STATEMENT OF INFORMED BELIEFS

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Statement of Informed Beliefs

Keelia Swafford

Dr. LueLinda Egbert

College of Southern Idaho

EDUC 204
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Children Learning Through Socialization

Socialization of a child is imperative not only for the child's learning in school and academics but

also in order to become a functioning member of society. Socialization is what makes children

understand the social rules and "norms" in the society they live in, develop their own autonomy,

and realize the sets of cultural and physical expectations they face as a human being in society.

Socialization is different for every single person. There are several different methods and agents

of socialization discussed in our readings. Children are socialized by many factors, not just their

parents.

One thing the reading stressed was the idea of the systems- microsystems, mesosystems,

exosystems, and macrosystems. All of these systems contribute to the socialization of a child,

particularly because of their influences. Microsystems, like the child's family or close friends,

have a major impact on the socialization of a child because they have vast influence on a child.

Mesosystems involve the people within the microsystems, such as the child's family and friends

interacting with one another. Exosystems are things that are external from the child but still have

an influence on socialization, like the parent's jobs. Finally, macrosystems are also external

things that inherently influence socialization: laws and government. Laws put in place affect

children as they grow up because they are conditioned to follow them, and conditioned to dislike

rule breakers. Almost everything and anything can contribute to the socialization of a child,

whether it be small and specific or vast and vague.

Berns, R.M. (2013). Child, family, school, community: Socialization and support. (10th ed.).

Belmont, CA: Thompson Learning, Inc.

Equitable Education
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As a teacher, it is important to understand the backgrounds of your students in order

to ensure that they are recieving an equitable education. Understanding where your students

come from, both ethnically and socio-economically can help you provide the learning

environment and the assitance needed in order for them to succeed as best they can. A student's

ethnicity and SES affects the socialization and development which can affect their performance

in education. Some students will come from backgrounds that foster and value education and

some students will come from backgrounds where they are more focused on surviving than their

children's education. Families experiencing some sort of trauma, like divorce or death, is also

going to impact the student in their learning environment even if they are stellar students.

A large way that teachers can help improve and provide equitable education is

through intervention. It can be group intervention or one on one intervention depending on what

the student needs. If a student is at risk of falling behind, group intervention can be exactly what

is needed in order to get them back on their feet. Another way that teachers can provide equitable

education is incorportating different teaching styles, such as visual and nonlinguistic learning.

Teachers can provide equitable education to people with learning disabilities by offering flexible

classrooms that have various different seating styles, as well as allowing fidgeting and fidget

toys. As teachers, it's important to understand and value diversity in all forms and provide

accordingly.

Equality of Education means that it guarantees a worthwhile education to every student

regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and socio-economic status. An equitable

learning environment can be provided to students of different backgrounds by including different

teaching styles, different seating, providing interventions when needed, and helping with

different resources.
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A student's family life can affect their ability to learn in a multitude of ways. If the family is

experiencing some sort of trauma, such as a death or a divorce, it can make it really difficult for

the student to pay attention in school since their focus is elsewhere. As well, some students will

have parents who are heavily involved in their schoolwork and heavily encourage schooling

while other students will have parents who don't care about school and their focus is elsewhere.

The knowledge and abilities I now have are going to help me in a multitude of ways. I know that

I am going to offer many different methods of teaching in order to encompass linguistic and non-

linguistic learning because students learn in a multitude of ways. I am also more aware of how

much of an impact I will have on my students in regards to learning and even socialization.

Many effective teachers use diverse teaching methods to benefit the diverse student body and

provide equitable education. Effective teachers also tend to have intervention, whether it is group

intervention or one-on-one intervention. After school programs and intervention can both be

beneficial to students in multiple ways. Not only does it help them academically, it helps them

socially as they are with their peers and are able to develop friendships.

Keelia Swafford

I had several different "Aha" moments this semester. The first one was when we first began

reading Nurture Shock and it was the chapter discussing how "smart" kids give up easily when

presented with something that they don't immediately understand and how children should be

applauded for their efforts rather than simply told, "you're so smart". I saw that reflected in the

school I went to and how everyone would so easily give up when presented with a challenge.
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Another moment I had was when we were first introduced to the idea of socialization and all that

goes into it. I didn't realize just how drastic the impact that our friends, family, peers, schools,

and community have on us as people in a society.

My last moment would have to be another section from Nurture Shock, specifically, the chapter

talking about the importance sleep has on learning and how it affects us cognitively. I definitely

find it easier to pay attention in class and do my homework when I am well-rested compared to

when I only get five or six hours of sleep. It really put into perspective just how much sleep

affects us and it was a wake-up call for me to take better care of myself.