Feedback Strategies: Children

 

How to give praise that builds your child’s self-esteem

Amanda Morin

My mother and father must have been aware of this advice when I was little because I find myself aware of doing those things when I talk to children now. I don't know why my mind thought for a minute my parents talking to me that way would be the only reason I talk that way now. I don't know that for sure. I was recently talking to someone about manipulation, and these statements might be considered manipulation in their mind. I don't think it is. I think it's leading someone in a direction you think is good for them to go in. Maybe the manipulation comes in when it's by force or you're knowingly using something against them you know they can't refuse? I think someone can manipulate (ha, I accidentally wrote motivate instead of manipulate at first, that's the word I like) someone into the right thing, but the end result doesn't excuse the methods. No one is going around calling motivational speakers manipulators, so I just need to remember every positive can be manipulated or perverted into something negative. 

Manipulation (Source)

A Troubling Side Effect of Praise

Youki Terada

Yea, I know the problem. I'm a side effect of the problem, too. I don't know where I got it into my head, but I do prefer to work into a comfort zone. I'm just coming out of the idea now. It's easy to believe in growth potential when you think you're smart. When you think you're dumb, growth potential seems less likely. So while I say I have a growth mindset, there are times when I don't. Luckily I've never been one to try to prove myself to others. So if I cheat, it's for my own stupid reasons. I think the test would be interesting for children who are more likely to listen to explicit instructions. It would be testing for different things. These three and five year olds are being influenced by their age to a great degree. Then again, older children might suspect they're being watched by a camera or something. Pros and cons. 

Topic Research: Robin Hood

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Hood

    Although awareness of Robin Hood was common in the middle ages, there doesn't seem to be an exact date for when he was alive--or even if he was alive. If I'm searching for a theme to have present throughout all my stories, it would be that Robin Hood stole from the rich and gave to the poor. So getting away from an exact time period doesn't seem to go against the story of Robin Hood. In order to have more to write about it, I'm going to have to extrapolate some characteristics of Robin Hood and spin those out into the individual stories within the grand story. 

1. It would seem Robin Hood had allegiance to an authority that was no longer in power in some versions of the story.

2. He was devoted to a woman and had a group of loyal men.

3. He fought for others. 

With the first idea I could have Robin Hood be of royal descent and trying to bring glory back to his family's name. 

With the second idea I could have Robin Hood doing all he does to impress a woman. (So basic.)

With the third idea I could have Robin Hood be doing everything for himself. So while he does give to the poor, it's all for his own personal excitement. 

There could be three generations of Robin Hood, all doing things for their own selfish reasons. The transfer of wealth is completed each time, and the evil in the next chapter are the poor being fought for in the former chapter. 

There could be a Robin Hood figure who brought wealth to the pilgrims (or some other group of people who travel to a distant land). I suppose I don't have to follow real events and settings. My idea is this: those who come to America are persecuted, then they persecute (the Native Americans?), then that group is persecuted, then they persecute again. Well, that actually fits perfectly. Pilgrims to Native Americans to the British to imperialism. In reality the Native Americans never really became the ones in power. Either liberties will be taken, or I will go in a more fictional direction. 

There would have to be some resolution where someone does something truly sacrificially. Or is that too boring? I don't really care to have a downer ending where the cycle is going to constantly continue. 

Rob Hood (Source)

The ideas I mentioned before are so obvious. They could be background to actual characters. Maybe that could be my focus instead. Actual characters in each one of these generations. The main character could be the Robin Hood figure in some of the stories, but in others he could just be in the background. He could drive events forward, but the events are viewed by some other character. What do I really want to say? I want to say that no matter where the wealth is distributed evil will arise. That's easy to know. I want to say there will always be good men and women. That's obvious, too, but I think it's worth writing about if it can be interestingly said.

All the old English in the Wikipedia article is pretty funny.

Week 3 Story: Adam and Eve in Simulated Paradise

Current Version: https://sites.google.com/d/1klTTqG2amPMlWZpoFPp2iDWV5Mpfkup3/p/14ti8lukvFzNt1pThLxPpbjo3HgH7yvtW/edit     

Suddenly Adam was awake. Before him was great a light that would blind the average man. Adam was no average man, however. He was the first man, and the light before him was his creator, God. God took delight in Adam, and Adam took delight in God. There was order to their relationship, and they spent much time together naming all the beasts and other creatures of the earth. There was no pain or toil at this time. The naming of the animals was purely creative for Adam. This creativity came from God Himself since it was used to create Adam.

