other themes are mocked within the play. The double lives of Jack and Algy are also a parody of Dorian Gray from his earlier work, “The Picture of Dorian Gray”. Other parodies within the play include Canon Chasuble’s desire for Miss Prism, just as Jakanaan in Salome, and Algy’s engagement with Cecily, just like in “Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime”. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Overall, “The Importance of Being Earnest” is a satire on the Victorian way of life. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"> Word Count: 275

//Rashkin, Esther. "Art as Symptom: A Portrait of Child Abuse in The Picture of Dorian Gray." Modern Philology 95.1 (August 1997): 68-80.// //Wilde, Oscar. "The Happy Prince." Complete Works. Glasgow: HarperCollins, 1994.// //-The Importance of Being Earnest. Complete Works. Glasgow: HarperCollins, 1994.// 12985134941298513494

2/14/11

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Gadiel, P. (2010, July 21). Stop the mosque. //USA Today//, p. 08A. Retrieved from http://ic.galegroup.com:80/ic/ovic/NewsDetailsPage/NewsDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=News&prodId=&action=2&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CA232237242&userGroupName=adamschs&jsid=ef3d0ae48e60d3dd20e4123aaaeadad1

“Stop the Mosque” is an article against the construction of this project. It goes on to say that this Mosque will be a celebration for Muslim terrorist attacks, “ <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">The proposed mosque near the site of the 9/11 mass murder is a continuation of Islam's violent history, which promotes destroying prior cultures and building on the ruins.” The writer believes that funds for the project are coming form terrorist groups such as Saudis. “ <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">Rauf -- who tells U.S. media that funds for this atrocity will be raised in the United States but tells London's Arabic newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that donations will also come from Arab and Islamic countries.” The author also comments on how the Muslim community should take the burden or blame for what occurred on 9/11, just as the German and Japanese community took responsibility for WW II. Upon finishing the article, one discovers that the writer was related to a victim of 9/11, which explains the anti-Mosque view.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Common sense for sacred ground; Moving the mosque serves the greater good. (2010, August 27). //Washington Times// [Washington, DC], p. B03. Retrieved from [|http://ic.galegroup.com:80/ic/ovic/NewsDetailsPage/NewsDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=News&prodId=&action=2&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CA235735330&userGroupName=adamschs&jsid=2342d106820ccf132dcd4aeec2602b51]

“Common sense for sacred ground; Moving the mosque serves the greater good”, takes a more logical stance on the issue. This article presents an understanding on both sides, expressing the freedom of religion that Americans have, and how the Muslim community has also been a victim as a result of terrorist attacks. One of the most fundamental points of this article is that the nation still needs time to heal form this tragic event and building the Mosque just two blocks away form Ground Zero is still too much to handle for many American. This is why the article encourages that the Mosque be moved to a different location, not because of anti-Islamic views, but for sensitivity and respect for the victims’ families.

2/11/11

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Interview with Leslie Ventura, student at Metropolitan State College

<span style="background: green; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Q <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">: What do you write about in college?

<span style="background: teal; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">A <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">: The professor gives you an assignment such as persuasive, informative, narrative, etc. But you can write about any topic you want, as long as you fulfill the requirements of the assignment.

<span style="background: green; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Q <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">: Do your professors encourage one type of format more than the other, such as MLA or APA?

<span style="background: teal; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">A <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">: It all depends, they try to encourage us to practice the format used in our careers.

<span style="background: green; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Q <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">: What resources do you use for a research project?

<span style="background: teal; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">A: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> Everything but Wikipedia. We are prohibited to use it because it is unreliable.

<span style="background: green; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Q <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">: How are research papers graded?

<span style="background: teal; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">A <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">: They are graded on everything: length, mechanics, professionalism, etc. Everything you can think of. Make sure it makes sense, professors get frustrated when essays are disorganized and when they don’t make sense.

<span style="background: green; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Q <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">: What do you think high school seniors should work on to prepare them for higher education?

<span style="background: teal; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">A: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;"> Practice using MLA and APA. Students are required to know both formats, if you don’t know you’ll be lost. Learn how to site your sources properly because there are serious consequences when you don’t site your resources. Practice proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Students expected to already know these things and are expected to be professional.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">SUMMERY

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">My interview with Leslie took some of the mystery away from college research papers. When writing a research paper, it is important to try and remain as professional as you can, which means that one must put to use all of their knowledge from high school because professors grade your assignment in great detail. When gathering information, it is wise to use all available resources except for Wikipedia because of its unreliability. Overall, students must be prepared and knowledgeable in order to succeed.

2/7/11--Are these your words, or did you cut and paste from the article? Showalter, E. (2003). Representing Ophelia: Women, Madness, and the Responsibilities of Feminist Criticism. In //EXPLORING Shakespeare//. Detroit: Gale. Retrieved from [|http://ic.galegroup.com:80/ic/suic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=Reference&prodId=SUIC&action=2&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CEJ2115515812&userGroupName=adamschs&jsid=dfd430190a239ea3807b21f903394511]

Elain Showalter’s essay on Ophelia focuses on the different aspects that actors take in interpreting Ophelia. To start off, Ophelia’s <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;"> erotomania behavior was perfectly normal for females during the Elizabethan era, and it was even considered fashionable for men at the time. The way that theatre depicts Ophelia has not only dramatically changed over the course of the years, but also society’s interpretation and fascination with Ophelia. Everything from her wardrobe and the varying degrees of Ophelia’s madness has changed over the years. Another important subject that Showalter touches is how Hamlet and Ophelia mirror each other, not only in madness but also in the Oedipus complex. Both characters share a growing affection to parental figures, they both go mad after the tragic death of their fathers and they have a tragic end. Showalter also writes about whether Ophelia is truly mad. Showalter states that if a doctor were to examine Ophelia, she would be “classified <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">seen in medical and biochemical terms, as schizophrenia”. Perhaps the most important thing that Showalter mentions is that the way people view Ophelia is always changing." There is no "true" <span style="color: red; font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">Ophelia <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;"> for whom feminist criticism must unambiguously speak, but perhaps only a Cubist <span style="color: red; font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;">Ophelia <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 140%;"> of multiple perspectives, more than the sum of all her parts.” This is an important aspect to take into consideration especially since Hamlet is one of the most performed plays, and the way the characters are interpreted always change to make a stronger connection with the audience.

1/28/11 I'm currently undecided, but I'll choose history and education I'll like to learn both, but I'll concentrate on APA
 * LIST OF POSSIBLE RESEARCH TOPICS:**
 * 1) Education in America
 * 2) The food industry (Food Inc.)
 * 3) Corperation in America
 * 4) Closed Countries such as North Korea
 * 5) Special Operations Forces Exhibition and Confrence
 * 6) How music downloads have affected the music industry
 * 7) Foster homes vs. orphanages
 * 8) Why females get paid less than males
 * 9) The effect of video games
 * 10) Gun controll
 * 11) Trafficking of women and children
 * 12) Medical Costs
 * 13) Refugees coiming to America
 * 14) Japanese Internment Camps during WWll
 * 15) Dangerous chemicals in cosmetics
 * POTENTIAL CAREER PATH:**
 * MODE OF RESEARCH JUSTIFICATION:**