It is an outcome of a moral value and gratefulness to give "thanks" while something is received from someone. In general the meaning of thanks is "gratefulness or expressing gratitude." However, many people throughout the world are not used to give thanks to each other, even to God when get any help. But in many countries throughout the world people think that giving thanks is kind of gentleness or it is a kind of moral value in human being.
In the biblical context we find that when God saved Noah's and his family's life from the flood, then at first Noah and his family gave thanks to God and were grateful to God saving all their families (Genesis: 7). Thanksgiving is more deeply reflected in the Paul’s letter and Timothy's letter to Philippians, "... but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart (Philippians 4:6)." Jesus teaching about thanksgiving and praising God showed by His Last Supper (Mark 13:22-23).
In America, it seems that to give thanks to others by receiving something it is one of a gentle cultures and social/moral values. We can say that giving thanks a practice of culture in the American people. But not only that! Thanksgiving one of the biggest festivals in American society. It is a first festival in the United States of America which has been called "Thanksgiving Festival” celebrate on fourth Thursday in November in every year.
In the 16th century while European Pilgrims came to the United States then they started celebrating Thanksgiving festival in New England. In 1621 in New England the Pilgrims who celebrated Thanksgiving festival when they got up their first crops safely and thanking God for everything in the past. They believed that everything comes from God and God is the main source of all these things. God blessed them in the past and bless them in the present. Therefore, it is a moral duty to give thanks to God. In terms of this celebration later on Thanksgiving was the inspirational image of the Pilgrims and the Native Americans sharing their communal meal in harmony. It was a opportunity to build a relationship and cooperation among the Pilgrims and Native Americans.
In the autumn of 1621 Plymouth governor William Bradford invited neighboring Indians to join the Pilgrims for a three day festival of recreation and feasting in gratitude for the bounty of the season. By his influenced, in 1777 the Continental Congress declared the first national American Thanksgiving Festival. In 1863, during the President Abraham Lincoln Thanksgiving festival was celebrating in local level and about the day of this festival to be celebrated was very controversial during that period. However, in 1941 President brought up a bill to the Congress and singed that established the fourth Thursday in November as the national Thanksgiving holiday, which has been ever since. Finally Thanksgiving festival has been celebrating this particular day in New England along with every States in America which is a greatest festival for every single family in America.
In America what a great privilege for multicultural communities to celebrate Thanksgiving festival in the concept of sharing, love, and thanks to God. It is a great reunion day for American. Thanksgiving festival brings deepest coalition, love, and brotherhood among the family members. Avoiding malicious and forgiving all the past family members gather in a family umbrella. The day brings a boundless of joy, love, sharing, happiness, and peace in the family. In this delightful time, celebrating Thanksgiving festival the American people have been leaving an example of coalition, love, unity, and brotherhood for the next generation. Let this celebration bring unity and peace in every family in America and throughout the world.
(Author is a specialist in Educational Admin. & Policy Studies, Int'l Scholar Winner- recognized by the Center for Global Education, the Catholic University of America (CUA), Washington, DC, & Freelance Journalist).
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2010 by Nirmal L. Gomes
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Parental Involvement in Children’s Education
Value of education and educating children is alike to all people including educated and uneducated people. Only vary the way individual acts to educate him/her and helps children to educate. Wherever the parents live or immigrate, the parents dream is to have a good education and good life for their children. Indeed, all parents have high expectations on their children. Questions are- how do the children would fulfill parent’s expectations? How would they fulfill their wishes to be when they will grow up? This article focuses and discusses the importance of parental involvement in children’s education, and personal growth, and shows the secret of parental involvement.
As the history of education across the world finds that education was only for wealthy people in order to run the country and run the businesses. In fact, educating children was very expensive for the poor parents. However, now-a-days, education is not only for rich people, it opens for all, though in reality is that education cost is high from early education to higher education. Every country has been giving priority to educate all citizens. Today, UN including many nations in the world proclaims- education is for all. Since late twenty-century, schools were the main learning center for children though it was believed that family is the first school for children. Parents believe that teachers are more educated, they know what to teach, how to teach, and they are professionals to teach their children. Today’s education systems and teaching and learning methods have changed lots in many countries due to socioeconomic, cultural, and political changes. Educators, teachers, and researchers find that school is not only places to educate children. Of course, school is very important place as it is a social institution and place of a human development workshop. Many countries across the world, the government emphasizes to bring all stakeholders together to educate citizens.
However, researchers find that parental involvement is the first priority to help children’s education besides teachers and school learning. No doubt that home is the first school for children. Children in school could earn higher achievement, when parents engage at home and school in children’s education. Numerous research studies have shown that those schools have more parental involvement in children’s education, those schools have high academic achievement and their children completed elementary, middle, and high school successfully, and went to college/university for higher education. Parental involvement in children’s education is very essential in children’s early age. All parents know this concept of education, but many of parents do not know how to help children in their education, because, parents do more than one job or busy with their personal things. From the early age, parental involvement is associated with their behavior development and higher student academic achievement outcomes.
