When I think of research.....

            As I reflect on the past eight weeks, I have come to realize I am in a different place than I was at the onset of this course. I began with many feelings of apprehension since my experience and education related to research of any sort was very limited.  The terminology, methods and principles all seemed so complex.  Each week as we added a new element to our simulation and read more to understand the terms and process, I gained a little more confidence.  

            My “fear” of studying research has been addressed somewhat.  I feel that I have gained knowledge in all areas including the terms, the process and how to be sure that any research I would consider conducting is done keeping in mind the importance being equitable.

I also learned about being conscious of the feasibility of a topic I would study. Initially, my question was too broad and had too many elements to consider investigating.  Through the weekly assignments, I learned to narrow the scope.  This was my biggest challenge as I thought about a question.  I knew what I wanted to accomplish but not exactly how to begin.   

            For me, the notion of equity was new to me as it is related to research. I continue to think about how important this is. Going forward, it will always be a consideration in my work. I will also consider using the process we learned to conduct actual research related to my various aspects of my work. I don’t think I would have considered this prior to taking this course.  All in all, it has been an interesting and worthwhile experience

Early Childhood Australia

Research around the World

I viewed the website Early Childhood Australia.  The information was easy to access and seemed very current. The site had a wealth of information on key early childhood research. The articles and books are not free to retrieve but a summary is provided on the website. I reviewed an article entitled ”Children’s Resilience: Working with the Early Years Learning Framework”. The article explained how work has been done to use the Early Years Learning Framework to help formulate strategies for enhancing children’s resilience.  It also provided information on the factors that contribute to a child’s resilience.  Another interesting article, “Greening Services-Practical Sustainability” provided strategies for helping children gain an understanding of the importance of recycling.  The final article I reviewed, “Young Children as Active Learners” supported children being self-directed in their learning.  It also discussed the importance of play.  I found it interesting that the current research in Australia is very similar to what is currently being studied in our country.

            I was surprised to find the research on promoting being green and our responsibility to sustain our earth on a preschool level.  The focus was on involving children in many ways.  It just seemed like much more than celebrating Earth Day one day per year as we do in our country. I also was surprised to see the similarities between Early Childhood Australia and our professional organization, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).  Many things aligned closely.

            I found the many videos especially interesting. They covered many different topics and provided many useful strategies. One video reviewed the types of care for children.  It referred to “long day care”.  This was a term I never heard before but watched the video and came to understand it as extended hours for working parents.

            All in all, I found the website well designed and easy to navigate.  I was somewhat surprised at the amount of similarity in the Code of Conduct as well as the many topics that supported best practice as we know it.

Reference

Early Childhood Australia- http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au

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Benefits of Research for Children Since I had no personal stories to share about the positive effects of research I decided to find an article that discussed positive research findings on a topic I am interested in. As I searched the Walden Library, I came across an article concerning an arts- integrated approach to emergent literacy and school readiness. I had thought about this and wondered if we under estimate the use of creative arts as a method of teaching academic areas but never had any reason to investigate it further. This article peaked my interest. My experience and formal education both support the notion that children learn best through multi-sensory approaches. The article reported out on a study that looked at the impact of using an arts-integrated approach to introduce emergent literacy skills. Often we tend to silo learning into specific domains. In early childhood education, experiences children have in the arts are often viewed as brief opportunities for creative expression and not real learning (Phillips, Gorton, Pinciotti, Sachsen, 2010). The goal of the research was to investigate the premise that young children acquire many of the skills that support emergent literacy in a variety of ways including experiences they have in the arts. The findings of the research were not definitive but did show there was a relationship between the skills gained through all forms of creative arts and emergent literacy. The conclusion the researchers came to was that young children gain knowledge in many ways that can than tie into many domains related to school readiness and also that additional research was necessary to more clearly define the specific details of what works best when integrating the arts into introducing the skills in the area of emergent literacy ( Phillips, et al, 2010). I found this especially interesting since I personally believe that young children are learning in all that they experience be it formal teacher led instructional experiences or completely child driven learning. it also aligned with my thinking in terms of children's learning being very individualized. By giving children as many multi-sensory experiences as possible and integrating different methods of introducing the knowledge, I feel there is a greater possibility for more children to be gain the knowledge and be successful. Reference Phillips,R., Gorton, R., Pinciotti, P., & Sachdev, A., (2010). Promising findings on preschooler's emergent literacy and school readiness in arts-integrated early childhood settings. Early Childhood Education, 38, 111-122. Retrieved from the Walden Library Education Research Complete database.

My Personal Research Journey

  As I pondered what topic to use in designing my research simulation, I tried to think of something that was related to my work so whatever the end result of the project is, it would be useful.  I am very interested in social and emotional development in children as it relates to school readiness.   I decided I would investigate the effectiveness of a new curriculum we have implemented in our Head Start program that teaches social and emotional skills.  The curriculum is called PATHS which is an acronym for Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies. I have mounds of data related to the children’s progress in this area since the assessment tool we use to monitor children’s progress has a section that specifically measures this domain so it seemed like a good idea.  I must be honest; at this point I’m not sure I’m on the right track. I’m concerned that what I am considering may be too broad. I am most definitely a novice in terms of understanding the process of conducting research and I am finding it daunting!  As I started the research chart, I began to get a better understanding of at least some of the terms.   Knowing if I’m traveling in the right direction on this journey remains to be seen.  Is anyone else feeling like this?  I would appreciate feedback and any suggestions that might help point me in the right direction.   So far, the road I’ve taken for my research journey seems a bit bumpy

Adding an International Perspective

Adding an International Perspective

                When I began this journey for my Master’s Degree, I thought about where I have been during my 20 plus years in the field and wondered how much more could there be to learn.  The new knowledge I have gained through our coursework during   Issues and Trends in Early Childhood expanded my understanding of the many issues young children face around the world.  I was not able to make a connection with an early childhood professional somewhere else in the world after several attempts but I don’t think that hindered my learning.

