reflective essay

Sarah High     

SEGL 102

Tasha Thomas

29 April 2013                                                                                       

Reflecting Through English 102

            In the beginning of the semester I felt very confident on my abilities to deliver each task at hand.  However, as the semester continued I quickly realized this was going to be more difficult than what originally thought.  Although this semester has been very stressful and time consuming, I can honestly say it has been very rewarding.  Through Mrs. Thomas’ teaching methods, not only did she help relieve some of the stress this semester brought, but her assignments also helped guide me on how to be a more critical reader, thinker, and writer.  Researching credible sources, analyzing, and developing and identifying thesis statements have all become clearer.  I have always been interested in writing, but being exposed to various types of writing and learning better approaches this semester have encouraged me to develop a love for writing, especially research papers.  Because of this class, I now feel well prepared for writing papers in future classes; therefore, I feel more prepared for academic success. 

            Transitioning within my essays has been a struggle since the beginning of the first semester, and I made it a point to really work on them this semester.  With the help of the books They Say, I Say and The Norton Field Guide to Writing, enabled me to follow through with this goal.  Because Mrs. Thomas assigned readings from these books, and I had them to reference back to, writing the papers were less complicated.  Along with They Say, I Say and the many examples given in class, my transitions have improved greatly.  However, I still feel they need to be a bit stronger, and will continue with this. 

            Having The Norton Field Guide to Writing and reading assignments throughout for each paper, along with the explanations given in class, allowed me to develop into a more critical reader and writer.  I am now able to distinguish the various meanings authors use in their literature, and analyzing what I read seems to come natural now.  I am able to use my newly developed critical reading skills for my own writing.  Not only has this helped me in understanding what I want included, but exactly what I want and how to say it.  I now take the time to reread and analyze what I write for any changes.    

            Being a technology intensive course and using the many digital tools, allowed me to think beyond just writing academic papers, and helped me to understand there is more to literature than just words.  I find it to be beneficial submitting everything through blackboard and via blogs.  This helps keep all of the assignments well organized, and the feedback from each paper is right there to help with future papers.  Although every assignment was posted to the blog, it seems like they weren’t concentrating on their purpose.  The blogs weren’t active within other class members unless to do the peer reviews, and it was always the same classmate.  I read what I saw posted to the blog, but never commented.  Because I find it to be beneficial reading opinions about my work from others, I should have engaged more with the blogs as well. Despite not communicating enough through the blogs, I still find them of help.  I am able to see how others format their papers and use language, but would have liked to get opinions from more classmates in order to see how they view my work as well.

            One assignment I found very interesting was participating in groups while working with Haiku Deck on the iPad.  This was one assignment that encouraged me to become a more critical thinker.  Because of this, I understand that with the use of pictures and a few words, you can get the same meaning across as if using a thousand words.    Being able to connect pictures to the article about early child education not only helped me understand how to pull out the main points in articles, but also think more in depth about what the true meaning of the article was.

            I had never discovered a podcast until the class was introduced to them.  I enjoyed working with the podcasts in groups, and now find them very interesting.  There is a lot of fascinating material on podcasts that I didn’t realize I was missing out on.  With this assignment being linked to the rhetorical analysis, which is one of my favorite papers, helped me to understand the value of rhetoric in literature.  Between English 101 and 102, I now know what rhetorical devices are and how to spot and use them within my own papers.  I have certainly learned that rhetoric is a fundamental aspect in literature.

