My Ultimate Research Project

My Ultimate Research Project

                    

If I had the means and knowledge to conduct a research on any topic in the early childhood field I would research the long-term effect of technology and interactive media as tools in early childhood specifically from birth through age 8.  We are constantly hearing communications on the benefits of technology throughout different aspects of life, but I sometimes wonder if it sometimes is more of a hindrance than a benefit. Are we using too much technology too soon?  

              

I would like to compare the brain activity of children that spend time indoors with technology, versus the children who explore outdoors in nature with its natural wonder, one that is unspoiled by man. I believe my biases may have been a little exposed in that previous statement, but I would ensure that the use of triangulation is employed all processes of the research. I would have to be prepared for the unexpected in this research, allowing the results to go where I may not perceive.

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I believe the results of this research could foster changes in the early childhood field. I do not think the technology should be eliminated, I just feel that time spent exploring the outdoor classroom should be increased with the ideal classroom incorporating a mix of both.

My Research Journey

The topic I have chosen for the research simulation is “To what extent does parental involvement influence cognitive development in five year olds?” I have chosen this topic as I have heard in previous courses that parental involvement in early childhood education is a positive influence on the child’s academic development. I figured this would be a prime opportunity to confirm that this theory is true. With the different strategies we followed last week to ensure that articles and researches posted online are credible and of a high-quality I would now take a second look at the papers and articles I read that were related to parental involvement in early childhood education.

  In my work with children I have experienced parents that were closely involved with their children’s school life and others who were not as hands on so I would like to see what kind of difference the involvement makes if any.  It seemed apparent to me that the children of parents who were more hands on in their education did well in school, but now I can put this theory to the test. If any of you have any advice as to how I can assess that this study is working I would really appreciate it. I am still a little unsure how I will ascertain to what extent the parental involvement is making a difference if any at all.

I wish all of you success in your simulations, and please be sure to let me know if there is any way that I can be of assistance.