ACT for Youth - Adolescence - Adolescent Identity Development The development of a strong and stable sense of self is widely considered to be one of the central tasks of adolescence [1]. Despite the fact that identity development occurs throughout one's lifetime, adolescence is the first time that individuals begin to think about how our identity may affect our lives [2]. During adolescence, we are much more self-conscious about our changing identities than at any other stage in our lives [3]. Visit Toolkit: Identity Development for resources. What is Identity? Identity refers to our sense of who we are as individuals and as members of social groups. Identity is dynamic and complex, and changes over time. Self-Identity and Social Identity Self-identity refers to how we define ourselves. Dimensions of Identity Many dimensions of our identity intersect to form our sense of self and cannot be separated from one another. Let's look at an example of how social context may influence one's internal sense of identity. References
The Science of Memory (and 4 Uncommon Ways to Enhance It) I have a pretty bad memory, it seems. I know people say that all the time, but here’s why I think it actually applies to me: In pretty much all of my childhood memories, I’m around 10 years old, as if nothing ever happened before that.My poor co-founder, Josh, has to replay almost entire conversations before I recall having had them. On a regular basis.Unless my high school was running way off the curriculum, I just don’t remember anything I learned there. It’s a bit of a struggle having a bad memory. Since I’ve been reading and writing more about the brain, memory is one area that’s really fascinated me, because I’d like to improve mine. How memory works Creating memories, like learning new things, is all about creating and strengthening connections between the neurons in our brains (called synapses): When we create a new memory, a pattern of brain activity occurs, and we store what’s called a memory trace. The different types of memory Working memory is kind of like the brain’s notepad.
Lesson: Who Am I? This lesson is part of the unit Identity & Community: An Introduction to 6th Grade Social Studies “Who am I?” is a question we all ask at some time in our lives. As students study world history, they will explore how individuals and groups over time and across continents have answered questions about identity. At the same time, beginning the year by having students examine and share their own identities is a way to build relationships in your class. Reading: "My Name" by Sandra Cisernos Warm-up When students begin a new school year they may hold contradictory feelings. First, distribute an index card to each student. Read a card and ask the class to guess who the fact describes. Main activity In the next several lessons, students will focus on the concept of identity. Next, distribute copies of “My Name,” a chapter from Sandra Cisneros’s book House on Mango Street. In small groups, have students create an identity chart for Esperanza. Who is in Esperanza’s family? Follow-through Homework
If Your Friends Ever Say They Have ADHD, Just Show Them This. ADHD is about having broken filters on your perception. Normal people have a sort of mental secretary that takes the 99% of irrelevant crap that crosses their mind, and simply deletes it before they become consciously aware of it. As such, their mental workspace is like a huge clean whiteboard, ready to hold and organize useful information. ADHD people... have no such luxury. Every single thing that comes in the front door gets written directly on the whiteboard in bold, underlined red letters, no matter what it is, and no matter what has to be erased in order for it to fit. As such, if we're in the middle of some particularly important mental task, and our eye should happen to light upon... a doorknob, for instance, it's like someone burst into the room, clad in pink feathers and heralded by trumpets, screaming HEY LOOK EVERYONE, IT'S A DOORKNOB! It's like living in a soft rain of post-it notes. We rely heavily on routine, and 90% of the time get by on autopilot.
6 Tips for Building Positive Teen Identity Our sense of self provides the foundation for how we respond and react in every situation we face. When we feel good about who we are and stress knocks on our door, we are more likely to make positive choices. When we feel horribly about our inner self, then our choices will reflect that as well. When we learn about brain development, we often focus on the underdeveloped prefrontal cortex’s (PFC) limited ability to cool down the hot-tempered, super charged limbic system, predominantly the amygdala, home of fear, stress and paranoia. But there is another area of the brain rapidly forming during the teen years that’s worth knowing in order for you to provide informed interventions. For instance, Brynn, a 14 year old student fails to bring her AP summer assignment to the first day of school. These types of interactions happen on a daily basis. This is why knowing about teen brain development informs us toward best practices. Incorporate a social emotional learning program.