    Although Adam knew nothing but joy from the moment he was created from the dust of the earth, he wondered why all the creatures he had named had partners and he did not. He asked God this question. God, knowing the course of all time and what it meant for Adam to ask this question, put Adam into a deep sleep. When Adam awoke there was a creature of unrivaled beauty lying beside him. It was Adam's kind, a partner to help him. Adam named her Eve, and God said it was good. 

    "You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen, and I have seen all of God's wonderful creations," Adam said to Eve. Eve blushed her first blush, and from that moment had great joy when Adam complimented her. "I will show you all there is to see in God's garden. All of it is for us to enjoy except one tree and its fruit. That tree we must stay away from," Adam continued. Eve took to heart every word Adam said because she was devoted to him. The couple spent all their time with one another, and God took great delight in seeing the two together; for God knew the relationship they had was emblematic of the relationship between Him and Adam.

    There came a time when Adam and Eve were separated. Up until this time the two had never been disjointed. Adam was spending time in God's presence while Eve looked for the best fruits for them to enjoy. Before Eve was a tree with a creature unknown to her standing beside it. The creature, a serpent, had speech unlike the rest of the creatures in the garden. 

    "Why has Adam left you alone, Eve? You're too beautiful to be by yourself. Would he rather spend time without you?" the serpent questioned.

    "Adam is spending time with our Lord," Eve replied. "He spends time with God, and it is good."

    "Adam and God spend time without you because they think you are lesser than them. If you eat this fruit you will know just as much as God, and Adam can no longer think of himself as better than you," the serpent retorted. Eve had never thought of herself as lesser before. Her desire was to be with Adam, and so she accepted the fruit as a means to please Adam. In her mind, the fruit would make her, and even Adam, like God. They could draw closer to Him. 

    Adam found Eve returning with a fruit in her hand. He could see how excited she was about it and knew it would please her to take a bite. The two of them took a bite together. For the first time they felt the breeze against their naked bodies. They felt cold and ashamed. The omnipresent light in the garden had at once become too bright and too dim for them to look at. Adam and Eve hid and tried to fashion clothes out of the flora nearby but were too dismayed to be able to think of how to do so. The act of breathing was much more difficult than it was before. Their breaths were labored until they heard the voice of God calling out to them. At this their breaths stopped.

    "Where are you, Adam and Eve?" God asked.

    "We are hiding, Lord... This woman you gave me has given me the treacherous fruit! My life is a burden now, and I want you to take it away!" Adam exclaimed.

    "Lord, it was not I who wanted the fruit! The serpent convinced me of it. He is to blame!" Eve yelled.

    "The time has finally come. Adam, Eve, and the serpent, you all are banished from the garden. Our story is not yet complete, however. Adam and Eve, although your life will be toil and you will constantly yearn for the days we were completely together, I have a design for how things will go. Our creation will stomp out the serpent and his deception. Your disobedient sin will be redeemed, and you will once again join me in paradise. Until then, leave my presence for your sinful nature will not be able to handle my holiness. 

    Adam and Eve once again awoke, but this time they were John and Alex. They both became acutely aware of what was going on once their eyes opened to the blinding light of the digital screens surrounding them.

    "You two failed," a bodiless voice said in the room. "You were the most promising subjects yet, and even for you the temptation--or whatever it is--was too great. Of course you both are too disoriented to know what I'm talking about, so I'll just play the clip."

    The video clip then took over the screens and began describing what had just taken place: "Welcome to the Eden Project. It is our design to find a couple who can do what Adam and Eve couldn't. Using our recreation technology, we have modeled a genuine Eden. For the couple who can overcome the temptation, we will send them back in time to do what Adam and Eve..." the voice trailed off in the minds of John and Alex. Whatever the Eden Project was trying to do, they knew it couldn't be done with man alone. 

