Eng 101

In this essay I imagined part of a team looking for funding to create more playgrounds in my community.  I presented two strong facts that support the idea that “playgrounds are important for children’s development.”  I used books on early education as resources for my thesis and essay.  The most important thing is that I show how television, cell phone and computer are affecting our children and making them unhealthy.  The time outdoor is vital and necessary to help them to develop a healthy brain, muscles, bone and more.

Over the years, physical development for young children has been a topic of many discussions in society.  All States have specific rules and norms about the outdoor time for activities for children at schools or child care programs.  The Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care have established 60 minutes daily of “Outdoor Activities,” for children.  For these reasons playgrounds around our community play an important role in our children development.  Our children need healthier and safety spaces for more exercise, because “physical development for young children involves two important areas of motor coordination: movements controlled by the large or gross muscles and those controlled by the small or fine muscles,” as quoted Janice J. Beaty in her book Observing Development of the Young Child, eighth edition, p. 130-133.

As community we have to be aware that our young children are influenced by a sedentary life style.  We have to be concern about this topic and support the idea of more playground around New Bedford Community.  The increase in television watching, cell phone use, and computer time, are taking all the time of our children, and the time outdoor in play areas has cut down tremendously.

We have to understand that physical activity makes a positive difference in brain development, and is necessary to build healthy muscles, bones, to control weight, to decrease blood pressure, and reduce the risk of heart diseases, cancer and diabetes.

However, playground time is learning time too.  We have the responsibility to prepare and organize our playgrounds to offer our children all the activities to learn through them.  For example, we can offer: monkey bars, riding trikes, riding scooters, soccer balls, jumping rope, climbing un climbing wall, sliding down and/or running across/around the playground.

 

As George S. Morrison, explains in her book Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8^th edition, p. 251, “Outside play should be a time for learning new concepts and skills, not just a time to run around aimlessly.  Children can practice climbing, jumping, swinging, throwing, and using body control.”

Through playgrounds we are motivating our children to have an active life, building healthy habits that will lead in a healthy life for future.  As a community we are committed to support this initiative to create more playgrounds for our children, and give them the opportunity to success in their physical development.

 

Observing Development of the Young Child, eighth edition, by Janice J. Beaty, p. 130-133.

“Physical development for young children involves two important areas of motor coordination: movements controlled by the large or gross muscles and those controlled by the small of fine muscles.”

 

Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education, 8^th edition, by George S. Morrison, p. 251.

“Outside play should be a time for learning new concepts and skills, not just a time to run around aimlessly.  Children can practice climbing, jumping, swinging, throwing, and using body control.”

 

1. The problem that I established in my Essay 4 is that The Working Community do not have benefits in Society, when they are working hard and apporting to the community.  In contrast, people who do not want to work receive all kind of subsides from the community and these behavior do not motivate people to grow.  The solutions that I posted were:

a) Creation of centers for child care services to the specific working community.

b) Creation of tax credits for the working community.

2. The reasons for how this will improve the community, is that people will be motivate to work and grow in pro of the community.

 

After writing Essay 2, I learned how to connect my writing with the reading on “The Science of Shopping.”  At the beginning I elaborated my essay based on my observations, but in the revision process I connected my experiences with the results of the Malcolm Gladwell studies.  The instructor comments helped me to noticed that I was missing this connection.  In fact, this essay by Gladwell helped me to understand many topics about shopping and malls.

After reviewing the “Revision Strategy,”  I have learned some importants points when doing a revision.

1. We need to thave a clear thesis for our essay.
2. The point of view have to be clear to readers.
3. We have to identified the target audience.
4. We have to organize all the ideas.

In my Essay 1, I used this strategies establishing my thesis about feelings of safety at home, and how that can affect healthy and life.  I tried to connect with the audience and make them feel my emotions and feelings through my essay.  At the same time, I tried to keep all the ideas organized and clear.

The title of the essay that I read is “Coming Home Again,” by Chang-Rae Lee.

After reading the essay “Coming Home Again,” by Chang-Rae Lee, in my personal opinion the universal aspect that I can identify here is how her mother made a home for her family.   Her mother, always was the center of everything.  She taught her how to cook her food, she was the house accountant, the driver, the disciplinarian, her couch and the launderer.  Her mother always prepared a special meal to welcome her home, when she returned from college.   Her family always ate at the kitchen following a familiar routine.  Throughout the essay, she was remembering her childhood and adult life with her mother, and how things became to change after her mother get a stomach cancer, dying later.  After her mother death, she was remembering “Coming Home Again.”

Her mother influenced her personality and gave her a sense of family and home.

