Research Around the World

What are some of the current international research topics?
Current 2016 international research topics are the following: a. Gifted and talented: Inclusion and exclusion. b. Creativity and young children: Wondering, exploring, discovering, learning. c. Connecting with babies.

What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website.
I chose the Early Childhood Australia's Advocacy website. Early Childhood Australia's Advocacy (ECA) is the national peak body for early childhood. The debate all matters regarding children birth to eight years of age as well as the families. This includes:

Early childhood education and care (preschool, long day care, family day care, occasional care, mobile services and specialist programs)

Early years of schooling

Outside school hours care

Child and family centres, programs and support services

Inclusion support

Social and emotional wellbeing

Maternal & child health services

Parent education (birth to eight)

Other policy areas affecting children and their families

Our work is informed by our:

• commitment to children’s rights
• knowledge of early childhood development, learning and pedagogy
• commitment to an inclusive and just society
• respect for the rights and aspirations of families
• the active involvement of our members

They advocate through their state territory and state branches. They also advocate on government issues.

What other noteworthy information did you find on this website?
I saw they have an online platform called the ECA Learning Hub. The learning Hub offers great professional development resources for all professionals and educators that work with young children. This allows professionals and educators to learn new ideas and become more knowledgeable about the frameworks, standards, and research about quality practice. learning Hub also have videos, modules and webinars that are great to use as resources.
                                                                         
                                                                        Reference
                                                           
Early Childhood Australia:  Retrieved from:                                     
http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/

Research that benefits Children and Families-Uplifting Stories

                                                           The Benefits of Music

I think this article is important to children and families, because some parents feel that music is just music. They feel that children are not getting anything from music; that's not true. Research has found that learning music facilitates learning other subjects and enhances skills that children inevitably use in other areas. "A music-rich experience for children of singing, listening and moving is really bringing a very serious benefit to children as they progress into more formal learning". Research shows that learning the do-re-mi can help children excel in ways beyond the basic ABCs (http://www.pbs.org.../education/music-arts/).

Music gears towards language development for all children. when a child is born; they learn the different sounds, and decoding of different words. When children are introduced to music, it enhances all these abilities that promotes language development. According to studies musical training gets the left side of the brain which processes language. there's a relationship between language development and music in children; it becomes the root of social competence.

Music can also increase a child's IQ. A man name Glenn Schellenberg did a study and has found that when a children were taking weekly piano and voice lessons their IQs increased. He took 12 children for nine months and gave them voice lessons; another group and gave them drama lessons to see if art had a better effect than music. Then he took a third group and didn't give them any lessons. All the children's IQ were tested before going to the first grade, and then tested before going to second grade. he found that the children that had been given the music lessons IQs had increased higher than the children that had no music lessons.

Researchers have also found that music helps children with spatial temporal skills to help them with solving math problems. Not only does music helps math skills, but helps children with art, gaming, architecture, computers and even engineering skills.

When Christopher Johnson did a study on music with children in elementary; he found that these children scored 22 percent higher in English, and 20 percent higher on math scores on standardized tests. The studies have shown that music can improve a child's learning abilities. It allows the children to learn discipline, and learning a skill.
                                                                                   Reference
The Benefits of Music Education. Music & Art. Education. Retrieved from:
       http://www.pbs.org./education/music-arts/the-benefits-of-music-education

Your Personal research Journey

The topic that I chose was; Death Understanding and fear of Death in Young Children. The reason why I chose this topic was because death and fears are common in our lives everyday. Death and facing fears can be not only not be understandable, but confused. It can be a puzzle that has a lot of missing pieces.

 Professionally, I have to face these problems with my young children and their families. I need to know how to discuss this issues without being bias. I need to know what resources I need to accomplish this task. I can honestly say these terms in the book, is very confusing. When I started the class, I had no book, and thought I was going to be lost. Now its more confusing. I constantly view the chart, but too me; its still confusing.

I know what to look for certain material from the chart. I have always felt that research was hard. I have that research anxiety. I am asking you, my colleagues to help me figure out the process of research. I need to know how to access the right information, and what to do with the information. I would like to know your resources that you think that can help me with this course. I did go to the internet and goggled other resources, and found that some of them had the same similarities. I hope that someone can assist me.


                                                        

Final Blog Assignment

I will start off saying that I have learned a lot from this course. My colleagues and I have shared information among each other that will help me in the classroom and out of the classroom. I did enjoy reading some of the colleagues international contacts, unfortunately I didn't hear from no one. I did get on Facebook, and saw some students from Walden that were from other countries. I read and saw pictures some posted showing what their classrooms look like in Africa, or Nigeria. I have learned that the international field faces some issues that we are facing. I learned that some are struggling with training just like we are. Some need better funding for schools, better healthcare. I can say they want the best for their children just like we do in the United States. It is a shame that the early childhood field is so behind. They are wanting their children to receive high-quality care as well. We are all fighting and advocating for our children and families to receive the care and learning to make them successful in life. We all know that early education is a foundation for all children.

My goal for the field related to international awareness of issues and trends and the spirit of collegial relations to get high-quality care for all children, and keep facilitating for family involvement. my colleagues know that no matter the color, race or creed of a child; they need to be in a program that promotes learning and parent involvement. The children needs a staff that is efficient. my goal is to keep pushing for a change. Every child needs to learn.

I wish all my colleagues the best! I have truly enjoyed all of you! May God keep blessing you with the knowledge and guidance you need in this field. To my colleagues that have never taught in a classroom, always know that there is nothing that you can't do! I wish everyone the best!

