Research That Benefits Children and Families – Option 2

            If I were able to conduct research on any topic that I chose with no limitations of means or knowledge or restrictions by “realities of the present” that would make a major contribution to children and families, I would pursue the area of how to best train early childhood professionals in current, research-based practices and ensure implementation in the classroom.  There is unlimited research that has been carried out in the area of research-based, best practices for working with young children and families but it often fails to reach the classroom level and be implemented into daily practice.  There is widespread knowledge that most programs are not of high-quality.  There is agreement that the futures of children, society and the environment are contingent upon preparing children to grow up, be capable of making sound personal and professional decisions.  Our children of today will grow up to take positions of power and authority that will have a great impact upon the society and the environment in which we all depend upon to survive. 

The prospects for the future are not promising if we continue on the path we are currently following in the preparation of our children for their future endeavors.  In order to ensure the highest level of capability for each and every child we must take the time, provide the assets, and make the decisions necessary to ensure high-quality programs for each and every child.  A high-quality program needs to be managed and classrooms staffed by educated and highly-skilled early childhood practitioners.  There needs to be an accountability system that holds early childhood programs, practitioners and policy-makers accountability for providing wide-spread high-quality early care and education for each and every child.  There needs to be a way of removing those in the field that are found to do harm, from practicing with children.

My positive contribution to the well-being of children and families would be to research and develop a system of  education, professional development, and  accountability  that would ensure high-quality, knowledgeable practitioners in all early childhood programs (to include management, teachers and support staff).  Early childhood practitioners would possess the knowledge, the understanding, and the ability to implement research-based, best-practices within their teaching practices, the classroom environment, and support to families.  All children and families (not just those who can afford to pay for it) would be assured of high-quality programs that would foster optimal early learning and development opportunities.  Society and the environment would benefit from the increased abilities and knowledge of children who will one day become the adult decision-makers of the world.

My Personal Research Journey

            Over the past several years my interest in the connections between attachment, social-emotional development, and self-regulation has grown.  What I have learned through observations of children and the information gained in coursework has only fed my interest and fascination with how each relates to all other areas of development and growth.  I have also had the opportunity to discuss this subject, observe and mentor both new and seasoned caregivers and this has led to my chosen topic for this research simulation.  I have chosen, “How effective is the training and professional development program currently being used in the JBER Youth Services Programs in not only informing caregivers of key concepts of attachment as a foundation for learning, but preparing them to implement them in their interactions with children, planning of activities and environment that will foster and support children’s optimal development and growth?”  It is key that early childhood providers have not only knowledge, but an understanding of the importance to the child and/or themselves.  I feel strongly about this subject and would like to be able to help facilitate the growth of potentially good caregivers into high-quality early childhood educators. 

As for the simulation process, I am still having difficulty limiting myself to the subject at hand.  I am finding numerous articles on subjects that I am very interested in while completing these assignments.  In the past, I would have printed them all out; but I have learned to scan the abstract and then print out the abstract page to be able to locate the article later on if it can be of use.  I still prefer to have my resources on paper rather than saved on my computer so I can write notes, underline and highlight as I read through them. 

EDUC 6163 Week 1

I look forward to learning and working with each of you over the next several weeks. 

Final Blog Assignment - Week 8

My Three Consequences

1.  I have learned on a weekly basis, even though I was not successful in making contact with a professional to correspond, that there is a wealth of information to be found online.  I have expanded my resource base with numerous sites I found and that have been shared by other classmates.

2.  I joined The Society for Research in Child Development http://www.srcd.org/ ..  I was given access to numerous resources and links to connect with other professionals within the field.  There are several social policy reports that I was able to utilize within assignments for this class and hopefully it will be of great help during the next class.

3.  During week 3 my search led me to a link for the World Forum Foundation http://worldforumfoundation.org/ .  I was being extremely hopeful and attempted to contact Irma Allen, Chairperson for the Environment Authority of Swaziland and member of the Nature Action Collaborative for Children.  I was not successful, but the search led me to a story she was telling about a retirement ceremony of a teacher (World Forum Foundation Radio, n.d.).  A man who was a former student was there and approached the teacher and described the wonderful experiences and memories he had as a child in her care.  He described feeling safe with her.  He shared that those experiences have impacted his whole life and assisted with his accomplishments.  This gives one hope and proof that what we do does matter so much, even when we do not realize at the time.  The children we help and teach do not forget us.

My One Goal

Throughout this learning experience what has occurred to me over and over is the fact that although we may be thousands of miles apart and from very different and unique cultures, we are basically facing and trying to overcome many of the same issues-poverty, inequities, homelessness, and not having the importance and emphasis placed upon childhood and the area of child development that it needs and deserves, to name just a few.  Yes, there are some countries that have much bigger issues than we do here in the states and I do not mean to make them seem to be less critical than they are.  My goal for us would be to view the field of child development, children, families, and our desire for growth and progress in the field as a uniting factor that can bring us together and enable us to embrace our differences.

