Bronfenbrenner's theory shows how people can have influence on each other and, depending on how close you are or what system you're in, how much influence they can have on you. I never really stopped to think about how people influence me before I learned about Bronfenbrenner's theory. I never thought if the reason I was influenced by something was because I thought the thing I was influenced by was important to me or not or if it was because source of information that I got through a person who cared for me. For example, mass media never really effected me much unless my friends said it was a cool thing. I never really thought about how it was a tier system. How it effected me more because my friends thought it was cool than if I had just found it on my own. Then after that I wanted to see what it was. I never realized that the main reason I enjoyed whatever I was enjoying so much was because my friends were enjoying it too. Whenever I think about how I'm going to be a teacher one day, I realize that I will have an influence on children's lives. That I could be the difference between if a child succeeds or fails educationally. It makes me proud to know that one day I could be a special part of so many kids' lives. Brofenbrenner's theory showed me how and why I will effect these children and it was an eye opener.
Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory shows how much each and every aspect of a person’s environment can affect them, their lifestyle, and their development. Of course the things within a person’s microsystem are going to affect them, because those are the day to day interactions. These interactions are very important due to the fact that they are so close to a particular individual. Bronfenbrenner’s theory also shows that things that may not seem so closely tied to a person, and actually seem almost not a part of a peron’s day to day life, can have seemingly the same importance as the things that a person interacts with on a daily basis. Though a person may not interact with their neighbors everyday it would make a huge difference if they had different neighbors or were in a different neighborhood. Though a person may not take part in voting for their president, the laws that their president amends will eventually find their way back down to that person from all the way up in the macrosystem. This theory of looking at a person’s environment makes all the aspects of a peron’s life come together to create the ultimate development of a human being. It is amazing to think of all the things, big and small, that had to happen or not happen, where a person was born, who is their family, what friends they choose, where they go to school, where they lay their head at night, their parents level of education, the availability they have to resources, all of it leads to what makes up each and every individual on Earth.
There is nothing more important to me than the relationship I will have with my students. I never realized all the different factors that will have such an affect on a student and their education. Bronfenbrenner’s theories are beyond impressive. I am genuinely impressed about how well detailed and how much work went into his work. When teachers know about this information it will help them with their classroom. It gives them a different outlook on how to handle the students in such a positive aspect. I now realize how much of an affect I could have on a child not only in the classroom, but outside of it as well. Children will more than likely spend more time with me than they will with their own families. I have never really thought of it this way before. If the children spend so much time with me then I need to do everything I can to create a stable and positive environment. Since, Bronfenbrenner theories is broken up into the different factors that it makes it easier for me understand children more. It especially works because I can start to understand what works and what won’t work with them. As a teacher the biggest thing I need to realize, which I do, is that I can’t think that every child is the same. Children are different and I need to learn what might be causing trouble with them. When people ask why I want to be a teacher I always say it is because I want to make a difference in a child’s life. I imagine a child coming back to me, years after I teach them, and them telling me how much of an impact I made on them and how thankful they are. I know Bronfenbrenner’s theories are going to help me make that happen for a student.
Bronfenbrenner’s theory has been very eye opening to me. I never thought about how the ecology and biology together has so much influence how a child develops. There are so many factors that have direct and indirect influence in all areas of how a child develops that can all intermingle at once. As an educator, I will be involved in a child’s development, along with the influences within a child’s system. But furthermore than just being the child’s educator, there are other influences outside of me. The school could also play a role in influencing the child. School policy changes could affect the child and the child has no role in this or the communication between home and school could affect how well or poorly a child succeeds. There are also larger community influences that could indirectly affect the child. The child can be influenced by each of these systems, but can also influence the systems himself. This theory has made me more aware of the important role I play for a child since I will create a direct relationship with him or her. The positive relationship I create with the child will have some influence on how well the child succeeds. From Bronfenbrenner’s theory, I have learned how a child’s bioecological model is all separate systems that can each influence the other. These systems tier from smaller influences to larger influences. The microsystem is the direct relationships that the child forms. The exosystem is the situations that come about that are out of the child’s control. The macrosystem is the broader culture in which the child lives in. The components of a system can change for the child whenever another system’s components change as well. I have also learned that the time and duration of situations in each system can also have influence on the child.
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