                Although I have come a long way with writing, the feedback given on each paper

 mentioned working on being concise.  I am not sure where to start on correcting this, but is 

something I will continue to work on.  Overall this class has encouraged me to open up and given me 

a better understanding about writing.  I have discovered a lot about who I am, not only a writer but as 

an individual, because of the experiences within this class.  I use to not be a reader, but I now enjoy 

reading books and articles.  Every bit of information taught in English 102 will follow with me as I 

continue to work on my writing skills.  As a whole, I can honestly say this class has been a joy, and I 

take with me a love for writing, reading, and understanding

Digital tool: facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/HopeForHomelessStudents

Self reflection: Essay 4 Proposal

 Self Reflection: Essay 4 Proposal

1.       What were your biggest challenges in researching and writing your Proposal?

With researching and writing my proposal I had difficulty deciding which material to use, and where to insert the material I did decide to use.  I was also challenged with the organizational pattern, and how to tie the introduction story throughout my paper.  I had to go back and rearrange a major amount of my paper, and several times before I decided it worked in the order it is in now.  The conclusion also gave me a problem.  I wasn’t sure the best way to end my proposal.  I am still not sure if I concluded it the best possible way.   

2.      What do you feel is the best element of your final proposal?

                        I feel the best element of my final proposal is my own voice throughout the paper.  I gave an abundant amount of my own opinions, and feel the solutions I proposed would really work towards ending homelessness.

3.      What do you feel is the weakest element of your final proposal?

            The weakest element in my final proposal to me is the research that I included throughout.  I could have included more research, and should not have relied so much on the one resource.  Although I used eight resources, I did rely heavily on the Murphy and Tobin.

4.      What could you have done differently to improve your overall performance with both the Literature Review and the Proposal?

            In both my Literature Review and Proposal, I could have elaborated more in some sections, and worked on being more concise.  In the last section of my proposal, I have great ideas, but wasn’t sure where else to go with it.  I could have taken more time to elaborate in the section about the homeless shelters.

Essay 4 Proposal

Sarah High

Mrs. Thomas

SEGL 102

21 April 2013

Shielding Homeless Children from a Frail Future

            Imagine little eight year old Elizabeth coming home from school to find every possession that is dear to her sitting on the street corner.  With tears in her eyes she questions her mom, “Why?”  The only response is “We just can’t live here anymore.”  Because Elizabeth and her family are not financially stable, they are forced to leave their home with only some clothing, a few toys, and pictures, with nowhere to stay.  Some nights they are lucky enough to stay in an overly crowded shelter, sleeping on cots, other nights they have to sleep in the car with all of their belongings.  They have to take showers at the local truck stop, and eat dinner at the local soup kitchen, that is if they aren’t waiting in line to enter the shelter.  Some days little eight-year old Elizabeth goes hungry, other days she goes un-bathed.  She only has her fretful parents there to comfort her, but they seem too anxious to realize her pain.  Elizabeth use to be a social butterfly, but now she is ill-fated and full of sorrow.  Through all of this, Elizabeth’s parents expect her to concentrate in school, and her teachers expect her to complete her homework.  Can you picture this famished girl struggling to concentrate on her multiplication tables because of the lifestyle she now has to live?                

            Millions of individuals are put into situations just like Elizabeth’s a year.  According to the article “Student’s Without Homes” by Vicky Dill, between 1.4 and 1.5 million children are left homeless yearly.  Because of the harsh conditions homeless children have to encounter, they experience severe and permanent barriers which make it difficult for them to concentrate on school.  Reporters state homeless children struggle in school with grades, behavior, attendance, and test scores, which could result in high retention and dropout rates (Miller).  This shapes their entire life, possibly giving them an undeserved outcome. 

            There are many agencies and programs such as, the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth, the National Coalition for the Homeless, and the United States Government who focus on raising awareness towards the homeless and finding them essential resources.  President Obama’s plan through the USICH has fifty-two strategies in place which envisions ending homelessness by the year 2020.  The McKinney-Vento Act is one resource the Government has put into place since 1987, and is one of the few who works closely with homeless students to help relieve some of the barriers they face.  For homeless children to succeed in their education and have an optimistic future, many of the resources need to collaborate.  The government needs to increase the budget for homeless resources, including towards the McKinney-Vento Act, the Education Board should assemble learning materials for those who relocate and need tutoring, along with providing other resources.  In addition, homeless shelters should include a support system that focuses on the children and their emotional needs, and have a quiet space for homework concentration.

What is the United States Government’s responsibility within the school system?

