The three items I have chosen to take with me:
1. My family recipes cookbook
2. My wedding Photo Album
3. My cats
The way that I would explain to others about the importance of my family recipe cookbook, my wedding photo album and my cats is that all these items have significant meaning to me. All of these items are a part of who I am and what I stand for. I am a family oriented person who always puts family first and myself last. I believe in the saying, "As long as you have family, you are rich". My family recipes cookbook is important to me because my family had worked hard on putting the book together as a Bridal Shower gift. My family wanted me to have a book with great meals that I can make for my husband and later on for my family. I will eventually pass this book onto my own daughter someday when I have children of my own. The way I would explain the importance of my wedding photo album is that my wedding day was one the happiest days of my life and I am so grateful that I had found a wonderful man to spend the rest of my life with. I am glad that I got to share this day with my family and friends. The way I would explain the importanceof my cats is that my cats are members of the family and I treat them like my children.
If I was told that I could only keep on of the three items I had selected I would be heart broken. It would be very hard for me to decide on which item to bring because all three items have a lot of meaning to me. I could never give up my family recipes cookbook, my wedding photo album or my cats. Giving up these items would make me feel like these items never existed and I would hate to lose any of these precious memories. When my husband's family gave me some recipes it made me realize for the first time in my life that I was a part of his family and I was welcomed with open arms. I really love my husand, he is my love, my life and my best friend and if I had to give up my wedding album I would feel as if I lost my best friend and that my wedding day did not exist. I could not give up my cats because it would me feel like giving away my children and I could never give away my children. I love my cats.
The insights I have gained about myself is that I am family oriented and that there are many people who play important roles in my life and if these people were not in my life I would be lost. My husband is my rock and my best friend. He is the one I share everything with and want to continue sharing with. My family stands behind me and has taught me the importance of love and unity.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
When I Think of Research
Throughout the course of the semester I have learned a lot about the importance of research in early childhood. The insights I have gained is that it is important to narrow your topic so it is easy to work with. It is also beneficial to pick a topic that will help people in your field receive a better understanding. I learned that when working with young children it is important to get children's imput on issues and ask children if they want to participate instead of just allowing the parents to decide for them. I know that parental consent is required, but children need to be part of the decision process.
The way that my ideas about nature of doing research has changed is that I have learned that I need to have a balanced schedule and I need to stick to the schedule. I need to allow a lot of time for writing the paper as well as having time to proofread the paper. I also need time to conduct interviews and do observations. It is important to always put the children's needs in front of your own needs in order for them to feel comfortable.
The lessons I have learned about planning, designing and conducting research in early childhood is to keep everything organized and to always ask the children if they udnerstand what the research is about. You also want to make it known that if at any time during the research the child feels uncomfortable or feels that the research is overwhelming it is acceptable to say something. It is also okay for the child to back out and that you will respect their wishes.
Some of the challenges I have encountered along the way was narrowing down my topic, setting a schedule and sticking with it, and trying to figure out the independent and dependent variables. The way I had overcome my topic selection was asking Dr. Myers for advice since there are many different ways to help students with Asperger Syndrome become successful. The way that I was able to overcome the challenge of setting up a schedule and sticking with it was to print up a calendar and write down appointments for interviews and observations. I also gave enough time to analyze the data, conduct research and to write the paper. If I was ahead of schedule that was great because it gave me more time for something else. If I did fall behind I did schedule floater days which were days that I had given myself off from working on the paper. If I had to substitute a day off I was able to because I had planned ahead.With the independent and dependent variable I had to read the book a couple of times until I fully understood the terms and then I ended up asking the instructor for help.
Some of the ways that my perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course is that learning is an ongoing process and that every class you teach is different. For example, if you have a child who is deaf it would be good if you could learn a few easy signs and teach them to the rest of the class so they can communicate. I have also learned that there is a lot of research involved in early childhood education and that studies are always being conducted. I have also learned that it is very important to put the children first and to make sure that you get down to their level when talking to them.
The way that my ideas about nature of doing research has changed is that I have learned that I need to have a balanced schedule and I need to stick to the schedule. I need to allow a lot of time for writing the paper as well as having time to proofread the paper. I also need time to conduct interviews and do observations. It is important to always put the children's needs in front of your own needs in order for them to feel comfortable.
The lessons I have learned about planning, designing and conducting research in early childhood is to keep everything organized and to always ask the children if they udnerstand what the research is about. You also want to make it known that if at any time during the research the child feels uncomfortable or feels that the research is overwhelming it is acceptable to say something. It is also okay for the child to back out and that you will respect their wishes.
