When I Think of Research...

       Research was always an area that I was unclear and unsure about. I always conducted and wrote research papers but didn’t know how in debt it was. In the field of early childhood research can aid so much to understanding different topics as it relates to children. There are a few areas on the topic of research that I have gained insight on. The first is ethics as it pertains to research. Research contains many risk and researchers have to keep it at a minimum. The different research approaches is another area I gained insight on. The mixed method, qualitative, and quantitative are all different approaches that a researcher can use when a study is being conducted.

Research is always changing, because of those ideas about the nature of doing research also changed. Research can be conducted in the past or present, so with that in mind researchers have to think about how the data is collected. Some forms of data collection can be observation, interviews, various sources, books. For example, if the data source is interviewing then the researcher needs to make sure that they interview the children appropriately.

When planning, designing, and conducting research there are certain things that have to be kept in mind. First the researcher has to decide what approach they are going to follow. For example are they utilizing the qualitative and quantitative design? Also, having an understanding about the different variables plays a big part when it comes to conducting research. I used to always mix up variables before entering this class.

Challenges were encounter throughout this class. As I stated before, I am not an expert as it pertains to research. I had to keep a dictionary near at all times, meaning I had to look up many of the terms to have a clear understanding. Luckily, the charts that we had to do weekly helped me with terms that were giving me the most trouble. Another challenge was eliminating any bias views that could arise, but through the reading I found different ways that it could be eliminated, like having more than one researcher reviewing the data.

An early childhood professional doesn’t just take care of children, but they bring new views and ideas to the field. Research plays a very important role when it comes to informing parents, children, and teachers to new information.  I am very glad that I had the chance to take this class, because it doesn't matter what position that you have in the early childhood field, research will help you in.

Research Around the World

I found three  current research topics that caught my attention on the website http://www.eecera.org/

        

1. Understanding children from 0 to 3 years of age and its implications for education. What's new on the babies' side?

It pertained to the changes that occurred in the past years with babies to toddlers. Society is changing and so is the knowledge about the new generation.

2. What young children give to their learning, making education work to sustain a community and its culture?

It related to the field of early childhood and how it is  always changing and the policies need to be changed accordingly.

3. Promoting language in under 3s. Assessing language development and the quality of adult intervention

This topic goes into detail about toddler’s language development and the adult’s role in promoting it.

     This website was new to me, and at times rather difficult to navigate. I did gain a few insights and ideas from exploring the site European Early Childhood Education Research Association. The first thing that was gained was how inspirational and known this journal is. I never thought a European journal would have such a large impact in the United States. Another thing that was surprising was that the website provided a link for the “The Korea Institute of Child Care and Education”; I was definitely not expecting that.  

Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories

There are so many uplifting stories about research that benefits children and families. I have not had the pleasure of experiencing a real-life example of research benefits to children and families. I have found many interesting stories online about how it can benefit children. One story about homelessness caught my attention. The reason for that is that it always touches my heart to hear stories about a child of parent who beat the odds and succeed in life, despise not having a place to call home.

On Walden library database I found an interesting article called “Lessons learned from children who have experienced homelessness.” Key themes that emerged from the research include: the need for services to engage with children as individuals in their own right, to listen to and acknowledge their stories, to have services that meet their individual needs, to act and respond when children feel unsafe and for workers who can provide support to children to talk to parents about what is going on (Moore, McArthur, and Noble-Carr, 2011). When we hear the tem “homelessness” we know that for children it can affect their health and wellbeing. The research question was: what do service systems need to know about how children perceive and experience homelessness in order to achieve better outcomes for homeless families (Moore, McArthur, and Noble-Carr, 2011)? The reference group included six children ages 8–12 who had experienced homeless with their parents were recruited through homelessness services (Moore, McArthur, and Noble-Carr, 2011). Some good points was included in this article like Children need a continuity of care, Children need to know that they and their families are safe, Children need adults to respond, Children want services to recognize their family’s strengths and help build upon them,  and Kids may need adults to help them communicate. A key theme to emerge from this project was the need for services to engage with children as individuals in their own right, and listen to and acknowledge their experiences (Moore, McArthur, and Noble-Carr, 2011). The research went on to conclude that children have feelings and want people to recognize that they need services available to them. The children in this study focused on what their parents could do rather than what they couldn’t and wished that services would do this too (Moore, McArthur, and Noble-Carr, 2011).

 I am learning a lot about the research process.

 References

Moore, T., McArthur, M., & Noble-Carr, D. (2011). Lessons learned from children who have experienced homelessness: what services need to know. Children & Society, 25(2), 115-126

Your Personal Research Journey

Evidence based practice is the topics that I decided to look further into, when it comes to the field of early childhood. As a current teacher in the field I like to explore different practices that are put into effect to aid children. One reason I like this topic is because it a topic that has two sides. Evidence based practice can have an impact on children health, the community, and on the field as a whole. I have never heard of this practice until the last course that I took last semester that had a reading assignment on the topic. I learned from the article, but I want to look further into the topic, and I couldn’t think of a better topic to focus on.

