Final Project Poster Presentation Peggy Susan Biggers University of West Georgia

Final Thoughts: I took the guidelines of this project and as stated in the directions, I took the opportunity to use my own creativity. I began with a thematic approach as that has always been a successful strategy in my classroom. I have always loved the poem "The Chambered Nautilus" by Oliver Wendell Holmes and used it as a jumping off point. I wanted the entire project to have an ocean theme with the idea of life being a cycle and the ocean is the world we all navigate. Then I began to look at my life and the lives of the people I love to see how to best match the topics we explored in the course to the artifacts I wanted to include. Although the poster seemed to be too small and I had to discard some of my ideas in order to have an aesthetically pleasing presentation, I think I pulled it together. The girl with the pink dress on is wading into the ocean for the first time. This is an actual painting I did of my daughter's first steps into that huge ocean. I took a picture then printed it, cut it out, and placed it on the poster beside a poem called "What Shall We Give the Children." This poem is beautiful and has always meant so much to me as an educator. The right hand side of the poster is where I finally decided to put the poem by Holmes. I thought of the life of my aunt and found a tribute to her on the internet. She was an educator, a civic leader, and a wonderful lady. The right side of my poster project is dedicated to her life. Articles: 1) Fostering Resilience in Children, by Bonnie Benard Bernard, B. (1995). Fostering resilience in children. ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED423831, Retrieved from http://resilnet.uiuc.edu/library/benard95.html doi: EDO-PS-95-9 This article was included in connection with the topic of self-efficacy that was examined in Bandura's Social Learning Theory. The article discusses how relationships that convey high expectations for young people in classrooms and schools helps students believe in themselves and they are able to develop the traits of self-esteem, self-efficacy, and autonomy that are critical for resilience.

Books: 2) Letters with No Address, by Jovan Milner Mlinar, J. (1998). Letters with no address. Novi Sad: Daniel Print. This book was my choice to connect with Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development. The book is written by a janitor who was professor in another life. He and his wife were living in Croatia when the Serbians destroyed their home. His wife died in that conflict and he became a refuge. He and his daughter traveled and his son joined the war. He writes about the conflict he feels with society because was born Serbian. In Level III of Kohlberg's Post conventional Morality society is questioned. Jovan was certainly at this stage in his life when he began to question the social justice of the war he became a part of. Jovan's life was impacted, as well as the lives of his children by the atrocities of society. He still is struggling with this as well as the inability to learn the English language sufficiently in order to attain a higher position in American society. 3) Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd Kidd, S. (2003). The Secret life of bees. Penguin Group USA. Families as systems is the topic of this selection. The main character of this story is a young girl who has lost her mother at an early age. She does not form the attachment that is necessary for a secure childhood with her father and realizes later in the story that she does have that attachment with the woman who was brought in from the fields to take care of her. She finds a more nurturing environment in which she thrives in with a family of women who are black and explores the concept of love and how it crosses the boundaries that are set by society and individuals.

Poems: 4) What Shall We Give the Children, Author Unknown This poem is so meaningful to me as an educator, a mother, and human being. The message in the poem is beautifully crafted and gives the reader a list of traits and abilities that every child will need as well as the nurturing aspects that should be given. This sums up what we should be prepared to give the children we bring into this world, a nurturing environment. 5) The Chambered Nautilus, Oliver Wendell Holmes This poem focuses on the various stages of life and the importance of making progress by moving on because it focuses on the concept of sealing off one's previous boundaries to create new and larger spaces in which to live and develop. The poet relates a process of spiritual and personal progress and the need to keep moving and developing as one age, even if this means leaving old relationships behind. Personal Photos: 6) Anna's Ocean, copy of my original artwork This painting was included because it is the first time my daughter stepped into the ocean. I thought it symbolized the world ahead of her and the uncertain "waters" that she may navigate as she voyages through life's stages. It could also be an example of how she was able to explore and was secure in her attachment to me enough to wonder into the ocean without fear. 7) Jackson Scott, photo of my grandson I used this photo with the notion that he had changed family roles of his parents just be being born. He also changed my role. I now have to adjust to a new role that I'm not quite prepared considering I still have a daughter at home and am looking forward to a time of selfishness. As for his parents, they had to trade roles. His father is a stay-at-home dad and his mom is the breadwinner. Movies: 8) Juno, 2007 Moral development and teen sexuality come together in this film. How do families cope when a teenage girl becomes pregnant. This story has some very comic moments about the very real circumstances and gives the viewer a look at how life might unfold for all the parties involved. While many teens will opt to have an abortion, this film might have encouraged many to look at letting some caring adult adopt their un born child. The wonderful part about this film is that it didn't portray the boy involved as some kind of villain. I saw this film with several girls and had to sit on the other side of the theatre to save ourselves from the embarrassment of sitting next to one another. (Some of them were former students.) I was glad they had the chance to see it Songs: 9) I hope you Dance, by Lee Ann Womack This song is an example of self-actualization. In the conclusion of our text Maslow's theory of self-actualization is discussed and the fact that most people are so concerned with peer approval that they rarely develop to this stage. The song sounds like it is advice for a young person that includes never taking the path of least resistance or settling for less. 10) Unwritten, by Natasha Bedingfield I thought of Genie when I read the lyrics to this song. In the video we saw Genie struggle to make meaning out of her life by expressing it in words. In this song the lyrics say that "No one else can speak the words on your lips." It made me realize the power of words and language acquisition. Uncategorized 11) A tribute to the life span of an educator and a fine woman. I have to say this selection relates to everything we discussed in the life span development. The article included here was taken from Ancestry.com where the Haralson County Historical Society had published it. I thought maybe it relates to aging, death, and dying because of the impact her death made on the other family members. She held a strong role in our family and without her we have suffered. We were not immediately able to find a way to fill the void that she left and therefore we avoided getting together during the holidays. She was a fine educator and well respected for her role in the community. She was the mayor and took a position at the state level for the disabled veterans. She never had children but in her efforts as a teacher and her ability to be such a giving individual she has positively affected the lives of thousands.