When I Think of Resarch

When I Think of Research…

The insights I have gained about research from taking this course is one I will say of giving the field of research great respect! To do research means there must be certainty and a requirement of gathering specific data to prove or disprove a hypothesis. A researcher must be very well organized and operate within a strict code of ethics.

The nature of doing research or the ideas about research is one that I will approach carefully  as the information that I would gather will help in the field of early childhood education.

I have learned lessons of planning; choosing participants and who or what will be the focus group, the designing; if it is qualitative or quantitative in design, or if it will be the quasi-experimental design whereby I am using various methods to collect data as well as using more than one design.

Some of the challenges that I have encountered while taking the early childhood research course is keeping up with the various terms and methodologies for collecting data, performing research, organizing and such. I think that to take it all in, I would have to continue to study the terms and rely on the chart that was created. That should help indeed with keeping sharp about research.

My perception of the early childhood professional has always been one of high esteem. But what I see now after taking the course is that the many areas for improving the quality of care for the young child and their family come from many areas. Research has contributed great and necessary information to better improve the quality of care for children; empowering teachers to do their jobs in the most effective ways.

I want to thank all of my colleagues in the 6361 course for sharing your thoughts and contributing to my growth in this course…Especially Dr. Davis whose insight was superlative.  I have learned so much from you.

I wish you all much success!

Around the World

Research Around the World

 

 

I chose to explore the research that was going on in the Sub-Saharan Africa. Some of the current research topics include;

·        Improving the quality of parenting through prenting enrichment training

·        Observation of the caring practices of two motherless babies’ homes in Nigeria

·        Integrating indigenous knowledge in Early childhood development.

·        Involving fathers in the Early childhood care and development

·        Policies and programs in support of childcare for the working families: a case study in Uganda

·        Assessment of the influence of different early childhood models on preschoolers in Kenya

While looking at these various topics I found it interesting that even though our country is thousands of miles apart,. Some of the same concerns for research are sought after for answers and feedback. For example, In terms of community and being culturally effective in the training of young children, I took a look at a study that was in force for incorporating the art of storytelling; Utilizing Indigenous Knowledge in Early Childhood development.

“Myths, legends, tales, tricksters, fables and other stories are mainly told at night. The key purposes are entertainment, cultural education and character molding. Themes revolve around praising goodness and condemning evil. The study established that socioeconomic changes over time have undermined the environment for storytelling. Nevertheless, the emerging view, from this study and other sources, is that storytelling is crucial for early childhood development and measures should be taken to incorporate it into early childhood development (ECD) programs.”(Gamurora, 2004)

This topic is much like an issue that we in the States strive with incorporating and even strengthening a feature of the culture of a people into the learning and development of young children. Miles apart but yet so close to the mission of teaching and caring for young learners!

Research That Benefits Families and Children

For the Children and Families

 

I chose option 1!

Just by surfing the internet about children’s programs for early childhood education. I came across the website for Head Start. I was excited to find that the program has evolved to what is in operation today and they have updated the programs to make them more family friendly and to include home based early childhood education. From research that has been done on the environment of children that helps them become school ready, the information is translated so that there are home visits to willing families from EC associates of the head start program to actually visit the home and give a sort of a modeling of what the families could be doing to create a learning environment for the children to grow and develop.

A great program!

I was also pleased to see how formats were in place to provide a continuous improvement practice for head start. This is such a plus for the families and children of this valuable program. Check it out and click the link below!

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/ehs/perf_measures/reports/prgm_perf_measures/prgm_perf_measure_4pg.pdf

All that would be left to do would be to develop affordable programing such as this to meet the family demographic whose incomes do not allow them to qualify for participation. They make just over the established income threshold but still find it difficult to find quality childcare such as described here.

Fellow EC colleagues, we have outreach and advocate work to do!

Research

Personal Research Journey

Hello All,

I am plunging head first into our current course, Research Competencies – 6163-1.  I am excited about learning the difference in quality sites and articles with which to glean information from. I am still trying to figure out how to go about determining the style of research for a simulation I should attempt here. My choice for research interest is the issue of closing the achievement gap from those children in poverty to those that have access to quality care and exposure. I seek to improve the learning situations of those children who seem to fall through the grasp of the educational reach that is currently in place. I would be willing to try different approaches and be advocates for the families that are served.

Developing the research chart should be a great help in determining the simulation and style of research to perform.

The following are links that I have already explored on the subject with professionals that have shared information on the site.

http://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/09/achievement.aspx

Your comments and suggestions are invited and welcome indeed!

Research Competencies... Let's Do It!

This new course that we are about to embark upon should teach us new areas of research and how to find those nuggets of factual information that is needed to substantiate other activity with regard to early childhood studies and education. Remember, we are automatically advocates because we chose to serve in this field. We are effective in our quest only because of the information we can present as fact. I am excited ... Let's do it!

Three Consequences

Final Blog Assignment

Three consequences of learning about early childhood field internationally would consist of an expansion in my thinking regarding the needs of children. There was a saying around my dinner table while I was a child that I would say would rightly apply to the realm of educating children; that saying was “Clean your plate, there are starving children in Africa.” That saying was meant to encourage one to be grateful and not wasteful. Are we encouraging our children to be grateful? Are we as professionals being wasteful for not harnessing the vast amount of information and knowledge available so that we can be agents of change where it is needed for the children and families we serve?

Another thought is with the international connections,   I have been able to  see how eager for education and supports other countries have become. They realize the importance of educating the children; as it is education that lifts a society up and out of poverty.

With newsletters coming from the various organizations like UNICEF and many others as recommended by colleagues in this course, I can keep up with issues dealing with international trends for early childhood education. Being involved with international awareness of education trends abroad will aid folks here in the states to appreciate what is available here. It may also lead to partnering with an African school as an outreach and to make it better, to be a voice to advocate for those that are without; “Clean your plate dears there are starving children in Africa!”

International Contacts - Part Three

International Contacts with UNICEF/Africa

I listened to a podcast through the organization UNICEF which was my international contact. This particular segment featured and highlighted a program that is spearheaded and supported by NBA star of the Los Angeles Lakers, Pau Gasol.  In 2010, Gasol launched Pau’s Project, an initiative that supports Schools in Africa. The project targets areas hardest hit by poverty and   dire need. Mr. Gasol mentions on the podcast that many children face difficulties even attending school due to poor health, nutrition inequities, gender discrimination, and distance. Sometimes even their very lives are threatened due to war and civil unrest in some areas.

Mr. Gasol mentions on the podcast the importance of early childhood education saying, “We know from the age of 0 to 5 is the most critical time for a child to develop. If you don’t provide children with the opportunity, it can negatively affect them for the rest of their lives.”

NBA star and Ambassador for UNICEF plays with children in Ethiopia. UNICEF supports education and protection programs for children.

                                                                                                                                                                

Gasol raises awareness on the disadvantaged through his recent project ‘Give a Day’,  phone app that tells stories promoting children’s rights narrated by Gasol. Mr. Gasol believes that change will happen through raising levels of awareness especially in communities that have little exposure to the need of children on the other side of the hemisphere. “Everyone should make childhood a priority. As ambassadors, as people who do have the opportunity to give back, we should make it a constant priority to make sure that the message and the reality of millions of children are known,” Mr. Gasol concludes.

This podcast presented a tool where regular folks can become involved with heightening awareness of the needs of children in developing countries.

Segment #57: Pau Gasol on making early childhood a priority
AUDIO listen