Research Around the World

What are some of the current international research topics?

Building Community Leadership for Quality Sustainability in Madrasa Preschools: The Case of Madrasa Preschools Post Graduation Support

 Parents’ and Other Caregivers’ Perception of Early Childhood Development Needs and Quality: A Study of the PLAN-Assisted Programmes in Bawjiase, Ghana

Involving Fathers in Early Childhood Care and Development

What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website?

The surprising facts/insights/ new ideas about early childhood I gained from exploring this international early childhood website is Involving Fathers in Early Childhood Care and Development. “Nyerere (1998) reported that cultural norms that affect fathers’ participation in

childcare practices could affect development and the general well-being of children,

including the quality of family life. The objective of this study is to investigate the

current roles of fathers and explore ways to increase the involvement of fathers and other

males in childcare.” (Hua, 2004 p.1). This is an insight that I think is amazing because men are not involved in most of the time when it comes to childcare. Men are not a major part because bringing children to childcare program women are the ones who are normally dealing with the children on a day to day basis. I would like to know more about how this will affect children. I think that involving men would give them more insight as to what women deal with on a day to day basis with the children. 

                                                                   References

Hua, R. (2004). Involving fathers in early childhood care and development. Retrievd from http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/documents/major_projects/Hua%20-%20MP%20Final%20-%20UVic%20LP.pdf

Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories

One positive example of the effects of research on children and/ or families is that research can save the lives of other children. For example, cures for various diseases can help families who are facing the disease get cured. Another example is that some family and children who go through research can help with many different experiments not just those dealing with diseases. Another example is how children are used when it comes to how they interact with other children and how children perceive different things such as when they are in the preoperational stage.  From my personal I watched my little sister and brother say that one of them had more drink in their cup then the other one because one glass was tall and the other glass was short but in actuality the cups held the same amount of liquid in them. At the age that they were at the time they did not know the difference between  the two different cups because their mind did not understand just yet on how to perceive the two glasses.

Your Personal Research Journey

During my simulation the topic that I chose last week to know more about was do’s and don’ts in the early childhood field. The subtopics that I want to know more about in early childhood programs are what to do when children are misbehaving, what to do when children have separation anxiety, and what to do when children don’t understand what is being said to them as far as how to discipline them. I choose these topics because I work with a lot of children and I know that I can’t discipline them the way that their parents discipline them. The other subtopic that I chose was what to do when children have separation anxiety because sometimes there are children who cry a lot after being away from their parents or other guardians. My topics are pretty broad so I would like to know if any one of my colleagues can help me narrow my topics a bit. I am not sure what other topics I could talk about to narrow my topics down a bit. 

Final Blog Assignment

1.     One consequence that I have gained personally is reading other colleagues blogs and leaning so much about other countries.

2.     Another consequence of learning about international early childhood field for my professional development is that internationally there education in some areas are not the same in America. One example is how those younger children who have the opportunity to go to school every day don’t actually go whereas children in USA get go to school because they don’t have to worry about labor.

3.     One last consequence of learning about the international early childhood field for my professional development is that many people in America are there to help those who are international with education and other funds.

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 3

• “Participating countries committed themselves to “expanding and improving comprehensive early childhood care and education, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children.” Governments were particularly urged to expand equitable access to quality early childhood services underscoring the importance of instituting policy in favour of the poor.”(UNESCO, 2012).

• “Privileged children of the target age group benefit from state investment, while poor children of non-target ages receive scant government attention. A policy of universalisation with targeting can minimise inequity where governments aim for universal access among the target age group, but simultaneously prioritise the poor.” (UNESCO, 2012).

·         “UNESCO’s mission is to contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty,sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information. The Organization focuses, in particular, on two global priorities:” (UNESCO, 2012).

Africa

Gender equality

References

UNESCO. 2012. Building Peace in the minds of woman and men. Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/about-us/who-we-are/introducing-unesco/

Sharing Web Resources

Follow some of the outside links that you have not yet explored. Where do they lead?

The link on National Black Child Development Institue leads me to the president’s speech on education.

Thoroughly search one area of the site. What do you find?

After searching the site the first area of the website that I noticed was the home page. One the home page there was the NBCDI CEO attends the President’s speech on education. After reading what President Obama had in mind about education I was pleased because I see that he truly cares about education of young children. He states, “I want every child in this country to head back to school in the fall knowing that their education is America’s priority,” he said.  “Let’s seize this education moment. Let’s fix No Child Left Behind.”(National Black Child Development Institue, 2013).

Does the website or the e-newsletter contain any information that adds to your understanding of equity and excellence in early care and education?

This website does contain information that adds to understanding the equity and excellence in early care and education and it goes back to the President’s speech. President Obama wants to make sure that the children in America get a good education and that means that the funds for school will not be cut. Not only does President Obama want to make sure the funding is not cut he wants to make sure that no child is left behind.

“As the President and Congress work towards a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the National Black Child Development Institute will be working with its partners to ensure that we as a country prioritize strategies that promote the elimination of racial, ethnic and socio-economic achievement gaps by focusing on the continuum of birth through age 8.” (National Black Child Development Institute, 2013) There are several ways the President and Congress want to promote elimination, and the gaps of focusing on the continuum of birth through age 8 one is by effective and equitable teaching and leadership, culturally and linguistically responsive assessments, meaningful, culturally relevant parent and family engagement, and the last is supportive transitions for children and families.

What other new insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did you gain this week from exploring the website and/or the e-newsletter

Some new insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field that I have gain this week form exploring the website is the NBCDI is there to help children in any way they can so that they can improve children’s chance for success.

References:

NBDCI. 2013. National Black Child Development. Retrieved from http://nbcdi.org/support/sign-up-for-nbcdi-newsletters/ 

Getting to Know Your International Contacts Part 2

           Being able to help other countries that continue to struggle is a new insight that I have gained from reading this source. “In the lowest-income countries, which continue to struggle with severe malnutrition, debilitating infection, and high mortality rates, this new knowledge offers a promising opportunity to integrate basic health and early childhood development services within a broader social and economic development agenda.”(Global Children’s Initiative, 2010).  

           Science of Health and Development Initiative mission is what I have gained insight on because they are there to help others gain knowledge about health when it comes to children. One way in particular that stood out to me was the fact that they are there to help with the understanding of brain development and how there could be a lifelong outcome in health and behavior during prenatal and child development..

Some additional information about issues of equity and excellence that I acquired from international source after reading it is that children who grow up in a positive and healthy environment will strive and be healthy adults. I find this interesting because not all children who are in a positive and healthy environment will grow up to be healthy adults. Some children actually stray given that they grow up in a positive environment.

References

Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. (2010). Global children's initiative. Retrieved from http://developingchild.harvard.edu/index.php/activities/global_initiative/