Worldview

My life compared to others as well as how life here in the States compares to other countries of the world I feel can be grouped into one answer. Most of America seems to be in a comfortable, middle class range and I would consider me and my family to live in that category. We live a comfortable lifestyle and are blessed to have work, educational, religious, as well as social opportunities. 

I feel it is imperative to learn about life in other countries in order to understand how much we truly do have here and to somewhat give us a reality check to see that some of the situations and problems we think we have, in reality are not as bad as we think it is. Also, I feel that while learning about other countries and some problems and situations they face, we can learn from their mistakes in order to not do the same as well as hopefully some will learn to give a helping hand whether it be through donations, charity work, or trying to educate others. Also, not only can we learn what not to do but there are a multitude of positive aspects that I think we can learn from others, for example, China's community vs. individual gains mindset as well as their educational strategies and activities. 

This class has changed my worldview in that there are many things I learned about all the different countries we've studied such as social aspects, affects of religious beliefs and affiliations, social standards and family dynamics. It has changed my view in that my eyes have been opened and hopefully I'll be able to go abroad and help impoverished areas someday, or donate, or help teach and educate. As I've mentioned earlier, through learning about the dynamics of other countries, I've learned to be more appreciative of the presence, guidance, and impact of family and friends as well as educational opportunities, living standards as well as our financial state. Also, by learning some positive aspects from other countries such as some methods to attain educational gains, I hope to incorporate what I've learned into my lifestyle as well. 

Top 10 "I Understand" 
-I understand that family size, dynamics, and relationships affect the guidance and turnout of the children and other members involved. 
-I understand that peer relationships play an important role in children's lives as they spend a lot of time with peers and the opinions of friends weigh heavily on the individual. 
-I understand that living conditions and situations sometimes are unpleasant and unchangeable; however, it is up to the individual to make the most of what is available.
-I understand school environments vary but the purpose is to learn and implement what is learned into everyday life. 
-I understand parenting styles have no one right or wrong way, each method has their set of pros and cons.
-I understand the physical and nonphysical resources available have a place in the development of children. 
-I understand emotional support is vital to a child's environment and mindset. 
-I understand religion and culture have a large impact on development.
-I understand social status of the family impacts development.
-I understand body language plays a large part in the family because even newborns and toddlers can pick up on these nonverbal cues and sense change. Nonverbal communication is equally as important as verbal communication

School Experiences

I generally liked all the teachers I've had from preschool up until now. They have all been very helpful to me and have done their part in contributing to my education and growing up to be the individual I am today. Each and every one of my teachers and professors I've had taught me valuable lessons and tips to keep in mind. They have all exemplified living by example as all my teachers and professors have been good examples for me. I enjoyed all my teachers/professors and have been able to have friendly conversations with them. I was in good standing with all the professors as I never caused any trouble. I especially remember my 6th grade English and Literature teacher and history teacher as they were a big help to me as my dad was deployed to Kuwait for a year. They talked to me everyday to make sure I was okay and my English teacher even had the whole class write lettres and send them off to my dad. It was very sweet of them to do so and to make sure my brother and I were okay. Since my brother is 5 years younger than me and went to the same school pre-k to eighth grade as I did, I would bring him lunch at times and pick him up afterschool. This allowed me to visit some of my former teachers and keep in touch with them. It is very interesting to still be able to talk to your preschool teacher today.

My school I think differs from others as it was a private, catholic school whereas most of the other schools in my district were public schools. When it comes to teachers, I think all teachers, regardless of what school have the same purpose and goal in mind which is to educate children for they are the future as well as live their lives leading by example. Also, I attended public high school so having been able to experience both environments, I can say that teachers are the same regardless of the school environment, they are there for a particular purpose and I feel that they do an excellent job of carrying it out.

