When I think of Research.....

This course has been very helpful towards my understanding of research. I have learned so many things, but I will share some key concepts I have learned. One would be how a newbie, like myself, could even define research.  According to Mac Naughton, Rolfe, & Siraj-Blatchford (2010) research is “a tool that helps us answer important questions about early childhood. Research is about uncovering and enabling the emergence of new understandings, insights and knowledge.”  I also learned a numerous amount of new terms that apply to research, such as, paradigms, quantitative and qualitative approaches, quasi-experiments, and others that I was able to share my meanings of the words in our weekly assignments. I now understand the amount of background knowledge and use of thought processing it takes to conduct research, as far as, planning, designing, and conducting research. Through the part 2 weekly assignments I was challenged to think of a research simulation, purpose a question that could be tested, figure out who I would study, and what types of methods and approaches I could use to validate my research study. I also learned the importance of validating research because it makes the study more solidified and also the importance of ethical concerns. A challenge I encountered was really coming up with a research question that I felt could be useful towards early childhood, but through personal and professional reflection I chose to focus on socio-emotional skills. Another challenge for me was trying to comprehend the vocabulary and learn how to apply it to the coursework. Through course readings, teacher, and colleague support I managed to push my way through. I have a greater appreciation for those early childhood researchers after doing this course. I truly am grateful for studies past, present and future because it takes a great deal of work, time, and support to provide answers, insights, and new understandings to such a valuable field---early childhood. Thanks again colleagues for your support along the way!!!

Reference

MacNaughton, G., Rolfe, S.A, & Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2010). Doing early childhood research:

International Perspectives on Theory and Practice (2^nd ed). New York, NY:

McGraw Hill

Research Around the World

The website I chose to explore was http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/index.php   or http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php. The organization’s name is Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and helps with providing early childhood development courses for those participants that have been nominated by Early Childhood Development committees that want to help further their knowledge on children’s development and how to support their communities and families. Some current international research topics I found were how fathers can be more involved in early childhood development and care, providing effective strategies for parent and school collaborations, curriculum development using community resources, and how grandparents can help support children 8 and under effected by HIV/AIDS. I feel these topics are very current and trendy to what issues are taken place in the country of Africa. I feel this international early childhood website is very resourceful to help Early Childhood professionals in this country become knowledgeable and supportive to young children, their families, and their community as a whole.

Research that Benefits Children and Families

    A topic I would choose to study would be implementing effective early childhood programs and rigorous, age- appropriate curriculum for older toddlers to help with the development of academic and social skills. I would choose this topic because I have a two year old son, and he amazes me with things that he has learned early on because he has been taught and introduced to these new concepts. For instance, he has learned his name starts with a Kk/ and will even try writing it. I would be intrigued to see if we start implementing early education programs and curriculum for toddlers, the advancements we could have for children that would be more school ready. Also I think it may show how appropriate education can help build a child’s cognitive and social skills if we start even early in age.  

My Personal Research Journey

The topic I have chosen for my research simulation is teacher strategies that are useful for maintaining high quality preschool or prekindergarten classrooms. I have chosen this as my simulation because I currently serve as a teacher for pre-kindergarten at Fort Worth ISD in Fort Worth, Texas. I work with children that would be considered at-risk and would love to learn new insights about maintaining a high quality classroom. As a teacher I endure a lot of situations that may be behavioral concerns, learning disabilities, children in temporary living situations, and other situations that affect the many children I serve.  I figure researching this topic will help me become well-rounded and become a better educator for the children and their families.  From constructing the research chart, I learned how to better analysis a research article. Also I am starting to learn more about certain terms used with research. I feel that “A Practical Guide to Reading Research Articles” and the course book have been instrumental in the process of becoming better at understanding research terms and how to become competent in doing research. If any colleagues have any advice or further resources to help with my topic, feel free to comment. Thanks in advance!

Resources that have been helpful:

Lepuschitz, J.K. (2011). A practical guide to reading research articles. Laureate Education Inc., Baltimore, MD. 