After reading the article “The Science of Shopping,” by Malcolm Gladwell, the main principles covered are the following:

1. Consumers or shoppers tend to keep to the right when they are walking in a store.  Humans walk the way how they drive.
2. The time per visit that the average American spends in a shopping Mall was 66 minutes.
3. Shoppers scan the store from left to right.
4. Stores are renewed the way they sell men’s product, because men have begun to buy their own things.
5. People touch clothes before take a decision at stores.
6. Shoppers buy around three items at the same time.

Living in New Bedford, MA during 4 years made me notice that the Working Community is alone, without the appropriate support in many aspects of their lives.  People who enjoy or are responsible with their jobs, do not have benefits such as these people who prefer stay at home or be sharing with family and friends, without the more minimum intention to work.  We can review and compare some benefits that involve the working community and the people without work.

When people are working, their children are supposed to be at school or in a daycare program, in order to their parents keep their jobs.  To offer this important help, The Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care helps eligible low-income families to find and pay for child care through child care subsidies.  The low-income level is defined by the State Medium Income Table.

For example, for one family of three members, the annual median income is $ 45,771 with 50% SMI; or $ 77,810 with 85% SMI; or $ 91,542.00

Another condition to get a child care voucher is that all parents or guardians in the house hold must be “working,” looking for a job, or be enrolled in school for at least 20 hours per week.  However, if the parent/guardian or child has a diagnosed and documented special need, the family may qualify.  At the same time, if the parent or guardian is receiving cash assistance from the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA), they may qualify for free or low-cost child care.  In the other side, families who are above the low-income level do not have any help paying for their child care services.  Analyzing this situation, many parents/guardians receive child care assistance when they are unable to keep one job or one study plan.  Sometimes, they are unable because they prefer stay at home doing nothing, excusing themselves with false allegation such as: companies are paying less money than before, this work is too hard, I can’t deal with the time job schedeled, etc.  Becomes meaningless, that these people  apply for a voucher to look for a job, and they receive it; they spend weeks and weeks and never find the job, or they find one job but they are not responsible to keep it, returning to be unemployed  These people are taking money from the state, each single month; as well, they are taking food stamp from the state each month.  In contrast, the working community that is aporting to the country with their work, they have to pay for child care services.  In New Bedford, MA the child care rate for children under two years is $225.75 by week, and for children over two years is $173.70 or $168.70 by week, depending of the kind of voucher they have.  If parents will be paying as private, the rates could be between $100-150, all depending of the program’s location or neighborhood.

Why the working community don’t deserve child care benefits? My propose is that the community should create some benefits in pro of the working community, to help them to do their valuable work every day.  A good solution for this problem could be the creation of centers to take care of children which parents’ income are higher than the State Income Medium.  The rates for these services could be free or at one maximum amount of $60.00 by week.  The operation hours of these centers could be between 6:30 am to 12:00 am, covering two shifts with different and licensed personal. The working community deserve the right to receive help taking care of their children with respect, love, responsibly and quality.  Taking that in consideration, all the employees in the center have to be licensed by The Department of Early Education and Care, and with CPR and First Aid training completed.

Another problem that is affecting the working community is the deserve to receive the credit’s benefits in the taxes.  The Internal Revenue Services (IRS), have many credits to help taxpayers at the end of the year.  They have the Child Tax Credit, the American Opportunity Credit, the Education Credits, the Advance Premium Tax Credit, and the most important, The Earned Income Credit.  The Earned Income Tax Credit, EITC or EIC, is a benefit for working people with low to moderate income.  To qualify for this credit, taxpayers must meet certain requirements and file a tax return, even if they do not owe any tax or are no required to file. EITC reduces the amount the tax taxpayers can owe and may give them a refund.  In order to qualify for EITC, people must have earned income from working for someone or from running or owning a business or farm and meet basic rules.  For the tax year 2017 Earned income and adjusted gross income (AGI), must each be less than:

     Qualifying Children Claimed

If Filing…                                                                 Zero                      One                            Two                        Three or more

single, head of household or widowed            $15,010                  $39,617                      $45,007                     $48,340

Married filing jointly                                           $20,600                 $45,207                      $50,597                      $53,930

The maximum amount of credit for Tax Year 2017 is:

• $6,318 with three or more qualifying children
• $5,616 with two qualifying children
• $3,400 with one qualifying child
• $510 with no qualifying children

Reviewing this information, we have that people with adjusted gross income less than $48,340 and $53,930 deserve a credit, a gift of a maximum of $6,318, all depending how many qualifying children they have at home.  In fact, many taxpayers work every year based on these scale; they know that if they make more than “X” amount in earned income, they will receive “X” amount of credit.  So, the big question here is, “Why, the working community, who work every year and make more money, reaching earned incomes over these limits do not deserve and receive any credits?  It is like, we have to celebrate that people earn income until certain amount, and we disparage the effort of people who work without thinking about of make a specific amount of income to get free money or credit.

