WK8 When I think of Research.......

What insights have you gained about research from taking this course?

I have learned that doing research is very demanding and confusing if your not familiar with the in's and outs of research. I also learned that there are many components to research that can be helpful and not make it so difficult.

In what ways have your ideas about the nature of doing research changed?

I never really thought about research before this class, except I wanted to stay clear of it. Well to be honest, this course has proven to me why I don't do research.

What lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood did you learn?

I learned that planning is a very important process in research, much like an educator planning their curriculum. Designing a research takes a lot and much focus; a researcher needs to be very familiar with the parts to needed to design a research. One thing I think I could do is conduct the research; the observation and interview portion of it at least.

What were some of the challenges you encountered—and in what ways did you meet them?

What challenges didn't I encounter should be the question, lol. No really, at first I was a little hesitant to do some of the assignments, because I knew I really didn't understand research and what it really took to understand it fully. What helped me to overcome these challenges is reading and reading over the different parts of a research.

What are some of the ways your perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course?

I don't want to have to do another research class or research in my profession.

Research around the world

I choose the Early Childhood Australia: This is the Australian equivalent to the U.S. based NAEYC. You can access several links to early childhood research from the menu on the left side of the home page.
http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/

What are some of the current international research topics?

• 'Stories from the Heart' Connecting children and families with out Earth
• Respecting diversity: Articulating early childhood practice
• Nurturing the spiritual child: Compassion, connection and a sense of self
• Meaningful planning: Rethinking teaching and learning relationships
• Understanding children's feelings: Emotional literacy in early childhood
• (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/)

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

• Their mission statement and their values caught my eye. They are totally dedicated to their children and want to make sure they receive the best, not just in education, but in life.
• Their Every Child magazine is informative, from education to politics. A whole magazine dedicated to children's lives, with real life stories.
• They have a newletter called the voice, where it advocates for children, allowing people in the community voices be heard, that normally wouldn't be heard.
• They have been advocating and advancing children since 1938