A Moment in Paradise (Source)

Author's Note: I came up with this story idea after reading the first story in the Adam and Eve unit. The first story is the King James version of Genesis. I found all the stories deepened and expanded the story of Adam and Eve. I thought it would be best if I did a condensed version with a twist ending to keep things interesting. I didn't try to change any major elements of what the story in the Garden of Eden is about, but I did try to describe why Adam and Eve would break away from God. I wanted to focus on how everything was in order before Adam and Eve separated from each other and then from God. I wanted the serpent to prey on what Eve first knew by calling her beautiful. She listened to every word he said just like she did with Adam. Once Eve and then Adam tried to please each other before God, things fell apart. I also made it a little more obvious about what God's plan for the future was.

I think there could definitely be more development once John and Alex wake up, but I ran out of space. What I'm trying to get across is that this organization is trying to make it so Adam and Eve never leave the garden. I don't really know what that looks like in practice, but the meaning is this: they are trying to fix things without thinking about how God has it all under control. 

Bibliography:

Adam and Eve

King James Bible: Genesis

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/adam-and-eve-fall.html

Reading Notes: Adam and Eve, Part B

 God and Creation (Source)

Leaving the Garden et cetera

The Forgotten Books of Eden, edited by Rutherford H. Platt, Jr. (1926): The First Book of Adam and Eve 1-2

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/adam-and-eve-leaving-garden.html

God tells Adam of "the Word" often. In Christianity, the word is Jesus himself. Adam and Eve keep falling down over and over again. The only thing sustaining them was God and His pity on them. It would seem blame was brought into the world once Adam and Eve disobeyed God. Their first desire, after God, was water. Later on God would be found in the water. How many times will they die? They continue to die from their affliction rather than dying to themselves. Yet the Word continues to raise them up.

God has ceased his commune with Adam multiple times. This must have been written by a Christian author, or at least translated by someone with a Christian bent. One of the other stories say Adam gave seventy of his years to David, but in what context did he know of David I wonder? Why did the Serpent get blown away to India specifically? So Adam and Eve made the first sacrifice in this story. The praise and worship in the garden couldn't be replicated, so they took it upon themselves to offer something else. God eventually grows tired of these offerings because the hearts behind them weren't as pure as Adam and Eve's during the first sacrifice. 

For the story idea I have, maybe I need to write more about life outside the garden. I don't know. It might be beyond the scope. I think this was a very thoughtful and purposeful story. I'm not sure what it's based on. I've heard of supposed gospels of different characters in the Bible, but I didn't know there were so many other stories. They're definitely interesting to read. 

pseud·e·pig·ra·pha: spurious or pseudonymous writings, especially Jewish writings ascribed to various biblical patriarchs and prophets but composed within approximately 200 years of the birth of Jesus Christ.

A·poc·ry·pha: biblical or related writings not forming part of the accepted canon of Scripture.

Reading Notes: Adam and Eve, Part A

 Adam and Eve

King James Bible: Genesis

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/adam-and-eve-fall.html

How did Adam know what a mother or father was? After reading about them eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, I have come up with my story idea. The story will start out the same. Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden created by God. There will be some differences once they're banished, however. The simulation will end. The couple will come back to reality. The couple thought they wouldn't fall for the same trap as Adam and Eve, but they come to find that sin was unavoidable for man. Or is it that the simulation doesn't allow an alternative? 

The Ideal Man et cetera

The Legends of the Jews by Lewis Ginzberg (1909)

http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/05/adam-and-eve-ideal-man.html

I liked all the details provided about Adam. Particularly his wisdom and how involved he and God were in the creation of the world. My dad was recently telling me about a vision a Catholic saint had about Adam and Eve. Some of this story is similar. I watched a history channel special about Lilith once. I wonder if this story is where it comes from. Of course it seems these stories are based on Jewish legends. I have always understood the serpent to be Satan himself. Maybe this story implies the Serpent was only influenced by Satan. The description reminds me of a dragon.

"The first will be last, and the last will be first" fits in with what has dominion in this story. Humans were created last, and yet they are given charge of all that comes before it. The serpent deceived Eve and put discord between her and Adam. Her temptation came in waves and self-deception. Just a looksie. The Fall of Man and The Punishment were particularly interesting. 

It was her. Honest (Source)