Chely+Jimenez

Table of Contents

1)SMART GOALS

2)Action Plan 3)Journal entries

4)Disability Research

5)Reflection Essay

SMART GOALS

S pecific- I wanted to give the children the opportunity to do something different, like painting, and improve their behavior.

M easurable- When we feel that they are cooperating in the class, and reminding their peers of the rules.

A chievable- I do believe that my goal is achievable. Though it is going to be hard in the beginning, but I am willing to do all my best to achieve my goal.

R ealistic- My goal is realistic. I am not the only one working on this project, there are another 3 girls that will help us with the language barrier and to teach the kids.

T imely- I am hoping to see some improvements after about 4 months or by the end of the year.

Action Plan

TARGET PROBLEM: lack of creativity and unruly behavior

TARGET GROUP: Kids ages 4-9 years old

PROJECT TITLE: Art Center in Moqattam

GOALS:


 * Smart goal 1: Have them respect eachother.
 * Smart goal 2: develop creativity.
 * Smart Goal 3: Make them draw their own picture without copying each other.

OBSTACLES:


 * Language barriers
 * Too many kids
 * Children not listening or not following rules
 * Distractions
 * Boring activities
 * School work

TASKS:


 * Prepare good lessons for each class
 * Teach them basic art techniques
 * Set rules and enforce them in every class
 * Be a positive role model so that they learn how to behave properly.

Journal entries
 * __ Journal 1: January 2012 __**

When I had my first encounter with the kids, I was very overwhelmed, but at the same time excited. They do not speak English, so I knew that I was going to be struggling. Thankfully, we have three girls that speak fluent English, French and Arabic to help us out. For our first project with the kids, we had a little “welcome back” party and had them draw their favorite animal. Overall it was good, and I really enjoyed being with the kids.


 * __ Journal 2: February 2012 __**

Today, a lot of kids showed up, this time, I really got to experience their behavior. They were banging and shouting and I decided that I had to really reinforce the rules. The project today was to make a mural. Everybody had to color a pattern that we gave them and at the end we stuck them together and it created a mural. It looked more of like a mosaic to me. This is definitely one of my favorite projects.


 * __ Journal 3: April 2012 __**

Today was a crazy day. At least 20 kids showed up and we did not have space for all of them, so some of the children didn’t get to attend the lesson. Also, something interesting happened, boys that were 15-16 years old wanted to be in the class, but we didn’t let them in. Today I really got to see the conditions that these kids live in. We went around the room and asked each one of them about what they wanted to be in the future. Some said doctors, polices, and firemen, but two of the kids said that they thought they were never going to do that because they do not have enough resources to go to university. Another boy said that he wanted to be like his dad and work in Garbage City collecting the recycle materials. This made me think of how much they actually like being there. It touched me because he is happy with his lifestyle, even if it is not the best one, while other people, who have everything in their lives are unhappy.


 * __ Journal 4: April 2012 __**

Today was one of the girl’s birthday. We decided we would draw a birthday cake and everybody decorated it with tiny pieces of colored paper. Then, we sang happy birthday, and you could see in the girl’s eyes that she was very happy. One thing that really shocked me and surprised me today was that they are starting to behave a lot better since we first met, there are still sometimes when they are very unruly, but not as much, and it is easier to handle. When the lesson was finished, we had some snacks and went home.


 * __ Journal 5: April 2012 __**

For some reason, not a lot of kids showed up today, but it wasn’t a bad thing because they are easier to handle. The project today was making a sun out of recycled paper. I wanted to create a project using what is around them. I wanted to show them what they could do with a paper plate and how much fun it is. At first we had some trouble explaining what they had to do, but once they got it there was no problem. It was very simple, and it really developed their creativity because they could add whatever they wanted to it. I was impressed with some of the results, and while some of the kids still need help coloring, and cutting, others have become really good at it. Also I have been learning some words in Arabic that the kids have been teaching me, it is a lot of fun because when I repeat after them, it makes them laugh.


 * __ Journal 6: May 2012 __**

Today was kind of a sad day. We had a “good-bye” party because this was my last day at the center. For our last project I had them draw whatever they wanted to and we had music and snacks. Overall, I think this has been an amazing experience. I have seen a lot of improvement in the kids in terms of their behavior which is what I want them to change, be more polite and respect each other. Their creativity also improved a lot, because at the beginning they were copying one another’s drawings and that was not the point of it, and today they made their own drawings!. I really enjoyed working in this project, and I hope I can come back later. Disability Research =** Down Syndrome **=

=
Down syndrome is a genetic disorder that occurs in approximately 1 of 800 live births. It is the leading cause of cognitive impairment. Down syndrome is associated with mild to moderate learning disabilities, developmental delays, characteristic facial features, and low muscle tone in early childhood. Many individuals with Down syndrome also have heart defects, leukemia, early-on Alzheimer’s disease, gastro-intestinal problems, and other health issues. The symptoms of Down syndrome range from mild to severe. =====

Down syndrome is named after Doctor Langdon Down, who in 1866 first described the syndrome as a disorder. Although Doctor Down made some important observations about Down syndrome, he did not correctly identify what causes the disorder. It wasn't until 1959 that scientists discovered the genetic origin of Down syndrome.

