Blog Assignment: When I Think of Research...

Blog Assignment: When I Think of Research...

We did it!! Another course down, almost done! Hope to see you all again down the road.

What insights have you gained about research from taking this course?

This class has been a challenge for me in every way. I have done my best to understand the weekly topics but it was too much for a small amount of time. The one thing that I can say about research and early childhood education is that it is necessary to have. Without proper research and researchers our field would not have upgraded throughout the years.

What lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood did you learn?

I have learned that performing a correct research is not an easy task. The planning has to be done with a precise objective in mind, what you want to gain from the research. The designing is also tough, prior research has to be done to find out if the topic was researched before and if it was what the results were. The conducting has to be well organized, how is the observation going to be (interview, observation, or both) and how the information is going to be collected.

What are some of the ways your perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course?

The professionals that have dedicated their careers to research have my admiration, this is not easy but it is definitely necessary. Research is a very detailed task that for it to be considered valid it has to be done to precision.

Research Around the World

I love to do these types of research; it gives me the opportunity to learn about organizations that are trying to do something to better children’s life in other parts of the world. For this particular blog I have decided to look in to European Early Childhood Education Research Journal (EECERJ). EECERA is an independent, self-governing, international association which promotes and disseminates multi-disciplinary research on early childhood and its applications to policy and practice (http://www.eecera.org/ 2010).

Some of the topics that have been published in their journal are; Teaching to learn and learning to teach (in Volume 19, Issue 1, 2011), Hearing voices: participatory research with preschool children with and without disabilities (in Volume 19, Issue 3, 2011),  Signs of knowledge: the appropriation of a symbolic skill in a five-year-old (in Volume 19, Issue 3, 2011) (http://www.eecera.org/ 2010).

Other than the journals offered through this website, there is not very much information on early childhood research. So, me loving to research international organizations, found the website for The NZ Early Childhood Research Network. They bring fresh thinking to early childcare and education.  Research, policy, and practice is brought together to inform, educate, and assist (http://www.childforum.com/ 2010).

Although the articles and journals are for members only, this is an organization in New Zealand that is doing everything to bring new ideas on early childhood education.

References

http://www.childforum.com/

http://www.eecera.org/countrycoordinators/

Blog Assignment: Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories

Before my son “graduated” from Head Start he was asked to participate in a study that was being done by Florida State University. It was directed with to Hispanic students and their education; they asked questions every few months concerning what the child was learning. They went to see him a few times at the Head Start and at the elementary school he attended after Head Start. They had him read and comprehend stories; after he was able to “conquer” his age appropriate stories they began to give him harder and harder stories.  I am unsure of what the results of the study were because we moved from town and lost track of the researchers.  I went on the website trying to find the study that we participated in but it’s not there, I can’t remember what the study is called.  

Personal Research Journey

During every training that I have taken the organization that gives them, which is also the organization that gives the preschool accreditation, has suggested that we (the preschool) add a lesson plan for our outside time. We have added this to every classrooms schedule and the children love it. The teachers are not so thrilled because they are adding a transition to their already busy day. So this is when my simulation comes into play, I want to figure out what are the benefits for taking the classroom to the playground. I want to show the teachers that it is beneficial to the children, but I want proof for what I have to say.

Final Blog

I have enjoyed this class because I have been able to extend my personal resource list, learn about new topics regarding the early childhood field, and have been able to learn more about the people that have been taking this educational journey with me. Unfortunately I have not been able to get in contact with an international early childhood professional, but I have enjoyed listening to the podcast provided through our class.

The consequences of learning about the international early childhood field for your professional and personal development are only positive consequences, I have been able to learn that children around the world are given the chance for a better future; I have also learn how many governments are making new laws and regulations to support this field.

These are just a few references I have added to my personal list

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/

http://www.naeyc.org/links

http://developingchild.harvard.edu/activities/global_initiative/

http://www.nlci.org/News-and-Events.html

Although I have not been able to get in contact with an international early childhood professional I will continue to try beyond this class. I want to share ideas, thoughts and concerns with people from different cultures. I want to learn how to teach my children about the world that surrounds us.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 3

This resource is wonderful; I will put it on the top of my resource list and will use it for any world wide information for the future. The organization does not focus on one thing alone but they actually try to fix every aspect of a child’s life. I really liked the purpose; UNESCO works to create the conditions for dialogue among civilizations, cultures and peoples, based upon respect for commonly shared values. It is through this dialogue that the world can achieve global visions of sustainable development encompassing observance of human rights, mutual respect and the alleviation of poverty, all of which are at the heart of UNESCO’S mission and activities. UNESCO focus on education, natural sciences, social and human sciences, and the one I like the most is culture.

