Blog 2: Topic Choice

A. What is your topic and why?

My senior topic is Early Childhood Education and Care. When I first went to do my mentorship hours at the day care center, I didn't think I would stick to this topic once school started. However, the more hours I did, the more I really got to like the children I looked after and the way a center worked. The children were really fun to play with and there was so much you could do with them. You could read them a book, have them read to you, help them with their homework, and then play with them afterwards! I just really enjoyed those hours spent with them, and I really liked seeing their happy faces.

B. What do you hope to accomplish this year with this topic?

• iPoly Citizen: Children tend to sense when you don't take them seriously, so being respectful to a child when looking after them helps in being respectful to everyone around you. As a volunteer in a day care center, you are taking care of a person. Taking care of a person means that you're looking after their well-being the best of your abilities, which also helps with being an iPoly Citizen; taking care of yourself and those around you.
• Effective Communicator: I plan to use my engagement with the children in the day care centers to improve my social skills. Such as when you must be empathetic towards the children so that I may help them better if they are having difficulties in something. Being empathetic can help when a team or group of people are having difficulties understanding one another. 
• Effective Learner: Working with a child is really hands on, so I plan on learning a lot about taking care of children by doing what the owner of the day care does to keep them all on track. Learning about something, or watching someone do it, and then repeating it yourself is a great way to become an effective learner.
• Effective User of Technology: I plan to search and use research under my topic that will help me understand the way a child develops. This will help me be a better user of technology by knowing which sources are credible and how to more quickly search for the information I need.