Some of the challenges I have encountered along the way was narrowing down my topic, setting a schedule and sticking with it, and trying to figure out the independent and dependent variables. The way I had overcome my topic selection was asking Dr. Myers for advice since there are many different ways to help students with Asperger Syndrome become successful. The way that I was able to overcome the challenge of setting up a schedule and sticking with it was to print up a calendar and write down appointments for interviews and observations. I also gave enough time to analyze the data, conduct research and to write the paper. If I was ahead of schedule that was great because it gave me more time for something else. If I did fall behind I did schedule floater days which were days that I had given myself off from working on the paper. If I had to substitute a day off I was able to because I had planned ahead.With the independent and dependent variable I had to read the book a couple of times until I fully understood the terms and then I ended up asking the instructor for help.
Some of the ways that my perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course is that learning is an ongoing process and that every class you teach is different. For example, if you have a child who is deaf it would be good if you could learn a few easy signs and teach them to the rest of the class so they can communicate. I have also learned that there is a lot of research involved in early childhood education and that studies are always being conducted. I have also learned that it is very important to put the children first and to make sure that you get down to their level when talking to them.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Research Around the World
The web site I have chosen is the European Early Childhood Education Research Association. The site is a non-profit organization that focuses on multi-disciplinary research about childhood education in regards to policy and practice.
Some of the current International research topics are: "Teaching to Learn and Learning to Teach, Research With Children: Three Challenges for Participatory Research in Early Childhood, and Constructing Stories in Kindergarten: Children's Knowledge of Genre.
The instights that I have gained from exploring this website is that there are several articles that focus on early childhood education and the importance of education. It is great to see that other countries focus on the importance of early childhood education and realize that young children need to have a solid education. One article that interested me was "Constructing Stories in Kindergarten: Children's Knowledge of Genre". The thing that I had found interesting is that children tell stories based on their personal experiences and also from fairy tales that they have heard.
Noteworthy information that I found on this site is there are several articles that have some great information. The only thing is that there are abstracts on some of the research topics not all of them. I wish that there were abstracts on all the articles because it would be easier to decide if I want to buy the article.
Source:
European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA). http://www.eecera.org/
copy righted 2010. Date Viewed: June 3, 2011
Some of the current International research topics are: "Teaching to Learn and Learning to Teach, Research With Children: Three Challenges for Participatory Research in Early Childhood, and Constructing Stories in Kindergarten: Children's Knowledge of Genre.
The instights that I have gained from exploring this website is that there are several articles that focus on early childhood education and the importance of education. It is great to see that other countries focus on the importance of early childhood education and realize that young children need to have a solid education. One article that interested me was "Constructing Stories in Kindergarten: Children's Knowledge of Genre". The thing that I had found interesting is that children tell stories based on their personal experiences and also from fairy tales that they have heard.
Noteworthy information that I found on this site is there are several articles that have some great information. The only thing is that there are abstracts on some of the research topics not all of them. I wish that there were abstracts on all the articles because it would be easier to decide if I want to buy the article.
Source:
European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA). http://www.eecera.org/
copy righted 2010. Date Viewed: June 3, 2011
Friday, May 20, 2011
Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories
If I can choose any topic related to early childhood education I would have to select the importance of mainstreaming children who have a disability with those who do not. I feel it is important that young children realize that everybody is different and that it is acceptable to be different. I feel that if a child shows that they are smart in a certain subject and can sit still in a classroom the student should be able to be in the regular education courses. I feel that a study in this particular field would really benefit teachers, children and parents because many times children who have disabilities are in special education courses and are never mainstreamed into the regular education courses. This is a special topic to me because my brother was in special education from kindergarten all the way up to his freshman year in high school. I remember when my brother was in the sixth grade he did not receive a progress report because the teachr never graded his assgnments because my brother was more advanced than his classmates and the teacher was afraid that my brother's level of intelligence would upset the rest of the class. My brother has ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) which affects his attention span, but not his academic ability. When my brother had been a sophomore in high school he had decided to take all regular education courses and had done really well in school. I feel that if he had been forced to stay in special education coures he might not have been as successful.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Your Personal Research Journey
The topic I have chosen to do my research paper on is Aspergr's Syndrome. I am focusing on
successful strategies for working with children with Asperger’s. I had done a little research on this topic when I was an undergrauate and I also had a friend whose family was going through a horrible time. My friend's brother had originally been diagnosed with Autism and for many years he was being treated for Autism. My friend had borrowed my text book which talked about Autism and Asperger's Syndrome and after doing some reading she had realzied that there was a possibility that her brother had been misdiagnosed. My friend and I spent time looking up on the Internet and realized that Asperger and Autism have some similar characteristics, but many differences as well. Th topic is very interesting and I would love to explore this topic more to see if there is any way a person with Asperger's can be successful in school and in life.