I truly and completely love their efforts to pass along the culture of the country they are helping. The mission of UNESCO is to advance knowledge, standards and intellectual cooperation in order to protect, safeguard and manage the tangible and intangible heritage; to promote the diversity of cultural expressions and the dialogue of cultures with a view to fostering a culture of peace. The main themes that the organization supports are Cultural Diversity, World Heritage, Intangible Heritage, Underwater Cultural Heritage, Movable Heritage and Museums, Creativity, Dialogue, Normative Action, and Emergency Situations.

Under the focus of education there many themes they have;  Climate Change Education, Early Childhood, Economic Crisis and Education, Education for Sustainable Development, Higher Education, HIV & AIDS Education, Human Rights Education, Languages in Education, Post-Conflict Post-Disaster in Education, Teacher Education, Technical and Vocational Education & Training, and many more.

Reference

United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (1995-2011), Retrieved on October 22, 2011 from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/

Sharing Web Resources

The main resource that I use to find information about anything pertaining of the child care field is The National Association for the Education of Young Children (http://www.naeyc.org/links).  I have visited a few websites from this list, including the National Latino Children’s Institute. Their mission is to focus the nation's attention on the contributions and challenges of young Latinos by advocating for their success and well being through partnerships and programs. I really enjoy this website because of all the initiatives it has on helping Latino children have a better future. I have not received the e-newsletter from this organization; I have decided to look for more information from other resources.

Going through the list I found a link that could have been really beneficial for me a few years back, and that I can suggest to other trying  to find quality childcare. The National Daycare Directory; National Daycare Directory is an online "Daycare Directory for Loving Parents". We have taken the liberty to do the legwork for you. Reaching out to each facility to gain a complete understanding of each location before allowing them to place their daycare on our site.

Reference

http://www.nationaldaycaredirectory.com/

http://www.naeyc.org/links#i

http://www.nlci.org/common/index2.htm

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 2

Going through this website I was surprised of how involved Harvard University is in everything that has to do with early child education. They have the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child; their goal is bringing credible and accurate knowledge to bear on public decision-making that affects children’s learning, behavior, and health. The National Forum on Early Childhood Policy and Programs - the Forum was established to complement the Council’s work, which aims to explain why public investments should be made in the early childhood years.

The Early Childhood Innovation Partnership (ECIP) is a deeply committed and cohesive four-way collaboration among the Center on the Developing Child, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and the True Point Center for High Performance and High Commitment.

The area that I found most interesting is the Global Children’s Initiative - the Center’s commitment to global work represents both an acknowledgement of moral responsibility to meet the needs of all children and a critical investment in the roots of economic productivity, positive health outcomes, and strong civil society in all nations, from the poorest to the most affluent.

the global program will focus on three strategic areas:

·         reframing the discourse around child health and development in the global policy arena by educating high-level decision-makers about the underlying science of learning, behavior, and health, beginning in the earliest years of life;

·         supporting innovative, multi-disciplinary research and demonstration projects to expand global understanding of how healthy development happens, how it can be derailed, and how to get it back on track; and

·         building leadership capacity in child development research and policy—focused on both individuals and institutions—in low- and middle-income countries to increase the number and influence of diverse voices and perspectives that are contributing to the growing global movement on behalf of young children.

Guided by these strategic objectives, the Global Children’s Initiative has begun to build a portfolio of activities in three domains:

·         early childhood development;

·         child mental health; and

·         children in crisis and conflict situations.

http://developingchild.harvard.edu/activities/global_initiative/

Sharing Web Resources

Looking at the supports that this organization I can see that big corporations give back to the community in different ways.  Some of the supports include; Kraft Foods, Ford Motor, Univision Communications, The National Education Association (NEA), Southwest Airlines, Aetna, Office of Minority Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, The Century Council, among others.

I have not received the monthly news letter because I sign on to it at the middle of the month. But going through the website I have read the news letter’s that have been previously published, for example; The National Latino Children's Institute Elects
New Leadership (it gives the individuals that are currently on the board), National Latino Children’s Institute Celebrates Young Americans Cities Plan Events to Celebrate the Future of their Communities.

http://www.nlci.org/News-and-Events.html

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 1

Before I begin with my post for this week I want to share a website I found and I thought it was the greatest thing ever. Is called EPals, Inc. it offers K-12 schools, teachers, and students and parents a safe and secure global online communications and collaboration platform for building educational communities, providing quality digital content and facilitating 21^st century learning. In other words, one can communicate and learn from others that are half way around the world. Their website is http://www.epals.com/, join in and start enjoying what others in the field have to say and teach.

 I found this website and this organization as a whole really interesting, full of information and stories that touched my heart. The first story I read was Case Study - Nan Nan: life in a poor migrant family is tough, it talks about a 14 year old girl that her parents migrated to the city from the farm life and has had a hard time making the transition. http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/index.php?action=countryo

The second one I read was Case Study - Nanuram: the schoolboy ice-cream seller is about a 12 year old boy that had to begin selling ice cream during his school holiday vacations to help his family survive. http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/index.php?action=countryo

http://www.childhoodpoverty.org/index.php?action=photos

Reading these stories made my heart hurt, feeling sad for these children losing their childhood because they have to help their parents to survive.