In comparison to other countries that we've studied, I feel very blessed to have had the school experiences that I've had. As discussed, some females in other countries are required to stay home and work on other duties instead of focusing on school. Also, as we've compared the US to other countries, it is clear that here in the US we spend a lot of money into our education system in order to make sure that students are benefitting and that the education system is being utilized properly. In other countries, we've learned that they do not put in as much money, effort, or care into their education system and the consequences of those actions show.

I would like to attend school or my children to attend school in another country in college years as a study abroad perspective but not to gain full education from another country. I am pleased with the school systems here in America and as we've learned about other countries throughout this class, I think it can be concluded that we are one of the few who spend a lot of money on our school systems and I would hope it continues that way in the future.

I understand child development varies globally.
I understand religion and culture possess a large impact on development
I understand family size and dynamics can greatly improve or cause tension in the development of children.
I understand the parenting styles each have their own pros and cons regarding child development
I understand environmental factors have an impact.
I understand the physical and non physical resources available have a place in the development of children.
I understand social status of the family impacts development.
I understand the method of education (private, public, homeschool) have their various results on development
I understand the surroundings/environment of children, even at a young age, have impacts later on in their development.
I understand the voices and words and the tone they are spoken in has impact on the child's development beginning from those voices heard even while in the womb.
I understand body language plays a large part in the family because even newborns and toddlers can pick up on these nonverbal cues and sense change.
I understand that children are not as fortunate to be able to enjoy playing outside or to enjoy and gain an education
I understand neighborhoods and relationships with those in it affect the development of children, not necessarily direct impact such as people you talk to or play with, but environment as well such as loud parties, and the consistency thereof. 

I understand that education & care at a young age impact each individual differently depending on the situation

I understand that there is no right/wrong answer to the above statement, that everyone has their own opinion and it's depending on what individuals make of their situations that matter. 

I understand that I as well as we here in the US are very lucky to have had the educational opportunities and experiences that we've had. 

School Experiences (Continued)

As a young child, as I've mentioned countless times, my grandparents (mom's parents) lived/continue to live with us today. During the day, before I was old enough to attend preschool, my grandparents cared for me while my parents were at work. I know at one point, my mom was able to have her schedule for weekends only so that she could stay home and care for me as well. Also, my dad worked night shift so he would spend most of the days with me. I'm not exactly sure how long or how often these schedules lasted but what I do recall is mostly my grandma taking care of me, so it must've just been when I was very young that my parents had these schedules.

My educational experience, I think I can say is different from the majority as I attended private school from preschool until eighth grade. Although preschool-eighth is 13 years of my life, there wasn't much "change" as it was a small school and you would see the same faces everyday for 13 years and the fact that we had to wear uniforms as well just added to that constant image. What I just mentioned is actually what I like most and least about my private school. Even though it was small, I liked that our class sizes weren't too big and unless someone moved, it really was the same people; because of this, friendships were really easily maintained as you've been with the same people ever since we were all toddlers. Also, because the school is small, teachers remember you and it really makes for an excellent support system knowing that students and teachers have known you since we were younger and have been with us and watched us grow up. To this day, I am still in contact with some of my teachers and know that I'm older, it is helpful for networking or other possible opportunities. 

I understand child development varies globally.
I understand religion and culture possess a large impact on development
I understand family size and dynamics can greatly improve or cause tension in the development of children.
I understand the parenting styles each have their own pros and cons regarding child development
I understand environmental factors have an impact.
I understand the physical and non physical resources available have a place in the development of children.
I understand social status of the family impacts development.
I understand the method of education (private, public, homeschool) have their various results on development
I understand the surroundings/environment of children, even at a young age, have impacts later on in their development.
I understand the voices and words and the tone they are spoken in has impact on the child's development beginning from those voices heard even while in the womb.
I understand body language plays a large part in the family because even newborns and toddlers can pick up on these nonverbal cues and sense change.
I understand that children are not as fortunate to be able to enjoy playing outside or to enjoy and gain an education
I understand neighborhoods and relationships with those in it affect the development of children, not necessarily direct impact such as people you talk to or play with, but environment as well such as loud parties, and the consistency thereof. 
I understand that education & care at a young age impact each individual differently depending on the situation
I understand that there is no right/wrong answer to the above statement, that everyone has their own opinion and it's depending on what individuals make of their situations that matter. 