                Over the past seven weeks, I became familiar with valuable resources that comprehensively addressed many important issues that affect children in different parts of the world.  The podcasts made available on the World Forum provided a wealth of information.  Several of the podcasts I viewed touched me deeply as I was reminded of some of the horrible conditions families live in.  The work of the government in Tanzania to increase the level of protection for children in terms of abuse was heart wrenching (Smith, A., 2011). I also learned about the positive efforts being made  by government in some of the poorest countries to provide appropriate child care so parents can work.  I found it very interesting that many of the countries of the world place a tremendous value on educating the youngest in their community. It seems to go fare beyond what we do in our country.  There was also a sense of importance given to including parents in their child’s learning on all levels.  Gaining additional knowledge about UNESCO and its services to many countries was important as I continue to become more aware of the issues in the world.

                Personally, this new knowledge has provided me with a different context to understand the importance  of general safety and rights for all children.  A goal for our field related to international issues should be tied to supporting  a level equity for all children to be safe and be given opportunities to learn.

                As we move on to the next course, I want  my classmates know how much hearing about the challenges each of them face within their communities helped me realize it is not just my community that is struggling and that we need to band together to be a strong voice  for the importance of educating  young children. I appreciated everyone’s feedback each week as we discussed the various issues.  The value in what has been shared is immeasurable.  I also want to express my gratitude for the wealth of information that everyone brought to the group each week from their own experiences.    I wish each one of you  many opportunities to continue making a difference in the lives of children and their families.

Reference

Smith A., (2011) Global Development/ the guardian. Retrieved from http://guardian.co.uk/global-                   development/audioslideshow/2011/aug/09/violence-against -children.

UNESCO

UNESCO

                The United Nations has many branches and departments that work in many areas of global concern.  The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has led the international efforts related to developing an integrated Early Childhood Education and Care system since the 1950’s. The mission of the organization has been and continues to be to help develop global policies that support learning during the early years.  Their work has helped establish a better understanding of children’s development worldwide.  While I had heard of UNESCO, I did not have a clear understanding of the work they do until I began to research the site for this assignment. The information is comprehensive.  It incorporates research articles as well as videos that report out on current projects and initiatives.   The way the site is organized makes it easy to zero in on a particular country or issue.

                I learned that one of the major undertakings of UNESCO was to study ways to integrate early care and education.  A global initiative, “Caring and Learning Together “promoted the idea that many of the inequalities young children are subjected to can be decreased when the two elements are coordinated. 

                My frame of reference has been limited to early childhood policy in the United States.  I learned about other countries which I found very interesting. I read a policy brief on supporting home-based early care services in New Zealand.  This was especially interesting to me because I operated a family child care for 12 years.  The regulation of family child care homes in New Zealand originally was a function of the Department of Social Welfare.  It was more custodial than educational in nature.  In 1986, that changed when the regulation switched to the Department of Education.  The system is very different from what we have in the United States.  It is government funded as well as regulated.  Homes are clustered together and the providers have an Education Coordinator who provides support professional development and monitors their compliance.  Realizing the this type of child care if often preferred by families with young children, the government was forward thinking when they involved the Department of Education  since it supported adding the educational piece  in a home-based model.  It has been very effective and provided a needed service for working parents.

                Another policy brief I read about looked at how preschools have changed in Singapore.  Early on, preschools were privately owned and run for profit.  When the government reviewed the situation, it was determined that this was not the most effective way to provide early care and education.  A shift in how services were provided to families came about when the Ministry of Education became involved.  Child care facilities were able to be run more efficiently and the overall quality improved.

                The variety of videos available on the UNESCO website was very interesting.  There were videos that are clearly for early childhood professionals as well as ones that are geared for parents.  I viewed one that looked at how the early educational needs of young children were met in a small village in Kenya.  Resources were extremely scarce yet the children were engaged in learning on many levels.  I found it very interesting too that there was a strong emphasis on family engagement. 

                I enjoyed reviewing the UNESCO website. The wealth of information available has greatly expanded my view of early care and education globally.  I would encourage early childhood professionals to become familiar with it and visit it often.

References

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, website

                http://www.unesc0.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-

                systems/early-childhood

Teaching for Change

A New Discovery- Teaching for Change

                As I searched the internet several sites surfaced that related to the topic of equity in early childhood education for all children.  One that really stood out was Teaching for Change (www.teachingforchange.org).  The site provides information on an initiative that began in Washington D.C. and has expanded to other areas of the country.  It is the belief of those involved in Teaching for Change that given the appropriate tools, teachers and parents can transform schools into centers of justice that will be a welcoming environment for all children.  The message that drives the initiative is that schools can provide students with the skills, knowledge and inspiration to be citizens and architects for a better world.   In 2003, a project was implemented called the Early Childhood Equity Initiative (ECEI).  One of the parent programs to come out of the project is “Tellin’ Stories.  It has been successful in engaging parents on many levels in their child’s education and the school community as a whole. 

                Imbedded in the website are several YouTube videos that explain and give examples of the success Teaching for Change attained.  I have included one that explains  "Tellin Stories".   There is also an e-newsletter that has a wealth of information related to the importance of equity.

                I returned to the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center to seek out information on equity in early childhood education and found it embedded in many areas of the website which I must say didn’t surprise me.  Head Start has always focused on meeting the needs of children faced with the greatest needs and has diligently worked for equity in the early childhood experiences children have.

                The term equity has taken on a more enriched meaning for me after do the readings and researching the topic further this week.  The knowledge I gained has already been applied to the work I do every day.   

Reference

Teaching for Change- www.teachingforchange.org