DAILY SUPPORTS

     My definition of support is to sustain someone while they are going through difficult times and help them to maintain their existence by helping to supply them with the necessities needed in life. Throughout my life, I have had the support of my husband, children, family, friends, church family, and professional family. 

     My husband supported me in every aspect of my life.  When I decided to go back to school to obtain my associate's degree, he encouraged me to follow through to accomplish my goals.  He support me by helping with the household chores and the children. He would help cook, help the children with homework, and help prepare the children for bed.  On the weekends, he would help me with household chores and iron all the children's school uniforms for the next week.  All of this was done while he held a full time job.  After I graduated, my husband encouraged me to go back to school to obtain my bachelor's degree, but I put it off and said that I would do it later.  After my husband pass away in 2007, I decided that I need to make some career changes in order to provide for myself and my children, but I was scared.  I could still hear my husband's voice encouraging me to go back to school.  My children also supported and encouraged me to continue my education.  I decided to enroll at Walden University in 2009. My children helped in anyway possible.  They did extra chores so that I could study.  They helped prepare meals.  They also helped me study.  In May 2013, I graduated from Walden University with a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education.  During my husband illness and after he passed away, I had a lot of support from my family(parents, sister, brothers, and aunt), friends, church family, and professional family (co-workers). They cooked meals for my children and I.  They helped with household chores. Some of them would just talk to us and encourage us. Many of them prayed for us.  They were concerned with our overall well being and helped in anyway to make sure that we were okay. I don't know what we would have done or how we would have made it, if we did not have the support of the many people in our lives.

     The challenge that I chose is taking care of my mother after a leg amputation.  This is a very big responsibility.  In order to accomplish this task, I need support from a lot of people.  The support of my siblings is needed for the immediate care of my mother.  The immediate care consist of feeding, bathing, and clothing my mother.  The doctor's recommend that she is not left alone at any time, so I need the support of family and friends to help.  Everyone schedules a time to sit with my mother. I also get support from her doctors and nurses.  They train me on how to take care of her wound and how to administer the medicine. If I would not have gotten the support that I received from everyone, my mother would have been put in a nursing facility.  Thank God for support systems.  Support systems work.

Relationship Reflection

Nay(daughter)-ME-Calvin(son)

      Throughout our life, we will experience many relationships.  Some of these relationships will be good and some will not.  We will have to make some hard decisions, whether to hold on to the relationship or let it go. Letting go is hard especially if you have put a lot of time and effort into the relationship.

     I have several relationships in my life.  I love all the people that are connected to me through these relationships. The first relationship and partnership that I shared was my marriage to my late husband.  We shared a wonderful marriage for 26 years. We loved, respected, and cared for each other deeply. When my husband passed, my life changed forever.  He was my partner and I did not know how I would cope with the lost.  By the grace of God, through prayers, and counseling, I have done a lot of healing.  I still have days when I am very sad and I want him back here with me, but I know and understand that is not possible.  The next relationship is the relationship between my children and I.  I love my children very much.  We have a very close relationship that grew even stronger when their dad passed away.  We do a lot of  family things together.  We share our thoughts and ideas with each other and support each other in whatever decision we make.  We laugh and cry together.  The next relationship that I share is with my grandchildren.  I adore and love them very much.  Whenever I am having a sad or depressing day, I can surround myself with my grandchildren and it's amazing the joy and happiness that they can bring into your life.  I also share a relationship with my co-workers.  Because our office is small, we have built a working relationship that has turned into a family relationship.  My church family and I also share a relationship.  My church family was there with me every step of the way when my husband passed.  They helped me and my children to seek counseling.  My parents and siblings also share a special relationship with me.  The most important relationship is the relationship that I have with God.  He has always been there for me and has never let me down.  When I thought that I would lose my mind after my husband passed, God stepped in and saved me.

When I Think of Research

     When I saw the word "research," I was very nervous about this course because I know that research involves a lot of intense and in depth work.  After starting week one, I realized that doing research can be complicated, but also rewarding.  This course taught me that when researching a study certain steps should be followed because researching is a process.  Important steps to follow when conducting research are:

• select a topic
• search & review the literature
• formulate a specific research issue/question
• design the research
• collect data/information
• process/analyse data
• draw conclusions
• write research reports

If the research topic is too broad, the topic can be divided into sub-topics.  It is important to always use quality information when conducting research.