I believe that people who exceed these limits could receive a credit in honor of their valuable work in the society.  For example, if a person has one adjusted gross income of $100,400, they could receive a credit for making too much money working in pro of the community.  In fact, in New Bedford, Massachusetts all the benefits are around of the people earned income.  Also, if we work together creating some benefits in pro of the working community, we will have a healthy community, with motivation to grow and achieve better living standards.

Another disadvantage of the working community is about the limits in the income, in order to receive any help when people are buying a house.  In New Bedford, Massachusetts, people who exceed the amount of $ 66,500 by year; or $82,104 by year; do not qualify for the ONE program.  Another topic, is that people who exceed certain limits of income are disqualified to receive free health insurance, and have to pay high amounts for this concept.

Establish limits to obtain credits at the end of the year is perjudicial to the community, because in this way our people are limited in their lives and our community is not growing.  When our community start to thinking about these problems, and start creating new rules in pro of the working community; they will have healthy people working for their goals, without be living from the state and their subsidies.

 

The Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care, EEC.  606 CMR 7.00: Standards For The Licensure or Approval of Family Child Care; Small Group and School Age and Large Group and School Age Child Care Programs.

Pace Child Care Works Website.  How to Obtain a Voucher for Child Care.  “The Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care helps eligible low-income families to find and pay for child care through child care subsidies…”   website: pacechildcareworks.com

Internal Revenue Service, IRS.  2017 EITC Income Limits, Maximum Credit Amounts and Tax Law Updates.  “The Earned Income Tax Credit, EITC or EIC, is a benefit for working people with low to moderate income.”  website: www.irs.gov

 

 

 

JC Penney is my favorite store.  It is located at 120 N Dartmouth Mall, Dartmouth, MA 02747.  The store’s hours are Monday to Saturday between 10:00 am to 9:00 pm; and Sunday it is open between 11:00 am to 6:00 pm.  This store has an aggressive marketing, because when you arrive to Dartmouth Mall, in one of the principal entrances you can find the name in black of JC Penney under the mall’s name.  Walking inside the mall, I only have to turn left in Kay Jewelry and walk a little be more, and at my right hand I can find this complete and beautiful store.  With this simple decision I noticed that the JC Penney Store is strategically located in the mall as Malcolm Gladwell, explained in his article “The Science of Shopping,” at the right hand.   This decision is understandable taking in consideration that “American shoppers and consumers tend to keep their right when they stroll down shopping-mall concourses or city sidewalks,” as cited by Malcolm Gladwell, p. 66.  He explains that human beings walk the way they drive, always at their right.  In fact, this behavior is part of a brain’s function.  Humans “absorb and digest information in the left part of their brains, but they assimilate and logically use this information in the right half”, as cited by Malcolm, p. 67.  That means, that shoppers can scan the store from left to right and then fix on an object to the right, essentially at a 45 degree angle from the point that they are enter.  Another reason for this behavior is that most people  are right-handed.  However, in front of JC Penney we can see an incredible and confortable rest area, where you can seat down, charge your cell phone and rest, this area works like the Decompression Zone, mentioned in Gladwell article.    In fact, I love this store.  At the entrance, the first department is women clothes, always with the show room focus at the right.  There, I can enjoy of all kind of brands, with colors and seasonal models.  The colors in this department really are amazing.  I love the green, blue and orange, and how JC Penney atmosphere are prepared to engage customers  and invite them to shop, without any control.   This colorful atmosphere makes me feel the need and motivation to see myself beautiful with these clothes.  In this department I can find casual dress and pants, as well as formal dress.  Here we have another principle touched by Gladwell, that shoppers are available to take 3 or more items, all depending  on what they are looking with their eyes.  Walking through the women department, I can smell this fresh odor to new clothes and my eyes can enjoy with the variety of clothes for the diverse seasons, like Summer, Winter, Spring or Fall. After walking throught  women blouses, shirts, casual dresses and pants, I arrive to the interior clothes.  This department do not make me feel many emotions, but it is a little bit interesting for me.  In front, I can enjoy the variety of clothes for young women.  My daughter gets crazy in this part of the store. She always is with me when I visit JC Penney.  She takes and takes clothes with one emotion that I can’t describe.  Employees at customer service are very friendly, always trying to help.  With their uniforms in red and blue like the store colors, they are always visible to me.