I would also like to say thank-you for the wealth of experience and knowledge each of you has shared within this class.  I look forward to working with each of you in upcoming classrooms and perhaps at some time within the professional field.  I find it very heart-warming to be able to go into these areas of shared interest and feel the love and dedication that each of you have for children, families and the profession.

                                                               Reference

World Forum Foundation Radio. (n.d.). [Audio podcast]. [With Irma Allen]. Retrieved from http://worldforumfoundation.org/get-involved-2/world-forum-radio/ .

Getting to Know Your International Contacts-Part 3

                                    I still have had no success in contacting international early childhood professionals and will be completing the podcast alternative for this week’s assignment.  The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (n.d.) is an international organization that has focused upon the advancement of Early Childhood Care and Education as well as several other areas of research, study, policy and advocacy.  They support the holistic approach to child development and lead an international push for integration of early childhood care and education systems.  I have explored the UNESCO Early Childhood Care and Education website and found a few areas of interest related to the professional goals I formed in the Foundations course and several that are related to issues and trends we have discussed within this course.  My goals from the Foundations course are as follows:

Goal 1:  I will continue my master’s degree and upon completion move onto the next level of education.  I will strive to be a life-long learner.  This process will include exposure to relevant research and the thoughts and ideas of diverse children, families, and professionals.  I will continue to grow and learn through the practice of self-reflection and observation.

Goal2:  I will become a more powerful advocate for children by adding to and staying current with my knowledge of policy, funding, and early childhood issues.  I will refine my communication skills through education and practice.  I will take advantage of any and all opportunities to advocate for children, their families, and the field of early childhood.

Goal 3:  I will continue to contribute to and enhance the lives of children, their families, and the field of early childhood in whatever position I hold as a professional in the field.  I will not be deterred by doubt, negativity, or criticism of others (Ferguson, 2012).

            Within the UNESCO website there are sections that address the subjects of access and equity, quality, investment and financing, and coordination and integration.  They call for higher levels of education of the providers in order to assure quality services to children.  Equity of care is addressed.  As within the United States, this is also a problem in many other nations that children from affluent families are receiving higher quality services and those who are in the most need, cannot afford them and are receiving lower quality care.  There is a push for coordinated and comprehensive systems that serve from an early age through the school years.  There is a move toward alignment of programs.  They still have no universal system of standards and policy for early childhood as yet either.  UNESCO strives to educate, advocate, inform policy makers, and overall positively impact the lives of children and families.  My efforts and goals are of a similar nature, but on a much smaller scale. 

References

Ferguson, C. (2012). Foundations in early childhood. EDUC 6005. Week 8      Assignment 1.

United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization. (n.d.).  Early childhood care and education. Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/ .

Sharing Web Resources – Week 6

My web resource is the Society for Research in Child Development.  There are several links to outside resources and organizations located at http://www.srcd.org/about-us/links-other-organizations .  They include funding sources, policy resources, related organizations (science and professional; child policy, research and funding; additional policy-related organizations; and international), and teaching resources.  There are several listings under each of the headings and the one I chose to explore was Child Care and Early Education Research Connections located at http://www.childcareresearch.org/content/childcare/find/guide.html .

 When I typed in equity and excellence in early care and education there were numerous links to access.  Information was from countries all over the world and the majority of the most recent were from countries other than the United States.  When clicking on some of the resources it sends you to a link to Worldcat or Google Scholar for those with text not available on their site.  Many of those links required purchase of the article or membership to their site. 

I received a newsletter from SRCD in an email just last week.  There was information concerning an upcoming topic meeting, the 2013 Victoria S. Levin Grant for Early Career Success in Young Children’s Mental Health Research, the SRCD Oral History Project, the International Congress of Educational Sciences and Development and a call for editors on New Directions for Child & Adolescent Development.  When I searched the site for information pertaining to equity and excellence in early care and education I did not find any articles or information but the outside link to Child Care and Early Education Research Connections located at http://www.childcareresearch.org/content/childcare/find/guide.html led me to several sources.

Of particular interest was an article that looked at children within the child welfare system and the services available and the impact of each by Ward, Yoon, Atkins & Morris (2009).  Within the research we have covered so far, that aspect had not been raised specifically.  I also found an article by Kinch & Schweinhart (n.d.) that discussed the importance of high-quality childcare, the cost and looked at how 10 programs achieved both.  There were many others with relevant information on the subject of equity and excellence covering the subjects of common core standards, early education as a wise investment, and programs and approaches from many other countries around the globe that are attempting to bring their early care and education programs, services, professionals, and standards to a level that will provide high-quality for all children.  This is not necessarily a new insight, but what I have gained perhaps a sharper insight and additional knowledge on is that as different and varied the countries around the globe are, we all have many more things in common than we might think—including the concerns for our children and futures. 

References

Kinch, A. & Schweinhart, L. (n.d.). Achieving high-quality child care: How ten programs can deliver excellence parents can afford. Retrieved from http://oldweb.naeyc.org/ece/pdf/kinch.pdf

Ward, H., Yoon, S., Atkins, J., & Morris, P. (2009, April). Children at risk in the child welfare system: Collaborations to promote school readiness. Retrieved from http://www.chil;careresearch.org/childcare/resources/16159/pdf .