REFLECTION - BUILDING RESEARCH COMPETENCIES (EDUC - 6163 - 1)

First I would like to thank everyone for all of their help and support through this past eight weeks of the course.  Without all of you I also look forward to continue working with those who will be in future classes with me as well.  Great luck to everyone on your future endeavors.

The insights I have gained about research this past eight weeks has been more of a refinement for me as well as seeing research through a different lens.  I previous had taken a research course for my first master of science (which was in Psychology) and found this course to be both a refresher as well as adding a new twist to how to think about research.  Also it was good to learn more about how to design and focus on a research study when working specifically with children and their families.  The challenges for me will more than likely always be the same - not to try and research to broad of a subject and which method to use when planning.  This is something that I had to work on little by little throughout the course and am confident that I did pretty well at overcoming these challenges this time at least.  Knowing myself as well as I do, I will always struggle with certain aspects since I seem to always go down the toughest road to get to my goal.  However, I am used to it and now feel I have more confidence in my abilities in the area of research.  Time will tell.

Once again good luck everyone!  Keep in touch!

RESEARCH AROUND THE WORLD

I think I was born with a mind that just needs to be infused with new information constantly so this week’s assignment is right up my alley.  The assigned website (http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php) was full of information which was new to me and my inquiring mind.  I loved having the opportunity to view the final major projects and theses page.  It was refreshing to see names of countries that we do not usually see when we research topics in early childhood education and development.  I also loved being able to connect these countries and their research with the exchange students I have worked with over the years.

Some of the subjects which were covered are, but are not limited to:  the development of an integrated early childhood development urban model training program for informal minders and community volunteers in Ghana; building community leadership for quality sustainability in Madrasa Preschools; the perceptions of parents and caregivers of early childhood development needs and quality; and involving fathers in early childhood care and development.  I especially like this last one since I feel it is extremely important for fathers to feel comfortable and included in this aspect of their child(ren)’s life.  So many times the focus is just on the mothers and there is not much effort to include the fathers as well. 

Under this subject, last week I was working with a family who was eligible for WIC but the new mom was going through some post-partum depression and would not go to the WIC office to complete the paperwork.  When I asked the father why he did not go instead, he stated that fathers were not welcome to apply since the focus is on the mothers and children.  I told him I would make some calls the next day to make sure but I knew that father’s were welcome to bring in their children as well.  They did not get the benefits the mothers were eligible for but they could still bring in their child(ren).  I made some calls the next day and was told, yes of course, fathers are welcome.  When I told the father, he was really surprised that he was going to be able to participate in this aspect of programs and assistance for his son.  The program made him feel very comfortable and as far as I know all went well.  I believe we need to make sure we focus on both parents as well as the children when we are working with families and conducting research.

I have to say though that the most surprising aspect of the website that I found was the ability to see so many reports in one place which were in easily downloadable PDF files for future reading.  As I am sure many of you will agree this is a big asset to our busy lives as we do not always have the time to read a report in one sitting.  There were so many to choose from which is great when you are looking for a variety of reports/findings.

I would definitely recommend this website to anyone in the early childhood field to keep handy as a resource.

Reference

ECDVU Sub-Saharan Africa Cohort Delivery: 2001 - 2004 Country

     Objectives and Participant Profiles. (n.d.). ECDVU Gateway.

     Retrieved from http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php

AN EXAMPLE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH IN THE EARLY CHILDHOOD FIELD OF EDUCATION

Personally and professionally, the importance of research being conducted as well as having access to this research is really important.  As a licensed child care educator since June, 1990, I have seen many changes in both the licensing standards/regulations as well as what is expected of the child care field professionally.  I have also learned how important it is to view situations from a variety of viewpoints as well as being a neutral third-party when it is needed.  It is very important to keep our minds open in order to learn a greater variety of tools which can be used personally, professionally, and in a local context.  In order for me to run a high-quality child care it is important for me to understand and keep myself apprised of the newest research as well as the conclusions this research has found.  Research, in my opinion, is one of the greatest tools I have available to me.

Further understanding of tools such as awareness viewpoints are beneficial in many situations, including but not limited to, situations working with families, when conducting research, and when advocating.  Becoming aware of factors such as the importance of respecting that each student and their family have a culture that is to be valued and affirmed; allowing students and families to fully participate in the educational process – keep communication open in both directions; reflection periodically on our own definition of diversity and educating ourselves in any areas in which we, as educators, need more information in, are also very important (Salend, 2008).

As I have written in previous assignments, there is no doubt how important the early years are to children’s lives. A positive beginning to life means a positive foundation for future development, health and general well-being throughout a child’s life. However, policy and practice in early education and care still lacks focus in many areas of the United States as well as Internationally (Elliott, 2006).

Quality/effectiveness as it relates to early childhood programs, regardless of the programs being center-based, family home based, nursery school, or learning centers, require the same components to be present in order to be considered as a quality/effective program. Examples of what a quality/effective program should include are, but not limited to: The relationship between the educator and the child; a rich curriculum; and the presence of a responsive/well-educated staff/educator-child ratios.