Inside of JC Penney, I can use the restroom or bathroom if I need it.  It smells well, and looks well, but the only problem I see is that sometimes, they don’t have enough towel paper.  Maybe, because of that the washing hands area is most of the time wet, and that becomes uncomfortable to touch, in my personal opinion.  The fitting rooms are always clean and with a proper light.  The better thing that I experienced in the fitting rooms, is that you can try whatever number of clothes that you want.  Different than other stores that only allow to try 5 or 6  items at the same time.  It is really fabulous.  Fitting rooms are located at my right hand too, as well as the most expensive clothes.  In fact, the “Red Zone” is located at the left side.  That’s make sense for me considering Gladwell explanation.

Walking through young women department I arrive to the men department and  I agree with Gladwell that men have begun to buy their own clothes.  Now, its normal seeing men buying alone or with partners at stores.  Because of that, many stores had reinvented the way they sell men clothes and accesories.  In my personal experience, I spent a lot money here for my husband, because I love the t-Shirts, shirts, pants and tennis and shoes there.  In this department I find the pants 511 and I changed all my husband’s pants for this brand.  It is a beautiful model for men.  The area of formal dress for men is amazing.  The marketing department at JC Penney really know how to engage customers with the fresh colors presentation in the mannequis.  After this area, I arrive to men shoes department and I can tell you that everything I can need I can find it there.  They have casual shoes, sandals, tennis and formal shoes, as well they have all the most important brands, such as Nike, New Balance, Bagi, Adidas, Pierce, Puma, etc. always located at the right side.

The next department again is for women.  Wallets, purses, jewelry and shoes for women, I really find beautiful items there.  Brands such as Elizabeth Taylor, Chloe, Gucci, Chanel, MK, Tifanny and more.  After this department JC Penney has another formal dress area for women.

In the second floor JC Penney has a home department, where I can find whatever I need for my house, such as items for the kitchen, the bedroom, bathroom, or living room.  In the opposite way they have the babies and children department, with clothes, shoes and more for kids.  JC Penney has ascensor to the second floor, electric stairs, JC Penney Salon and other accommodations. Really, I enjoy shopping at JC Penney.  I have the JC Penney card, which help me to save a lot of money with the rewards and offers.  Monthly, I received a book with offers and special discounts as member of JC Penney.

 

I remember this excited December of 2014, when I was arriving to The United States of America, my new home.  My husband received me, as well to my three kids, at the Boston Logan Airport.  Our family was separated around seven years, but finally, this unforgettable day we were very happy to be together starting a new life, in a new home, in a new country.  Really, I was expecting many changes in my life, but I never imagined that one of these changes would be to face “Overweight.”   In December 25 of 2014, my weight was 180, and I always be worried maintaining an adequate weight, eating healthy and doing exercises in my natal country.  In fact, my biggest motivation was always my older sister, who won overweight very fast before age 20, and after her 40th developed breast cancer.  Thanks God, she survived cancer and is doing very well right now, but she still in  overweight yet.  Being honest, I have never been a food lover like my sister, and I only ate the necessary to be alive.  However, after my first year living in The United States I won more than 40 pounds. I was scared, asking me Why? and Why? without any response.

Immediately I started to do exercises but I was unable to lose one pound, instead I was gaining more overweight.  I visited my primary doctor and she sent me to the nutrionist.  After many tests she determined that everything with me was good and just sent me to do more exercises or maybe Yoga, because sometimes the stress could be the worst factor affecting overweight.  I was one year and four months with the nutritionist, doing diets, exercises and yoga at YMCA. That really was frustrating for me, because I had always tried to maintain a healthy home and life.  Now, I was unable to keep my weight in control, and the most difficult thing was that I felt that I had adapted to my new house and I did not understand the stress generated by the change of home.

I can remember how lost I felt myself in this time.  Every day I was sitting in my house, looking through the window, thinking in my mother and father and wishing to be with them one more time.  Now, I understand what my stress was.  I missed so much my parents and my home that I felt so lost even though I was with my husband and children.

