EDUC 6163 When I Think of Research

I was very nervous before this class began. I struggled with my research class in my undergrad classes and was expecting much the same with this class. However, by designing my own research study and applying the concepts to my study gave me a much better understanding. I have learned there are so many more steps involved in a research study before the study can even begin. I have also learned how one topic can evolve into a multitude of research studies in order to research the many different angles and perspectives of that topic. My research study is looking at if education requirements in early childhood centers impacts the amount of employee turnover. It was hard each week to keep my study on track and not go off in different tangents. As I thought about my topic there were so many other avenues and other variables that I could research, but it would make my topic too broad and reduce the feasibility of the study. Thinking about and exploring all the different ways this topic could be researched gave me great appreciation for researchers because it was not easy to design the study and it would be even harder to implement. 

I had a few challenges in this class personally. I have a 2 year old and a now 5 month old. When the class began my husband was supposed to return from deployment in the first week of class so I thought I would have extra support. However, due to the constant changes in the military he did not actually come home until we were in our fifth week of class. This made it very difficult juggling everything, but luckily he made it home and I made it through the class. 

My viewpoint of early childhood professionals has broadened. There are many different ways to contribute to the early childhood field and it is important to recognize and learn from each other. Researchers are critical to the field, but they must also understand child development and learn from teachers about the classroom environment. Teachers must also study research as the early childhood field is continually changing and there are new developments every day. Each of these professions must work together to help provide all children with high quality education.

Thank you to all my classmates for the support throughout this class. It has been fun to learn about everyone's research topic.

EDUC 6163-Research Around the World

I explored the Early Childhood Australia website. I was really impressed by the research about the flexibility of child care services. This research was done to see how flexible child care services such as length of hours offered and location of services, and also the ability of families to change hours on short notice. This is really important as many parents do not work a typical 9-5 job and may have to drive out of their way to reach a quality child care center. This can make it difficult for families to work and cost more in gas. However, it is also hard for child care centers to offer these longer hours because it means needing staff, who may not want to work earlier or later, and also needing to provide an extra meal such as supper which requires a cook. This is definitely a great topic for research to find the best ways for child care centers to meet the needs of their families. 

I was also intrigued by their Digital Business Kit. The website mentioned the kit offers videos and PDFs that provide tips and information for early childcare centers about technology. This would be great to have access to learn about current and new technology for the classrooms and also to help run the center.   

Resources

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/

EDUC 6163-Research that benefits children and families

If I had unlimited funds I would do numerous studies on the impact of technology on today's kids and family. Technology is a wonderful tool, but I also see so many negatives to children learning and on today's families. I want to research the effect technology has on children's creativity, problem-solving, work ethic, and ability to focus. In the classroom I saw many children who did not seem to have imagination or ability to pick up toys and create something whether it was with blocks, play-doh, or in a pretend kitchen. We recently got custody of my husband's niece. For the first twelve years of her life, she spent the majority of her time in front of some sort of technology either watching t.v., playing the computer or being on her ipod. She moved in with us and had no clue how to play with anything or how to entertain herself without technology. She also told me she doesn't need to learn to spell because there is spell check. I was amazed when she had a sleepover and the tv was on, yet all four girls were either on their own cell phones or on the computer. Kids are forgetting how to play together and interact. Technology can be a wonderful tool, yet I see it having many negatives as well. I would love to be able to research all the ways technology impacts the minds of children and how parents and educators need to expose, yet also limit, children's access to the multitude of technology available.

For families I also see technology decreasing the amount spent in quality time together. No matter where you go you see people on their phones rather than interacting with each other. In restaurants, playgrounds, at the store I see parents on their phones or kids playing with the phones or electronic device. They are missing out on so many teachable moments and quality time talking to each other. I would love to research to see if this has an impact on children's social and emotional skills down the road.

There are so many studies about technology and how it affects children and families that it would take years and years to complete. However, I do feel that as our society changes more research does need to be done to hopefully help children and families receive the positive benefits of technology rather than negatives.   

I can share one positive story from research. My mom was diagnosed with brain cancer and given 13 months to live. They removed her tumor and she had radiation. A year later the tumor came back, but at that point a new treatment had just completed the research phase and was now available. That treatment helped hold off the growth of a new tumor and gave us an extra year with my mom. With continued research hopefully another person can be cured completely.

EDUC 6163 My Personal Research Journey

My research simulation is asking the question if requiring more education reduces staff in turnover in early childcare settings. I chose this topic because in the centers I have worked at which included two different Head Start agencies and a private daycare, I saw frequent staff turnover. This created stress in the center as staff members had to pick up the extra responsibilities, move between classrooms to maintain ratios at all times, and have to help train new employees. It was negative for the children to have different caretakers. It also was bad for the center because it takes time to get new employees trained in the proper procedures and learn how the center worked. Many of the people who did not stay very long were those who had none or very little education in early childhood. I believe that by requiring more education, centers will be hiring staff members who are more committed to the early childhood field and less likely to leave for other positions. 

