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.

International Early Childhood - Consequences of Learning

I really appreciate the opportunity to learn more from my international contact in Thailand. It was a blessing to hear about her passion that she had for her children. I enjoyed learning about the similarities and differences that we shared in education. One issue that I found interesting when I spoke with my contact and as I researched the issue of poverty, was that poverty in Thailand (29.9%) is a problem just as it is in the United States (15.1%). Another issue that I think is important to share about is with policies. After speaking with the international contacts about some of the poilices, she was able to shed some light on some of the issues that we discussed in class in regard to professional development and high quality programs. There is a lot to be learned from international collaboration and research. Hopefully we can take what we have learned from them and share it with others here. Last, I think that we can take what we have learned from our international contacts and our colleagues here at Walden and use some of the strategies and websites that were introduced to us in this class. We are seeing more and more children in our classrooms that speak different languages and this information that others have researched and shared with us can help us as we seek to provide the best that we can for these children. International Goal - I would love to visit the place where my international contact lives and teaches. I think that it would be a great opportunity to actually work alongside her and see her daily routine.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts - Part 3

Some of the professional hopes, dreams, and challenges that my contact from Thailand shared with me with regard to the children at her school were that all children would be able to attend an educational setting and see it through to graduation. Most children can not afford to go to school and if they are fortunate enough to get to go to a school, very few ever get to graduate. Most have to return to their families and work on the farms. She shared that if they were able to graduate, they usually only received the education that took them through the twelfth grade. The few that she has seen graduate she would have loved to see go to some sort of college, but most have had to return to their families and work with them. It is so sad that many of these children will fall back into the same patterns and situations that their families are in.

Sharing Web Resources

When reviewing the outside link The Early Head Start program and it opened up a multitude of webcasts. One in particular that caught my attention was called A Closer Look at the Early Head Start Home-Based Program Option. This webcast examines how this option can help programs expand opportunities for low-income families with very young children, increase access to services, and enhance program quality.

There is also a link to the National Training Institute where you can find information that has been developed to meet the needs of individuals that are working with infants and toddlers in Child Welfare, Early Childhood Education, Early Intervention, Mental Health, Parent Education and Pediatrics. This link allows you to design your own professional development according to your specific needs and can be used for continuing education.

The e-newsletter that I received talked about play and shared a number of resources that goes along with the issue of play and its importance. Here is what was shared on this issue:

The long days of summer mean more time to play—and learn—with the kids you love. These resources focus on the ways children learn through play, both with their peers and with the important grown-ups in their lives.

As I looked into the Zero to Three journal index, I found several articles that depending on what you were researching, could serve as valuable resources. These articles dated as far back as the year 2000. An article that I chose to look at more closely, that was aligned with issues that I have been studying was called Supporting Quality in Home Based Childcare. This article talked about why families chose the type of home base care that they chose and goes on to talk about the regulations, complications and opportunities that goes along with their working with children and families. There is another article in the index titled Children in Immigrant Families. This article is one that I will be using to gain new insights for the issues of this week’s assignments.

International Contacts - Part 2

After talking to Amy Campbell about the issues of equity and excellence in education in Thailand, I have found out many interesting things. First of all, due to issues of poverty in certain areas in Thailand, many children are not able to attend schools. If these children are lucky enough to have the opportunity to attend the schools, they usually only do so until the age of 12 because they are needed to work in the rice fields with their families. Some children live in a type of boarding school where the parents drop them off and return to pick them up at the end of the 9 months. There is not any type of preschool program for younger children, but they have housed some of the younger siblings in desperate situation. The parents that cannot afford to pay for their schooling with money will pay with bags of rice. Most children however, do not finish school and go on to college but return to their families farms where they continue to work in the fields.

Teachers in Thailand are supposed to have a teaching certificate with a bachelor’s degree. However, she said that there are circumstances where the teachers do not have a teaching certificate or a degree, but because of the poor situations that the children live in, it is not pushed. In certain areas, since the parents are not able to pay for the schooling, the teachers that they are able to hire, do not have degrees in education and are hired with a much lower income.