Monday, April 25, 2016


Week 8: Life All in a Nutshell: Ljoiner

The last week is here and I can't believe how fast it has gone by. The last chapter in our textbook that I read this week really tied it all together. Throughout the text i was thinking of some choice in my life that I had made that eventually came up in the last chapter. Such as the lifespan development and how it pertains to my life. What field should I choose to go into as i get older? How can i advocate for my life, and making sure I am still progressing through life. The one idea that I kept going back to was what can I do to make my life successful and be happy about doing the job that I choose. These questions we all answered in the last chapter. I feel that the path that I am presently going down is a path that I will enjoy for many years. As I have been coaching for many years, I understand that I want to continue even though it may be tough at times. In the long run it will pay off. I see the small victories that I teach my athletes and I hope I can continue down that correct path. As for my profession, I have enjoyed my time as a part time worker but its not cutting out the financials that I can live on for much longer. I am a firm believer in you put in the work you get compensated for it. Now I put in a lot of work into some small tasks that people ask me why I work so hard. I answer them with in the long run it will turn out to be good. Not that I am expecting favors or hand outs but I may get some help down the road because of a good job I did when I was younger. But the future is a long way aways and I intend to life my life to the fullest, advocate for others, and live a happy life with the choices I have made. I wish everyone the same.

-Landon Joiner

Monday, April 18, 2016

Week 7: Dying and Spirituality
Landon Joiner

Spirituality and Dying are two topics hard to talk about in our day in age. There are so many religions all over the world but what seems to unite them under the same belief is the act of dying.
The act of dying could be many things such as clinical death, brain death, biological death, and social death. These are all ways of dying but they are different. Brian death happens when your brain does not receive the sufficient amount of oxygen to survive. You see many people that go in to cardio arrest being performed CPR by and EMT or someone that is trained. This in not only to pump blood to the body but giving them rescue breaths to make sure that oxygen is getting into their lungs and brain to keep them from having brain damage. Clinical Death is very similar to brain death but the body stops breathing and the heart stops pumping. You would perform CPR on an individual to resuscitate them. Biological death follows clinical and brain death, the cells in your body started die due to the lack of oxygen. This is most likely seen with dead tissue around the body. And the final death is social death and this is the point where an individual is treated as if they were dead, although biologically they are alive. Death can be taken in many ways from the people that are left behind but there always is the stage of grief for each individual. Whether it's delayed grief for distorted grief each person will go through each step. The stages of grief our denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Each person Will go through each of the stages but they may not be in order and you could also bounce from stage to stage for the rest your life. With people living as long as they do now it is always tough to decide how you will die. Many people leave wills with their passing children so I may give away their belongings but then some right in there will of how they want to die and their burial preferences. Euthanasia is be active I need some life painlessly. Passive euthanasia first you not continuing the efforts to keep someone alive. Then there is also the active euthanasia, intentionally ending someone's life either by killing them directly or physician assistant suicide by giving them drugs to die. Active euthanasia is illegal and very many countries. The active going on to hospice care is most likely that a patient will have six weeks or less to live and they want to live comfortably. You would have the entire time I'm being on hospice to get your states in an affair.
Spirituality is always something tough to talk about with so many religious practices throughout the world but some series better come out in our book are Frankl's theory, Jung's theory, and Wilson's theory of spirituality.
 I found the first of the spirituality theories interesting. Frankl's theory of spirituality are separated into three categories the first is the somatic(physical) dimension. This stage keeps people motivated with the intention of continuing throughout life I living. The psychological dimension refers to the humans instinct, drive, and interactions with the environment of wanting to stay alive. The somatic and psychological dimensions are highly developed when a person reaches young adulthood. And the third it is the noetic mention routing from someone's childhood all the way until death to find the meaning of life.
I know since I am at a young age I have not had the experience of the death portion of my life but I have been fortunate enough to know many people who have gone through the stage in their life. From my observations I have noticed that many people turn to spirituality later in life not because her hoping to get to the higher power or to a greater place but they're looking back at the life. They do not wish to change their decisions that they made, but they're able to see which choice let them to where they are today. Their wisdom that the have told me is to live up every moment with out regret!
-Landon Joiner

