RESEARCH AROUND THE WORLD

For this week’s assignment, I explored early childhood in Australia through the website www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au . Early Childhood Australia (ECA) has been the voice for children in Australia for more than 75 years. As I read the research topics on the early childhood website I realized that the issues and concerns in early childhood are similar across the global platform. Some of the topics addressing these concerns include, ‘Supporting literacy learning in the early years’, ‘Connecting with babies’, Documenting children’s learning’, ‘Connecting with toddlers’, and ‘Inclusive pedagogy from a child’s perspective’.

One report that I found to be quite interesting was the Start Early program that seeks to bring an end to violence within families. The Start Early modules promote respectful relationships for life a program that they believe can help fight gender stereotypes which in turn can help negate attitudes that support violence. I was also surprised to note that Australia’s national quality standards are promoting sustainability efforts in early childhood, teaching young children about their responsibility to care for the environment. All of their early learning services are required to promote and be involved in sustainability. This is quite rewarding to discover especially seeing the times we live in with all the negative occurrences related to our global environment.

The importance of healthy eating and physical activity established in early childhood was the focus of another interesting article. The article also pointed out the importance of parents and other significant adults modeling these lifestyle habits for young children. Also of note was the encouragement of adults talking to and teaching young children about the importance of healthy nutrition and active lifestyles. A healthy diet and active lifestyle can affect not only the physical but also the mental and social development of young children for the duration of their lives.

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.  

International Early Childhood Field

Three consequences of learning about the international early childhood field:

1.       Global awareness and the realization that educational systems around the world have similar issues and concerns and a common goal which is the well-being of the children being served.

2.       Forging international relationships and resources that strengthen and buffer my collection and be available for use as the need arises.

3.       Tweaking my professional passion for excellence and equity and the belief in a high-quality education accessible to all children.

One goal related to international awareness of issues and trends and the spirit of collegial relations:

Adding my colleagues from these early childhood courses to my professional resources is a goal of mine. The intellect and passion for the field resonate with many of my colleagues and the establishment of collegial and long-term relationships would be beneficial to us all.                           

To all of my colleagues, a most sincere thank you for contributing to my growth over these past eight weeks. To Dr. Shephard, thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise with us. I appreciate all of your professionalism, kindness, and words of encouragement during this course. 

May God richly bless all of you! 

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 3

On the World Forum Radio Podcast I listened to George Forman an emeritus professor at the University of Massachusetts and author of several books on Piaget. While studying for his doctoral degree he had the opportunity to observe children playing outside. Through the study of Piaget, he became interested in play. As he was observing one day a little boy, a two-year-old caught his attention. He was dragging a large fireplace log behind him. As his attention was distracted to other things outside he let go of the log and left it in a vertical position. When the little boy looked back at the log he was totally surprised and apparently filled with wonderment to see that the log was now standing.

Dr. Forman shared that watching this boy served as an epiphany for him. The boy was caught up in the idea of what the log was doing rather than what it was. This helped to form his study into children thinking and looking at things for how they change or do not change as opposed to what they are. Looking at things in action as verbs instead of what they are as nouns. Forman shares that “what has guided his writing and thinking of early education and curriculum is to help children understand how to change things from one state to another” (Forman, 2016). This is how he describes his pedagogy in a nutshell.

On UNESCO’s website in the education window under the icon of Quality an article under the caption Papua New Guinea’s Vernacular Language Preschool Programme shares with the reader how “parents on Bougainville Island, in North Solomons Province, expressed concern that the English-only school system was alienating their children from their own language and culture” (UNESCO, 2016). The government agreed with a proposal of the parents to education the children before attending formal school in the native language for a period of one to two years. “Community members and elders, even those who could not read and write themselves, were invited into the classrooms to pass on important cultural knowledge and information to the children” (UNESCO, 2016). This informally taught the children the importance of their traditions and culture. As a result of the pre-school in the language of the children they were found to be “better prepared cognitively, developmentally and academically to transfer the learning of skills in their own language to learning in English” (UNESCO, 2016).

