My Family Culture

A description of the three items you would choose. My Bible would be the very first thing I take, because God is first in my life. Although my family will be going I want my sister to stay with me, because she keeps me grounded and focus as well as being a positive force in my life. With our diverse family culture we can make it anywhere together. My two Chihuahuas are the love of my life and I definitely would take them, because I cannot even imagine starting a new life without them as part of the change. With these items I can do anything, anywhere because I am a survivor.     

How you would explain to others what each of these items means to you. First I would introduce them to my GOD through his word (the Bible)and explain that because of him is why I am in their country. I would tell them that my sister is with me because she is my right hand and without her by my side to keep me focus, I don’t think I could have made it. My Chihuahuas are part of my family and go wherever I go.   

Your feelings if, upon arrival, you were told that you could only keep one personal item and have to give up the other two items you brought with you. My feelings are that I would thank them, then take my personal items and leave.

Any insights you gained about yourself, your family culture, diversity, and/or cultural differences in general, as a result of this exercise, This exercise has taught me that family is EVERYTHING. Material things are more important at times like these. I learned about who I am and what I need to survive if this would happen to me. The most important thing is that  my culture is not material, it is something that is on a piece of paper. My Culture is something inside of me and it is what I have been taught since I was born. It follows me wherever I go.

When I Think of Research...

What insights have you gained about research from taking this course? I found this course very challenging. Research is not my Genre, however, the weekly charts made it easy to put my thoughts into perspective .A lot of topics we discussed became clear to me throughout this course, the main one being Equity, which we all face at some point as Early Childhood Educators. We are taught to treat all children and their families with fairness and justice regardless of their race, socioeconomic status etc.

In what ways have your ideas about the nature of doing research changed? I realized that my ideas of doing research changed because what I thought to be road blocks in my research skills ,were either confirmed or denied as I completed the charts.

What lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood did you learn? The lessons I learned is that when conducting research the most important factors to consider are the well being of  the children first and foremost and not to let no harm come to them.Also BOTH parents must give their consent prior to  ANY research that involves their child.

What were some of the challenges you encountered—and in what ways did you meet them? As I initially mentioned ,the course itself was challenging  and the way  I overcame this was by relying on my classmates and instructors feedback during discussions as well as utilizing the various resources that were available tome throughout the course.

What are some of the ways your perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course? I can honestly say that as an Early Childhood Educator ,I  am  always learning, as this is a field that brings about constant changes and research just happens to be one of those changes that I found challenging ,but rewarding as it has provided me with new insight to enhanced my research skills.

As we come to the end of this course, I would like to say Thank You to my classmates and especially to the instructor. Best of Luck to everyone as we continue on this educational journey. I hope I have the privilege of being in class with you again.      

Research Around the World

What are some of the current international research topics? For my research around the world I chose  the European Early Childhood Education Research Association. The  EECERA encourages the exploration of new paradigms, methodologies, concepts and applications in the ever-changing context of early childhood studies. Its reach and interest is resolutely international and, whilst wanting to identify with Europe’s pluralist and diverse cultures, it is open to learn of, and to share in, the equally rich early childhood traditions and concepts of the World.

What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website? I was surprise to learn that EECERA Annual Conference is the largest and most significant early years' research conference in Europe, regularly attracting more than 600 researcher delegates from all over the world. This website had quite a few surprising facts/insights and new ideas about early childhood however, I managed to select what I found to be the most interesting. The Journal of the Association (EECERJ) is the only European early childhood journal cited in the prestigious Social Science Citation Index (SSCI). The EECERJ, the Journal of EECERA, is one of the most prestigious early childhood journals in the world. It is one of only four early years journals indexed by the Institute for Scientific Information

What other noteworthy information did you find on this website? I would have say the only other noteworthy information I found was the many benefits and activities that EECERA members are entitled to. I also thought it was worth noting that their partners and link page is not long, it only contains one link (The Korea Institute of Child Care and Education) and the criteria to be a partner.EECERA only seeks like-minded organizations, institutions and research centers to offer mutual support and information sharing. I like the fact that EECERA does not automatically agree to reciprocal links arrangements, and that’s because the Board of Trustees wants to ensure that such links and partners have similar aims and values and has formulated the following criteria.

Reference

http://www.eecera.org/

 Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories

I would like to do a study on children understanding nutrition and obesity. There are so many positive things out there in life that can help children keep control of their bodies. If they eat right and exercise, they can avoid any future medical problems. Some positive contributions are: high self-esteem, many relationships with their peers, stronger healthy body that they can be proud of.

 Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories

I would like to do a study on children understanding nutrition and obesity. There are so many positive things out there in life that can help children keep control of their bodies. If they eat right and exercise, they can avoid any future medical problems. Some positive contributions are: high self-esteem, many relationships with their peers, stronger healthy body that they can be proud of.

 Research that Benefits Children and Families—Uplifting Stories

I would like to do a study on children understanding nutrition and obesity. There are so many positive things out there in life that can help children keep control of their bodies. If they eat right and exercise, they can avoid any future medical problems. Some positive contributions are: high self-esteem, many relationships with their peers, stronger healthy body that they can be proud of.