Saturday, August 2, 2014

Research Around the World

           The website of “Early Childhood Australia” focuses on the development of educational programs for the young children. The website presents information about the different conferences, publications, conferences, and membership details. In addition to this, the accreditations are also mentioned on the website which helps the people in understanding as to how this program is being accredited and what are the different programs that people can take advantage of (Goodfellow, 2009). The website also provides an option for members to log in which helps them in reaching an area that is personalized and that has all their information. The website presents information on how the organization works for the betterment of the children and how education should be provided to them.

            The main current international research topics discussed in Early Childhood Australia are: social justice, ensuring quality and equity in all issues. The organization provides comprehensive information about the three international research topicsthat are being offered and also helps the people in understanding the main purpose of the formation of the organization (Early Childhood Australia, 2014). The projects undertaken by the organization are also mentioned in detail in such a manner which helps the people in knowing the various areas that the organization focuses on. In addition to this, the resources of the organization are also provided on the website.

            News related to the organization is also provided as it helps the people in staying abreast of all the changes that are taking place in the organization. In addition to this, the website also provides the contact details in order to make sure that any person willing to join the organization has all the related details with him (Early Childhood Australia, 2014). People visiting the website should make sure that they go through the news section of the organization so that they are aware all the changes that are taking place in the organization.

            One of the challenges faced by educators of early childhood might be pressure to start academic skills’ teaching at a younger age. An educator may deal with such problem by incorporating specific strategies, which will promote critical understanding related to key components of imaginary rules, roles and situations (Goodfellow, 2009). It might be said that communication skills for early childhood educators are essential for the fact that it creates multi-professional networking, broadening the horizon of educator’s knowledge.

            It can be said that in a manner, the human development is based on the development of the children in the early stages of their lives. It basically involves the ability to live with dignity and the ability of a person to achieve a quality life as well. The development in the personality, intelligence and social behavior of a person is basically related critically to his development in the early childhood.


            Basic skills and strategies that can be essential to effective early childhood education may be comprised of vocabulary, comprehension and writing, phonics, fluency and phonological awareness (Goodfellow, 2009). An educator’s communication skills may assist a child to enhance his or her higher-order thinking and language skills along with establishing the basic skills.

            The website focuses on the international organizations who work with the children suffering from disabilities and with special needs. The website presents information about the program and the different ways with which the members of the program can help the children in working and in knowing as to how they should work and the different ways in which the special children can be provided with quality education.
References
 

Early Childhood Australia, (2014), Early Childhood Australia, Early Childhood Australia, data retrieved from
http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/

Goodfellow, J., (2009), The early years learning framework: Getting started, Early Childhood Australia, data retrieved from
http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/nqsplp/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/RIP0904_EYLFsample.pdf

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories


Ethics in research are considered a helpful tool that integrates positive behavior in research (Kaboub, 2008). It helps the researcher and the participants to avoid any violation of the research principles. It assures the prevalence of professional ethics in research and improves the quality of research. It is the demand of the research discipline that the researcher and the participants follow the guidelines of ethical consideration and professional ethics in research (Kaboub, 2008).
 
The excessive smoking behaviors effect the social interactions of people and give a negative impression on others. The anti-smoking media campaign not only seizes this effect, but also brings a positive environment to improve public interactions.
 
Smoking is an ever-increasing negative habit that has harmful effects on human health. Unfortunately, this issue had become quite evident in teens and young adults, who spend a lot of money and time on smoking (Liu and Tan, 2009). There are various reasons for them to smoke. Many of the youngsters smoke to make a prominent impression in their social circle, considering that they look even smarter by smoking. However, they neglect the fact of adversity that is the ultimate outcome of excessive smoking. The selected research article by Liu and Tan (2009) highlights some very interesting facts, as they researched to bring a positive impact on the selected issue.
Liu and Tan (2009) selected a particular group of people for their research on effective anti-smoking media campaign and its effect on smoking behavior. The case was carried in California, as the two researched observed a particular group of smokers in California. The results of this research not only affected the teens and young adults involved in the habit of smoking, but also affected the families of those smokers in a positive way. Their research was planned to evaluate the effect of media campaign in presenting commercials and advertisements that entails anti-smoking message. There are some advertisements that prevail positive impression of smoking, which results in smoking attitudes. On the other hand, they utilized the evidence from advertisements of anti smoking attitudes (Liu and Tan, 2009).
Liu and Tan (2009) identified that smoking has become the most prevalent negative behavior in teens and young adults that has long lasting health and societal effects. In order to reduce this fashion from society, Liu and Tan (2009) constructed pseudo panel data. Their research made it evident that a lot of money is used to expand the business of tobacco by advertising, and then why not utilize the same economics to decrease the number of smokers. They divided the participants into four variables to underline the results. The participants were divided in the category of adult smoker participants, adult smokers who never quit smoking, adolescents who have just started smoking and adolescents who have committed never to smoke. The results of the research provided positive results, as the number of smoker was reduced. This research study brought a positive influence on teens and young adults who never thought that they could quit smoking, and now they are living a healthy span (Liu and Tan, 2009).
 
            This research of Liu and Tan (2009) justified the ethical standards of a positive research that helped the participants (teens and young adults) and their families to overcome the adverse habit of smoking. This research met the criteria of positive paradigm by asserting real life event and observing a real life situation. This  has analyzed the implication of the ethical research by presenting an illustration of a positive research that has benefited children and family.
 


