Building Research Competencies Week 8

What insights have you gained about research from taking this course?
I feel that I have gained quite a few insights about research from taking this course. One of the main ones being that there are many variables that encompass high-quality research, and that there different types of research, and also different types of research design. You need to choose the one that best suits the research you are conducting. I also learned that while there is so much involved in research, and it is time consuming, it is also worthwhile once you analyze and complete it, reflecting upon the new knowledge you have gained or the new information you have learned. Research helps others understand and learn new things as well, and in my opinion without research we wouldn't be able to know the information we know or gain better understandings.

In what ways have your ideas about the nature of doing research changed?
At first I thought research was an extremely daunting task, but I have learned that the more you plan and organize and completely think your steps through, the better off you will probably be in the research process and the analysis f the data.

What lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood did you learn?
I have learned that when planning, designing and conducting research it is important to be ethical, purposeful, organized, thoughtful, equitable, and authentic - all which lead to credible, reliable and valid research results.

What were some of the challenges you encountered—and in what ways did you meet them?
One of the challenges I have encountered is attempting to gain a better understanding of the research designs and mixed methods approach. I also felt challenges throughout the process of the research simulation, and making decisions that I thought would best support and aide my research. Through discussions with classmates I was able to gain a better understanding and hear ideas and thoughts which help me confirm my decisions. I am the kind of learner who likes and needs to bounce ideas with others. That is just how my brain works. So it was helpful to be able to discuss each part of the process with peers. I am very appreciative of their mindfulness and sharing of their thoughts.

What are some of the ways your perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course?
This course has definitely been eye opening to not only the process of research, but everything that research entails and how influential research can be on those who read and internalize it. I have learned that not all research is valid and that you need to be aware that there are many things that can render a research study unreliable. It's important to do a literature review and determine whether the other research studies on the same topic have had the same or like results. On the other hand, I absolutely love when research supports my knowledge and understandings of early childhood and I love to share that with others. I think I feel so strongly about it because I very much want to show people that what we as early childhood educators know as reality and truth, is real and true, and we have the research to prove it.

I want to thank all of my peers for sharing their thoughts, ideas, new things learned, questions and comments. I appreciate all the feedback and conversations I've had with you and have enjoyed reading your posts and blogs! Good luck and hope to see you in the next course!

Early Childhood Australia website

What are some of the current international research topics?

The research topics I discovered range from play and quality in early childhood to diversity, to transitions for young children to language development and on to preventing bullying and much more.

 

What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website?

 As I was browsing the website I found an area on language and play. I decided to check it out because of my current research topic on the dramatic play center and language development. I found an article that came from the Zero to Three website which I am familiar with and value. The article described how children as young as a year old begin to tell stories through a series of actions and/or words. It also explained how in order to promote storytelling you need to have many conversations with the child and listen to their stories, be a part of their stories and converse back, asking questions or telling your own stories as well.

I also explored the code of ethics, and found many similarities between the US and Australia, such as keeping information confidential and also developing positive relationships between the family and children.

 

What other noteworthy information did you find on this website?
I found that the Early Childhood Australia website has a magazine, as well as a journal which could be valuable in my research process and professional development in general. They could definitely be a great resource.

 References:

Early Childhood Australia. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/

Researcher of Play and the influences it has on academic success in Kindergarteners.

If I were truly knowledgeable about research and had all the means to complete the research, I would conduct studies on play and the influences it has on academic success in Kindergarteners. As of right now, being a Kindergarten teacher in an area where play is extremely limited, I dream of proving to my supervisors, the public, and those who are making these instructional decisions as to what we can and can not do in the classroom, that play is the most significant part of a child's learning.

I would conduct a research study in Kindergarten classrooms that are play, literacy, and numeracy enriched, and study a Kindergarten classroom where "student centered instruction" is most important, preparing students for MAPs testing, and teachers instructed to use the data from standardized tests to teach the students. The term "student centered instruction" meaning instruction that is supposed to be student as worker, teacher as coach, yet teachers are limited to scripted programs, and continuous assessment of students, as well as very little time for anything, and no time allowed for "centers".

Through my research I would hope to find that the play enriched classroom proves that because children are truly learning through authentic "student centered instruction" and not scripted programs or curriculum, their cognitive, social, and emotional development is strong and progressing throughout the study.

I believe this would benefit the children because they will be having so much fun, learning through play, and truly learning for the love of learning. It would also benefit them socially, because as of right now, my experience with kindergarteners, many of them  come without being socially ready for school, and as the teacher struggle to find time to teach those social skills through all of the other expectations placed upon me. It will benefit them emotionally, because they learn through play and socializing with others, how to self regulate and understand their emotions. Cognitively, they will, through my support and the interactions with peers and their play enriched environment, learn how things work and develop problem solving skills.

I believe this would benefit parents, as well as the community as a whole, because through all of this play and learning, the children will continue to grow and develop the necessary skills to function as a well rounded, civil, young child, young adult, and eventually grown adult, who can contribute in meaningful ways to our community and world.

As you can see, I am extremely passionate about the significance of play, and all of the above is in theory, "if I could". My hopes are that one day it will be a reality, maybe not conducted by myself, but I would be able to show those the reality and truth to those who do not believe or see the significance of play for these young children, even in Kindergarten.

