When I Think of Research....

    


     This course has truly been an eye-opener for me! I knew very little about the mechanics of research coming into this classroom experience so basically everything was a new insight for me. I think the biggest thing I learned from this course is you can not just go into a question about Early Childhood and say, "I think I will research that." There is so much that goes into it behind the scenes as it were. For instance, making sure the children give their full consent to be a part of the study and not just their parents. To have the proper consent forms and to make sure all terms are completely understood by all involved. Is the research ethical and is it being done for the benefit of those who come after it? There are different designs and different methods to obtaining data I never heard of while looking at the logical aspects of research such as how much time will it take getting to the research area, setting up, observing, and so-on.  So for this reason all my thoughts about research has changed and, I think, for the better.  I know I need to be diligent at looking to myself within the research context asking questions such as, "why am I doing this?" or "is this ethical?". There is still so much for me to learn.
     My biggest challenge was the actual research vocabulary and what it really means. I have used every Google search I can find along with our text and resources to try and jump this hurtle. I am still struggling a bit with the terms' actual meanings but I will not give up!
     The biggest thing I take away from this course is the need for respect of those I am observing and working with in my Head Start classroom. I have always worked hard to honor each of my students and their families. After learning about power relations, the deficit model, and detecting biases I believe I will be a much more conscientious observer and evaluator when working with my students and families.





     On a side note-I also learned from this class to order your text books well in advance as mine did not come until about week five! This can also be equated with research, make sure to have all your ducks in a row before you even step in the door.

   
   

Reseach Around the World

I chose to talk about the International Early Childhood Research Program Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). I found this site extremely enlightening because there was so much to look at and I am excited to sit back and take my time to look at all it has to offer. I narrowed my search down to the http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php. site which features research papers and thesis written by students in the Sub-Sahara African continent. There were a variety of papers to choose from which addressed training programs for community volunteers of the early childhood stings, teacher training programs, family training programs (moms, dads, and grandparents), using community and indigenous materials to educate young children, and so-on. 
     The research paper which caught my eye was entitled Incorporating Indigenous Stories of Basotho in an ECCD Program At Leseli Community Centre (Ntšonyane , 1990). Though this paper is a bit dated it fits closely to my research simulation topic of teaching through music. The people of Malawi (where this study was conducted) sue folklore, songs, riddles, etc. to pass along indigenous knowledge. This are is being lost due to failing memory, and the little that is remembered is distorted or completely changed over time (Ntšonyane , 1990). Grandparents in this region used to tell these stories and, though parents might have heard them as children, the adults must work and do not have time to sit with their children to relate this custom. Children are put into daycares and preschools so this researcher thought these settings a perfect place to do the research plus bring back an age-old tradition and learning style. I do not know why I didn't put this together but listening to these methods of storytelling styles will help build literacy skills with listening skills at its base.
     One noteworthy bit of information I took away from this paper was the fact that Western way of doing and teaching was brought into this region and it is replacing a beautiful and valuable way of teaching and interacting with children which is a vital part of growing up. These stories, riddles, and songs not lonely teach listening skills but moral values as well. Could this possibly be one of the many reasons we see less and less empathy in the world? I have to say, this paper truly made me have to think of my own teaching styles.

Resource
Ntšonyane,P. (1990).  Incorporating indigenous stories of basotho in an ECCD program at leseli community centre. Retrieved from 
http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php

Reserch that Benefits Children & Families:Uplifting Stories

"If they come to America they better learn to speak English!" 

      This is a statement I have heard far too many times. Yes, we all need to speak a language we can all understand but, let's do it in a way that works in a positive manner. If I could research anything right now, it would be all that second language learners go through as they navigate their "new world." 

      One article I reviewed discussed language anxiety which many ESL students experience in their daily school lives. The primary sources of language anxiety, are communication apprehension, fear of negative evaluation, and test anxiety (Zheng, 2008). As we are well aware of, any type of toxic stress, such as language anxiety, learning a completely new culture, and so-on is detrimental to brain development causing all types of issues not only during school but into adult life as well. These young children are going to grow up and be our society's future making it imperative we do right by them as well.

     Because I am not a researcher I would be negligent in suggesting a research project. I would have to learn much more before even entertaining such an idea. However, I do see the benefits of such a study resulting in a positive outcome for both the children and their family. These benefits would also reach out to the teacher, policy-makers, and the society as well. Understanding second language learning in not only the academic sense but the personal sense as well, will be a more inclusive and positive learning experience. The child will develop a strong self-concept as they learn, helping in both their school career as well as their future success. Teachers who better understand what goes on behind the learning of a second language both academically and  personally will develop a more inclusive learning environment which meets all the students' needs. To even better understand the various cultures' within the classroom will aid in class management as the views of those cultures in education and behavior is better understood.  

      The area of the learning of a second language while attempting to navigate our American classrooms has always been my passion as I watch these students struggle to try and "fit in". I am excited to learn all I can in the area of research and, maybe, one day change their struggles.