References

Forman, G. (2016) World Forum Radio Podcast Retrieved from http://www.viaway.com/view/3871587/world-forum-radio-george-forman

UNESCO (2016). Papua New Guinea’s Vernacular Language Preschool Programme Retrieved from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001373/137383e.pdf

Sharing Web Resources

 

 The Website I chose to study in depth at the beginning of this course was National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). As I explored some of the outside links I came across a website for Childcare Aware for America an institution whose vision is for every family to have access to high quality affordable child care system. They have a newsletter that readers can subscribe to as well as an annual symposium. Another outside link took me to the website “Fight Crime- Invest in Kids” is an anti-crime organization of more than 5,000 police chiefs, sheriffs, prosecutors and violence survivors.

One option that I scrutinized with more intensity this week was the recommended books. This section seemed a little simple to the eye but it gave me the opportunity to discover books that would give me information on what is happening in the area of early childhood education. The books that caught my interest and I would consider purchasing are, Teaching and Learning in Two Languages: Bilingualism and Schooling in the United States, A Mandate for Playful Learning in Preschool: Presenting the Evidence, and Early Care and Education for Children in Poverty.     

As I searched NIEER’s current projects link I instantly pulled towards the link with the STEM initiatives. At the STEM lab workshops, workgroups and coaching seminars and sessions are available for educators and institutions. There were also small group activities that educators could tweak for their situations.

In the link for upcoming events I noticed a conference for early childhood educators entitled Nature at Play.

Nature at Play

April 16, 2016 - 8:00am

Germantown Academy, in partnership with DVAEYC and the Schuylkill Valley Nature Center, is excited to present "Nature at Play,” a conference for early childhood educators.  Early childhood research reveals the critical connection between time spent in nature and a child’s developing brain. Join us as keynote speaker, Cheryl Charles from the Children & Nature Network, and local educators explore this important topic for young learners.  Participants can receive 3 hours of PQAS credit for attending this interactive workshop.  Click on the link below to learn more about the event and to register http://www.germantownacademy.net/community/nature-at-play/index.aspx

 

As I searched for information on equity and excellence in early care and education I found an event that took place a few years ago. Achieving Equity and Excellence for Each and Every Child: A Call to Action. One recurring theme that I found on the website was the issues of funding for quality early childhood education. This is an issue that must be addressed before it is too far gone and the cost for quality early childcare skyrockets even further.

 

 

Reference

National Institute for Early Education Research (2016) Retrieved from http://nieer.org/

 

 

 

International Early Childhood Education

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 2

Delfina Mitchell shares about the Liberty Children’s Home in Ladyville Belize with it 42 residents.  Although Belize is a beautiful country Ms. Mitchell shares that the country holds the dubious position of number one in the incidence of child abuse. Many of the children at the home are there because of physical or sexual abuse, abandonment or neglect. In her account of a nine-year-old boy who resided at the home after being subject to physical abuse and witnessing his sister also being abused Mitchell shared how he shut down and did not speak to anyone for more than a year. Taking a special interest in the little boy Mitchell took him horseback riding. To her surprise, he began talking and told how he was abused by his grandmother. He also related how he would hide under a bed to eat so no one would take his food away. This opening up and speaking was short-lived and the little boy was soon silent again (Mitchell, 2016).

            Mitchell had the boy undergo short periods of schooling on a daily basis followed by time outside in the gardens where he seemed to be most comfortable.  After weeks of schooling and medication, the little boy began to show great improvement. Now he appears to be like any other little boy, talking a mile a minute, and enjoying his life. All this I believe was due to the loving care and attention he received under the attention of the director Ms. Mitchell and other personnel at the Liberty Children’s Home.

            All around the world institutions and education programs are working for the best interest for the children they serve. In Canada, the Alberta Family Wellness Initiative (AFWI) shares a strong belief in the power of translating the science of child development to inform public policy. AFWI’s website shares resources for researchers, policymakers and the general public. The site also includes presentations on additions early brain development, other topics including the early foundations of lifelong health (Center on the Developing Child, 2016). In Mexico, the Center is adding a human development focus to their work so they connected with the Universidad Regiomontana on enhancing child outcomes through adult capacity building (Center on the Developing Child, 2016).  

References

Harvard University (2016). Center on The Developing Child Retrieved from  http://developingchild.harvard.edu/about/what-we-do/global-work/

Mitchell, D., (2016). World Forum Radio, Delfina Mitchell. Retrieved from http://www.viaway.com/view/1331827/next