Monday, April 11, 2016

Week 6: Early to Middle Adulthood LJoiner

Week 6, we were assigned the chapters on our book 9 and 10. They are on early adulthood and middle adulthood. I feel that this stage of life I can relate to the most because I am currently going through early adulthood. In college I was exiting the adolescent stage and beginning the early adulthood and now I am going through life seeing things from a different perspective. In college I swam all four years as a varsity swimmer and I had no problem with my fitness. Now being out of the water for just a few years I have noticed that I need to get back to working out. After reading one of the sections in chapter 9 about binge drinking, I may have done it in college, but now as my body is getting older and my metabolism has slowed down binge drinking is much more difficult to do. I would have to agree on Eriksons theory of intimacy versus isolation, seeing as I have been in a relationship for quite some time, but there are some days or situations that I am still looking for who I want to be and that is the isolation portion. But then on the other side of the coin I want to include my girlfriend and build our relationship and our identity. Which will eventually lead into me marrying my better half. I look forward to the next stages of our life and transitioning into parenthood. With me still being at a young age I look at my everyday actions and how they will better me for my future professionally. I am trying to create a base or foundation that I can build my Life. A career is that start. I support my girlfriend in any thing she does but we are on a plan to get financially stable before we start making big life choices.
Hoping that I will be successful into my middle adulthood stage. I hope to still be healthy and keep my senses as I get older. I have many coworkers that are going to the stage and I see how their lives are and what choices they have made in their past. Building a family is what I would like to do, hoping I can spread some wisdom to those that are younger. Reading on to chapter 10, Erikson's theory on generativity versus stagnation I was interested to read how stay nation can play such a huge role and some ones life. Obviously if you choose one path in Erikson's theories you are more likely to keep going down that same path. So if you hectic one side of the six proceeding psychological crisis is that define human life you're more likely to be in stagnation if you went down the isolation.


-Landon

Monday, April 4, 2016

Week5 Adolecence: The Haywire Mind LJoiner

Week5 Adolecence: The Haywire Mind LJoiner

 In week five we have to read chapter 8 on adolescents in the life smart textbook. This age group for each bracket I can relate to closest that we talk to about so far. And only have I just exited the adolescent stage but I feel that I am  being pulled back into it with the profession that I am going into as a profession. Reading over some of the main topics dealing with physical development and the age ranges of each Child goes through during the stage  of puberty. Then going into the cognitive development that Erickson underlines the theory of identity crisis.  I agree very much so with Erickson on his theory. In my experience I have dealt with the identity crisis in my younger ages finding out who I was or who I wanted to be. And now as a coach I see it every single day from my  freshman class all the way to my senior class. Even know I am so going through an identity crisis to find who I want to be as a person, as a professional, and as a coach .  I feel that this stage of identity crisis you never really leave the stage to move onto another.  People will go through life still making choices that make them who they are so the matter what you were still in this identity change but in the adolescent ages you go through more of a rapid switch when it comes to identity.  This dips into the family and friend role of who you hang out with and what you want to become as a person .  You hope that you have good morals from the teachings of your parents and you pick up certain attributes that could build on those attributes from your friends.   As I deal with highschooler's on a regular day basis I see many different roles that take place in and out of the classroom Anhow emotion of facts a lot of the process of thinking. The constant wanting to fit in stereo type in the high school  atmosphere.  It's interesting to see the difference in gender between female and male social classes.
 In my previous schooling of getting my bachelors in social work I have unfortunately seen many child-abuse cases, neglect, alcohol abuse, drug abuse and many other disturbing things that any  Child should not have to go through.  As a social worker and human being I want to help any child that I can. It truly is disturbing of what some children have to go through an every day basis. So helping them through the hard times and having them see that there is a better side or a  brighter side to life.  These topics are not easy nor fun things to talk about but need to be addressed. I do not have children as of now and I do not wish  these acts to be done on my future children or any children . I am in support of many different groups that help with difficult times of families and children and I hope to continue working with these groups.
 I think that dealing with the adolescent population on a day-to-day basis is stressful but also rewarding.  I truly believe that I get a glimpse of the future and it can be a positive world by hopefully teaching young adults to do what is right for them.  I do put in my personal thoughts the many things but also no matter what giving a choice to these young adults because they will soon have to make them for themselves and I hope they choose the right path for them to succeed and to be happy!