                                                   

Resource

Zheng, Y. (2008)  Anxiety and second/foreign language learning revisited. Canadian Journal for New Scholars in Education. 1(1)1-12.

My Personal Research Journey

My Personal Research Journey

My passion is for the English Language Learner and their families. I feel they do not receive the quality education they deserve and it is difficult for families with limited to no English language to be as involved as they wish. With this always in mind I chose these three topics to research...

1)     The first study will be centered on best practices for language assistance among preschool children. In what ways can teachers promote a positive learning environment?

2)     How does music in the developmental stages of speech and language learning help or hinder the process.

3)     The final subtopic will ask the question, does learning a second language hinder family communication in the home language?

All three of these ideas are a huge undertaking so I need to narrow my choice to only one. I think I will work at discovering if students who learn the second language of English encounter communication problems with family members who do not speak English. I have witnessed it within my own classroom and I feel through this research I will be better prepared for this issue in the future.

Final Blog Asignment

      I have to admit, this website exploration has been sad for me. I read of the horrors so many children in other parts of the world must endure and too many times do not survive. I feel an overwhelming need to help these children but I am not sure what I could possibly do for them. So the first thing that I plan on changing in my approach to educating my students is to know what and where they come from. I will learn more about the cultures in my room whether domestic or immigrant so to better create a trauma-free classroom environment.
      Another change I take away from this course is to advocate properly I must do so outside of the classroom on my time off as much as I do during my work hours within the room.
      I find I still have biases I must work on to be a more inclusive educator for my students and partner with my families. This is a continuing work in progress so I will give myself leeway to learn all I can.

    My main goal right now, in  light of what I have learned through international study, is to be more cognizant of what my students past and on-going circumstances were or are. In doing this I will help them build resilience and build trust in their school environment to ensure learning. In doing this I will not only help them begin their journey tp a brighter future but also aid in our future as a country in an ever evolving world.

Getting to Know Your Professional Contacts-Part 3

UNESCO

            I am first and foremost a social-emotional type of teacher and so it was with great pleasure to find the information on the Learning to Live Together site. At a time of increasing global challenges and threats, such as inequality, exclusion, violence and sectarianism worsened by local tensions and conflicts which undermine humanity’s cohesion, learning to live together among all members of the global community becomes more topical than ever before (UNESCO, 2012). The idea behind this writing is to promote peace among the diversity in the classroom and eventually the world by learning to appreciate that which makes us different. It is extremely important for children to feel safe and supported within their surroundings in order to learn properly and that is my goal with every child I encounter.

            Learning to live in harmony is awesome but not if we do not have a planet to live on and so my second set of thoughts are addressed as well. Teaching children to care for their environment. Sustainable development requires quality education and learning at all levels and in all social contexts (UNESCO, 2017)

            UNESCO believes that education is a human right for all throughout life and that access must be matched by quality (UNESCO, 2017).  This link seemed to have the most for what I look for in learning to better improve my thoughts on quality education across the world. I have a student from Pakistan this year so I read the link which address UNESCO’s work in that area. They have created five schools for the disabled and trained 53 teachers to educate in an all-inclusive classroom. This is so exciting to me. The more that children are educated in a positive way the better chance this world has to change!

Reference

UNESCO (2017) Retrieved from http://en.unesco.org/

Sharing Web Resourses

Save the Children

I chose the Save the Children website to study what is going on in parts of the world I know very little about. There are many links asking for support through donations and I wish I made enough to sponsor several children.

Exploring various links beyond the donations sites brings me to news stories which break my heart. For instance, girls living in Mosul giving birth while on the run with their families to camps that are in horrible condition. These babies are born during a time of war and the stress of violence and starvation will do serious damage to their developing brain and body. There is also a technical library and blog site which are very interesting.

Upon a more thorough search I found the blog site, “Voices from the Field” which has many different topics addressed. I zeroed into the educational blogs and started researching for what I could find relating to our studies. I did find a blog which addressed excellence in teaching which was based on highly qualified teachers from Save the Children going to Ethiopia to train teachers there in high-quality teaching technics. We believe learning takes place both inside school and out, we work with teachers, parents, community literacy volunteers and youth to create a holistic reading program that sets the stage for a brighter future (Save the Children, 2016). The article also stated the teachers in Ethiopia have learned the value of high-quality education and plan to stick with all they have learned.

There were also many other blogs about education around the world but also here in America as well. I think we tend to forget the extreme poverty that exists in many areas. Well, maybe not forget, but perhaps not understand the depths of it. One blog article spoke about this and the effects of those in poverty having to leave school for the summer. It stated that children in poverty often regress over the summer months and begin school three months behind their peers which totals about to about a three-year academic gap by fifth grade. This was shocking to me and makes me want to fight even more for excellence not only during the school year but through the summer months as well.

Reference

Save the Children(2016) Retrieved from

http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6146363/k.8932/Get_Involved.htm?smtrctid=AALsYG&msource=emecuews2016&utm_source=welcome&utm_medium=email-sc&utm_campaign=welcome-stream-1