Research has shown the ongoing relationship which the educator has developed with each of the children is very important to the child’s learning. Research on brain development of young children, according to Galinsky (2006), shows that human relationships are the building blocks of human development (Galinsky, 2006). High-quality programs place an emphasis a curriculum with a focus on language; emergent literacy; early mathematics skills; motor; social/emotional development; health; nutrition; structured/unstructured play; and a curriculum which allows for the involvement of parents/guardians in the curriculum itself as well as educational opportunities for the parents/guardians (Olson, 2005). High-quality early learning programs will be the strongest if the educator-child ratios allow for the best responsiveness/sensitivity to the children. Recommendations by the National Research Council include assigning at least one educator with a minimum bachelor’s degree and specialized education in early childhood to each group of children (Olson, 2005). The preparation and compensation of educators is also very important (Olson, 2005).  These components should include focuses (as referenced above) on a combination of nurturing relationships, a focus on the children’s health and safety, and making sure a developmentally-appropriate curriculum is provided for all of the children’s developmental needs regardless of their abilities.

Plainly speaking, without research, none of these facts would be known.  In the long-run this helps all of us in one capacity or another.  But it is our job to make sure the research we are basing our decisions on has been done both ethically and has met the proper standards.

Reference

Galinsky, E. (2006). The economic benefits of high quality preschool: What makes the difference? Retrieved from http://familiesandwork.org/site/research/reports/ced.pdf

Olson, L. (2005). Early childhood education: Investing in quality makes sense. Research Points, 3(2). Retrieved from http://www.aera.net/uploadedFiles/Journals_and_Publications/Research_Points/RPFall05 .pdf

Salend, S. J. (2008). Creating inclusive classrooms: effective and reflective practices. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.

MY PERSONAL RESEARCH JOURNEY

First I wanted to start off with letting everyone know how happy I am to be working/learning with everyone.  These past two weeks have been full of so much information and advice that I am really looking forward to seeing where the next six weeks bring.

My chosen topic for this research simulation is poverty and its affect on a child’s cognitive development.  Specifically, what are the affects of a child’s home environment which falls into the socio-economic level considered at or below the poverty line when said children are all in a high quality early childhood learning environment at least part time?  This topic and question were chosen as the effects of poverty involve a complex amount of risk factors which can/will adversely affect the community population in many ways.  According to Jensen (2009), there are four primary risk factors which afflict families who are living in poverty.  The risk factors are:  emotional and social challenges; acute and chronic stressors; cognitive lags; and health and safety issues.  These risk factors can and do make everyday living a struggle for individuals in poverty.  Each of these factors builds and plays off one another.  Which simply stated means one problem created by poverty contributes to another problem, which in turn contributes to another? 

During a previous class taken (Issues and Trends in the Early Childhood Field) the issue of poverty was studied.  As I was doing research for this issue, it became apparent to me that I needed to research more about this particular issue within my own community and see what its affects are on the children I work with in my child care.  Working in the child care field for the last twenty-two years has given me some insight as to the state of poverty in my town as well as the surrounding areas as I work with different programs and families.  My work has also exposed me to various programs which are present to assist those in need.  However, through researching the subject of poverty in a more in-depth manner, I have gained the knowledge of just how many programs are in my community as well as the different types of poverty in general.  Now it is important for me, both professionally and personally, to bring my knowledge to the next level in order to improve the quality of my child care.  I am expecting a very informative learning experience now and in the future.

Working on this particular research simulation so far has been very interesting.  I love how everything is broken down into little sections in order to better understand the process of conducting research.  I sometimes forget that the process can be broken down in order to save so much time in the future.  I personally struggle with taking a topic and finding a way to narrow it down into a subject that is not too broad of a subject.  I tend to start big and use unnecessary time in order to narrow the topic down to a specific question which needs to be researched.

If anyone has any ideas or advice on narrowing topics down, I would appreciate the input. 

Good luck to everyone!  Once again I am happy to be working/learning with everyone.

Reference

Jensen, E. (2009). Teaching with poverty in mind: what being poor does to kids' brains and what schools can do about it. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

EDUC - 6162-6: EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS AND PRACTICES - FINAL BLOG ASSIGNMENT

Even though I have hosted many international exchange students, been a regional manager for international exchange students, and currently still am an area representative for international exchange students in my little corner of the world, this course was still full of information I feel can only be obtained from a collaborative learning community in which we are currently involved in.  Each individual has contributed in some way to the learning process these last eight weeks and I would like to thank everyone for all their advice, suggestions, and solutions that they shared.

The privilege I had by being welcomed into the professional lives of two international contacts this past eight weeks has definitely opened my eyes to further understanding about the early childhood field of education outside of the US.

Consequences of learning about the international early childhood field (both for professional and personal development) are, but not limited to:

- Strengthening my knowledge and practice in regards to culturally responsive and individually appropriate practice. 