            In 1987 the Federal Government first realized how being homeless affects children and their education, and presented the first law to remove some barriers these children face.  This mainly focused on the transportation and enrollment issues, which provides all homeless children transportation to their school of origin, and allows enrollment to those who are missing important documents (Hendricks).  Ensuring children have this was thought to boost attendance and allow children to keep their connections amongst their peers.  The Act was revised in the 1990’s and again in 2001(Dill).  The McKinney-Vento Act also mandated every school district in the country to appoint a homeless liaison, who educates the schools on identifying homeless students and provides resources these students need (Anderson). 

            The article “Necessary, but not sufficient: The McKinney-Vento Act and Academic Achievement in North Carolina,” written by George Hendricks and William Barkley, focused on a study comparing schools who received the MCKV sub grants to those who did not, and whether those who did achieved higher test scores.  This study concluded that the MCKV funds did not improve homeless students test scores.  Hendricks and Barkley suggest that, “more resources for the MCKV would probably help to make the MCKV more effective” and “the MCKV the way it is currently structured provides little training or preparation for social workers, counselors, and teachers to help them address the special needs of homeless students.”  Likewise,   the Homeless Liaison for Spartanburg County School District Seven, Richard Andrews said that the budget he is given only allows him to provide homeless students with certain resources, such as school supplies, clothing, tutoring, and transportation to school.  He also said some school districts cannot provide needed transportation for homeless students in outside districts, because the budget does not allow it.  The allowed budget becomes a problem because the McKinney-Vento Act was placed by the Government to remove barriers homeless children face towards their education.  In order for all schools to provide essential resources towards removing the barriers, each one should be given one-half more of their current budget. 

            The extra funds should not only include the current resources allowed for the children, but also added weekly counseling for the students and bi-weekly session for the families.  Setting up a support group amongst homeless families will give them a chance to make needed connections with others (Murphy and Tobin).  In addition, this will find ways for teacher and parental communication to be strengthened, which allows parents to remain focused on their children’s education instead of being completely distracted by the overwhelming situation.  Gargiulo is quoted by Murphy and Tobin that “meeting basic survival needs may limit significant school involvement and participation.”  Therefore, allowing the MCKV to educate the parents on the children’s rights and how to advocate for them will remove some of the parental stress.

            The MCKV should also include resources for teachers and counselors.  Because many homeless students are mobile this puts a strain on the teachers.  Therefore, incorporating a statewide teacher conference for addressing techniques on how to help homeless students inside the classroom would be beneficial.  One preparation tool for enhancing their education would be for teachers to distribute a book which contains descriptive information and lessons done throughout the year.  The homeless students could take this with them and complete work when not able to attend school.  This allows children to remain on task with school work, at the same time relieving the teachers from the added stress of catching them up on classwork. 

            In the article “Answering the Call: Facilitating Responsive Services for Students Experiencing Homelessness,” by Grothaus et al, describes an agency call Hot Meals & Homework.  This program offers weekly tutoring sessions in subjects homeless students are struggling in.  For 90 to 120 minutes these students are paired with a volunteer who assists in helping with homework, and has them engaged in educational games.  Transportation is provided, and when they leave, given a hot meal donated by a local restaurant.  Since this program is in the process of purchasing a commercial curriculum for standardized content, I propose the McKinney-Vento Act supply the agency with the materials, provided they take part in every school in America.  Being able to participate in such a program would give homeless students an opportunity to not only raise their GPA, but also make connections with other homeless students.

            The McKinney-Vento Act plays a crucial part in helping homeless students with their education.  However, if it included more than what is currently allowed Elizabeth would not be entirely distracted by her situation.  She would be allowed time in a school setting to complete schoolwork, counseling to talk about her feelings, which could potentially avoid a mental disorder, and involve her parents in her school experience.  Overall she would have a chance at succeeding in her education; in return, have a productive future.    