     The main idea about research that has changed for me is my fear of conducting research.  I have learned that there are challenges, curiosity, and downfalls involved when doing research, but it the research process is followed, the research journey can be successful and exciting.  I have also learned that not all research is good.  It is important to use several methods to collect data..  "Quality research is always ethical, purposeful, well designed, transparent, contextualised, credible, careful, imaginative, and equitable (Mac Naughton, Rolfe, Siraj-Blatchord, 2010)."

     The planning, designing, and conducting phase of research is very important.  Time should be spent designing what it is you will do and planning how to carry it out.  Planning is necessary because it provides structure and certainty.  The research question is answered by research design.

     My perceptions of an early childhood professional have modified as a result of this course because I realize that early childhood professionals are great researchers.  Early childhood professionals are constantly conducting observations, assessments, and evaluations on children and their families.  This information is used to determine what is best regarding the child's education, development and learning.

     The knowledge that I gained regarding the research process will help me while continuing my education and in my professional career.  I would like to thank everyone for the support and feedback given to me in this class.  I wish everyone the best of luck in your professional careers.

Research Around the World

Some current international research topics are:

1.  Supporting Best Practices

2.  The Importance of Touch

3.  Becoming culturally competent

4.  The Well Being & Development of Young Children

Facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood that I gained from exploring this international early childhood website are:

1.  Everyone involved is an advocate for children.  They are committed to the rights of the children.

2.  No matter what international country you study, the well being of the child is most important and well            supported.

3.  Investments in early childhood education increases every year in Australia.

The organization Early Childhood Australia (ECA) has a strategic plan that ensures every child will thrive and learn.  They also assure that early childhood education and care is of top quality.

Research that Benefits Children and Families---Uplifting Stories

     A positive example of the effects o research on children and/or families is family involvement in early

childhood education.  "Early childhood education programs encourage and validate family participation in

decision making related to their children's education (www.naeyc.org)."  Family involvement promotes 

children's cognitive and social development.  Educators must develop positive partnerships with children

and their families.  This can be done my having positive communication between the school and family.

It is important that the classroom is a welcoming environment to attract parents.  Class activities can be

extended from the school to the home environment.  Parents can be involved by volunteering at the school.

Educators can also make home visits that are in an informal setting.  These visits also allow the educator an

opportunity to get to know the child better.

     Family involvement is important to a child's learning and development because:

     1.  It supports school readiness.

     2.  It promotes academic success.

     3.  It promotes growth and development.

     4.  It improves communication with parents and increases understanding of the child.

Halgunseth, L. C. & Peterson, A. Family Engagement, Diverse Families, and Early Childhood Education

     Programs:  An Integrated Review of the Literature. Retrieved March 22, 2014. www.naeyc.org.

Poverty in Early Childhood Education

     Children living in poverty are at high risk for academic underachievement.  Poverty has a negative effect 

on school readiness.  Parents must invest in resources that will help their children learn, grow, and develop. 

Head start is one resource that can be used to help children and families that live in poverty.  The purpose of 

the Head start program is to make sure that children are ready to enter school on an equal level with children that are not living in poverty.  Some children are born into poverty and some children fall into poverty because of different circumstances such as lost of a job, sickness, or death.  Children that are born into poverty are better able to handle the situation than children that fall into poverty later in life.

     It is important that educators evaluate, assess, and observe all children to determine who may be at risk.  Poverty is a major risk factor.  Educators should connect with children, families, and the community.  Getting parents involved with their child's education will show the child that their parents care and the learning process will continue at home.  The most important job of an educator is to strengthen and support children and their families.  There are programs that can help children and families in poverty.  Educators can expose these programs to children and their families.  These programs can help change and build their lives.

Sharing Web Resources

By: Violet Watson

 

The organization I chose to research was the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). While reading through various emails on www.naeyc.org, the topic I chose to read more abut was “Effective Teaching in the Kindergarten Year”. This newsletter explained the importance of Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP). DAP is important to the early childhood education because this is the manual, the philosophy and the way of teaching for early childhood educators. The Kindergarten year is one of the most important years of early childhood education. This is the year that the children learn most of the beginning skills they’ll use in later years. This newsletter explained the importance of connecting common core state standards and DAP in the Kindergarten year. Connecting the two as one strategy will help teachers out a lot.