My personal experience with the simulation process has been a learning experience. I was clueless about what to look for when it comes to locating good and reliable research articles. Conducting the research chart provided me the information that I needed to know. For example, I now have clues on what to keep an eye out for when conducting research, like author’s info and writing style. One of my biggest issues was making sure the research wasn’t bias.

The internet is my best friend. I used Google when conducting research, but I just look for research articles that meet the criteria’s. Since I started at Walden I have been utilizing their research database to locate the articles. It has a ton of information and breaks them up into different criteria’s so that I could narrow my search. If anyone has any resources that can aid when it comes to this topic, please feel free to let me know.

Final Blog: Consequences and Goals

The past eight weeks has definitely been a learning experience. I have learned about so many things, and my contacts in South America and Trinidad shed light on so many topics for me. I didn’t just learn from my international contacts, but also from my peer’s contacts. There were some consequences of learning about the international early childhood field; some was intended, unintended, good, and bad.

Consequences:

·         Obtaining information about the various processes that is used in different countries.

·         Understanding how the issue of diversity was handled.

·         That poverty is a problem that occurs not just in the United States, but in all countries. Some countries more than others.

·         Forming relationships and a bond with the international contact for future connections and friendship.

It was so much to gain from the women that I kept asking questions just to learn more about their education system. All countries are different but we have small issues here in the United States, compared to other places. We don’t have to worry about air condition, like in South America.
One goal for is to increase awareness of various issues that surrounds the early childhood field in all countries. We could learn from professionals in different countries, or the other way around.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 3

I got some more information from my contacts about the issue of quality and thei goals in the field. It is very intereting to learn so much about South America and Trinidad.

Mrs. Lisset Hernandez Wrote:

Regarding your question, many people get into the teaching field. We think it is one of the most beautiful careers a person can choose. The children are well behaved but of course there are some who aren't and that makes you work harder with them, and that is the challenge in the field.

In regard to the quality of the professionals in the field, the children have the same teacher from kindergarten to 6th grade, but from 7th grade to 12th grade they have a teacher for each subject. That allows the teachers to know and understand their needs.  They also have a subject called: Pre-Military Instruction. A man from the army comes in and teaches them the basic things about being in the army such as: stand, march, salute and some others but it is only taught from 10th to 12th grade. My professional goal is to continue working in the field of education. I enjoy working with children and would continue doing it.

Mrs. Krystel Theodore Wrote:

Education holds very high standards in our society, so the quality of our school system is fantastic. Children usually begin formal schooling at the age of 4½ -5 years old.  As a member of the United Nations we have also adopted the E.C.C.E curriculum as well as standards.

All Classrooms usually are 20-30 students to 1 teacher. And of recent through the On-Job training program by government has allowed Teacher’s Aide or Teacher’s Assistant in classrooms to assist teachers, which is one opportunity for professional development. However this is not always the case. All schools are supposed to have a P.T.A association. In terms of the support system of these groups I cannot say but they are very supported in some cases according to the school. There is also a group known as TUTTA (Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association) this group represents the teachers of Trinidad and Tobago. They also play a major role in decisions made regarding education along with the Ministry of Education which governs the education system. My goal is to become an overseer in one of the primary schools. That is what you might call a principle in the United States.

Sharing Web Resources

While surfing the web looking for various information about The Head Start Association I came across http://www.education.com/partner/articles/nhsa/

 This link was focused on the National Head Start Association and provided articles pertaining to the National Head Start Association. The National Head Start Association is a private not-for-profit membership organization dedicated exclusively to meeting the needs of Head Start children and their families (National Head Start Association, 2006).  It caters to more than a million children in a given year. The Association provides support for the entire Head Start community by advocating for policies that strengthen services to Head Start children and their families; by providing extensive training and professional development to Head Start staff; and by developing and disseminating research, information, and resources that enrich Head Start program delivery (National Head Start Association, 2006). I wanted to learn more about the topic in various areas. It had a number of articles about what is needed before the program starts (checklist), entry requirements, and helpful hints for teachers, and family transitions. All of the articles are related to helping individuals who is in the head start program.

One aspect of the website http://www.education.com/partner/articles/nhsa/.
That interested me was the article about the first step to prepare for kindergarten. It contained so much helpful hints for parents that would assist them. It discusses the foundation that should be in place for the child, like the list of requirements and deadlines that should be meeting. With my first child I was clueless with what was needed for them to begin school, and was calling someone every minute with questions. This article provides a number of assistance.

 National Head Start Association. First Steps to Prepare for Kindergarten (2006). http://www.education.com/partner/articles/nhsa/