The Physical Realm Behind Our Development
EDS 100 MODULE 1.1: Biophysical Processes
During my childhood days, I was always fond of playing various physical games with either my cousins or other kids. We’d play traditional Filipino games like patintero, tumbang preso, sekyu base, tagu-taguan, and many more. I also took taekwondo lessons for a short time during grade school. Looking back, these physical activities really did help me develop my body strength, reflexes, and motor skills. I also loved biking around our neighborhood. Having engagement in physical activities when I was a kid was a really great help for me. It also helped me relieve stress and uplift my mood. By the time I reach puberty, I don’t find myself with shortness of breath or getting tired easily, thus allowing me to have more time to study. Every time I get to play outside, I feel more energized rather than tired and have more motivation to do my assignments. I realized that physical activity and development contributes a lot to our cognitive processes. It also has a significant effect on our psycho-social skills and plays a role on how our socialization skills are shaped. Physical activity improves actual brain function by helping nerve cells to multiply, creating more connections for learning (Cotman, 2002; Ferris, 2007). The way our body develops also influences our psychological well-being. For instance, puberty involves drastic changes in our body which may cause us to be self-conscious and anxious, which can develop into having low self-esteem.
On a personal experience, I had a lot of encounters with people who associated having glasses or poor eyesight to being smart. During my senior high school year, my new classmates kept implying that I must be “really smart” because I wore glasses. But in reality, I just had a family background whose members have poor eyesight. Suggesting that a person is smart just because they wore glasses is inaccurate and baseless. I realized that it might actually be counterproductive since it is hard to study with poor eyesight. After going through this week’s module. I was able to have more perspectives and understanding about how physical development affects the way we learn. In order to attain optimum development, we should meet our body’s required nutrition. Establishing a proper diet, healthy habits, and a good lifestyle will be really beneficial for us in the long run. It is also important to keep in mind the “nature” aspect of a person’s development.