-Landon

Monday, March 28, 2016

Week 4: Your Childhood Roots; Ljoiner

Week 4: Your Childhood Roots; Ljoiner

 As adults we look back at how we act in certain situations it all starts with our childhood roots.  In this weeks reading we learned about early childhood and early adolescences.  One of the first things that we need to look at for early childhood development is in the growing stages of the motor skills.  Pediatricians have charts given certain dates or years to check off where a child is in their life according to their gross motor skills and fine motor skills.  This is a check off list to just see where a child fits because some will have a hard time developmentally getting to certain points throughout their life.  Such as at two years old you're gross motor skills should be running climbing stairs jumps from objects with both feet.  And you're fine motor skills should be learning how to throw ball take a ball turn the page and beginning to scribble. This chart can be found on page 132 in the life smart textbook,   Table 6.1.  Many kids will learn how to use these motor skills by doing repetitions or learning by watching a parent or guardian complete these actions. At this stage many children are learning by watching as others do.  But in early childhood it is not only the physical  Side of how a child is setting the roots but also the cognitive development that plays a crucial role for years to come. Piaget was one of the leading fundamentalists on this theory of cognitive development. Piaget uses the pre-operationalperiod to describe that children use objects  to describe what is going around in their environment and also the relationships that they have with others.
 I find PJs Siri on cognitive development very intriguing do too when I watch my nephews play around in the use deferred imitation or symbolic play to portray what they are trying to communicate with me.   They may not be able to speak as well as an adult for an older child but they use their body language and objects around them to represent how things are in their life.
 Another issue that I think is something to bring to the surface is the  situation of parents going through divorce and having young children in the middle of it, I myself am a child that has been through a divorce family and it does play a big role in the fundamental roots that a child needs to  develop.  This study is very hard to have substantial evidence due to the ages of the children can vary with in a household that is going through divorce and also the severity of the divorce and what social class they live in.  The study still show that 50% of all marriages end up in divorce 60% to get remarried and 60% divorces in the United States involve children.
 This is something that could  have a very substantial effect on children no matter what age they are through the divorce. I myself have gone through a divorce family as well as my sisters are going through currently a divorce situation. Each one is different in their own right but some can be good and some can be ugly.
 Early childhood is a transitions into middle childhood and you see a lot of the physical development in a child throughout the middle childhood rapidly increasing as well as the brain development. The health  sector has always been present but even more so with in the past 10 years of increasing obesity in children and Howard has no effect on life decisions or life paths that could potential he lead to very high health risks.  Many schools now are going or trying to decrease the amount of sugar that students have and also fat content that they have throughout the day.  Working in a school I see this almost every day and I am all about making healthy choices.  As before in the early childhood stage the middle childhood stage is also crucial on children for the target of development of challenging students to increase their critical thinking and problem-solving strategies. This is also where  you see many children increase their moral compass in what is right and what is wrong to do.
Some children will try to push the limits to see how far they can g some children will try to push the limits to see how far they can  get away with something before getting in trouble.  As kids grow physically and mentally  self-esteem is starting to take a toll on some children in increasing or decreasing stress.  This is the start of kids fitting  in going along with the status quo.

- Landon

Monday, March 21, 2016

Week 3: The Miracle of Birth! Ljoiner

Week 3: The Miracle of Birth!

This weeks reading was a lot of information that most was a recap of biology in school. I remember some of the terms and stages of an infant's milestones. But some of the information was new to me. I was fascinated by something of the things in chapter 4 about the neonates characteristics. How far they can see, how much they can hear, how much touch really means a lot for the bond of a mother to a child. As well as the reflexes of a baby to grasp on to something even though it may not be human but to hold onto it and almost have a death grip, The grasping relex it is called.
Some of the things that I remember from school or that I can apply to my own life were the kinostetic stages of a child moving around; head support, turning over, pushing up, sitting with out support, standing with and then without support. Those were just a few examples, but I have red it before and seen it with my own eyes with my sisters and nephews. I may not have children my self (yet) but I have been around many children and also helped raise them. I cannot speak upon the bond that a mother has with their child nor a father, but I have seen the first few days of my mother holding my sister as if there leaving and never coming back. Looking back on it now I know that she was building s bond with them. I guess I can say I have done the same with my dog. Not that is the same level but guilding a bond in humans is similar with animals. I remember getting my puppy and she was scared the first few days not knowing where she was but showing her comfort and compassion let her ease into me and learned to trust me. To this day if I go on a walk somewhere new she doesn't leave my side because of that bond. I have seen this with my nephews, mom or dad is gone and they go crazy because mom and dad are their safely blankets. Luckily now they know me enough to let me put them to bed and stay with me if my bother and sister need to get away for s bit.
What I found interesting is Piaget's sensorimotor period. As I read this I was thinking of my nephews and they went through each stage some at the same time but progressed. What stuck out the most is stage 5: tertiary circular reactions, repitition occurs again, a child will do things to see what the reaction is. Take for example a baby accidentally hits you(it doesn't hurt) but you act out and make it a funny scene or weird face. The child will do it again to see if you make the same remark. Since I work with high school students they should know better but I feel that this stage comes back or a possible varsition of this stage( testing the bounderies).

Landon

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Hello Everyone, my name is Landon Joiner. I am currently getting into the adult studies program here at Trinity. I am going in to the Adult studies program for Physical Education K-12. Hoping to be a PE teacher in the near future and in the western suburbs of Chicago.
I am Currently 24 will be 25 in May, substitute teaching at Lyons Township and Hinsdale South during the days. I also coach Girls Swimming at Benet Academy and Girls Water Polo at Hinsdale South.
I spent some time up in Wisconsin during my undergrad receiving a BSW (bachelors in social work) at UW-Whitewater.
I love to eat food. It may be because I swam for many years in high school and in college.
My family lives in the Chicago land area and we visit quite often. I live at home with my Father and puppy. Spend most of my weekend outdoors with my puppy and girl friend training and hiking as the weather gets warmer.
I hope to discuss many thing of the stages of life as we go through the class and look forward to hearing from all of you at some point during the class as well.
Landon Joiner