"In the early childhood , you may lay the foundation of poverty or riches, industry of idleness, good or evil, by the habits to which you train your children. teach them right habits, then, and their future.life is safe-Lydia Sigourney

Getting to Know Your International Contacts-Part 3

I still have not gotten a response from my international contact. My three new insights are from Africa, Latin America, and Arab states.
                                                                       Africa
Africa is a priority for the UNESCO and education is key to the region's development (www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/). There are 15 field offices that work with Africa to keep education up on the agenda of development partners and governments. Their focus is to improve the quality od the teacher's education. The UNESCO establishes programs. China was able to have a teacher training in 10 African countries.
                                                                      Latin America
In Latin America the UNESCO assisted the governments in the implementation of public policies. They encourage the civil society to be engaged in defining education. They have equipped classrooms with materials, for learning a second language to assist the teachers for preserving linguistic and cultural diversity.
                                                                  Arab States
Arab states government agencies work to facilitate policy dialogues. they work to advance different projects for education in their region.

                                                                        Reference
"Early Childhood Care and Education." Retrieved from:
        www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-education.

         

Sharing Web Resources

Follow some of the outside links that you have not yet explored. Where do they lead?
The other links that I have not explored on the NHSA websites were links that discussed why head start matters, the head start model, and the head start locator. I scanned through other links that talked about the impact on sequestration, alumni, and innovation. The head start locator and head start model was also discussed on a link.
Thoroughly search one area of the site. What do you find?
The National Head Start Association is embarking on intentional work designed to systematically seed the kernels of impact and effectiveness that Head Start is known for. We are engaging the Head Start community in a discussion about impact and helping our members continue Head Start’s legacy of leadership as the early learning landscape evolves. Our work is supported by research that clearly demonstrates that the lowest-income and most at-risk children benefit the most from high quality early care and education.
When President Johnson appointed Sargent Shriver to lead his administration’s war on poverty in 1964, Dr. Robert Cooke of Johns Hopkins University was recruited to head a committee whose recommendations would lead to Head Start. Dr. Cooke assembled a panel of experts in child development, early education, health, nutrition and parental education to design a comprehensive program for the youngest, most at-risk children. We’re returning to our evidence-based roots and engaging with both internal and external experts. NHSA is committed to this effort because we believe that the carefully designed model of Head Start is evergreen (https://www.nhsa.org/innovation). NHSA states they are returning to evidence-based roots and engaging with both internal and external experts. It states the CDA competency-based credential, Sesame Street, and Early Head Start were the ones who brought the importance of early brain development into the consciousness of the country. These are some major innovations that Head Start has introduced to policy makers over the last 50 years. NHSA will continue to support the practitioners in the improvement of quality early childhood services for the families and children they work with.
If you received an e-newsletter, follow the link related to one of the issues you have been studying? What new information is available?
I did not receive a e-newsletter, but I was in the knowledge center. When I searched the state of Louisiana, They had nothing on the site regarding the issues in Louisiana, or any updates regarding early childhood education.
Does the website or the e-newsletter contain any information that adds to your understanding of equity and excellence in early care and education?
When I searched the knowledge center under Center for Policy, Data, and research , I noticed there was another link; Action research. They were speaking on the quality of teachers as well as the program and children. There were resources that explained the benefits of the action research in early childhood settings.
What other insights about issues and trends in the early childhood field did you gain this week from exploring the website and /or the e-newsletter?
The events and news link showed that a conference will be held on December 5-8, 2016. the conference is a parent, staff and leadership training conference. The event will be held in San Juan, Puerto Rico. They want parents, senior administrative staff, board members, policy council members, and others interested in training. They will focus on panels, sessions, and speakers that address a variety of the issues relevant to staff who work with families, and parents. Other trending issues addressed will be social justice, vulnerability, dual language learners, and poverty. They will address the new Head Start Program Performance Standards.
                                                                           Reference
National Head Start Association. Retrieved from: https://www.nhsa.org

Getting to Know Your International Contacts-Part 2

                                                                             Brazil

My first insight is strengthening leadership around early childhood development through an executive leadership course for policymakers. The first three cohorts of 40–45 senior-level Brazilian policymakers came to Harvard in 2012, 2013, and 2014 for an intensive week of instruction, skill-building, and project development. Participants returned home and continued to work in small groups to develop and refine action plans for implementation in their jurisdictions. Follow-on activities included reconvening in São Paulo for a workshop on implementing policy change in Brazil, a day for program alumni to meet and learn about each other’s work, and the April 2015 launch of a complementary instructional and skill-building program in Brazil for municipal level leadership and state and federal mid-level technical staff (http://developingchild.harvard.edu/about/what-we-do/global-work/). The video of Mary E. Young stated that policymakers need to understand the science and important of early learning. The class was to bring Brazilian people and policy makers in together to know how to bridge the gap fro early learning, and to see why it is so important to invest in early childhood.

My second insight- Launching an innovation cluster to bring researchers, practitioners, and program developers together to co-design and test new strategies for addressing childhood issues in Brazil–and then to share their successes and failures (http://developingchild.harvard.edu/about/what-we-do/global-work/). Practitioners and researchers devote a lot of time and resources to make sure a program is effective. They collaborate to identify what is working and what is not working. They want to understand the implications of what they are learning. Then they build on the information what each one have found.

My third insight- There are resources for the Brazilians. These resources are Portuguese resources. The video talks about different subjects regarding children and families. One of the video is on the Three Core Concepts in early development. It states that if a child have a healthy development when they are young; it gives them the building blocks for lifelong health, success in parenting for the next generation, strong communities and educational achievement. It also illustrate how neuroscience gives a better view of how long early experiences are built into our brains and bodies.
                                                            
                                                              Reference
Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. (2010). Global Children's Initiative.
          Retrieved from: http://developingchild.harvard.edu/about/what-we-do/global-work/.