 The Government Getting the Homeless Community as a Whole Back on Their Feet                

            An acceptable solution to ensure educational success amongst homeless students would be to concentrate on homelessness overall.  To adequately do so, by first increasing the Federal budget for addressing poverty, the need for low-income housing, and providing social services would decrease the possibilities of being homeless (Murphy and Tobin, p 154).  Because many individuals become homeless as a result of job losses, part of addressing poverty includes job and school training.  In “Opening Doors, Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness” by the USICH says that “In order to be self-supporting and avoid homelessness, people need employment.  Employment is dependent on education.”

            Those homeless individuals seeking higher education, job readiness training, or skill development would be offered a guaranteed grant through Vocational Rehabilitation Services that covers all expenses, including books, supplies, clothing, transportation, and childcare. Persons going to job training would be required to attend six months of intense instruction that focuses on areas of experience.  The Federal Government should offer a tax decrease to businesses who hire individuals coming out of the training, and in return those at stake have prospects for employment.  While enrolled in this program they would have weekly to bi-weekly contact with a caseworker to ensure all goals are being met.  They will also be obligated to attend counseling and mental health screenings through area Mental Health Centers to focus on any substance abuse, parent support, depression, or anxiety, and be required to continue services for at least five years after establishing a permanent residence. 

            According to Murphy and Tobin in Homelessness comes to School,  many systems already require participation in mental health programs, however they also acknowledge countless homeless citizens being preoccupied and overwhelmed with basic survival needs.  Therefore they may decline participation, even if it means risking shelter.  Because of this arranging methods to alleviate key stressors would prove to enhance individual success, allowing them to concentrate on self-composure.  Such stressors include making sure nutrition and health care needs are being met, shelter and work are located, and education for their children is being met.  Federal agencies should make sure there are resources easily available to relieve some of the stress, allowing homeless persons to concentrate on improving their status.  This also allows the homeless parents to give more concentration on their children and their education.  At the same time removing the barriers these children face which prohibits everyday learning exercises.             

            Since transportation and childcare are difficult for homeless families to attain, the Vocational Rehabilitation caseworker would include a thirty dollar voucher for gas a week, as well as a specialized identification card used for free public transportation.  The NCFH is quoted by Murphy and Tobin that “Childcare is a significant expense for all working families and it may become a barrier to work for families who are homeless.”  For this many counties in the United States already provide free childcare to families for up to fifteen months upon leaving a shelter (178).  I propose every state require early childcare centers to offer free childcare to homeless children, and up to five years after leaving any homeless situation.  Since the centers won’t have any income coming in from those families, they will be allowed a tax break on all homeless children attending, as well as federal food grants.  Within the five years after completing the program through Vocational Rehabilitation Services, the families will meet monthly with a caseworker to validate employment or education.  This gives families ample time to ensure financial and mental health security, while giving the children a suitable early childhood education.  This includes developing friendships, and a proper balanced diet.  If Elizabeth and her family were offered resources like these, her family would not only be able to escape homelessness, but she could concentrate on her education and being a child.  

            The USICH reports passing the Health Reform will give every individual who is or is at risk for homelessness eligibility for Medicaid by 2014, and TANF assistance would address supporting nutritional needs.  Having this means improved health overall for the homeless population.  All families are eligible based on financial hardship; however, the homeless and those families facing poverty are at a greater need for these services, and for considerably longer periods of time.  When income improves slightly those benefits are reduced or eradicated completely.  This has families suddenly adjusting their new income causing stress amongst them, with no improvements toward homelessness.  Instead of unexpectedly removing all benefits, I propose this be a gradual process, which allows six months of consistent work and permanent residency before removal, then a decreasing of 10% at a time.  This enables them to get accustomed to their financial adjustment, while improving the rates for falling back into homelessness.

            Some researchers believe that traumas, including physical and mental health problems, caused by homelessness would decrease or be alleviated by permanent residency.  One issue preventing many families from receiving housing assistance is defining true homelessness.  HUD has one definition that does not include those who are in doubled up situations or residing in motels and Education Boards consider a much more vast community.  In order for individuals to receive equal rights to public housing, the Federal Government should first define homelessness according to the McKinney-Vento Act’s definition, and all organizations dealing with homeless individuals must be required to document according to that definition (Murphy and Tobin, 180). 

