When I think of research....

When I think of research, I think of the word "investigation". Here are a few insights I have gained about research from taking course:

*credible sources are needed
*ethical concerns must be considered
*choose a topic that is of interest to you
*choose a research design that is beneficial for your study
*reading previous research on your topic is needed

My thoughts about doing research has indeed changed. I feel more comfortable with conducting research, as I have pondered on the benefits that it could bring to the field. I have learned that planning your research saves time. In addition, researchers should choose a design that will allow them to collect as much data as possible to have validity in their findings. When conducting research, researchers must follow proper procedures as ethical concerns must be considered and addressed.

At first, creating a literature review was difficult for me. I was not sure if I was writing it correctly and felt a little defeated. In order for me to understand the assignment better, I read the required resource for that week numerous of times. Another challenge I encountered was choosing a research design that worked for my study. After reading about the mixed method approach, I was relieved that I could use a mixture of designs to collect my data.

I have gained much more respect for professionals in the early childhood field. There is so much work and time that these professionals put towards their careers. They strive to make a difference in a child's life in so many ways and continue to change lives.

Taking this course was very beneficial. The insights I have gained will take me very far in this field. I also appreciate my colleagues for taking out their time to respond and give feedback on my blog and discussion post. I enjoyed each of you and wish you the best of luck on your future success.

Thanks,

Latasha

Early Childhood Development Virtual University......

The ECDVU is a training program that was established to address early childhood care and development. The website shares a variety of research reports that was done by students which include;

* Assessment of interaction and stimulation in single-mother low income families

* Curriculum development using community resources

* The status of coordination and supervision of early childhood education in Ghana

* Building community leadership for quality sustainability in Madrasa Preschools: The case of Madrasa Preschools post graduation support

* Pilot study of the adaptation of an established measure to assess the quality of child services in a selected orphanage in Zambia: The inclusive quality assessment (IQA) tool

What I find surprising is that there are numerous of programs in other countries that focus on the quality of life for children and their families. In fact, I have never heard of the different programs until I decided to further my education in the early childhood field. One fact that I was very interested in was ECDVU's aim to build capacity through identifying indigenous knowledge. The reason being is because I can recall choosing to define the word indigenous in my research chart :)

*Noteworthy information*

One piece of information that I wanted to share is that you have to be nominated by the early childhood development country committee in order to be accepted in the training program. Once accepted, students are required to complete six courses and must take on the duty to promote the program's capacity in their country and internationally. 

If I had to choose....

If I had the means and knowledge to conduct research on any topic in the early childhood field, it would be on the inclusion for children with disabilities. Including all children in the classroom setting continues to be an issue. Children who have disabilities are often restricted from interacting with peers who do not have a disability. For instance, a child in a wheelchair may not have the opportunity to have fun on the playground like the other children. I think it is important for programs and schools to invest in equipment, technology, and other materials that will allow disabled children to be included with assignments, activities, and play time. It is also critical to ensure that all children are safe in the school environment.

I imagine that my study would make a positive contribution for the well-being of children and their families. In my study, I would include the benefits for including children who have disabilities. Here are just a few of those benefits;

*Build friendships
*Can adapt to the rest of the world
*Enhance social skills
*Build self-esteem
*Feels wanted and normal
*Learn from peers who do not have a disability
*Develop a sense of pride

Including all children will enhance parent-teacher relationships. It will also allow children without disabilities to appreciate and accept children who have disabilities.

My Personal Research Journey

What is Research?

Research is an investigation or study of materials that will lead to new findings. My research topic for this course is assistance for children and families who suffer from poverty. The reason why I chose this topic to investigate is because as a child, I suffered from this issue. My mom was not aware of the various assistance and help that programs and organizations offered for families who were in need. By conducting this research, I want to deepen my understanding of the numerous of assistance and how families can overcome this matter. In fact, some aid that is provided for families are more popular than others, in which, the less popular ones get overlooked and are not taken advantage of. With this new-found knowledge, I will have the opportunity to save families while sharing resources with them.

So far, my personal experience with this simulation process has been smooth. I am excited about this research, however, I have not been approved yet by my instructor regarding this topic. Hopefully, everything will work out because this topic is very personal and dear to me. When I first read that my colleagues and I had to choose a topic to research, it was a no brainier for me to choose something regarding poverty. My goal is to help children and families, not only through teaching, but to make sure that they are safe and healthy.

What I have learned from constructing the research chart is that it is a challenge to define terms in your own words. I say this because after researching words and reading many definitions, you have to build an understanding of the word and avoid from using the exact wording that other sources have used. On the other hand, defining terms in your own words correctly proves that you understand them.

I am open to any advice or insights that my colleagues can share about my research topic and the research chart. One resource I think that will benefit someone on their research is;
Thompson Ross A, (2001). The future of children: Development in the first years of life, 11(1), 20-33. 

If you know of any resources that will help me on my research journey, feel free to share them with me at any time. 