In general understanding parents think that children will learn things according to their age. It is very true. But, do all parents know when do children learn and how do children learn things? It is very important to know for parents the psychology of learning of their children in order to be supportive for children’s growth and academic achievement. We live in a digital world. Children are more connected with technological world and different environment that parents grew up and live with. Even many parents did not experience with this kind of environment. Many time parents unaware about children’s education. Parents hesitate to talk about children’s school and learning. Moreover, children do not feel comfort to talk with their parents about their school, class works, and home works. Children feel that parents do not know the content knowledge and also do not know how to help to do home work and project. For example, once I asked a middle school student who immigrated in US five years ago with his parents. Some point we were taking about a school program and I asked him, why did not you take your parents at that event? “They would not understand this and they were at work,” the student replied. There is a huge lack of communication between children and parents concerning education. Parents must know and learn that the duty of parents is not only to feed, provide shelter, care, and love, buy things for them, give money for education, and so on. Educating children and helping children to search wisdom which is an enormous responsibility for parents. Living self and child without education is similar to who has eyes but lives blind.
So, how parents could be helpful for their children’s education? There are thousands of ways parents can help children in their formal and non-formal education. First things for parents need to be self-motivate to learn things, to help, be role model, self-discipline, hard work, create a home learning environment that encourages learning, express high realistic expectations for children’s achievement and future careers, become involved in their children’s education at school and in the community, and ready to scarify, then make a strategic plan with children what they want to be and make an action plan to achieve the goal. Every parent has lots of knowledge and experiences that could be very supportive for children’s learning and growth.
As we find that school age children spend 70% of their waking hours including weekends and holidays outside school. This vast amount of times children spend either with parents, relatives, nor day care. It is no doubt that most of time children spend with parents. The most important way parents can get involved at home helping children’s home works, reading books together, sharing about children future career, listening to children, watching good TV program together or educational movie, playing together, taking children to the library and educational exposures, setting home library, establishing a daily family routine, monitor out of school activities, express high but realistic expectations, encourage and appreciate children’s development and achievement and participating school activities and programs. Research finds that Joyce Epstein of Johns Hopkins University developed a framework for defining six different types of parental involvement in children’s education that emphasized parent’s continuing education on family literature, training on basic technology use, home work, health, nutrition, and other necessary services, and help parents to establish home learning environment; parents need to develop strong relationships with teacher and school through attending teacher-parent conferences, meeting regularly, make phone calls, send emails, and other communications as needed; volunteer at classroom and field trip to help teachers, administrators, students, and parents; be member in Parent Teachers Association (PTA); and attend back-to-school night and many other school programs. Epstein framework assists leaders, educators, and parents in developing school and family partnership programs that enhances school functions and makes the school more effective. The most important point is that when children see their parents walking and supportive for their every step of life, they feel so proud and inspired.
It is real that parents are busier than ever. But, it is parent’s fundamental duty and full time task to be supportive in children’s education and daily growth. It finds in many countries that mother is more and father is less supportive for children’s education and personal growth. In many cases, this responsibility shows opposite too for many parents. Why it should be? Does not matter who does what for children development? Both parents should have the same accountability for the children. Both parents should manage their personal time to help children. If anyone is not well educated or does not know how to help home work, she/he can sit beside children when they study, can take them in library, can attend school programs, drop off at school when needed, and so many ways parents can help children according to their knowledge, experiences, ability, and skills. So, the parents would feel the ownership of their children’s achievement and development. Every parent must be proud and happy to make a difference educating and showing them a succeed life. Parents have a vital role to promote a better child and citizen for the world. There is no way to avoid this responsibility. Helping children in education, personal development, and promoting good children is very enjoyable sense of duty.
(Author is a specialist in Educational Admin. & Policy Studies, Int'l Scholar Winner- recognized by the Center for Global Education, the Catholic University of America (CUA),Washington, DC, & Freelance Journalist).
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2010 by Nirmal L. Gomes
As the history of education across the world finds that education was only for wealthy people in order to run the country and run the businesses. In fact, educating children was very expensive for the poor parents. However, now-a-days, education is not only for rich people, it opens for all, though in reality is that education cost is high from early education to higher education. Every country has been giving priority to educate all citizens. Today, UN including many nations in the world proclaims- education is for all. Since late twenty-century, schools were the main learning center for children though it was believed that family is the first school for children. Parents believe that teachers are more educated, they know what to teach, how to teach, and they are professionals to teach their children. Today’s education systems and teaching and learning methods have changed lots in many countries due to socioeconomic, cultural, and political changes. Educators, teachers, and researchers find that school is not only places to educate children. Of course, school is very important place as it is a social institution and place of a human development workshop. Many countries across the world, the government emphasizes to bring all stakeholders together to educate citizens.
