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Cedric Benton
I learned hat babble that comes from babies is a form of  communication and the babble actually has meaning and there are words to correlate to the babble.

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"We're only human!" As sophisticated beings, humans have developed the languages of spoken word over thousands of years. However, there are still many miscommunications that happen throughout our interactions today. This graphic represents how easily things can be misunderstood. Before taking this class, I thought of language as spoken words (or sign language) between two or more people. Now, after learning about the basis of language and how early we start to recognize how to interact with others, language is so much more. The material from this class was genuinely interesting and I wish I could have spent more time diving into the concepts.

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I used to think language and communication only came in the form of verbally talking with another person or people, but now I have realized that language comes in so many different forms. Early language acquisition in this course taught me that we learned by communication and just paying attention to the language that was being used around us. You can have a full conversation with someone without ever saying a word, because that is how powerful communication can be. By language I mean the language of music, the language of dance, the language of painting, the language of cooking, body language, hand gestures, emotion, facial expressions, sounds, or just any form of communication. With that exposure you learn how to communicate in different ways, to express yourself, and get to see your knowledge and language expand as you grow. This course has taught me a lot and The Power of Stories and Words is wonderful.

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Lazarus Rosario
Before this class I did not think baby understand more than one language and that they learn it so fast and that there is more meaning behind the way we speak and write also it made me realize that there is a deeper meaning behind a lot of things in our language and it is just mind blowing if I do say so

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Before this class, I believed language was only speaking and writing. After this class it is clear to see it has a much deeper meaning, not only is it speaking and writing, it is sound, gestures and even emotion. Everything you do or say can have a deeper meaning behind it just with the use of your body language. It makes me want to learn more languages so there isn’t a barrier between me and other people, this class also helped me understand how the child’s mind works with language and will better help my own child who is not yet speaking.

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Was not able to make it to live sessions due to my work schedule, but from the discussion posts I participated in I learned how language is such a big part of our life. I come from a English household, but in high school I started to learn a lot of Spanish and it made me open to learning more languages! I learned more about how babies/ children interpret sounds.

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Before this course, I use to think that language is just a form of communication through speech. Throughout the course, I came to realization the many forms of language. You have speech, body language and even love language. There are many ways to communicate from babies to adults within different countries and communities.

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I used to think language and communication only came in the form of verbally talking with another person or other people, but now I have realized that language comes in sooooo many different forms. You can have a full conversation with someone without ever saying a word, because that is how powerful communication can be. The language of music, the language of dance, the language of painting, the language of cooking, etc. The Power of Stories and Words is truly amazing.
- Bassey Morgan

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Angelia Brown

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At the beginning of this class I thought learning about kids and how they learn was pointless. I thought it was just a simple repetition of words but it is a total different ball game. We went over stages of a infant, toddler, baby, and a young kid. There has been so much information throughout this semester in which we have learned. I was so ignorant on what phases of learning a kid goes through. I completely and totally forgot how a little kid was just like a sponge that absorbs every bit of information that they see/get. Being able to have a connection with a child while teaching has its great benefits and increases the learning process. I have now learned the power of stories and words, I have now lost my ignorance in the way I speak. I know that I have to be careful of how I speak, how I say things, how o direct myself to others, and so much more.

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What do you see in this word cloud?

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What do you have to say?

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message from Dr. Melanie Loewenstein, Dept of Curriculum & Instruction, in Reading and Early Childhood Education

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message from Dr. Melanie Loewenstein, Dept of Curriculum & Instruction, in Reading and Early Childhood Education

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It looks like you students had an amazing experience in your course. I love your insights on language and development and how you were able to remember your own early language learning experiences.

Seems like you have had a truly life changing learning opportunity.  However, it is evident that your future students are the true beneficiaries your efforts.

Wabi Sabi! :)

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I love reading everyone's posts. These are so encouraging and exciting! You have all been a joy to "learn" with this semester. I truly wish you luck throughout your college years. You will do amazing! I am sitting here with joy in my heart from reading your comments :) 

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I love reading everyone's posts. These are so encouraging and exciting! You have all been a joy to "learn" with this semester. I truly wish you luck throughout your college years. You will do amazing! I am sitting here with joy in my heart from reading your comments :) 

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At the beginning of this semester, I had the belief that children are essentially little bundles of energy. They didn’t have much to them, didn’t know much, and probably couldn’t know much. However, after this class I have completely shifted my perspective on the unique abilities and cognitive strength that children have. Indeed children are actually smarter than adults in certain areas. One example we learned about was the incredible language acquisition that babies exhibit. Just by being around a language, they can learn it. Say goodbye to spanish classes! Children also have a great ability to learn outside of language. The ability to learn is something adults have to actively try to do, but a child can do it just by osmosis! Thanks to this class I’ve opened my perspective to just how great kids can be.

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I recently had the awesome pleasure of babysitting my 8 month old niece for the first time, and as I beheld her adorable presence, I also got to experience winds of emotions that were influenced by what I decided to reciprocate with. I learned that she enjoyed the sound of music because the popular children's show, Cocomelon, captured her attention through short melodies and simple lyrics about family and learning.

