My Family Culture ...

"Nothing is more important within a culture than how its children are raised" (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p. 55). By taking the Perspectives in Diversity and Equity course through Walden University, I am learning about the importance of family culture. Family culture refers to the beliefs, values, roles, rules, religion, and basic way of living (Laureate Education, 2011).

For the assignment this week, I am tasked with choosing three items of importance that represent my family culture. The three items that I chose are my wedding ring, a locket for my daughter, and a photo album with family pictures. I chose my wedding ring because it represents my strong love and bonded relationship with my husband. Instead of a traditional diamond for the center stone, it has a ruby, which represents my daughter Ruby. I chose a locket for my daughter because it was a Christmas present from my husband to our daughter, and it contains a picture of myself and of my husband, for Ruby to always remember we love and care for her. I chose a photo album because it is important to remember how fast things change and how many memories we have shared together. If I could only keep one of the above items, I would choose to keep the photo album because pictures are priceless and could never be replaced. I would be sad to let go of the locket and ring, but I would be grateful that I have my family.

"Most of the time, people do not even notice their culture, just as we do not notice that we live in a sea of air" (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p. 55). From completing this assignment it made me realize how true this statement really is. I found it very difficult to try to explain to others the reason for my choices and the meaning of the items I chose to be most important. My culture is just who I am.

Reference:

Derman-Sparks, L., & Edwards, J.O. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Laureate Education. (2011). Family cultures: Dynamic interactions [Video file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu

Developing Research Competencies

Taking the Developing Research Competencies course at Walden University has helped me develop a new respect for research that is being done in the early childhood field. Researchers have many responsibilities involved in planning and implementing research projects. They must ensure that all participants are treated fairly and understood, and they should take steps toward increasing the validity of the research study. Each part of the research process involves a lot of time and work. I never realized how many different options needed to be considered and how much time the planning alone could take.

I find myself looking at research from a whole new perspective. Previously, if I found a research study that claimed to prove something I accepted it as truth. Now, I read more about the details of the research project in order to determine the validity of the study and whether the information should be generalized to the larger population. The study of early childhood is really a science, involving professionals that ask questions and plan ways to answer questions with the support of valid research. Not an easy task!

I learned that it is of utmost importance to protect the safety and wellness of participants involved in research, especially children. Risks and benefits need to be evaluated from the start, and participants need to have a choice whether they participate. Participants should be given power to withdraw and opportunities to truly express themselves. I also learned how important the planning process is in order to ensure that the project is feasible, ethical, and transparent allowing others to duplicate and evaluate the project (Mac Naughton, Rolfe, & Siraj-Blatchford, 2010).

One challenge that I encountered during this course was in understanding the different terms and concepts about research. It was very helpful to read the discussion posts each week and I am grateful to have such smart and capable classmates. Thank you for all of your help this term!

Reference:

Mac Naughton, G., Rolfe, S.A., & Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2010). Doing early childhood

research: International perspectives on theory and practice (2nd ed.). New York,

 NY: McGraw-Hill.

Research in Australia

I chose to explore the Early Childhood Australia website at http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/  

I was surprised to see that many of the current issues in Australia are very similar to the current issues here in the United States. Some of the current research and media releases that I saw were related to the cost of childcare, funding for childcare, quality of childcare, e-bullying, and professional development for professionals in the field. I thought it was interesting that Australia is using a similar system of “Quality Improvement Plans” as are being implemented in many states here. Professional qualifications are also in the spotlight according to the following quote:

“As you are undoubtedly aware, from 1 January 2014 the National Quality Standard (NQS) requires that anyone who wishes to be recognized as an early childhood educator must have completed or be actively working towards the minimum Certificate III in Children’s Services. For people who have been working in the sector for many years but don’t have formal qualifications this may seem daunting, others may not see the value in becoming qualified.” (Early Childhood Australia, 2014).

When I looked up information about how to obtain the Certificate III in Childcare Services it was a bit confusing because they use a different system of tracking credits than we do in America, but nevertheless it is something that requires further education even for professionals that have already been experienced from working in the field.

Another interesting topic to read about is cultural awareness. There is a focus on the website for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander involvement and cultural awareness.

