ISSUES AND TRENDS IN THE EARLY CHILDHOOD FIELD

For the class titled 'Issues and Trends in the Early Childhood Field', we have been asked to contact two EC professionals outside of the United States. The purpose is to learn the trends and issues of other countries from on hand professionals.

I had not thought before this class about the contacts I already have at my access. My church international affiliation has churches all over the the world. I chose to reach out to some of the African people that I know personally. One contact is a principle of a pre-k to 12th grade school. Eld. Gaye is traveling in the U.S. right now. I emailed and will call the secretary of the Global Missions overseer to speak with him or receive a good email contact for him.

For my second contact, I emailed Eld. Ford, Jr. who has been instrumental in starting schools and building wells in another part of Africa. He promised to contact me Monday with contact information for an administrator or a teacher at one of the schools.

Because my first job in EC is administration, I need to know how to assist the teachers of our center. I chose the site NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER EDUCATORS to study during this class.

I'm grateful for this opportunity because it will give me first hand information of the conditions of the schools that I have been supporting monetarily from a distance. I would be happy to share my extra contacts with my classmates if needed.

Conclusion of Building Research Competencies

I have gained a plethora of information on research that I had not known before taking this research class. I was afraid that the class would be another math class. However, we have learned how to ask the right question, fine tune the question, construct how the research will be done, and review the construction in order to ensure more than equality in the research but equity as well. I now understand how research of the past had gone wrong or concluded with errors. Dominant approaches to research did many social questions a disservice. Thankfully, researchers with this understanding are now working toward research that will benefit all of society, for information, for solving problems, and for correcting past conclusions.

One main challenge of this class was understanding and retaining the vocabulary of the text. However, completing the assignments and applications of the course ensured that the terms were used and understood. First line EC professionals and administrators need to participate and review research.  Proper research conducted helps improve the conditions of the classroom, teaching styles, environment, and the families of young children.

Once again, I have enjoyed sharing and interacting with the students in this course. I am taking the rest of the summer off. I’m exhausted. I will resume in the fall with my studies. Thanks to everyone that who have traveled with me in the last 4 classes. Best wishes to you all.

Early Childhood Australia

I chose the website for Early Childhood Australia (ECA) to peruse for this assignment because the agency is the equivalent of the US NAEYC organization.

‘Early Childhood Australia will advocate to ensure quality, social justice and equity in all issues relating to the education and care of children from birth to eight years’ (Early Childhood Australia, 2011).

This site has a plethora of information areas for many interests in the ECA field.  Research listed on the home page:

·         How does your state rate? New report examines states’ progress in early childhood reforms.

·         Everyday learning about responding to the emotional needs of children

·         Research in Practice Series: Respecting Diversity—Articulating early childhood practice

·         Research in Practice Series: The Early Years Learning Framework—Getting started

·         Research in Practice Series: Learning and teaching through play—Supporting the Early Years Learning Framework. (ECA, 2011)

There is a page dedicated to resources of the latest published research projects.

Working through the site, I discovered that ECA goals, mission, and concerns somewhat mirror that of NAECY which includes a Code of Ethics. On this site was also information from other countries on their latest discoveries and concerns.

I found it most interesting to read about their efforts for diversity. One of the links guided me to their concerns about teaching the Indigenous children within their cultural settings.  The site also has videos on different lessons. I am adding my name to their mailing list for new articles and findings.

Early Childhood Australia: A Voice for Young Children. (2011). Retrieved from

     http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/

Research Question

I'm concerned about children and video games.

We are constantly adding new technology into our lives since the late 20th century. I'm not sure that we know the impact of video games on children's cognitive development. weight, and eye sight. Does hours of video games harm children's over all development?

Research Chart Experience and Simulation Research

My experience this week working on the research chart for this research class was a great tool to solidify the information presented in the course. We were instructed to list three terms from this week's resources that we weren't familiar with  and define them in our own words. I wanted to list about 10 words and work with them so that I can refer back to the assignment when I need it. However, the instructions were explicit to list three terms. 

I chose for my simulated research assignment to consider the probability of children in low-income families of having disabilities in cognitive development.  Twenty-five percent of the children in the care of our facility have cognitive disabilities. Two of them have distinct autistic problems noticeable within a moment of being in their presence. I'm concerned whether cognitive disabilities have higher ratios of disabilities in this grouping.