However, researchers find that parental involvement is the first priority to help children’s education besides teachers and school learning. No doubt that home is the first school for children. Children in school could earn higher achievement, when parents engage at home and school in children’s education. Numerous research studies have shown that those schools have more parental involvement in children’s education, those schools have high academic achievement and their children completed elementary, middle, and high school successfully, and went to college/university for higher education. Parental involvement in children’s education is very essential in children’s early age. All parents know this concept of education, but many of parents do not know how to help children in their education, because, parents do more than one job or busy with their personal things. From the early age, parental involvement is associated with their behavior development and higher student academic achievement outcomes.
In general understanding parents think that children will learn things according to their age. It is very true. But, do all parents know when do children learn and how do children learn things? It is very important to know for parents the psychology of learning of their children in order to be supportive for children’s growth and academic achievement. We live in a digital world. Children are more connected with technological world and different environment that parents grew up and live with. Even many parents did not experience with this kind of environment. Many time parents unaware about children’s education. Parents hesitate to talk about children’s school and learning. Moreover, children do not feel comfort to talk with their parents about their school, class works, and home works. Children feel that parents do not know the content knowledge and also do not know how to help to do home work and project. For example, once I asked a middle school student who immigrated in US five years ago with his parents. Some point we were taking about a school program and I asked him, why did not you take your parents at that event? “They would not understand this and they were at work,” the student replied. There is a huge lack of communication between children and parents concerning education. Parents must know and learn that the duty of parents is not only to feed, provide shelter, care, and love, buy things for them, give money for education, and so on. Educating children and helping children to search wisdom which is an enormous responsibility for parents. Living self and child without education is similar to who has eyes but lives blind.
So, how parents could be helpful for their children’s education? There are thousands of ways parents can help children in their formal and non-formal education. First things for parents need to be self-motivate to learn things, to help, be role model, self-discipline, hard work, create a home learning environment that encourages learning, express high realistic expectations for children’s achievement and future careers, become involved in their children’s education at school and in the community, and ready to scarify, then make a strategic plan with children what they want to be and make an action plan to achieve the goal. Every parent has lots of knowledge and experiences that could be very supportive for children’s learning and growth.
As we find that school age children spend 70% of their waking hours including weekends and holidays outside school. This vast amount of times children spend either with parents, relatives, nor day care. It is no doubt that most of time children spend with parents. The most important way parents can get involved at home helping children’s home works, reading books together, sharing about children future career, listening to children, watching good TV program together or educational movie, playing together, taking children to the library and educational exposures, setting home library, establishing a daily family routine, monitor out of school activities, express high but realistic expectations, encourage and appreciate children’s development and achievement and participating school activities and programs. Research finds that Joyce Epstein of Johns Hopkins University developed a framework for defining six different types of parental involvement in children’s education that emphasized parent’s continuing education on family literature, training on basic technology use, home work, health, nutrition, and other necessary services, and help parents to establish home learning environment; parents need to develop strong relationships with teacher and school through attending teacher-parent conferences, meeting regularly, make phone calls, send emails, and other communications as needed; volunteer at classroom and field trip to help teachers, administrators, students, and parents; be member in Parent Teachers Association (PTA); and attend back-to-school night and many other school programs. Epstein framework assists leaders, educators, and parents in developing school and family partnership programs that enhances school functions and makes the school more effective. The most important point is that when children see their parents walking and supportive for their every step of life, they feel so proud and inspired.
It is real that parents are busier than ever. But, it is parent’s fundamental duty and full time task to be supportive in children’s education and daily growth. It finds in many countries that mother is more and father is less supportive for children’s education and personal growth. In many cases, this responsibility shows opposite too for many parents. Why it should be? Does not matter who does what for children development? Both parents should have the same accountability for the children. Both parents should manage their personal time to help children. If anyone is not well educated or does not know how to help home work, she/he can sit beside children when they study, can take them in library, can attend school programs, drop off at school when needed, and so many ways parents can help children according to their knowledge, experiences, ability, and skills. So, the parents would feel the ownership of their children’s achievement and development. Every parent must be proud and happy to make a difference educating and showing them a succeed life. Parents have a vital role to promote a better child and citizen for the world. There is no way to avoid this responsibility. Helping children in education, personal development, and promoting good children is very enjoyable sense of duty.
(Author is a specialist in Educational Admin. & Policy Studies, Int'l Scholar Winner- recognized by the Center for Global Education, the Catholic University of America (CUA),Washington, DC, & Freelance Journalist).
All rights reserved. Copyright © 2010 by Nirmal L. Gomes
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