Reference:

Early Childhood Australia. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/  

Research that Benefits Children and Families

"Exercise is ADHD Medication"

I recently came across a research study that found that exercise may help the brain focus on individual tasks easier. "The medical journal Pediatrics published research that found kids who took part in a regular physical activity program showed important enhancement of cognitive performance and brain function" (Hamblin, 2014). This research study helps to explain the many benefits of exercise especially for children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The more research we have for this, the more support we may have for physical activity programs in schools. In my opinion, we need more attention brought to this topic to help raise well-balanced healthy children and families. According to the article, "another study found that a 12-week exercise program improved math and reading test scores in all kids, but especially in those with signs of ADHD" (Hamblin, 2014). "A very similar study in the Journal of Attention Disorders found that just 26 minutes of daily physical activity for eight weeks significantly allayed ADHD symptoms in grade-school kids"(Hamblin, 2014).

All of this research could greatly benefit children, if schools create more daily opportunities to be physically active and exercise. Many children that are prescribed amphetamines or other ADHD medications may not need the medication or have to deal with the common side effects that the medications bring with them. What could be wrong with a little daily exercise?

Reference:

Hamblin, J. (2014). Exercise is ADHD medication. The Atlantic. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/09/exercise-seems-to-be-beneficial-to-children/380844/

My research journey so far ...

“The issue that many beginning researchers face is not finding a topic but selecting one from all their ideas and the possible directions they might take” (Mac Naughton, Rolfe, & Siraj-Blatchford, 2010 p. 24). I definitely found this to be true the last couple of weeks. It is difficult to come to the final decision on a topic. Furthermore, without having completed a research project like this before I am unsure how much to narrow down the research topic and what type of resources I will need available. I am worried that the time frame to complete this project is very short compared to the work that it may take. According to this week’s reading, this step of refining a research topic is pivotal, and it is better to simplify the research question too much than not enough (Mac Naughton, Rolfe, & Siraj-Blatchford, 2010). I chose to research technology and media influence on young children. I chose this topic because I work with high school students who sometimes have a very difficult time keeping electronics put away. I think that technology has become such a big part of our daily lives it is important to understand its influence on young children. After completing the abbreviated literature review I found the following key points from reading the current research on the topic:

1) Children can learn from educational media if it is quality programming, but not infants and toddlers under the age of two.

2) It is important for children to view television in moderation rather than too much.

3) The content and quality of the screen time is of utmost importance in relation to the effects on the child.

4) More research is needed to determine how screen time effects children under the age of two.

5)It is important that screen time does not interfere with time to play, read, interact with others, etc.

6) How the child interacts with the media is an important factor to consider.

7) Adult-directed media and violence in the media have negative affects on children including slower learning and behavior problems.

If anyone has any resources on this topic, I would greatly appreciate any input. 

References:

Barr, R., Lauricella, A., Zack, E., & Calvert, S. L.  (2010). Infant and early childhood

exposure to adult-directed and child-directed television programming:

Relations with cognitive skills at age four. Merrill – Palmer Quarterly, 56(1),

 21-48. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/230106685?

Kirkorian, H. L., Wartella, E. A., & Anderson, D. R. (2008). Media and Young

Children's Learning. Future Of Children, 18(1), 39-61.

Mac Naughton, G., Rolfe, S.A., & Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2010). Doing early childhood

research: International perspectives on theory and practice (2nd ed.). New

 York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

National Association for the Eduaction of Young Children. (2012). Technology and

interactive media as tools in early childhood programs serving children from

birth through age 8. Retrieved from

 http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/PS_technology_WEB.pdf

Zimmerman, F. J. (2007). Early television – widespread, with uncertain

consequences for children’s development. Pediatrics for Parents, 23(7), 4-5.

Retrieved from

http://search.proquest.com/docview/200482321?accountid=14872

Building Research Competencies

The next course in the Early Childhood Studies program is titled "Building Research Competencies." I am preparing to choose a topic to research and excited to learn more about researching.

Summary

Learning about child development from an international perspective throughout this course has helped me to become more culturally responsive. In order to be culturally responsive, I must keep an open mind to differences and by learning about other cultures it reinforces this behavior. It is important to learn about cultural diversity in order to understand the issues that children face today. In order  to truly be a child advocate, one must understand more about children from around the world. I found it very interesting that many parts of the world are working towards similar goals in the field of early childhood. We face different obstacles, but with having similar values and by using current research about the importance of the early years in regard to brain development and the impact of toxic stress we work together to support and protect children everywhere.

One personal goal that I have from this course is to continue to learn more about the issues that children and families face around the world today. By paying attention to the news or visiting some of the websites I learned about in this course, I can stay more up to date on current events related to the global field of early childhood.