- A greater respect that each students and their family have a culture that is to be valued and affirmed; allow students and families to fully participate in the educational process by keeping communication open in both directions.

- Was given an opportunity to reflect on my own definition of diversity and educate myself in any areas in which I needed more information.  As well as continuing to periodically reflect.

- Broadening my network of peers in the early childhood field.

One of the goals I have set for myself is to grow my own program, as well as become more involved in the community, in order to advocate for other high quality early childhood education programs, childcares, etc…  In an ideal world, it would be easy to have a classroom which can meet the needs of the increasingly changing demographics in the classroom.  Until then, the best teaching practices are those that consider all learners in a classroom setting which pays close attention to the differences inherent to academic, cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic diversity (Santamaria, 2009).

Once again, thank you to all my classmates, Dr. Longo and my new international contacts for all their help, advice, and suggestions this past eight weeks. I look forward to continuing our collaborative learning community in the future. The best of luck to everyone in their future endeavors!

Reference

Santamaria, L. J. (2009). Culturally Responsive Differentiated Instruction: Narrowing Gaps between Best Pedagogical Practices Benefiting All Learners. Teachers College Record, 111(1), 214-247.

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INTERNATIONAL CONTACTS CON'T

First I wanted to share some good news I received in my email today.  The announcement read:

“BOSTON - Friday, December 16, 2011:  The Patrick-Murray Administration today announced that Massachusetts is one of nine grant award winners in President Obama's Early Learning Challenge (ELC) competition and will receive significant funding over the next four years to expand high quality early education services and close achievement gaps in education.

Massachusetts is eligible for $50 million under the ELC and the U.S. Department of Education will announce final grant amounts to each winner in the coming days. Other winners of the ELC competition include California, Delaware, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island and the state of Washington. 

Today’s announcement demonstrates our place as a national leader in education reform and achievement, said Governor Deval Patrick.  These resources will help us reach kids at an early age, before achievement gaps form, to ensure they are prepared for lifelong success in school and beyond.””

It was really nice to see some positive news about funding for a change.   

Now for this week’s assigned posting. . . . . .

In the last seven weeks of correspondence with Siddig from Pakistan, I have discovered a person with a lot of the same goals as myself.  He is currently a social worker, but his master degree is in Economics since his parents did not feel that a career in social work was worthy of a good future.  He went ahead and did as they wished but his heart has stayed with the children who are in need of his assistance. 

His future goal is to do what he can for the children of his country.  He is very interested in the psychological aspects pertaining to children and their early learning as well.  During our correspondence he has stated that Pakistan will be the best place for my true cause of helping children as the situation there with the government run schools is not very positive.  The more I look into the link understand (as previously posted - www.cfr.org) he suggested to me, the more I really understand how great his challenge is going to be.  I look forward to keeping our communication open for many years to come.

EXPLORING OUR WEB RESOURCES

For this posting I decided to look even further into the website for Early Childhood Australia:  The Australian Early Childhood Advocacy Organization (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/) that I had previously posted as one of my new resources.  The link I chose to investigate further was the QIAS/QA support link.  This link allows you to choose further information on family day care, long day care, or outside school hours care.  Since I am in the family child care business, I chose to delve further into the family day care link.  I find it to be really interesting to find out what standards different countries have in common and which ones sound like great ideas to implement in our own country.

For this website I compared the Quality Assurance (QA) systems which are an initiative of the Australian Government whose aim is to ensure that children in care have stimulating, positive experiences and interactions.  I liken this system to the QRIS system I am currently working with in my own state.

The link gives other links such as:  www.ncac.gov.au – This is for the National Childcare Accreditation Council who is responsible for the implementation and administration of the Quality Assurance (QA) systems for family day care, outside school hours care and long day care across Australia.  I could be mistaken but I compare this agency to NAEYC (naeyc.org). (Another organization I spend a lot of time using as a major resource for my studies.)

There is also a free copy of Early Childhood Australia’s latest book catalogue, which contains quality-assured early childhood books.  Books on this list must meet the following criteria:  is in the best interests of children; is evidence-based; is appropriately inclusive; uses accessible language; addresses the appropriate age range; is dated and authored; is referenced where appropriate; is attractively designed and presented; and clearly acknowledges any commercial interests and/or biases.  The list of titles is extensive and I found a lot of interesting titles on specific issues that I have never seen before in print.  I would highly recommend viewing this list if anyone likes to read extensively about issues, including, but not limited to understanding excellence and equity in early childhood care.  Some of the titles are a bit pricey but I hope to be able to find the titles I would like to read here in the United States.

The more I follow links and view this website, the more information I find that is so helpful for my resource file.  I highly recommend spending some time looking around this website if this type of content is of interest to any educators and/or parents.

Reference

August 2011 Catalogue Page 1 - Early Childhood Australia Catalogue. (n.d.). Home - Early Childhood Australia. Retrieved December 09, 2011, from http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/shop/results.cfm?category=33