References

Kaboub, F (2008) “Positivist Paradigm” Leong, Encyclopedia of Counseling, vol.2 (2), Data retrieved from http://personal.denison.edu/~kaboubf/Pub/2008-Positivist-Paradigm.pdf on July 18, 2014

Liu, H., Tan, W (2009) “The Effect of Anti-Smoking Media Campaign on Smoking Behavior: The California Experience” Annals of Economics and Finance, vol. 10 (1), Data retrieved from http://www.aeconf.net/Articles/May2009/aef100103.pdf on July 18, 2014

 

 

 

Saturday, July 12, 2014

My Personal Research Journey


The topic that I have chosen for my research is about teenage mothers as it relates to the early childhood field, since I deal with some teenage parents at my job. I want to learn more about how teenage parents comprehend how important early childhood development is for their children, also what kind of goals some of these teenage parents have for providing a better life for their children. I would also like to learn about how teenage parents feel about being parents at a young age. So far I am very nervous about this course. The glossary at the end our text book has gave me a better understanding of some of the terminology used in this course. Any advice or information anyone is willing to share, I would greatly appreciate it and vice versa. Thanks!!!

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Sharing Web Resources



The name of the organization that I selected was the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI), http://www.nbcdi.org/. The National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) mission is “to improve and advance the quality of life for Black children and their families through education and advocacy, which ensures a successful future for all children.” “NBCDI supports and works primarily with Black children birth through age eight and their families, through coalition building with community-based organizations, foundations, corporations, school systems, elected officials, government, child care, Head Start and many other public and private partnerships.” “The organization was launched by the Black Women’s Community Development Foundation, whose leadership, in the wake of the Civil Rights Movement, was deeply concerned about the unsatisfactory conditions faced by families determined to raise healthy Black children.  By organizing NBCDI as a national advocacy group, they created a unified movement to develop strategies to improve the life circumstances of the Black child through policy change”.

 

References

 

National Black Child Development Institute

 

http://www.nbcdi.org/

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Getting Ready—Establishing Professional Contacts and Expanding Resources


This assignment was very challenging. As I explored the naeyc website under their global alliances I set out to contacts of the alliances. I contacted all the alliances from Africa and Asia. I emailed these alliances and stated my names, where I'm from, the university that I attend, my major, and the class I am currently enrolled in. Also, I stated the purpose of this email. As of now none of these alliances have responded to my email. So I began my search and I can upon this website http://www.nbcdi.org/, the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI). The National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) mission is “to improve and advance the quality of life for Black children and their families through education and advocacy, which ensures a successful future for all children.” “NBCDI supports and works primarily with Black children birth through age eight and their families, through coalition building with community-based organizations, foundations, corporations, school systems, elected officials, government, child care, Head Start and many other public and private partnerships.”


References


National Black Child Development Institute


The Global Alliance of NAEYC


 





Saturday, February 1, 2014

My Connections to Play


Two quotes that I feel summarize what play represented for me in childhood.
 
“Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.” – O. Fred Donaldson
“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.” -  Fred Rogers

Essential play items for my younger self.

My bicycle with training wheels, my Barbie doll, my Nintendo with duck hunt game, coloring books and Spirograph to draw and color with.
 
 

The memories that I have of play in my younger years is playing outside with my friends, riding my bike, playing video games with my cousins, and coloring and drawing with my mother. I use to go play outside with my neighborhood friends, we would run, jump, play outdoor games like it and hide and go seek. Also, outside I would go bike riding with my neighborhood friends up and down the block. I used to go visit my cousins who had Nintendo and we will play duck hunt all day long. While at home I will play with my Barbie dolls, and which I loved to do my Barbie dolls hair and put new clothes on my Barbie dolls. I also loved to color and draw, especially with my mother. As a young child my mother taught me how to color in the lines and we used to color in coloring books together. Nowadays I don't see a lot of young children engaging in outdoor physical activity, and due to their environment a lot of parents aren't letting their children go out to play as a safety precaution. I also see a lot of children not enrolled in daycare or early head start programs, which can have an effect on young children socially. If the children were enrolled in such program they will be able to learn through play how to become more sociable, physical, emotional, and cognitive. Play is a very important aspect in children’s lives. Play is an action that allows young children to develop cognitively, socially, physically, emotionally, and creatively, which are the elements to a healthy development. Here below is a video about the importance of play:
 

 


Saturday, January 18, 2014

Reflecting on Building Relationships

 
Relationships are important to me because it is something that you have to deal with on a daily basis. By having relationships with people can give you a better understanding of who you are. For example, if you come from a loving and supportive family then more than likely you have a good healthy relationship with people which tell you a lot about your character. In the photos below are some of the people that I have a great relationship with. In the first photo is a picture of my immediate family which consists of me, my uncle, my grandparents, and my mother. My relationship with my family is very close knit, loving, and supportive. The next photo starting from the left is a picture of me and my mother on the day I graduated from college. My relationship with my mother is very supportive because we're all we got. My father was killed before I was born and my mother never got a chance to tell him that she was pregnant. She's a very lovely and strong single mother. She put her dreams aside to help me fulfill my own. In the middle photo is a picture of me in my best friend when we were children. My relationship with my best friend is very close. We have been friends since I was born. Our parents are best friends as well and I am her child godmother. My best friend is always there when I need her and vice versa. In the last photo is a photo of me and my sorority sisters. My relationship with my sorority sisters is very supportive and loving. Who would ever thought that all 31 of us would be chosen to become a member of an illustrious sorority. We are always there for one another, we support each other's goals and dreams, we help support the goals and dreams of our communities and we have built long lasting relationships and friendships.