During that year I never lost a pound, better fatten more and more.  My healthy declined rapidly and I developed multiple breast cysts.  It took me two years and 8 months to reach 287 pounds, 107 more pounds than in December of 2014.  In August of 2017, I started my journey to the Gastric Sleeve, the only available option for me to retake my healthy life.  One seminar here in New Bedford, was my first step in this journey.  During this seminar Dr. Thomas Streeter explained to a group of person the pros and cons of both, the Sleeve Gastrectomy and the Gastric Bypass Surgery.  After this day, on October 09 of 2017, I was meeting with my surgeon Dr. Streeter, for my initial surgeon visit.  He was really gentle and discussed with me the benefits of the Gastric Sleeve, taking in consideration my medical history.  In fact, I was excited and motivated to my surgery.  I agree with Dr. Streeter, that Obesity is a chronic disease that in a progressive way can affect multiple organs in the body.  It is a risk for many diseases and death.   Also, I accepted to do the Gastric Sleeve and the next step was the pre-operational tests and a cardiac stress.  By November 06 of 2017 I was attending my first appointment with a Nutritionist, and in November 15 and 22, I completed my appointments with Psychology.  Through this journey I have learned many topics about the life before and after the Gastric Sleeve.  Patients who opt for this surgery have to stop smoking, lose weight (around 10 or 20 pounds), stop taking caffeine and alcohol and start taking vitamins in preparation for surgery, and the most important thing, stop all medications 30 days prior to surgery.  But, life after surgery change drastically.  Never, will be the same person, either the same family.  After Gastric Sleeve patients are supposed to eat very little and slowly and lose weight rapidly.

However, in December 12 of 2017, I was attending my last Nutrition appointment where we discovered that I did not lose any weight.  After that, in December 29 of 2017, I was doing my pre-operational nurse education, where a nurse teaches us throughtout two hours everything about eating habits after surgery, and vitamins.  The nurse emphasized that we have to take the vitamins and supplements for the rest of our lives.  All the vitamins have to be chewable, no Gummies or capsules.  The vitamins and supplements help us to avoid deficiencies and protect our self from long term effects of poor nutrition, such as osteoporosis, hair loss, nerve damage, anemia, dementia, depression and fatigue.  My vitamins’ schedule now is Chewable Complete Multivitamin, two a day at separate times; Chewable Calcium Citrate with Vitamin D, three doses of 500 mg every day; Sublingual Vitamin B12, 500 mcg per day; and Chewable Vitamin D, 2000 IU daily.  After surgery, we have to make changes in our diet.  The diet will progress from a liquid diet to a soft, and over the time, the capacity will increase, but it will always be less than it was before surgery.

With everything done, the last step in this journey was my surgery.  I can remember this day, when my life changed.  Finally, in January 24 of 2018, I had my surgery done by Dr. Streeter at Tobey Hospital in Wareham, MA.  My husband, my little daughter, and my parents were with me in this important day.  I felt safe at home again with all my family with me, helping me in this process.  I remember going with my doctor and nurses to the Operating Room, quiet, happy and a little be nervous.  But, I only can remember that.  About two minutes, and nothing else.  After that, I remember me awakening drowsy, confused and with pain in my belly.  I had seven incisions in my belly, but I only spent three days at hospital.  As a result of my surgery I experienced hair loss, Iron deficiency anemia, constipation, nauseas, dumping syndrome, and Gastroesophageal reflux disease.  Nevertheless, my surgery was a success.  My weight now is 227, I have lost 60 pounds and I feel healthy.  I can do all by myself, without help.  Of course, my eating habits are totally different.  I have to sip at least 64 ounces of fluid daily to prevent dehydration, I have to eat 60 or 80 grams of protein per day, limit my carbohydrate intake, I have to avoid slider foods and chew my food to the consistency of applesauce and eat slowly.  I have to avoid drinking with meals 30 minutes before and 45 minutes after eating solids, If I don’t follow these instructions, I feel so much pain.  I have to avoid sweet foods, in order to prevent dumping syndrome sugar should be less than 15 grams per serving.  I have to do 30 or 45 minutes of exercises daily, and I have to avoid alcoholic beverages for at least one year after surgery, and never, never smoke to prevent ulcers.

Despite the side effects, I belief I took the best decision of my life about health with my Gastric Sleeve.  Now, I can’t eat than before; I lose the ability to smell; my likes and preferences about food changed drastically; before I loved coffee and bread, now I refuse coffee and bread; before I hated soups, now I love it; before I ate normal amounts of food, now I can only taste them.  I lose my hair and my nails are weak.  Now, I am more susceptible than before and I can get mad more easy.  Now, my cysts breast and hernia distal are in control, but I am in risk to develop problems with my kidneys and gallbladder.  This journey is not about one single person decision; it is about a family decision because all the family have to be involved in this new life style.

However, I love how I am feeling now, and I am happy and grateful with God, my family and my doctors for this new opportunity of life.