Research can be extensive and costly. Are there any suggestions on how I could poll child care centers on a low budget?

MY SUPPORTS

My Parents

My Sisters and I

My Best Friend

My Fiance

These pictures of people represent my immediate support system. They are first my parents, my two sisters, my best friend, and my fiancé. I chose to display them because they are the first line of support in every aspect of my life, social, emotional, educational, spiritual and professional.  When I can’t get support from one, another in this group will step up (sometimes without knowing it).  Without them I wouldn’t have become who I am now and would be a miserable person. In each relationship, we teach and learn from each other.

There are other support systems in my life: fellow church members, co-workers, classmates. I would also include Walden University as a support system and all that entails of being a student. I say that because of the laptop I had to purchase in order to complete assignments.

Having had terrible vision all of my life, I have often wondered how losing my sight would affect me. My primary support system would remain the same, family and friends. However, the technology I would use would need to be upgraded. I would have to learn different means of communications (phones and Internet) and would not be able to drive causing me to find different means of transportation as well. Without the physical supports, I would not be able to complete educational courses, go to work, or receive email. Some people that are blind have dogs to assist them. I’m not sure if I would want this verses someone with me conducting business. A dog cannot assist me with the duties of an administrator or teacher at the day care.

My Connection To Play

‘Those forces that prevent children in poverty and the working class from benefiting fully from play deserve full, even urgent, attention…’ (Ginsberg, 2007).

‘…many of our children do not have access to the natural play experiences we experienced as children. They don't walk in the park collecting leaves, throw stones in the water to see the ever-expanding ripples, play racing-of-the-sticks under the bridge, build muddy castles on the banks of a cold stream, or create a frontier fort with their buddies. They don't scramble up gnarled trees, skip across meadows full of flowers, pick nuts from low branches, use a fallen tree as a natural balance beam, or sit on an old tractor imagining that they are leading a convoy of explorers across the Sahara Desert.’ (Wardle)

Ginsberg, K. (2007). The importance of play in promoting healthy development and maintaining strong parent-child bonds. Pediatrics, 119(1), 182–191. Retrieved from http://www.aap.org/pressroom/playfinal.pdf.

Wardle, F. (n.d.). Play as curriculum. Retrieved August 1, 2010, from http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/earlychildhood/article_view.aspx?ArticleID=127

I was about 10 years old here in these pictures (I'm in the middle on the first picture). We imagined that our neighbors sandy area in their back yard was the beach. Every now and then their mother would come through with a big wave (water hose). The youngest child pictured is about 5 years old.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             I chose this picture because of my Dad. Although he was gone most of the summer running revivals all over the country, he made sure that we had balls and bats. That’s why our yard was always full of other children. We made up home plate and trees or tree stumps were bases. Because of the natural environment we made up rules for fouls and home runs. Because of the made-up rules, we became precision hitters when we began playing organized ball.

It was 7 of us, my parents, me, and 4 siblings. My father had a good paying job that would have placed us in middle class when he felt the call to fulltime ministry. We were a low income family, but we were more fortunate than many of our childhood friends. There were a couple of homes a block away from us that did not have running water inside. In the early 70’s one of our baby sitters had a pump in the back yard for water. However, in these surroundings we had a rich play environment. We made toys from household equipment. We used our long driveway as a skating rink in the winter. We used the rear of our yard as the ‘woods’, where my siblings often contracted the poison ivy itch.  We were free to play in the street and get a neighborhood game of kickball going or double dutch with someone’s laundry rope. I cannot forget our made-up games of racquetball and volley ball off the garage door. The game depended on if we had a real ball or not.  

Play as I knew it as I child, I don’t see when traveling through neighborhoods; whether in low income areas, middle income, or affluent ones. Parents do not encourage children to get outside to play for many reasons. In some areas, the danger in the neighborhood overshadows the play environment even on the child’s home property. More and more parents are satisfied with enrolling children in organized sports through charitable organizations to give the children some kind of physical release after school and during the summer. However, these are places where adults make all the rules; no imagination or collaboration between playmates is made in order to play the games. I also remember that we instituted hilarious ways to choose members for teammates to play.