Sharing Web Resources

 

 

The organization that I receive letters from is the National Latino Children’s Institute.

Building stronger communities so that each child has what they need to succeed requires not only an understanding of the existing conditions, but the ability to create unique programs and build alliances with diverse members of the community—government, community-based organizations, religious and other leaders, etc. NLCI has a twelve-year proven track record in bringing people together to work on specific issues and helping to create a better future for all children. NLCI has identified the best strategies for working with the Latino community and partners with community organizations throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico to test ideas and implement new programs. The community programs are frequently chosen from winners of the La Promesa de un Futuro Brillante Awards, a recognition of exemplary work in the Latino community.

Our Mission

NLCI's mission is to focus the nation's attention on the contributions and challenges of young Latinos by advocating for their success and well being through partnerships and programs.

Our Vision

NLCI envisions communities and a nation where young Latinos are heard, valued and a priority for the future of our nation.

If you are still looking for organizations take a look at this link, is offered through the NAEYC.ORG website.

http://www.naeyc.org/links is the  Links to National Early Childhood Organizations

Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

I was not successful on finding anyone from another country in our field to conduct the blogs with, but I will continue to look. So for now, I will use the World Forum Foundation Radio. Includes links to podcasts of conversations with early childhood professionals. I listened to the interview of TJ Skalski ; Principal of The Mother Earth’s Children’s Charter School (MECCS), the first Indigenous charter school in Canada. Originally from the Blood Reserve and raised in southern Alberta, she eventually left to complete her education, including a Masters of Education degree.

I enjoyed listening how she is fighting to preserve her native routes in her life and in her community.

For the second part of our assignment I have also decided to use the World Forum Foundation website. I like that they united professionals in this field from around the world, exchanging ideas and programs that have been successful in their respectful countries. For this week I looked into Global Leaders for Young Children; their Mission it to improve life chances for young children around the world by providing opportunities where developing early childhood leaders can become effective change agents and advocates for quality early childhood development services in their home countries.

http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/initiatives/global-leaders-for-young-children

My Supports

This was a hard assignment for me to do, because apparently my career choice is a joke to some people that are closed to me. The only people that I can truly say that support my career choice are my coworkers. I work at a preschool and I am a baby/infant teacher, everyone thinks I am babysitting.

On the other hand, things in my environment that are supportive to me are my alarm clock, my “brain” appointment book, my books and articles from school, and finally my laptop.

My alarm gets me up everyday to get to work in time, my “brain” helps me keep my themes in order to keep up with the supplies that I need, believe it or not I use many of my books, articles, and journals that I acquire from Walden University, finally my laptop helps me with prints, ideas, and classroom supplies.

I think the biggest challenge I come across (and its not imaginative) is gaining support from my family. I would love for them to be as happy for my career choice as I am; they think all I do is babysit children all day. What they don’t know is that I do more than babysit, I teach children and force them to experiment and try new things on a daily basis.

 

PLAY

"My Connections to Play"

Quotes

Childhood is the world of miracle or of magic: it is as if creation rose luminously out of the night, all new and fresh and astonishing. Childhood is over the moment things are no longer astonishing. When the world gives you a feeling of "déjà vu," when you are used to existence, you become an adult.

EUGENE IONESCO, Present Past / Past Present

Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.

    Kay Redfield Jamiso
Contemporary American professor of psychiatry

I remember living in Puerto Rico, in a mountain located in Canovanas (really rural area) around that time of my life. My mother used to tell us (my sister, brother, and cousins) to get out of the house and use our imagination to play. We lived at the top of a mountain and at the back side of the mountain there was a river that went all around of the town.  When my mom used to kick us out of the house, my sister used to pack a backpack with water, threats, and first aid supplies and off we went. I remember being gone for hours at a time. I remember getting in the deeper parts of the river, looking for animals or weird looking flowers.  I see my childhood like the best part of my life, we were encouraged to have fun and believe in something more than games or television.

Play is so much different now than before; I have three small children that don’t leave my side for anything. Violence has reached such a high degree that no one is completely safe and children less. I feel bad because I work so much that I don’t have the time I would like to have to take my children to the park, beach, or something where they can use their imagination without worries or judgments.  

This are pictures of my children at the beach and at the part; 

 

These are pictures of my children at either the beach or a park

 

Relationships

RELATIONSHIPS

Relationships are important to me because they help make some part of who I am. Friends that have been by my side and have become like family help me be a better person. Relationships with my children help me guide them and raise them the best that I can so in the future when they are adults they can have good relationships.