I learned a lot of information in the readings this week, though reading the book did intimidate me a little as I tried to understand the research process. I really struggled with understanding how you process and analyze the data. Did anyone else struggle with this area? Was there anything you have read that helps to better explain this process? 

The discussion this week gave me a lot of new insight into how to review a source. I was amazed at the number of websites that I would have thought would be good, did not meet the criteria. 

Does anyone have any insights into staff turnover that they have experienced in their centers and things that would be good to keep in mind as I continue through with the research simulation?  

Issues and Trends-Final Blog

I am so grateful for this class exposing me to issues and challenges faced in the early childhood field in other countries. Though, I was never able to connect with professionals in other countries, I have been able to learn through reading my classmates blogs and listening to podcasts. 

The first consequence of researching and learning about the international field has been making me grateful for the education opportunities we have available in the United States. Sometimes we forget that there are those who suffer so much more and have less than we can even imagine. The education system in our country needs improvement so we can learn from other countries policies and practices and work together to improve early education for children worldwide. 

The second lesson came from a podcast by Irma Allen who is the chairperson of Swaziland Environment Authority which is similar to the United State's EPA. She is also a member of World Forum Nature Action Collaborative for Children. Mrs. Allen spoke of the importance of nature in the education of children in her country because nature was their classroom. Listening to her helped me realize the importance and necessity of incorporating more nature into classrooms and lesson plans. Schools are pushing for more academics so children in every grade are losing their outside time and their interaction with nature. Due to the increase of technology children are losing outside time at home too. We need to develop and nurture a love of outside early to help children appreciate nature. 

The last consequence has been opening my eyes to the many different facets and issues in the early childhood field. I am guilty of living in my own little bubble of world and so have not been aware of the extent of many of the topics discussed in this class. Researching poverty in my area showed me a whole new level of poverty in my area that i was not aware existed. I also gained a much better understanding of the complexities for ensuring all children have an equity of care and excellence in their education. 

Our field serves children and families and this means there are issues we must deal with beyond just making lesson plans and teaching children ABC's. Children and families are complex and unique and as teachers and professionals in the field we must be aware of the many issues to serve and help to the best of our abilities. My goal is to continue to educate myself on international organizations and organizations in our country as well as issues out and inside our country.

Getting to know your international contacts-Part 3

I listened to the podcast of Maysoun Chehab. Maysoun Chehab is the Regional Early Childhood Care and Development Program Coordinator at the Arab Resource Collective (ARC), a not-for-profit non-governmental organization based in Beirut, Lebanon. Ms. Chehab spoke of her work with a psychosocial intervention program after the war in Lebanon. This program worked to provide support for children and families. I was impressed with her statement that before they worked with the children, they trained the families and teacher and provided them with support and coping techniques. She stated that if the parents and teachers are not supported, they could support the child. This is important for all early childhood professionals to remember because the family is the primary environment and support for children. 

I explored the website http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/. I read an article about the Big Push Initiative which is working to increase early childhood care and education in Africa. This is a much needed program because according to the website only 1 in 4 children between the ages of 0-8 attend preschool. This varies depending on the region with the average enrollment in West Africa around 19%. The other shocking statistic I read was the fact that sub-Saharan Africa needs one million teachers. UNESCO has a training initiative to help with training quality teachers. There has been a lot of progress with increasing early childhood education in Africa, but there is still a long way to go. 

Sharing Web Resources

The NAEYC website has a link for families. This link gave a wealth of information for families providing article on several different topics such as biting in children, sibling rivalry, and even on coping with tragedy. There is also a place for parents to search for NAEYC accredited programs in the areas and also provided tips for what to search for when looking at child care programs for children of different ages. This website is a great resource to provide for parents. I spent a lot of time reading articles that pertain to me as a parent. 

I signed up for the newsletter, however for some reason I have not received one yet. I read through some of the updates for federal developments. I was very interested in the update on the Child Care & Development Block Grant (CCDBG). The last time there were changes to CCDBG was 1996 (http://www.naeyc.org/policy/federal/3_25_14). This amazed me that in almost 20 years we have not changed the standards or qualifications. The Senate recently passed a reauthorization bill which does have changes to health and safety requirements, eligibility, and training, but this bill does not provide the funding for the program (http://www.naeyc.org/policy/federal/3_25_14). It is important to contact our representatives to inform them of the benefits CCDBG has for our children and why this program needs these updates, but also still needs funding. 

