When I Think of Research

What insights have you gained about research from taking this course?

I have gained many insights about research while taking this class. However, what I learned most of all was how much work it takes to even get a research study started. I liked having to think about each step to improve my topic and make sure that I have covered all potential questions to ensure the research study is more successful.

In what ways have your ideas about the nature of doing research changed?

One of the ideas about the nature of doing research that has changed for me was to rethink my research question on several occasions and formulating a hypothesis. I always assumed it would be easy to find a good research question however, having to rethink my research question and modifying it to become more manageable has helped me understand the importance of being prepared.

What lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood did you learn?

I think the biggest lesson learned was how much it can help to plan and design a research study before starting research. While conducting every step, I began to realize how many challenges a researcher has to face and how complicated a research study can become. However, with every step of planning, I become more confident in my topic.

What were some of the challenges you encountered—and in what ways did you meet them?

One of the biggest challenges that I found was finding a topic that could become condensed enough to formulate a good research question. Most research questions are too brought and defining it in a meaningful way was challenging at first. However, by planning carefully, it became easier to find a research topic that is manageable.

What are some of the ways your perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course?

I think that my perception has change because I now understand the importance of research in the field. Yet, I also understand the challenges that they come with. I think being prepared on what research entails helped me understand how to make my research more meaningful for others.

Research Around the World

1) What are some of the current international research topics? I explore the Early Childhood Australia website at http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/. Some of the topic that I found on the website are similar questions that are commonly explored by early childhood organizations in the states. One of the topics explores how different states rate in early childhood reforms. I found this an interesting topic since I find that this seems to be an international question that is explored by many early childhood professionals. Another interesting topic was how to minimize stress during the first year of school and whether teachers often are ask to teach content but are not asked to deliver it competently. A last topic that I found interesting was that quality is more important than costs.
I think what I found most interesting about the current international research topics on the Australian website is that most of them are very similar to research topics found in the US. This showed me the importance of all them.

2) What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website?
One of idea I learned from the website is how you can help children prepare for school. I like reading different tips about what parents can do to help children with the anxiety they feel before their first day of school.

3) What other noteworthy information did you find on this website?
The website had a lot of good information. I liked a piece on how to encourage exploring and discovering through the different ages. I find that teachers often teach rather than having children explore and discover on their own. I found several articles on the website that gave useful information and helped me find many different ways to teach others the importance of letting children be the little scientists they are and explore the world at their own pace.

Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories

Imagine that you possess the means and the knowledge to conduct research studies about any topic in the early childhood field. Imagine further that you are not restricted by the reality of the present. Imagine that your study will make a major positive contribution to the well-being of children and/or their families. What topic would you choose? What can you imagine the positive contribution(s) would be?

I think if I could choose any topic and was not restricted by the present, I would like to do research on how traumatic experiences can effect children in a lifelong sense.I work with many military children and believe this research would be essential in helping the children and families I work with cope with their very difficult lifestyles.  The positive contributions would be to understand the effects of children undergoing traumatic experiences such as war, death, poverty, deployments, and much more. Children growing up in our society today are under a lot of stress and we still do not know about all the long lasting effects these stress factors have.

In my research, I would try to explore how children's learning and development can be delayed during stressful times. In addition, I would try to explore how we can help children learn better coping mechanisms and how parents and caregivers can provide them with strategies to use stress in a more positive way. Everyone is surrounded by stressful situation on a regular basis and coping mechanisms are very important. However, it is also important for adults to understand how to teach those coping mechanisms.