Finale

Communicating with an international professional was very exciting. There were so many insights I gained from communicating with someone from UNICEF and also staying current with Children's Defense Fund website. Here are three outcomes I have while learning about the international early childhood field;

*The love and the will to fight for children is all around the world
*Funding for education continues to be scarce
*Many children are dying from diseases and poor health.

One goal that I have for the field related to international awareness is collaborating with other professionals and educators about the progress that is being made to make education affordable  for all families around the world. By collaborating and maintaining a relationship with professionals in other countries makes for great outcomes. We will share ideas, insights, and challenges so that we are able to help each other grow.


"Post at least three consequences of learning about the international early childhood field for your professional and personal development"

I was a bit confused by what was being asked of me when I first read this part of the assignment. I viewed this portion as two ways; what was the result of the learning about the international early childhood field or what was the challenges of learning about the international early childhood field. I decided to go with my first mind and shared the results of the learning I have gained from my international contacts.

Did anyone else feel the same? Best wishes to my professor and colleagues, I wish you all nothing but success!!

XoXo

UNICEF, International Contact: Part III

What are your hopes and dreams and what qualities are needed in order to be an excellent professional in the early childhood field?

These are just a few of the topics that Ms. Christine Muhigana and I discussed this week. We first began our conversation about quality education. She believes that all children deserves a quality education in their earliest years, one that makes for a rich future. Children who start school late either drop out or fall far behind and can ultimately continue the poverty cycle. She also believes that in order for a child to receive such education, highly educated and trained professionals are needed. She has heard of and witnessed individuals who were not highly qualified teachers teaching young children in their early years. The results for children were not good, in fact, it was almost as if the child never attended an education program and fell behind later in the school years. These professionals should be leaders and role models for our children, encouraging them to be the best individuals they can be. Ms. Muhigana also explained that from what she knows regarding opportunities for professional development, some colleges and universities offer students to experience a classroom setting to better prepare them as teachers and to get an insight on what to expect.

As we continued on with our conversation, Ms. Muhigana informed me that her professional goals include; making sure all children gain access to quality education, protecting children from abuse and neglect, and improving the health for children who are suffering from diseases and lack of nutrition. This was a touching topic for her and she feels that she is obligated to protect children, especially the ones who are suffering from poverty. In order for children to be the best, they must first have healthy, warm bodies. She hopes that one day, more people will become involved in helping children. She also hopes that education will be more affordable for families in the future. One of the challenges that she continues to face is trying to tend to all families who are in need, in a timely manner. She feel that a quick response is needed, but sometimes does not happen because of the millions of families who need their attention and support.

As I ended the conversation with Ms. Muhigana, since she had mentioned it as a goal, I decided to take a look back at UNICEF's website to see what additional information I could find regarding abuse. I found that in 2002, millions of children suffered from sexual abuse. These children were under 18 and was forced to have sexual intercourse. Indeed, this organization is working to respond to such trauma and I will share one of their statements regarding the matter.

"As part of UNICEF’s commitment to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Rio de Janeiro Declaration and Call for Action to Prevent and Stop Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents, UNICEF works to prevent and respond to sexual violence by engaging different government sectors - justice, social welfare, education and health - as well as legislators, civil society, community leaders, religious groups, the private sector, media, families and children themselves."

I continue to pray for the well being of our children.

More of CDF

"We can do better" - Children's Defense Fund

One of the links that I explored on the website involved news regarding a 14 year old boy name Noah, who was accidentally shot by his best friend. A devastated mother shares her story about losing her son and how she wished she could have taught him about the dangers of guns before his death. She admits that she feels horrible for letting her son play in a house where guns were visible and in the reach of children.

The area that I searched through thoroughly was the policy priorities section. The reason I focused on this section was to read about their concerns for children and their families. Here is what I found:

*CDF believes poverty should come to an end
*All children should be eligible to receive a high quality education in the early years
*By the fourth grade, children should be reading at their levels and should continue to receive high quality education until they graduate from high school
*All children and pregnant women should have access to good health coverage
*Children should be protected from child abuse and neglect and placed with caring guardians



Another link that I followed that relates to one of the issues that I have been studying regards high school students, who shared their families' immigrations stories. Some worry about their future because of their illegal status. Those that are legal are worried that their parents will soon be deported. Fortunately, they are learning their rights and striving to be a voice for children who are experiencing some of the same issues that they are facing.

This website has definitely added to my understanding of excellence and equity in early care and education. I say this because CDF is determined to voice the rights of children and the importance of them to have the best education possible. They want all children to be included with a wonderful education; no matter their financial status. Additionally, information that I have grasped from this website is that there is a major need for congress to withheld from cutting investments funds in early education. If not, more of our children will be in prison in their later years and the cost for that is much more than investing in education programs.
 

Will the members of congress do what's best for our children or continue to overlook the positive benefits they can gain if children are provided with a rich education?

I guess we will have to wait and see........