Getting to know your international contacts-Part 2

This week I listened to a podcast by Irma Allen who is the chairperson of Swaziland Environment Authority which is similar to the United State's EPA. She is also a member of World Forum Nature Action Collaborative for Children. Mrs. Allen is very passionate about early child education, especially nature's involvement in classrooms. Nature is very important because in Swaziland there are no classrooms and the lesson plans are very dependent on nature. Mrs. Allen mentioned there is not always water available so when there is water they do water activities. This is extremely different than here in the U.S. because water play is part of every day play. I was extremely moved by a story she shared of a young man who spoke at a retirement party for a teacher. The man said he was an orphan was one of the first children of the her preschool and he learned to appreciate his country and the environment. I feel many of the children in our country are losing the appreciation for nature as more focus turns to technology. I wonder how this will impact the fight for recycling and saving our environment. This podcast made me ask how can children who have never climbed trees understand the need to save them, will children who never fished in creeks feel upset by their pollution, and will children who never play outside see and want to put a stop to littering? Without exposing children to nature and all it has to offer, can our children appreciate the need to protect our environment?

I explored the website http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/activities/global_initiative/. I went to the link for the Mother Child Education Foundation (ACEV) of Turkey. There was an article about a panel held for working on gender equality in Turkey. This is an important issue in many countries and affects the education of girls. I also learned about a study that followed children who had been abducted into armed groups in Sierra Leone. These children were 10-17 years old when they were released and able to return home. This study will help to better understand the impact of toxic stress experienced in childhood later in life. Both of these are issues that most people do not even realize occur in the world and it is easy to live in denial that children face these circumstances every day. We need to do better educating people in the United States and exposing our children to information about other countries so our children today can continue the work of others helping children in other countries.

Sharing Web Resources

I reviewed the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and this week focused on the section Topics. I read the NAEYC's position on Common Core. This is a current issue and is controversial. While currently there are 45 states who have adopted the Common Core standards, there have been a lot of criticisms of these standards. While Common Core standards may not have a direct impact on preschools and children birth through 5, it is still important for early childhood professionals to understand these standards to better help children transition into school. 

This topic is very important for researchers to understand the impact Common Core standards on children and ensure the standards represent and maintain the current research such as understanding the need for child centered curriculum. Politicians have a major impact on states adapting these standards. They must also understand the research and ensure these standards are the best option for our children.

While this week I focused on the topic of Common Core, I also briefly read through some of the other topics on the website. There were so many other topics that I will be reading more thoroughly later. I have found such a great resource on current information through this website. 

Getting to know your international contacts-Part 1

Unfortunately, I have not received any responses to the emails I sent so I went to World Forum Radio and listened to a podcast by Barbara Jones. Barbara founded the Pine Grove School in Maine. She moved to southern California looking for schools that had a more modern philosophy. She saw an ad for a Montessori school and began working there. She received her Montessori certification in England. After seeing a school boarded up she waited for it to be on the market. Once it was available, she bought it and opened her school in 1985. The school follows the Montessori values. This theory was developed by Maria Montessori which believes children learn best in an environment that promotes hands-on learning. 

I was unable to load the website childhoodpoverty.org, but I have learned the extent of poverty. It is important to change our views of poverty and understand that families who may appear middle class can actually be suffering from food instability (Laureate Education, Inc., 2013). The family may be making rent and utilities, but not have enough left for food. Living without food or not getting enough to eat can affect kids in the classroom. We can have the best classroom environment and a child-centered curriculum, but if a child is hungry they will not receive the full benefit. This is important to remember as teachers. 

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2013). The Effects of Poverty on the Early Childhood Communit5y[Video]. Retrieved fromhttps://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_4745165_1%26url%3D

Sharing Web Resources

I have signed up for a newsletter from National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), however I have not received it yet, so this week I chose to review the organization's policies and focused on NAEYC's A Call for Excellence in Early Childhood Education. This policy outlined the importance of high quality education and described the goals for all early education programs. NAEYC makes it clear that the responsibility for improving early childhood programs does not rest with one group or level of government. In order to provide our children with the education they deserve we must work together to achieve the high quality education and environment to have the best short- and long-term results. 

NAEYC states the principals needed in order to achieve the goals and included was the need for equality for all children regardless of family status, income, disability, gender, national origin, ethnicity, or race (http://www.naeyc.org/policy/excellence). Diversity is also needed to ensure programs respect each family's culture differences and are flexible to the needs of the child and family (http://www.naeyc.org/policy/excellence). 

This supports the importance of educating teachers and administrators on the importance of being respectful to every family's culture and traditions. With the changing demographics in our country, classrooms are going to be diverse. To be able to provide the best for our children, teachers must be prepared. It is the responsibility for every level of government and early childhood professionals to ensure our children have the best chance for success later in life which can be achieved through increasing the quality of our early childhood programs.

NAEYC. (n.d). A call for excellence in early childhood education. Retrieved 
         from http://www.naeyc.org/policy/excellence. 
. 