6 Great Websites for Teen Writers It’s exciting when your bookworm teen announces his or her plans to be a writer. But teenagers can be a finicky lot: if the adults in their lives are too excited or too supportive of a new goal, suddenly that aspiration is gone. (And having a teen with the writer’s temperament means you’re likely dealing with a moody teenager squared.) Rather than bombard them with fancy pens and motivational reading, direct them to a comfort zone: the Internet. Figment — Specially tailored for the teen reader/writer, Figment is a community dedicated to reading and writing stories online. Wattpad — The largest online reading platform, Wattpad is considered the YouTube of writing because it allows authors to share their work with the world. Teen Ink — Supported by the nonprofit Young Authors Foundation, Teen Ink is the twenty-five-year veteran in the fostering-teen-writers game. One Teen Story — Direct kids here to introduce them to the nonprofit’s monthly magazine.
Discovering My Identity | Teaching Tolerance - Diversity, Equity and Justice Objectives: Students will be able to describe their various group identities.Students will be able to analyze how people’s identities are represented in books.Students will be able to write a book review evaluating how characters’ identities are similar to and different from their own. Enduring Understandings: Everyone has multiple identities.Peoples’ identities are similar in some ways and different in others.It is important to see my identities as well as the identities of others in the stories I read. Essential Questions: What makes me who I am? Vocabulary: ability [uh-bil-i-tee](noun) capacity, talent or skill culture [kuhl-cher](noun) a way of living that is passed down through generations—including food, religion, language, family and gender roles, beliefs, etc. ethnic [eth-nik](adjective) sharing a unique culture, religion or language identity [ahy-den-ti-tee](noun) the qualities, characteristics or beliefs that make a person who they are Suggested Procedure: Activity Time: 90 minutes
Neighborhoods influence use of African American Vernacular, Stanford research shows By Clifton B. Parker In a new study, linguistics Professor John Rickford and colleagues examined how the neighborhoods where people live affect their use of African American Vernacular English. What neighborhood children grow up in can influence their use of African American Vernacular English and eventual prospects for educational success and socio-economic mobility, a new Stanford study shows. In the first experiment of its kind on the subject, Stanford linguistics Professor John Rickford and his colleagues (several of them economists) sought to better understand what shapes the relative use of African American Vernacular English vs. African American Vernacular English, or AAVE, is a dialect of American English most commonly spoken today by urban working-class African Americans. “Language is in many respects a socially constructed behavior, jointly influenced by exposure, identity and peer group influence. Vernacular of the street Dialects and discrimination The road ahead
The 100 Best Young-Adult Books of All Time We’re living in a golden age of young-adult literature, when books ostensibly written for teens are equally adored by readers of every generation. In the… We’re living in a golden age of young-adult literature, when books ostensibly written for teens are equally adored by readers of every generation. In the likes of Harry Potter and Katniss Everdeen, they’ve produced characters and conceits that have become the currency of our pop-culture discourse—and inspired some of our best writers to contribute to the genre. To honor the best books for young adults and children, TIME compiled this survey in consultation with respected peers such as U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate Kenn Nesbitt, children’s-book historian Leonard Marcus, the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature, the Young Readers Center at the Library of Congress, the Every Child a Reader literacy foundation and 10 independent booksellers. LIST: The 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time Little, Brown
What is Identity? One of the most enduring theories of development was proposed by psychologist Erik Erikson. Erikson divided the lifecycle into eight stages that each contained a conflict, with the resolution of those conflicts leading to the development of personality. The conflict that occurs during adolescence, Erikson believed, is “identity versus role confusion.” Adolescents grapple with so many different aspects of identity, from choosing a career path to cultivating moral and political beliefs to becoming a friend or partner. Identity formation is most acute during adolescence, but the process doesn’t stop after the teen years. As a person grows older, the overall trend is toward identity achievement.
Diverse voices: the 50 best culturally diverse books | Children's books This list of culturally diverse books to read, savour and recommend is a joyous celebration of the 50 most fabulous books for children of all ages living in multiracial, multicultural UK today. Thanks to Seven Stories, The National Centre for Children's Books for sharing the list with us today – and to the experts they called on to pull it together: Julia Eccleshare (the Guardian children's books editor), Jake Hope (from Youth Libraries Group), Library specialist Sarah Smith and Katherine Woodfine from the Book Trust. Tomorrow we'll be launching a discussion blog where you can share your favourite and most inspirational diverse books of all kinds – and there'll be features, blogs, galleries and other stuff on diversity on the site all this week so stay tuned! Early Years Amazing Grace By Mary Hoffman, illustrated by Caroline Binch (Frances Lincoln Children's Books) The classic picture book about the little girl who loves stories and shows us that we can be anything we want to be.