This class about the power of words and stories contributed to my understanding that my little niece was developing her language skills when she would react with excitement toward her favorite show.

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I used to think that language was just verbal and written communication. I didn’t think that it went beyond speaking and writing, I just thought that it was those two basic things. I often times didn’t think too in debt about language and all the things that happen in your brain when it came to learning how to speak and the way we count things or if we even use numbers to count at all. There were many things I didn’t know before taking this class and I’ve learned a lot, there are a lot of factors and categories that make up language, it’s not just black and white.

Now after taking this class, I know that things such as body language, facial expressions, gestures, etc. make up language as a whole because there are many different ways to communicate with people. I learned that certain languages use cardinal directions and not words such as left and right, I also learned that your language determines the direction you organize things and what you may consider the starting point, like whether you list things from left to right or right to left. This class has taught me that even the smallest things that we do can have deeper meanings or different meanings to different people, and that everyone may be a little more similar than we’d like to think. This class helped me gain a deeper and better understanding of what language really is.

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I used to not really think that much about this class at the beginning when I was required to take it. However, as the course continued I realized that language was more than I originally believed it was. It's more than just using our words, but communicating through many other methods, like through text, your facial expressions, through music, laughter, and there are just many different ways. It was really interesting learning about a child’s language development as well, because it reminded me of when my brother was a kid, he was really shy and never really talked as a little kid. He would point at things he wanted, and would make facial expressions if he was upset. Overall, I learned the importance of language, and really enjoyed learning more about it.

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At the beginning of this course, I figured it would be useless to dive into the mind of the child from a literacy development perspective.. then I realized that's much deeper than anyone could possibly fathom. The child is so open to limitless possibilities and routes in creating even that of understanding, by not understanding, but creating!(I hope that made since.) I used to see language as a way for a child to understand concepts, but now it is clear that language is a developing tool which the child utilizes in its pursuit of creating understanding and concepts of its own! The greatest mystery which we have not unravelled, but barely scratched the surface of, is right in front of our faces, and in this course we have grasped instruction by observing a teacher far more complicated than we may ever perceive, and taken the reigns to even unveiling the incredible might of our own minds as we have developed from toddler to teen to young adults. Surely, the parameters in the English language which have been set for us to follow are not truly parameters, but cornerstones and launching pads to a greater place which can only be created by such powers of words created by the life of the mind.

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I used to...but now
when i started this class i thought we were learning different languages and  writing but now i learned that it's how we communicate with different people showing people ways we speak to our families from Experiences and languages don't have be words it can be laughter love and also music. Also how you can adapt to other people languages as well being around them. Another thing i learned that young child develop new languages over time and the importance of children play time because it's a development skill that they need in life.

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Most of us take the words we can speak, think, and read on a daily basis for granted. Personally, I was inculcated with words from the second I was aware of what they were. I grew up in ignorance, always assuming that the blessings of speech were the most natural thing in the world.
Now I know better. Every tongue and thought is a gift from God to understand others better. Exposure to language expands our minds and our hearts; it allows us to reach others in ways non-verbal communication could never describe. Stories, rhymes, and legends that are passed from are forefathers to us teach us what it is to be human. In turn, we act as a link ourselves to teach our children how and why to live. It is imperative that we seek to understand others better, so we may break down the barriers to our hearts. After being taught these realizations and more, it is more important than ever to guide others with our words and to always exemplify the truth that we find in our stories.

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I used to believe that language was only a means to an end and there was nothing all too fascinating about it. I was read to a lot as a child and developed a love for reading and writing. I never particularly struggled with spelling, reading, or writing. Because of this, I never got to appreciate language and how difficult it is to learn. I didn’t think there was anything special about the ability to form sentences and the process behind language.

Now I believe that language is an extraordinarily complex and intricate system. I’ve been able to look at a child as they go through several development stages and see how they develop in each stage. It’s quite fascinating how our minds so easily adapt to this language that we’ve constructed over time. A young child knows a surprisingly large number of words that they likely don’t even understand yet. I also find it interesting to sit back and observe a child’s body language and facial expressions. Especially in a child that does not have a fully developed vocabulary, young children express themselves through facial expressions and their body language. I believe it is imperative for each person to sit back and learn to appreciate the language we have created and retained. All of my experiences in this class have enabled me to do that, and I have learned so much throughout this course.

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Growing up I didn't really understand exactly how we learned how to communicate at such a young age, but after learning about early language acquisition in this course, it has taught me that we learned by communication and just paying attention to the language that was being used around us. By language I mean body language, hand gestures, emotion, facial expressions, sounds, or just any form of communication. Getting to grow up with people who teach you at a young age with words and stories is amazing. With that exposure you learn how to communicate in different ways, to express yourself, and get to see your knowledge and language expand as you grow.

