Research Around the World

I chose the Early Childhood Australia website.

There were several research topics listed on this website that dealt with early childhood. Some of them are: Learning and Teaching through Play, Children’s Resilience, Early Childhood Framework, and the one that I chose to look at more closely, Respecting Diversity.

These articles were, “practical, easy-to-read resources, offering effective new approaches for those challenging issues which arise in the care and education of young children. The Research in Practice Series focuses on the practical, 'hands-on' aspects of early childhood – making them ideally suited to early childhood workers. The wide range of topics covered throughout the series offers something to anyone interested in children's early years (Research in practice, 2011).”

I think it is interesting to see that research study topics from other countries are very similar to the topics that we are researching right here in our country. We can learn so much through reading about the same topics and we can gain a lot of insight from the research studies that have been conducted elsewhere. I specifically chose “Respecting Diversity: Articulating Early Childhood Practice” due to my research simulation on inclusion. It clearly suggests that all children, regardless of their abilities, the family constellation to which they belong, or the community in which that family resides, have a right to simply belong, be and become. It is therefore common practice to see philosophies emphasizing the need to create equitable and inclusive learning environments that acknowledge human diversity in all its many forms and that include children as capable of being engaged in and advocating for social justice (Richardson, 2011). This website offered a free e-newsletter that I felt was well worth subscribing too. There are links to the latest news and developments that could prove to be beneficial when conducting research as well.

References

Research in practice series. (2011). Early Childhood Australia: A Voice for Young Children. Retrieved from http://earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/. Richardson, Carmel. (2011). Respecting diversity: Articulating early childhood practice. Research in Practice Series. 18(1), 6.

Research that Benefits Children and Families - Uplifting Stories

I have had the opportunity to work with another teacher who spent some time researching an entire group of 4th graders in the school where he was working and the effects of free and reduced lunch and academic achievement vs paid Lunch and academic achievement. After completing a survey which measured a variety of issues concerning their homelife, he was able to take this information and use it to supplement specifically where needs existed. Some of the questions that were asked were: 1. Number of parents in the home. 2. What kind of help they received? (if any.) 3. What kinds of food they typically ate? (any nutritional value or not) 4. Was there technology in the home? 5. What their neighborhood community and housing was like? After conducting this research, he was able to take this information and share it with a support team where they were able to identify what their needs were. This information did show that the children that were identified as free and reduced lunch scored lower and struggled more academically, whereas the students that were full pay scored much higher and achieved greater success academically. I did ask him if the students and their families were informed about this research and if they understood that this information would be shared with a support group at his school, and he shared that he had sent a letter to all the families of his students and that they were required to sign and return the consent form which he has kept on file. There were no photographs taken and no names were shared through his research, only the number of students and their status of free and reduced vs paid lunches. I appreciate the research study that he did and know that there can be many other factors that can be related to academic issues. All children need to be given the opportunity to succeed, but through identifying where we can apply our focus and individualize these needs, hopefully we can work together and help bring these children through this time in their educational journey so that history does not continue to repeat itself.

Personal Research Journey

I selected the topic, Pros and Cons of Inclusion in the Classroom, to research for this assignment. I chose this assignment because this is becoming a real possibility in our school system and I interested in learning what I can about this topic and how effective it is. As an educator, I have had experience with mainstreaming students, and I believe it did not go well because of my lack of training for this type of setting. So, if our county does move to an inclusive setting in the elementary school, I want to be ready and I want to be able to discuss this topic as professionally as possible. I believe that through this research, and through the help of my colleagues and their experiences, I will be able to attain this goal. The articles that were shared that helped us identify quality and credible resources have helped me narrow my search as I have looked through several on this topic. I appreciate all the help that I can get on this topic and any links that have already been identified as quality resources. I know that we can learn through quality resources, but I am also interested in learning from past experiences as well! Please share any knowledge that you have regarding inclusion in the classroom.