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

Sharing Web Resources

The organization that I have chosen to study is the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). At this stage in my professional development, the section that seemed most relevant is the research section. This conclusion is based on the fact that this section highlights a wide cross section of topics that I have been recently exposed to and that are critical in the area of early education. Topics such as quality and curriculum, access, assessment, English language learners, and special education to name a few are available for reading. It is important to be informed on the latest research-based practices that are producing positive yields in the early learning classroom. With this information, educators can make choices that will offer the best opportunities for the children in their classroom.

 One statement that I found to be quite controversial on the website came in an article under the ‘What’s New’ section. It covered a report on a study by Vanderbilt University that followed pre-kindergarten students in Tennessee and found that the students showed only initial academic achievement compared to their peers, but that this faded out by third grade when these students were seen to perform worse than the same peers. The short-lived impact on the children is now the cause of many persons questioning the quality of the programs. This study is shedding quite a controversial spin on the idea of early childhood education benefitting our children and having a long lasting effect on their formal school years.

Within the website’s research window a section is devoted to economics and finance. As a result, I was able to gather information on how economists and politicians support the early childhood field. A report entitled ‘The Economics of Early Childhood: Lasting Benefits and Large Returns’ gave detailed information on the effects of a quality early childhood education throughout the nation when compared with children who were not privileged to receive an early childhood education. Also included was a report on investing in early childhood from a global perspective. There were more than 9 pages of different reports and articles under the umbrella of supporting early childhood education from a political or economic point of view.

            As I browsed through the website there seemed to be a recurring theme of children maximizing their learning in the outdoors. Listed was an upcoming conference entitled, ‘Nature at Play’ which promised to inform attendees about the growing research about the connection between the time a child spends in nature and his developing brain.

There was also a report on workshops given at NAEYC’s annual conference on ‘using gardens to grow early physics and engineering thinking skills and understanding’. This put a different spin on the idea of play incorporating being outdoors in nature along with time for free play.   

Children Learning in Nature

World Forum Radio seeks to bring an international community together to exchange ideas about early childhood education. I will share what I have learned listening to an interesting podcast by Irma Allen who is the chairperson of the Swaziland Development Authority and also a member of the Nature Action Collaborative for Children of The World Forum. Mrs. Allen shares her experience in Swaziland where a program in Early Childhood Education is based totally in the environment. I have always heard, and I believe that the environment of a classroom should be inviting and welcoming to children utilizing bright warm colors and aspects of nature. Well, this program has taken that to a whole new level with the environment for learning consisting of nature itself and all that it entails. The grass, the trees, water, if it had rained previously, the dew in the morning, and even the web of a garden spider are all used as tools and materials for the children to learn from (Allen, n.d.).

As we seek to conserve our critical natural resources, we teach our children not to be wasteful. As I listened to Mrs. Allen speak the focus of this ‘natural environment’ program made so much sense to me. We would not find it difficult to teach our communities to care for the environment if we introduced them to it as little children. If our children learned to love and respect the environment and to appreciate how one thing affected so many others in nature itself, then as adults they would likely be more concerned about conserving the environment and taking care of what we have.

As I heard about the young man who paid his respects to his former Early Learning teacher it cemented my belief that a solid foundation built in a child, will help him to grow to be a strong, well-rounded adult. The young man confirmed that the acceptance and love for learning that was cultivated in him as a young child, helped him to persevere as an adult going through adversity.  This encourages me to reach out to each of my students individually, to show them that they are loved and accepted. This foundation if built in children can help them to be successful in later life.

 I also feel empowered to cultivate in my students a love for nature and for learning. What I have heard compels me to ensure that my children experience the joy and wonder of nature and its many cycles on a first-hand basis. I feel that children should have the opportunity to get outside and feel the warmth of the sun caressing their cheeks, the texture of the grass and leaves under their feet, the tickle of a caterpillar crawling in their palm. Even as I write this it brings a smile to my face as I recall the excitement of my childhood exploring outside in my back yard.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the podcast with Mrs. Irma Allen and reflecting on the wonders that are still to be found in nature.

References

Allen, I. (n.d.) World Radio Forum, Retrieved from http://www.viaway.com/view/1331859/world-forum-radio-irma-allen