Community (Continued)

Upon reading the question, "Would you like to live in another country?" My immediate response is yes, but when I think about it, I'm not exactly sure that I would. To visit another country, that is a definite yes; to live there for a year or less, there's a plausible possibility for me. However, anything longer than a year, truly living in another country, I don't think I would be able to do it. One factor  as to why I would not want to go anywhere else is due to the comfort, stability, and opportunity that is here. Going on a vacation to another place is enough of an adventure for me and I would not move unless it was truly, truly necessary. Along the same lines as opportunity and stability I mainly refer to career. Child Life Specialist is an up and coming career here, there is still much to be developed. In other countries, there is no idea really about what CLS is and it is not a specified career path. Career goes hand in hand with education as well, although education in other countries, particularly Asia, may prove to be reaping more benefits and successes, I still believe there to be more doors of opportunity here in the states. After all, those people who are receiving an education there seem to eventually end up here. 

My neighborhood and community compared to other neighborhoods and communities in the US seem to be fairly in the norm. There is only a small percentage of elite residential neighborhoods and communities and although there are a greater number of poor communities than wealthy, I still believe my family and I fall in the middle. Also, I believe there to be more urbanized areas vs. rural communities so that is why I think that we generally live in neighborhoods and communities similar to the majority of America. 

As compared to neighborhoods in other countries, I will compare it to the Philippines since that is what I know from visiting there every couple of years. The neighborhoods there are dirtier than our communities here. Also, there are a lot of people in a small area which is cause for congestion regardless of the day or hour. Here, we never usually have congestion in our neighborhoods, they are typically quiet and the large crowds of people are usually sitting on the highways during rush hour and not in the neighborhoods. One thing I notice there in the Philippines that I wish we were able to enjoy more here was the freedom to roam around and adventure with friends as kids. The number of children there skyrocket, they are always seen running around or playing outside and I think it is amazing and exciting that they get to receive some adventures such as that. 

I will leave my "I Understand" statements as they were last week as I have nothing to add or subtract from them. 
I understand child development varies globally.
I understand religion and culture possess a large impact on development
I understand family size and dynamics can greatly improve or cause tension in the development of children.
I understand the parenting styles each have their own pros and cons regarding child development
I understand environmental factors have an impact.
I understand the physical and non physical resources available have a place in the development of children.
I understand social status of the family impacts development.
I understand the method of education (private, public, homeschool) have their various results on development
I understand the surroundings/environment of children, even at a young age, have impacts later on in their development.
I understand the voices and words and the tone they are spoken in has impact on the child's development beginning from those voices heard even while in the womb.
I understand body language plays a large part in the family because even newborns and toddlers can pick up on these nonverbal cues and sense change.
I understand that children are not as fortunate to be able to enjoy playing outside or to enjoy and gain an education
I understand neighborhoods and relationships with those in it affect the development of children, not necessarily direct impact such as people you talk to or play with, but environment as well such as loud parties, and the consistency thereof. 

Community

My childhood neighborhood is still the same neighborhood that I live in today with my family. My neighborhood I think was pretty typical; it was a normal subdivision of houses that genrally looked similar to one another. We all had front yards, backyards, and an alleyway that led to our driveway and garage. The neighbors we had when I was a child are still the same neighbors we have today as well. We are all on good terms with one another and not only do we know the families to the left and right of us, but since there is a cul-de-sec in front of us, we know the family that lives in front of us as well. It is a nice neighborhood both during the day and at night. There have never been any noise problems and during the day the kids a little ways down the street go out and play.

