Blog: My Family Culture

If major catastrophe hit and completely devastated the infrastructure of my country and I had to move to a completely different country and bring three things with me (Excluding my family/children and strictly just three material items) I would bring: 

1.) A HUGE photo album of all my friends/family/children.

2.) An unlimited supply of paper, pens, and postage stamps so I could write to my friends and family; keep in touch with loved ones.

3.) My digital camera so I could capture beautiful places in the different countries that I’ve never been and even capture run-down places so when I visit America and visit my friends and family I can show them where I’ve been!

I would explain to others that each of these items means a great deal to me and I’d let them know why. I cherish my photo albums because inside are wonderful memories of me, my family, my friends, my children. They are memories that I always want to be reminded of and never want to forget.

Everyone that truly knows me knows that I have a significant passion for writing/pen paling so that would explain my interest in bringing paper, pen, and postage stamps with me. If I wasn’t able to write, I’d lose a huge part of who I am as an individual. I never want that part of me to be taken away. It has helped shape me into the person I am today.

My digital camera holds significant meaning to me because I have such an immense passion for photography. I love capturing photos of my family and children and even nature. There is something special about taking pictures that I just love!

My feelings, upon arrival, if I was told that I could only keep one personal item and give up the other two items would make me completely heartbroken. To be moving to a different country, somewhere I’ve never been and having to move away from my family would be tough enough; that in itself is devastating news. Having to choose between the three items after being told what I’d have to give up and do to move forward after this devastation would truly be challenging.

As a result of this exercise I did gain some insight about myself, my family culture and cultural differences in general. By doing this exercise it made me realize how important some material things can be but more importantly how family and friends are. If I was forced to move away from everyone I loved and cared about it would destroy me. Even just the thought of losing my loved ones or being far away from them is heart wrenching for me. I don’t even like to think about it. It makes me want to re-evaluate what I feel is important and not take those I love for granted. I am a realist and I know that anything can happen at any time. I really do like to count my blessings every single day! This exercise made me realize that everyone is different and there are many people in the world who have a different culture/language/religion, etc. than I do. With that being said, I’m proud to be me! I’m proud to be a Caucasian who lives in the United States but at the same time I know how to accept and respect people of different cultures, languages, religions, lifestyles, etc.

When I Think of Research...

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

 

I have gained a lot of insights about research from taking this course. Some of the things I have learned are: The Research Process & the steps to take in order to begin research, I can narrow down general research topics to related subtopics, I can identify and define specific terms and concepts regarding research, I can explore and share information about the early childhood field, and I can create a simulated research study online along with other things too!

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

Research to me was always "Very easy" and complex. Now I know there is a whole lot more to research then I ever realized. It's definitely complicated and not as easy as I thought it would be. There are many steps needed to be taken in order to research that I was never aware of before.

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

I've learned that planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood is very time consuming. It is also a lot of information to take it and absorb. One of the main things that stood out to me in this course was the difficult definitions and terms that were difficult to understand. Understanding research and everything that comes with it is not as simple as I thought.

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

The biggest challenge for me was understanding a lot of what was said in the textbook and trying to understand and comprehend definitions to terms that were listed in the textbook. I did my best in reading the material and trying to make a list of definitions on index cards to memorize the definitions. This tended to help quite a bit.

 

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

Early childhood professionals do not have an easy job/career. There is a lot more to the early childhood field than we know before going into these types of courses. It's so important for teachers and professionals to stay up to par on things on in the field and one of the best ways to keep yourself updated is to research and read articles.

 

Research Around the World

I chose to explore the Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa websites:

http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/index.php

http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php

1.) What are some of the current international research topics? 
On both websites, I did not see any current international research topics. I saw the ECDVU Sub-Saharan Africa: Mission Statement, a paragraph on Innovative Approaches to Education and Partnership, some publications, communities but no research topics.

2.) What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website? 
The Early Childhood Development Virtual University is accredited.  It is a training program offered online that offers web-based course work as well as face-to-face seminars.

3.) What other noteworthy information did you find on this website?
The website offers a page that has: Final Major Projects and Theses. This page lists many students name alphabetically, the country in which they live and a PDF file of their project/thesis. The courses offered are specifically for people in Africa.

Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories

 

“There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.” - J.R.R Tolkien

A positive example of the effects of research on children can be read on the web. I read an article titled " Working Moms’ Kids Turn Out Fine, 50 Years of Research Says" written by Belinda Luscombe. The article discussed the ways in which children grew up just fine when they had mothers who had to work. There were little to none behavioral problems.  Researchers did find positive associations.

I feel that research on children gives us the opportunity to be more knowledgeable on topics. It allows us to read on the topic we are interested in/learning about so we can teach others what we know and make a difference/help others. There are positive effects on research on children. There will always be negative effects of research but there will be positive effects of research on children as well. There are many articles out there that are positive and that show professionals/parents the positives to a topic/subject such as the one I listed above.