If anyone has any suggestions on articles I can read and look at I would really appreciate it.
successful strategies for working with children with Asperger’s. I had done a little research on this topic when I was an undergrauate and I also had a friend whose family was going through a horrible time. My friend's brother had originally been diagnosed with Autism and for many years he was being treated for Autism. My friend had borrowed my text book which talked about Autism and Asperger's Syndrome and after doing some reading she had realzied that there was a possibility that her brother had been misdiagnosed. My friend and I spent time looking up on the Internet and realized that Asperger and Autism have some similar characteristics, but many differences as well. Th topic is very interesting and I would love to explore this topic more to see if there is any way a person with Asperger's can be successful in school and in life.
If anyone has any suggestions on articles I can read and look at I would really appreciate it.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Thank You Letter
Dear Class,
Thank you for all your posts this semester and for your support. I have learned a lot from you ladies and I am hoping that you have learned from me. I wish you all the best of luck and hope that we all work hard to make these politicians realize how important early childhood education is and that we all love our jobs which is why we teach.
Thank you for all your posts this semester and for your support. I have learned a lot from you ladies and I am hoping that you have learned from me. I wish you all the best of luck and hope that we all work hard to make these politicians realize how important early childhood education is and that we all love our jobs which is why we teach.
Final Blog Assignment
Throughout the course of the semester we have learned a lot about the importance of education and how other countries deal with early childhood education. It saddens me that the politicians in the United States talk about the importance of education, but yet they always seem to decrease the amount of money that is given to education. In this course we were lucky to be able to learn about early childhood education in other nations and how many nations view early childhood education as being extremely important. The three consequences of learning about the international early childhood field for my professional and personal development. The three consequences I have learned is:
(1.) There are many people who believe in the importance of early childhood education and are willing to do anything to help young children receive the best education possible.
(2.) Many other nations are the same as us in the sense that funding is scarce and many schools work with world organizations to get funding in order to improve education. Many countries work with the charities and churches to get money. Education is important and these young children need to learn the basics for success.
(3.) Many other nations are ahead in education and in most professions which results in the United States being behind. I feel that we can learn a lot from other nations and build a strong education system that will help us produce well-educated people. According to an article Cindy Allen called "Statistics: Other Nations Passing Us By, Early Childhood Education the Key" "He also commended Enid’s Smart Start program through Community Development Support Association, and he pointed out Oklahoma has a strong ranking in early childhood education. He complimented the partnership between The Methodist Commons home and Enid Public Schools in working together to add 4-year-old programs at the facility. The program includes residents of the home helping with the program and providing interaction with the young students" (Allen, 2010).
I feel that one goal for the field related to international awareness of issues and trends and the spirit of colleigial relations is that we all believe in the importance of early childhood education and that education is important to a young child. The more education a young child receives the better prepared they will be for the world. All nations seem to have problems with funding education and we all need to work together in order to increase the level of learning and set high standards.
Source: Allen, Cindy. (2010). "Statistics: Other Nations Passing Us By, Early Childhood Education the Key". Enid News. retrieved from: http://www.enidnews.com/
(1.) There are many people who believe in the importance of early childhood education and are willing to do anything to help young children receive the best education possible.
(2.) Many other nations are the same as us in the sense that funding is scarce and many schools work with world organizations to get funding in order to improve education. Many countries work with the charities and churches to get money. Education is important and these young children need to learn the basics for success.
(3.) Many other nations are ahead in education and in most professions which results in the United States being behind. I feel that we can learn a lot from other nations and build a strong education system that will help us produce well-educated people. According to an article Cindy Allen called "Statistics: Other Nations Passing Us By, Early Childhood Education the Key" "He also commended Enid’s Smart Start program through Community Development Support Association, and he pointed out Oklahoma has a strong ranking in early childhood education. He complimented the partnership between The Methodist Commons home and Enid Public Schools in working together to add 4-year-old programs at the facility. The program includes residents of the home helping with the program and providing interaction with the young students" (Allen, 2010).
I feel that one goal for the field related to international awareness of issues and trends and the spirit of colleigial relations is that we all believe in the importance of early childhood education and that education is important to a young child. The more education a young child receives the better prepared they will be for the world. All nations seem to have problems with funding education and we all need to work together in order to increase the level of learning and set high standards.
Source: Allen, Cindy. (2010). "Statistics: Other Nations Passing Us By, Early Childhood Education the Key". Enid News. retrieved from: http://www.enidnews.com/
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