What I like best about where I grew up is that there was never any trouble. All the kids who did go out and play, played nicely, their parents were outside watching them. Also, we were fortunate to never really have any troublesome teenagers who threw parties or anything in our neighborhood. I am very happy with the neighborhood and everything about it and I think the only thing I wish I had a little more of was a childhood neighbor/bestfriend kind of thing going on. One of those people you've "grown up with, knew since you were younger, always there for each other even as you grow older" but other than that, there was nothing I really disliked.

I did not interact too much with others in my neighborhood, but when I did, I interacted well. The neighbors to our left I interacted with the most since they have a daughter about my age, I used to hang out with her and since they had a son my brother's age, they would hang out as well. We didn't really hang out too often so we didn't keep in touch, but I would see them at school. The neighbors to the right had a son my age but we didn't really talk, just would see each other in school as well. A little down the road, was a classmate of mine that I carpooled with, so we interacted often until it came to high school and we no longer went to the same school. The neighbors in front of us had two children, a son and daughter and I was closer in age to the daughter. She was my swimming instructor and her dad was close to my dad so we interacted with them the most, even to this day; we've attended their family gatherings (weddings, birthdays, etc) as they have attended some of our occasions as well.

"I Understand" edited:

I understand child development varies globally.

I understand religion and culture possess a large impact on development

I understand family size and dynamics can greatly improve or cause tension in the development of children.

I understand the parenting styles each have their own pros and cons regarding child development

I understand environmental factors have an impact.

I understand the physical and non physical resources available have a place in the development of children.

I understand social status of the family impacts development.

I understand the method of education (private, public, homeschool) have their various results on development

I understand the surroundings/environment of children, even at a young age, have impacts later on in their development.

I understand the voices and words and the tone they are spoken in has impact on the child's development beginning from those voices heard even while in the womb.

I understand body language plays a large part in the family because even newborns and toddlers can pick up on these nonverbal cues and sense change.

I understand that children are not as fortunate to be able to enjoy playing outside or to enjoy and gain an education

I understand neighborhoods and relationships with those in it affect the development of children, not necessarily direct impact such as people you talk to or play with, but environment as well such as loud parties, and the consistency thereof. 

Childhood

My overall perception and feelings about my childhood are that of happiness and overall thinking that I had a pretty normal, really good childhood. To me, things were simpler back then as a child and I wish I had not been in such a rush to grow up, but every kid goes through that mentality and thought process about wanting to be an adult right away. I am happy with the way my memories are from my childhood regarding school, friendships, family relationships, and extracurricular activities that I had going on. 

I feel that both my parents and all of my family members have influenced me greatly growing up, but I believe those who have influenced me the most are most definitely my mom and dad. They have both been exceptionally good influences in my life. With my mom coming to the states in her young 20s from the Philippines and only $50 and a job, no place to live yet or anything, she truly demonstrated to me and my brother the definition of hard work, determination, and perseverance. I love the strength my mom displays and appreciate her being that example for us. My dad is very caring, genuine, strong yet reserved, which may not make sense but that's how I would describe him. My dad recently retired from the navy, but he demonstrated excellent leadership and standing ground. Both my parents influenced my personality, beliefs, and behavior in a multitude of ways. 

Obviously, back then, every child disagrees with what their parents are telling/lecturing to them about; however, you realize, hopefully, that your parents were right and that it was always for the good of the children, that is always the intentions they hold. Looking back, I agree with the decisions my parents made for me when I was a child. I understand and see that everything they have done has been for my benefit or my brother's. They have always put us first and make their decisions based upon what they feel would be the best for us. I do not disagree with anything my parents have done-I wouldn't be the person today if it wasn't for all those decisions made along the way. 

I believe my childhood is a little different compared to that of other children in the US. For one, as I've mentioned before, I have been very lucky, to have grown up with both sets of my grandparents, as well as uncles, aunts, and cousins in the area. With all of these influences, I had a lot of guidance and stability present throughout my childhood even through to today. I was lucky to never have needed to be placed in a day care center or after school program and I feel that has some influence on how I came to be who I am today. I'm not saying that those programs are bad, I don't want to come across that way-I am simply stating the facts of what I think growing up with other family around has done to impact who I am. 