My Presonal Research Journey

The topic for my research is very broadly termed "Positive Guidance." I have worked in a child development center for the past 2 year as a trainer. In my personal opinion, I find guiding children to make positive and socially acceptable choices important. Most of us grew up with a discipline approach, meaning rewards and punishment. Most early childhood professionals know about the importance of positive guidance. However, teaching others to use these strategies and reflect on their interactions with other children can be more challenging.
When narrowing my research topic to three subtopics, I was challenged to think about questions that would narrow my topic. At first I thought this would be an easy step to take but I soon found that there are many avenues to choose from. As a first subtopic, I choose to investigate how positive and appropriate guidance can lead to socially acceptable or unacceptable behaviors in children. I find this subtopic important because we see so many children with challenging behaviors and are quick to judge parenting as the cause without thinking about how our own way of interacting with the children can affect them. As a second subtopic I chose self-reflection and self-evaluation about guidance to see how this can effect the ways of evaluating effective teaching strategies. As a last subtopic, I have chosen to investigate more strategies to teach others how to improve classroom management. I am often confronted with staff members being trained insufficiently and therefore employing strategies that are unacceptable.
I have gained insights from my research chart because even though I have done research in my educational career, there are challenges like skimming articles or finding the specific information that is relevant for my topic. In the last week, I was also reminded in how much research materials are available to us now a days without necessarily being quality.
As far as resources go that I can share, EBSCOT on the library website has provided me with many valuable research articles. The search engine might be valuable to many of you since it focuses on education. Websites I can recommend are Zero-to-Three or NAEYC who also provide many good resource articles for younger children. Both websites also provide a wealth of information about how to share insights with parents.

Final Blog Assignment

Being able to share my thoughts and believes with my international contacts helped me understand that every country has similar and different challenges when it comes to early childhood education. One of the things I learned by listening to my international contact was that collaborating with other early childhood professionals will help find new perspectives to problems. Having different points of views can help establish a new perspective on how challenging a project can be. Another insight I gained from my international contacts is that most early childhood professionals have to struggle with establishing the importance of their work. With economies all over the world being down, many of us struggle with trainings and funding for projects. A last thing that I learned from my international contact is the challenges many families face to find quality care for their children that is affordable. Most families in our society are dependent on childcare, yet for the ones who need it most, it is still unaffordable.

After reading that most early childhood professional face the same challenges, I set a new goal for myself to find ways to support my international contacts. I am planning to keep in contact with Ulrike to discuss more challenges that she faces and try to find ways with her to improve early childhood practices all over the world.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 3

I spoke to my contact Ms Baumgarten. She explained to me that early childhood education is taken very seriously in Germany. Yet, there are many challenges as well. Families who are dependent child care often choose extended families or neighbors since other programs are rather expensive. Once children turn four, they can join Kindergarten but it is hard to get in. Kindergarten is not mandatory. Most parents have to reserve a place for their children when they first find out they have conceived. Depending on the area, the quality of the programs differ significantly. Kindergarten teachers have less of an educational requirement than school teachers. However, they still have to complete schooling and an apprenticeship for 2 years before being allowed to teach children. New teachers a often paired with a mentor teacher for several years as well. However, the challenges often come after completing their training. Once they are done, not many opportunities are provided to expand their knowledge or advance.
Ms Baumgarten professional goals right now are to educate herself more in her field. She has started taking up some more college classes but has explained to me that it is very  challenging. Germany does not really offer online universities so she has to take night classes at a college near where she lives. However, with a busy work schedule and family, she finds it very consuming. Her professional hopes are that Germany will offer more opportunities for early childhood professionals to expand their knowledge by offering workshops during school breaks or offering opportunities online.

Sharing Web Resources

This week, I decided to investigate the zero-to-three website further. I explored the topic of health and nutrition and found quiet a bit useful information to develop healthy eating habits for children. There were articles to provide children with healthy eating strategies. I think it was very interesting because I have come across many children who are picky eaters. The website offers several suggestions and ways to help parents provide children with the nutrition that they need. Eating healthy and having children get nutritious is important for their development in so many areas. Yet, parents are often frustrated or give in to their picky eaters without providing them with the nutrition needed. I learned many helpful tips on how to support parents through their struggles and help them succeed in providing their children with the necessary tools to help their children eat healthier.

Another interesting section was about children in care. I think many parents are dependent on other to take care of their children why at work. The section gives parents tool to what they should look for when looking for quality care and how they can improve school readiness with children. They also explore the option of families, friends or neighbors who may take care of children and why. The last section explores resources for parents and caregivers to help children develop key skills for school  readiness, including helpful information to improve language and literacy skills, thinking skills as well as self-confidence and self-control.