My Research Topic

I chose to research how play influences the growth and development of social, emotional and cognitive skills in young children. I chose this topic because I am very interested in play and the influences it has on a child's success. I have always been passionate about play and believe that for young children it is how they learn and grow. In my opinion, without play there is limited self discovery, child-centered learning, and without play children do not learn how to manipulate the environment around them. My hopes right now are that through my research, I can find valuable and significant information and proof that I can share with other educators to begin on the path of bringing more play back into public education in our area. Right now, the students at my school only get 20 minutes of play a day at school, and "centers" or "free play" and play in general is not suggested. Teaching Kindergarten, it is frustrating and difficult to teach under these circumstances.

So far in my research I have found a few articles that I want to explore further. It has been a learning process for me and will continue to be as I read and research more. My hopes are that I can become effective at finding articles that help my research and help me to grow more as a researcher and learner overall.

I would love any suggestions about ways that you attempt to research your specific points, or things that you find helpful in your research process. I feel the most challenging thing for me will be to quickly and effectively find research that will pertain to my topic.

Best wishes to you all as you continue on this journey!

Week 8

Overall, I feel I have learned a lot about the international early childhood field through my colleagues, their blogs, through websites and podcasts. The blogs have provided information and real world example and experiences that I have learned from. The websites and podcasts have provided information and continuous support or findings that I can use and share with others. I feel I have truly:

1.      Increased my awareness and understanding of poverty, how it influences the growth and development of young children, and what/how other countries are doing to handle poverty.

2.      Increased my understanding of the importance of equity and excellence in early childhood and the support to prove that all children should have equal access to an early childhood education, no matter their race, ethnicity, ability, parental income, etc.

3.      Developed and enhanced my passion for diversity and understanding how to help and support immigrant families.

4.      Gained a better understanding of high-quality programs and how other countries implement high quality programs.

My goal is to continue to learn more about the issues and trends in other countries and how those countries have made progress or had success in solving their issues through implementation of support/service programs or high quality early childhood education programs. I believe it is important to remain aware and knowledgeable about early childhood education around the world, in order to help our own early childhood education field in the US.

Week 7

After researching on the UNESCO website, I gained some interesting insights about early childhood education.

One new insight I gained was that the importance of access and equity in early childhood is reiterated, including the development of early childhood care and education. Although countries promote other services for poor children, there is also “limited or no access to mainstream early childhood services” (UNESCO, 2013). Governments struggle to ensure that resources are dispersed among all populations, rather than targeted one specific group. “A policy of universalisation with targeting can minimize inequity where governments aim for universal access…” (UNESCO, 2013). I believe the biggest struggle is that coherent, equitable policy so that all children are receiving support and the opportunity to access education.

Another insight that I gained was that “Where appropriate curricula exist, there can be problems with implementation with the emphasis remaining on early primary education and preparation for formal schooling due to pressure from parents and the fact that it is easier for teachers than child-centred learning” (UNESCO, 2013). I found this interesting, as I experience wanting to implement child-centered learning, rather than having to teach to prepare children for first grade and curriculum that is not developmentally appropriate. I believe that part of the reason some teachers would rather teach without a child-centered curriculum is because they do not have the available resources and tools, or lack the knowledge to teach them effectively. This could be partially improved through focused funding and professional development or classes for teachers.

I also found that “The greatest difficulty faced by countries in their efforts to expand and improve the quality of early childhood care and education is the mobilisation of resources. This is particularly daunting in developing countries, where early childhood may be overshadowed by other pressing priorities, such as universal primary education” (UNESCO, 2013). It was interesting to me to find that some countries, especially underdeveloped or developing countries prioritize education in the primary grades than at the start of early childhood. I believe maybe they need to rethink their priorities, as learning begins at birth and we as educators know, how crucial early childhood learning can be. Learning at younger ages sets children up for learning in the future. I believe these countries could improve education for children if they invest in early childhood education from the start. While government funding may be small, the appropriate steps need to be taken to advocate for early childhood education and its importance in the future of the country.

Overall, it was interesting to me to read about the education around the world, and gaining some insight on education in other countries. I think this website is a great resource, and can keep educators like myself informed.

UNESCO (2013). Early Childhood Care and Education.  Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/

Week 6

As I look through the NAEYC website I am always drawn to the Topics tab. It offers a range of topics, all with very valuable information from which to learn. I did sign up for the E Newsletter, but I have yet to receive it. There is also a section at the top, called Newsroom, which has been very informative as well. Press releases and other important information is listed there.

There is a recent news release called "A Call for Excellence in Early Childhood Education". I believe I've spoken about this release in a recent blog post or discussion board, but it think it really speaks volumes to the equity and excellence in early childhood education. To summarize, it basically explains how all children deserve excellent care and education, a high quality early learning experience that has lifelong influences, that programs need to be accessible to all families, the educators need to be educated, prepared, continually learning, and compensation for their qualifications and experience, and that the child's actual education needs to be challenging and appropriate to young children and their culture and needs. All of this, tied together with family involvement and a stable, structured system through funding and other resources, in order to provide the best, most successful education for our young children. All of these key points are very familiar to me now and this article summed it up well. It was refreshing to me to find this on the NAEYC website and know ing that it is accessible for the public and other educators to see is very important. I think everyone needs to read this to understand the meaning and importance of equity and excellence in early childhood education.

A section at the top called "For Families" gave me more insight on what information is accessible for families of young children. I was excited to see a tab on the right of the page that says "signs of quality". When I clicked on it, I was intrigued by the "standards" that were provided, giving information on the signs of quality early childhood programs, education, and care. I think this is a great way for parents to be informed, and a great way that NAEYC is reaching out and sharing significant information to the public and these parents of young children.

Resources:
www.naeyc.org