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