 Doing Early Childhood Research: International Perspectives on Theory and PracticeAppendix 1, “Getting Our Terms Right”  Mac Naughton, G., Rolfe, S.A., & Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2010). Doing early childhood research: International perspectives on theory
and practice (2nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Final Blog Assignment!!!

Three consequences of learning about the international early childhood field for professional and personal development:

1. 1.      I was able to learn about current issues and trends that are taking place internationally. I found out that issues we are dealing with nationally are also affecting others internationally.
2. 2.      I was able to gain some resources to learn more insight about current issues and trends. These resources offer information on trends.
3. 3.      I was able to learn new knowledge about current issues and trends and see what other Early Childhood professionals or practitioners are doing to work on helping fight these issues.

A goal for the field for international awareness of issues and trends is to stay current and continue to share new knowledge learned with other professionals in the early childhood field.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 3

Current issues that are being discussed where I live and work is the change in race/ethnic demographics. As many states may be experiencing, here in Texas there has been a shift in the demographics in the need for more educational programs. Murdock, et al (2012) provides the following statistics, “the future of the United States is critically tied to the success of the education of children in Texas. While accounting for only 15.7 percent of growth in the total population in the United States between 2000 and 2010, Texas accounted for an equivalent of 53.2 percent of the growth in the early childhood and school age population (ages 0-12) alone.” Opportunities for professional development are available to all involved  in education programs. For instance, Head Start offers their employees professional development and even helps assist its teachers in gaining degrees relevant to the field. Public school professionals are required to do so many hours of professional development, this depends on district policy and teacher certification requirements.

Some of my professional goals include developing strategies to use with the diverse group of children I serve as a teacher. Another professional goal I have is to build connections with others in the field to gain more knowledge about early childhood. . The last professional goal for me would be to learn how to apply research studies, strategies, techniques into my own profession as a teacher. I believe that having a resource such as UNESCO’s, will help provide me with information to help me follow my goals and stay connected with other’s in the field of early childhood education.

New insights I gained from the UNESCO’s “Early Childhood Care and Education” is the following:

1. UNESCO advocates for Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) 

2.  It organized the first World Conference on ECCE in September 2010, which culminated in the adoption of a global action agenda for ECCE called Moscow Framework for Action and Cooperation: Harnessing the Wealth of Nations.

3. UNESCO works in partnership with Member States, partners and other stakeholders to encourage timely and effective implementation of the Moscow Framework so that all young children develop their potential to the fullest.

References

            http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/

Murdock, S. H., Cline, M., Perez, D., & Hough, G. C. (2012). Change in the early

childhood and school age population in Texas, 2000 to 2010, and projected to 2015. Houston, TX: Rice University, Hobby Center for the Study of Texas. Retrieved November 7, 2012, from the University of Texas at Austin, Ray Marshall Center for the Study of Human Resources, Web site: http://www.utexas.edu/research/cshr/pubs/pdf/final_ECEA_Deliverable_1_October_31_2012.pdf.

Sharing Web Resources

    The website I am using as a resource is Harlem Children’s Zone. When I explored outside links they mainly would connect me to a YouTube video or publication to read more about a certain topic the organization wanted to highlight. One for example, was the YouTube video with our president and a student from HCZ discussing her experience in the school program. President Obama announces the use of Promise Zones that will use the model that HCZ uses to help the 5 neediest states lowest in educational support.

    I chose to explore the websites section titled, “Issues.” In this section I was able to find current issues the organization finds important for us readers to explore and learn more about. One issue was poverty to providing more of this type programs to low=income minority families. The C.E.O. and founder, Geoffrey Canada has some videos where he discuss certain issues in short media segments. In this section you can also find articles that touch basis on different issues.

   Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten any newsletters. I just have been exploring the website to figuring out information relavent to the course. When it comes to the discussion for this week on availability, accessibility, and affordability I think that is what HCZ is all about. Providing low-income, poverished, minority children with equable educational opportunities. To learn more I suggest visiting the website www.hcz.org . I think just exploring HCZ’s webpage I learned that will programs like these we can make sure all children are given equal learning opportunities, no matter the race, income, ethnicity. Its programs like these that give us a model to follow by. Thank you HCZ.