            The USICH reports that President Obama’s FY2011 budget for the Recovery Act, which partially focuses on housing homeless persons, has HUD, HHS, and the Education system working together to provide more than six-thousand vouchers for rental assistance for those families facing homelessness.  Because homeless children like Elizabeth are confronted with personal losses and unpleasant and traumatic conditions that cause them to suffer from psychological and lasting emotional damages, their educational experiences are being negatively affected (Dill).  Because of this, families who are already living in homeless situations like Elizabeth should be offered priority to receive those housing vouchers.  Local housing and service systems must be strengthened in order to move quickly and effectively in providing housing and other assistance to all who need it.  The quicker families are removed from these situations, the better chance the children have at a successful future.

Homeless Shelters Being More than Just a Roof

            Homeless shelters can prove to be more than just a roof and a bed for homeless families by taking measures to lessen the educational obstacles students face.  According to Diana DeMont in “Overcoming Educational Disadvantage:  Shelter Initiatives for Homeless Children,” only a small number of homeless shelters implemented additional educational related programs for homeless children.  Through her research, she found that such programs prove to be effective in that there were less explosions, suspensions, and greater academic successes.  All homeless shelters should provide the students with such additions as tutoring, a quiet place to concentrate on homework, and a support system that concentrates on their emotional and behavioral needs.  This could include weekly volunteers who take the children out for exciting activities or bringing dance or karate lessons into the shelter.  Bringing in volunteer therapists to involve the children in play, group, or family therapy will help address their emotional and behavior health.  These types of programs will aid in helping to distract the children from the situation.  Therefore, they will be able to concentrate more on their education.       

Conclusion    

            Although these changes would require added funds and a decrease in paid taxes, it is an investment that will reduce future spending of Government services (Murphy and Tobin, 157).  By the Government addressing poverty throughout the community and increasing the McKinney-Vento Act, as well as homeless shelters including a support system for children, homelessness will be solved or dramatically reduced.  Mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety would also be decreased, which gives America as a whole better potential.  Children like Elizabeth wouldn’t exist if all homeless persons were involved with such programs.  Homeless children would have a chance at a significantly brighter future, and the children involved would thrive to succeed.  All children like Elizabeth would be able to learn peacefully, and look forward to their life to come.  All current homeless students would get a chance to have an equal opportunity in their education if they were not forced to live with the many barriers homelessness brings.  Because homelessness brings an abundant amount of downfalls for children and their families, it is imperative the Government joins forces with others in order to save the children and secure the future of America.

Works Cited

Andrews, Rich. Telephone interview. Mar. 2013.

DeMont, Diana. “Overcoming Education Disadvantage: Shelter Initiatives for Homeless Children.” Undergraduate Review. 8. 26-32. 2012. Web. 16 Mar. 2013.

Dill, Vicky S. "Students Without Homes." Educational Leadership 68.3 (2010): 43-47. Academic Search Complete. Web. 5 Mar. 2013.

Grothaus, Tim et al. "Answering The Call: Facilitating Responsive Services For Students Experiencing Homelessness." Professional School Counseling 14.3 (2011): 191-201. Academic Search Complete. Web. 5 Mar. 2013.

Hendricks, George, and William Barkley. "Necessary, But Not Sufficient: The Mckinney-Vento Act and Academic Achievement in North Carolina." Children & Schools 34.3 (2012): 179-185. Academic Search Complete. Web. 6 Mar. 2013.

Miller, Peter M. "A Critical Analysis of the Research on Student Homelessness." Review of Educational Research 81.3 (2011): 308-337. Academic Search Complete. Web. 5 Mar. 2013.

Murphy, Joseph, and Kerri Tobin. Homelessness Comes to School. Thousand Oaks: Corwin, 2011. Print.

Open Doors. “Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness.” United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. 2010. Web. 18 Mar. 2013.