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I am surrounded by teachers in my family. My mom, grandma, grandpa, sister, and dad are all teachers. Growing up they were very big on reading to me before every nap, bedtime, and just whenever they had the chance. Story time was my favorite, but I never really thought much of it until I took this class, I didn’t realize how important it was. This class has also prepared me for future interactions with babies. I used to think it was silly for people to talk to babies a lot and ask them questions when they can’t answer them. But now I understand why people do broadcast talking and speak to babies all the time.

Reading and talking to babies, infants, and toddlers is one of the most important ways for them to learn. Even though they can’t make full words or sentences they still make noises and mimic what you are saying. They can also connect reading with enjoyment if parents make the environment fun and loving when reading books to them.

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As far back I can remember, language and the distribution and interpretation of it in my childhood have had a very large impact on my life as a whole. Through the course of grade school which was through my church’s schooling system, my teachers were practically another family to go to every day. It was this that made language acquisition so easy and so fun at the same time with each day bringing something new like organizing games, scavenger hunts, and coming up with fun songs to remember how to spell important three-letter words.

So I guess you could say I used to not truly see the power of words and stories since being so young my mind was busy coasting through it that I couldn’t stop and reflect on how it shapes the life of the mind. But now I see that “that '' is the power of words and stories at work, it was a part of myself that was growing up alongside me and this study is important because it helps us reflect on the experiences we have had and connect it to the way we had thought and felt.

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Gus McLarry                   I used to... but now...                      

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Gus McLarry                   I used to... but now...                      

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Before engaging in this course it never once crossed my mind on how a human mind is able to grasp the whole concept of language starting from birth. Needless to say, I was perplexed on the whole process. After diving deep into early language acquisition I must say the human mind is quiet magnificent! From learning the many aspects of the foundation of language, we can understand how to better comprehend and teach language better to early age children. It's like re-learning these language skills I used as a child to develop the literacy I use today. Not to mention utilizing these skills and information to better ourselves in the future. To add to that I have learned about language barriers between different cultures. I had no clue there were words that existed in other languages that do not exist in the English language. Better understanding other cultures as well as the connections and disconnections between some is something I think everyone should learn.

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I used to...but now...

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I grew up in an English household, however my household was basically like a mini orphanage. So, I developed a minor learning disability. I had a rough time with pronunciation and expressing my feelings at least until fifth grade. Till this day I have to use certain techniques to remember basic grammar rules. Before I took this class I always thought language was more of a struggle but now I understand that language beautiful, we may not all grow up to speak the same language but language is about expression of emotion.

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My parents are from New Orleans and when it come to language barriers my parents did't particularly relate to that issue compared to others. What my parents did struggle with was the tone and accent of language due to them growing up from New Orleans, their dialect is a bit different but unique from others.

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Growing up, my parents' first language was not English. They made me think about people who doesn't know English.
Also, after taking this class I think I have learned to be a lot more sympathetic to others with language barriers

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Elijah Thomas I used to...... but now...

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Elijah Thomas I used to...... but now...

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Before I took this class I used to think language was just words, and writing. Now I understand that it is way deeper than that. People communicate with their hands, with their face, eyes and body.
It is not just the sound that comes out of their mouths, but the message that comes from their face gestures, body movements and words. You can read a lot from a person facial expressions. I always say, "If my mouth don't say it, my face will" I could be saying one thing and my face can say something completely different.

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I have noticed how frustrating a person gets when they are trying to communicate something but due to language barriers they are unable to. I see it in my girlfriend every day. Her first language is spanish. There were times where she is talking or having a conversation with me and I would have trouble understanding certain words or even picking up on her accent and I used to feel bad because I did not know how to help. As time went on I learned how to help her out and nicely correct her when she would say something wrong or when she would try to figure out what she is trying to say I would try my hardest to help her or read her hand and body movements to try and figure out what she is trying to say. I now know that there are people that do not have English as their first language and sometimes it is hard for them to communicate or understand certain things, and instead of making fun of them or feel awkward I have learn to be more sympathetic of those people with language barriers.

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when i look back when i hadn't taken this class i used to think that language had to with words, speech, and writing. but now i as i am growing up i came to conclusion that language that its not just about words, or the way we communicate with each other, its more than that, its about how we have a lot different ways we can communicate or even be able to send message without having to say anything. which is one of the most things i find it interesting because you run out ways you can express yourself, that's why we have all this ways to you can use. for example like art, painting, or through book, and even songs too. language its a lot more than that used to think. its what bring and keep us together.

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As a South Asian American, I got front row seats to how language gap and barriers can be difficult to overcome.Growing up seeing my parents struggle to learn English made me more sympathetic towards more of those who did't know english.

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My Graphic!

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Teaching is less about telling, and more about companionship along a path of mutual discovery.

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Power Words - LIONIZING EVENT intro info

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It can be frustrating when you are unable to understand people due to language barriers and age. I am guilty of this but I used to not understand why not everyone spoke the same way and I used to not pay attention to key things. Now I watch body movements and I can tell emotions not only just by tone now but by words. One of my favorite lessons in this class was when we discussed our names, how we got them, and how they have impacted our lives. Now I use it as a conversation starter to meet new people and learn something personal and interesting about them!