Getting Ready—Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources

I emailed a representative for UNICEF in Brazil, Sarah Klaus with the International Step by Step Association in the Netherlands and Mrs. Eva Hammes-DiBernado with the German National Committee for Early Childhood Education. The email address for Sarah Klaus does not work and I have not heard back from any yet, so I may have to move to the alternate assignment.  I will still try to connect with others because I was very excited about discussing issues and trends in other countries.

I chose to to study the NAEYC because this is an organization that I would like to join. I want to learn more about their mission and involvement in the early childhood field. I did sign up for their newsletter.

I would love to get any tips from those that have been able to connect with professionals in other countries.

My Supports

My support comes from my family especially my husband. He listens when I need to vent and he recognizes the fact that I sometimes need a break from the kids. My siblings are also a major source of support. I am lucky to have a close relationship with my siblings so I frequently call my brothers and sisters for advice and even sometimes just to vent. My daughter is also supportive by helping me remember to slow down and appreciate the little moments. I sometimes get so caught up in daily chores and can get frustrated easily. My daughter teaches me to slow down and enjoy the little moments of reading together and letting her "help" (which really means double the work) with laundry and dishes. I only have these days where she wants to be helpful and always play with mom for so long so I need to appreciate each day. My church family is also a major source of support especially as I prepare for my husband to be gone with training and then deployment. I have so many offers to help if things break and mowing the yard. If I did not have this support system in place I would be more stressed and be struggling to maintain all the responsibilities in my life. 

This summer I will be facing a unique challenge. My husband will be deployed when i give birth to our second child. My daughter will be almost 2 so I will need a lot of help. I will need physical help with baby-sitting and support during labor. My sisters will be in the delivery room with me while my dad watches my daughter. I will need a lot of help around the house because I will not be able to do landscaping outside. Luckily I have several people who have agreed to take care of the mowing the whole time my husband is deployed. I will also need emotional support while caring for a newborn and toddler and also dealing with separation from my husband. During this time my family, friends and church family will be very supportive for help with the children and the house. Without these people I would not be able to keep my household running. Acknowledging the fact that I can not take care of everything and everyone all by myself is important for me to reach out and accept help. Without these supports I do not know if I will be able to get through this deployment with my sanity and house intact.    

My connections to play

"Never help a child with a task at which he feels he can succeed."
- Maria Montessori

"Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn."

O. Fred Donaldson
Contemporary American martial arts master

I love these quotes especially the first one because I see so many times parents and teachers help children rather than letting them try first and having them work through the steps themselves. There are also many times I struggle with not letting my perfectionism affect letting the children make crafts and do projects. 

I grew up with two older sisters and two older brothers on a farm. We spent most of our time playing outside. My parents did not want us spending all our time watching television so there were several times I can remember growing up that our TV "broke", but would magically start working when the news came on. 

This is so different than children today because many children spend their time watching television or playing with their phones or iPods. I think this robs children of their creativity and problem solving skills. When my husband's niece came to live with us she had not idea what to do if we told her no TV or iPod. She also struggles to think through problems because the only games she plays are with technology. Technology is a wonderful invention, but it is relied upon too heavily and our children are suffering. Play is when children learn to cooperate with others and use their imagination. It also teaches them persistence and helps promote thinking. Playing with toys is so important to future success in school.     

Relationship Reflection

Relationships are important because people help support you, encourage you, and help you grow. This summer my mom passed away and without the support of my husband, my siblings, and my friends I would not have gotten through. I am lucky to be very close to all my siblings and they are the ones I call when I need help. My sisters have really helped me since having my daughter because they were able to share their experience with me when I was having problems. However, since my husband is military we live 14 hours away from my family so I have had to work to maintain the bonds with my family through phone calls and Skype. This is also true for my friends that live far away. Without communication the relationship fades away so there are some friends that I am no longer close to because due to different work and family schedules we have not been able to communicate enough to stay close.

I have also learned there are many challenges to building a relationship. Since I am a military spouse I have had to move to a different area twice and each time it was hard meeting people. I am a naturally shy person and have trouble starting conversations with people. This has made it hard making friends because I have had to step outside of my comfort zones several times in order to make friends.

My husband and I have a special relationship in that we are equals working towards a common goal that we have for our family. This requires constant communication and compromise because we are different people who have very different perspectives sometime. Because we have common bonds with our daughter there is not the option of letting the relationship fade. Even in times of disagreement we must work together to find a solution and remember our love for each other.

Reflecting on my relationships with family and friends reminds that we have relationships with our coworkers and families we serve and we much work as partners to meet our common goal of helping children. There will be times we disagree with coworkers and families, however because we are partners we need to use effective communication and work through the problem. If we are not able to do this then we will lose the support and experience from our coworkers and lose the respect from our families. Without all these we will not be effective in our positions.