Reference:

Luscombe, B. (2010, October 18). Working moms’ kids turn out fine, 50 years of research says read more: http://healthland.time.com/2010/10/18/working-moms-kids-turn-out-fine-50-years-of-research-says/

My Personal Research Journey

My chosen topic for the simulation is CHILD OBESITY/THE EFFECTS OF CHILD OBESITY.  I chose to write about and study this topic because I feel it's such an important topic and a lot of time the problem goes ignored by many. Child obesity and the effects of child obesity are such a major problem all around the world;  especially in America.  I find that this topic is very crucial to learn more about. As a Mommy and a future educator, I want to become more knowledgeable on the topic and help prevent this problem in anyway that I can. 

I was never obese as a child but I remember going to school with many friends/children that were obese. Even today.. I see it often and it just breaks my heart to see so many children suffering through this disease. I was at my OBGYN appointment last week and in the waiting room was a mother, a father, and a little boy (No older then two years old) he was obviously obese, he was panting as he breathed and I believe his weight had affected his speech in a way. What was his parents giving him to eat in order to keep quiet while waiting? A big bag of peanut M & M's. I'm sitting there in the waiting room watching this family (Not making it too obvious that I felt bad for the child) not being judgmental, but just asking myself why couldn't they have brought their son an apple, a yogurt, or even a string cheese? Why don't parents choose healthier foods for their children? I can't fathom that. It's simple... the effects of child obesity are harsh. Are parents to blame? Is it the child's fault? Should parents of obese children be classified as negligent parents? I have seen firsthand the effects of child obesity.... they are no fun.

Insights that I have gained this week have been how to conduct research, I have learned some new definitions in our required readings/book for the course, and the more I research about child obesity, the more I learn about it! 

Friends... classmates... do you have any advice or insight that might help me with this process and/or with this course? I'd appreciate any resources you're willing to share with me! I have posted some great links to websites on child obesity that I plan on using throughout the course in regards to this specific topic!

 

 

Helpful links on child obesity:

 

http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/facts.htm

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/childhood-obesity/DS00698

http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/obesity_in_children_and_teens

http://children.webmd.com/obesity-children

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/obesity_in_children/article_em.htm

http://www.childobesity.com/

 

 

Final Blog Assignment

 

 

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams” –Eleanor Roosevelt

 Three consequences of learning about the International early childhood field for my professional and personal development are:

 

1.)  Realizing that although I have a passion for being around and working with children in a classroom setting; it does not mean everyday is going to be a wonderful day. Being a teacher has MANY challenges and being a teacher is not always pleasant. There are going to be children that have developmental issues, children and families that live in poverty, children that come from abusive households, children and families that come from different countries and who don't understand or speak English. (Just to name a few challenges.)

 

2.) After all the researching I did throughout this class, it was brought to my attention that teacher salaries are not great. They are considered "Low income." This is quite discouraging and one consequence of learning about the early childhood field in general. 

 

 

 

3.) In learning about International child care, one of the consequences has been just reading about and gaining knowledge on all the negatives of working in the field. Some of these children/families stories are heartbreaking. It makes you realize that being a teacher is not always pleasant and it makes you truly think about what you would do if you were to be in a certain situation; how would you handle it? Could you handle it? Often times, reading about all the information that goes with the field can often change someones mind on working in this field. For me, it has only encouraged me to want to continue learning more and it makes me look forward to being a teacher and helping children and families in anyway that I can.

 

 

One goal for the field related to international awareness of issues and trends and the spirit of collegial relations:  Continue doing research, continue gaining knowledge in this field, never stop learning and keep informed on the latest information/news regarding the early childhood field.

 

Getting to Know Your International Contacts—Part 3

My international contact sent me this in regards to the questions I asked her for this week's assignment:

I found this document that i think can be very helpful. Obviously like i said before, Italy is having a hard time between the government crisis and the economy so especially when it comes to a stable job- things are not well here....I have a diploma in graphics and I'm a certified nurse assistant. I did graduate from cosmetology school...still at 34 years old I'm cleaning houses and baby sitting and doing pretty much everything I can to make a living. My resume is remarkable, I have letters of recommendations but it is very hard to find a stable job. Factories, company franchising store....if you are lucky enough to get hired and not discriminated by your age and all, they put you on a contract that is temporary and the after a year top, the contracts ends and you have to start everything all over again. My goal is to find a job that actually gives me the opportunity to grow professionally and still satisfies me and gratifies me, a job that gives me independence and financial stability. My hopes and dreams...to cut the ties that are still holding me back to my ex because also law is a great deal especially when you have a child that has dual citizenship. I got so much on my plate that really at this point I just want to be content with my significant other and my daughter. Here are some links I found that might be helpful in your research and education.

Links that my international contact thought might be helpful:

http://www.oecd.org/education/preschoolandschool/33915831.pdf
http://www.oecd.org/education/preschoolandschool/33915831.pdf
www.oecd.org

http://www.oecd.org/education/preschoolandschool/33915831.pdf

www.oecd.org