My childhood compared to those of other countries I think vary in countless ways. For one, us here in the US have the pleasure of being able to play outside with neighbors or other kids without really needing to worry that much. I know that in other countries being outside is a very large threat and danger, moreso than it is here, and I see that kids are not able to experience what it is like to simply play outside and enjoy time with other children. Also, I feel that the fact that we have access to education here in the states makes our childhood different from many of those in other countries where they do not have the ability to become educated. 

In addition to my previous "I Understand" statements, I would like to add:
I understand that children are not as fortunate to be able to enjoy playing outside or to enjoy and gain an education

Self and Family

I would describe my family as very tight knit and not a typical family because nowadays it is not very common to be having grandparents live with the family anymore or for all of the aunts/uncles/cousins/other grandparents be only about 15-20 minutes away from each other. My family is very lucky to have the majority of the relatives in one area and we really places the emphasis on togetherness and care for one another and that's what the majority of our activities center around is our house and our family.

Growing up I had and continue to have a very good relationship with all of my family members. My family includes (my parents, one brother, and one set of grandparents living with us) about 15 minutes away are my aunts/uncles/cousin/and other set of grandparents (all dad's side), most of mom's siblings and all of my cousins on that side are in the Philippines. With that being said, when I was growing up I was and still am very close to all of my relatives here. I am on good terms with all of my relatives in the Philippines but it is hard to achieve the type of relationship that I have with my cousins here because I only get to go to the Philippines about every 3 years.

My family relationship are very important to me, I understand it is a cliche phrase but friends go and family is and always will be there for you. I have made sure to develop and continue healthy relationships with all of my family. First off, my grandparents' time here is limited and it is important to make the most of what time I have with them. My parents were the ones who raised me and it is important I always remember where I came from and to maintain that relationship. With my brother being my only sibling, he will be one of the only direct family I have as we grow older so it is important to ensure we have a good relationship to know that we can always count on one another. My family relationships are a vital part of my life and it is high on the priority list in regards to school, work, or other friends. If there were an issue with family and an issue with other friends the family would be first to attend to.

I am satisfied with the relationship I had and have with my family members. We make it a point to be open with one another and my dad is the one responsible for instilling that trait in all of us. He would always come to my brother and I and ask "do you have any CTCI, which means Challenges, thoughts, concerns, or issues" and that was just his way of showing us that he is curious about what is going on and that he is always there for us to talk to about anything. I appreciate his doing that and his reasoning is his parents were never there for him to talk to and he did not want the same for us. The open communication and the ability to enjoy each other's company problem free for the most part is what makes these relationships healthy, long lasting, and satisfying.

My family is different compared to those with my friends or classmates mainly because their grandparents do not live with them, or in the area for that matter. Most of my friends, their families are hours, states, or even countries away and do not have the ability to establish close relationships with them.

My family compared to other countries seems normal to me. Honestly speaking, apart from the United States it seems that most countries do take their grandparents in and live nearby to their other family members; for example, hispanics, some african americans, and definitely asian countries live and have their family structures this way.

Edited "I understand" list
I understand child development varies globally.
I understand religion and culture possess a large impact on development
I understand family size and dynamics can greatly improve or cause tension in the development of children.
I understand the parenting styles each have their own pros and cons regarding child development
I understand environmental factors have an impact.
I understand the physical and non physical resources available have a place in the development of children.
I understand social status of the family impacts development.
I understand the method of education (private, public, homeschool) have their various results on development
I understand the surroundings/environment of children, even at a young age, have impacts later on in their development.
I understand the voices and words and the tone they are spoken in has impact on the child's development beginning from those voices heard even while in the womb.
I understand body language plays a large part in the family because even newborns and toddlers can pick up on these nonverbal cues and sense change.