There are several people in my life that I have a positive relationship with; I will start with my husband, we need to have an excellent relationship to raise happy positive children. The second person is my mother (now) it’s funny but I did not have a relationship with her when I was growing up, now that I am a mother I understand many things that she did and I can appreciate it. The last person I have an excellent relationship with is my best friend, I have known her for 15 years and she is now like my sister.

The hardest thing of having a good relationship with someone is trying to see eye to eye, we all have different personal believes that might get in the way by a comment that might be taken the wrong way.

Being good as an early childhood professional is being able to form good relationships with everyone around me; from the coworkers, to the children, to the family of the children. If relationships are not positive with any of the three parties I mentioned then the learning and growth of the children will have a positive outcome.

My children

My mother

My best friend/sister and my God daughter

Final thoughts

Another class down, and one class closer to achieving our goal. I will not say "goodbye", just a "see you later" because I know that we will see each other down the road until we finish this goal we have for ourselves. I wish everyone good luck in your daily lives and in everything they put their mind to. See you around.

Last Blog

I found a few quotes about children that I really liked and here they are for you to enjoy!!!

We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.  ~Stacia Tauscher

Testing for Intelligence?

I don’t believe a child should be compared to another’s child development. Every child develops in different speeds and in different ways. For example; I am a teacher in an infant room and I have two children the same age (11 months) and one walks all over the room and the other is now barely taking two steps. I have another baby that at the age of 5 months could not turn over by himself or hold his head up for long periods of time.

I found an article about education in China that gives a little background of how education was viewed many years ago and how it is viewed in today’s society. With the founding of New China, numerous tasks had to be undertaken. In order to overcome the poverty and ignorance inherited from old China and gradually improve the standards of the material and cultural life of the people, the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government attached great importance to the restoration and development of education.

In the article that I found there was also this table that explains the Chinese education and assessment process and procedures.

	Elementary Education(Compulsory Education)		Secondary Education
	Primary Schooling	Junior High Schooling	Senior High Schooling
Entrance System	Children aged over 6 years in general or over 7 years in some places without qualified facility eligible for admission of primary school.	Compulsory Education Law stipulates that primary school graduates enter the junior high school nearby without any examination.	Senior high schools select the junior high school graduates based on the examinations organized by local educational administrative departments.
Schooling Years	6 years in general; 5 years in some experimental districts	3 years in general; 4 years in some experimental districts	3 years
Checks & Examinations	term-end tests year-end tests primary school graduation examinations (Chinese and mathematics are test subjects, others are checking subjects)	term-end tests year-end tests graduation examination and examination for entering higher school, such as junior high school Local province (municipality directly under the Central Government) stipulates test subjects of junior high school graduate and entering high school examination in the graduation culture disciplines range regulated by the nation.	term-end tests year-end tests senior high school graduation examination (organized by local province or municipality directly under the Central Government) the national university entrance examination (generally implemented the test reform scheme of 3+X subjects at present) (charged by university student department in Ministry of Education)
Assessment	Term-end tests, year-end tests and primary school graduation examination are devised to examine pupils’ qualified levels.	Term-end tests, year-end tests and junior high school graduation examination are devised to examine junior high school graduates’ qualified levels. Scientific assessment for examinations of graduating and entering are organized, and the assessment system of test question are set up progressively.	Term-end tests, year-end tests and senior high school graduation examination are devised to examine senior high school graduates’ qualified levels. By national university entrance examination, the proportion of students entering higher schools are regarded as the important reference of the educational quality of one teacher and one school.

I thought that the Chinese education was rigorous, studying all day without having a child life. But after looking at this chart and reading the article I come to see that the education area is really similar to the United States.  

 Reference

http://siteresources.worldbank.org/EDUCATION/Resources/278200-1126210664195/1636971-1126210694253/China_Skills_Assessment.pdf

Child Stressors

The stressor that I can identify with is natural disaster. When I was a child, I remember going through hurricane Hugo. It was the worst hurricane that went through Puerto Rico. It happened September 18, 1989, I was 5 years old but remember it really clearly. We lived in a wooden house, and my parents decided to stay at my aunt’s house (which was a block house). Around that time my uncles were building a second story and left concrete blocks on the roof. The wind was so powerful that it was knocking over the blocks. I can still hear the wind, and I still remember (for the small time the adults allowed us to see out the window) how everything was flying around.

The country and region that I chose to research about is Tujuana, Mexico. This is one of the worst parts of Mexico to live in, especially for a child. I found an article from 2008 were it talks about a few children that walked through a house that had many people brutally murdered.

There were daylight shoot-outs between gangs using automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenade launchers in downtown streets and shopping malls. Kidnapping for ransom got so bad that many wealthy and middle-class families fled to the United States.

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-fg-tijuana25-2008oct25,0,2076621.story

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/10/18/101018fa_fact_finnegan#ixzz1OJxmKJ3U