Down syndrome occurs because of an abnormality characterized by an extra copy of genetic material on all or part of the 21st chromosome. Every cell in the body contains genes that are grouped along chromosomes in the cell’s nucleus or center. There are normally 46 chromosomes in each cell, 23 inherited from your mother and 23 from your father. When some or all of a person’s cells have an extra full or partial copy of chromosome 21, the result is Down syndrome. Down syndrome is typically caused by what is called non-disjunction. If a pair of number 21 chromosomes fails to separate during the formation of an egg (or sperm), this is referred to as non-disjunction. When that egg unites with a normal sperm to form an embryo, that embryo ends up with three copies of chromosome 21 instead of the normal two. The extra chromosome is then copied in every cell of the baby’s body. Non-disjunction events seem to occur more frequently in older women. This may explain why the risk of having a baby with Down syndrome is greater among mothers age 35 and older.
 * Causes: **

Symptoms is really a misnomer. People have Down syndrome and their characteristics. Despite the variability in Down syndrome, individuals with Down syndrome have a widely recognized characteristic appearance. Typical facial features include a flattened nose, small mouth, protruding tongue, small ears, and upward slanting eyes. The inner corner of the eyes may have a rounded fold of skin. The hands are short and broad with short fingers, and may have a single palmar crease. White spots on the colored part of the eye called Brushfield spots may be present. Babies with Down syndrome often have decreased muscle tone at birth. Normal growth and development is usually delayed and often individuals with Down syndrome don’t reach the average height or developmental milestones of unaffected individual.
 * Symptoms: **

At least half of all children/adults with Down syndrome face a major mental health concern during their life span. Children/adults with multiple medical problems experience an even higher rate of mental health problems. The most common mental health concerns include: general anxiety, repetitive and obsessive-compulsive behaviors; oppositional, impulsive, and inattentive behaviors; sleep related difficulties; depression; autism spectrum conditions; and neuropsychological problems characterized by progressive loss of cognitive skills.
 * Concerns **

No cure exists for Down syndrome. But physical therapy and/or speech therapy can help people with the disorder develop more normally. Screening for common medical problems associated with the disorder, followed by corrective surgery, can often improve quality of life. Moreover, enriched environments significantly increase their capacity to learn and lead a meaningful life. Reflection Essay
 * Treatment: **

“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.” – Edward Everett Hale. Throughout my first year in service learning I felt like I grew as an individual and I learned a lot of things that I never thought I would get to know. I also learned not to get things for granted because a lot of people do not have the benefits that most of us do. Since I was a small girl, my parents always got my sister and I involved in charities for the community, and now that we have grown, we are creating our own project. I decided to take part on a project that helps children develop their artistic side and be more respectful.

The Art Center in Moqattam is a center for children of ages four to nine, where they can develop their creativity. When I heard that this was run by a CAC Senior Seungah I was actually impressed that somebody from our school be in charge of such an organization. When she told me that we were going to be working with kids, the first thing that came to my mind was “how am I going to manage those children?” I had had no experience with a group of kids like them before. Being in the Centre improved my personal and academic development. The skills that I learned were how to work with kids better, and how important it is that the children gain some knowledge in every painting class. The first time we were there, the children were vey excited because they hadn’t had lessons in a while, and they seemed to have forgotten the rules, so we had to really do our best to reinforce them. The first obstacle that I encountered was the language barrier and the fact that they do not like to follow the rules. Seungah and I had to discuss a lot on how we were going to make the children behave more properly. We came up with a set of rules based on what we had seen and reinforced them a lot the next time we went. By the second visit, we were really satisfied with the results that we saw, not only did the children behave better, but the lesson ran more smoothly and calmer. As for my benefits, I started to get more comfortable around the kids and learned a lot about what they did and their language. By our third week, we had developed higher levels of thinking. The lessons that we planned were linked to the rules in the classroom, but we kept them fun. Basically, the classes taught the kids a lot instead of just being an art class. Although we didn’t have the same children in all the classes, some of them went most classes and I felt very close to them as time went by. Now, that the project ended, at least for me, I feel very sad that I won’t see them again every week. This project not only benefited me as an individual, but it helped the pupils as well.

Towards the last days in the centre I began reflecting on the project itself. We improved the quality of our service by bringing in more materials to the site and bringing more effective lessons that would benefit the students. Although I don’t think we made a significant difference in the world, I believe that we did change the children’s life. Not only did they learn how to behave properly, and developed their social skills, but also learned the basic drawing skills in a fun way. I think that our project had a positive impact in their lives, and I hope they remember everything we taught them.

Because of the various charity events, and this project I can see the bigger picture. I am more aware of what is happening in the world, with most people not having the resources to even buy some food, and kids not being able to have a proper education. I saw through their eyes what it is like to live in a place where you need to work a lot in order to get just enough money to buy a loaf of bread. I now feel that I have made a positive impact, and it was something that I will never forget. I want to tell my future grandchildren about my experience in Moqattam, and possibly make them be aware of it, and made them do a project that this one. I am very sure that this is not going to be the last service project I do, I want to help make a difference in my community wherever I am.

I really wish I could continue doing Service Learning in my last year of high school. “Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something” – Author Unknown. I know that a lot of people in the school will still be doing service learning, and little by little we will make a difference in the world if we all cooperate.