Saturday, December 24, 2011

Insights on Research

The biggest insight I gained in taking this course is that the world of education can be very scientific indeed.  Most people think that early childhood education is having snack time, and putting children down for naps.  Not so!  It can be technical, scientific, and make huge differences in the world of research.  That has been the biggest way my thinking has been modified from this course. 

The critical scientific thinking was the biggest challenge for me in this course.  It was a huge shift in thinking for me, and one I am not sure I successfully made.  This course will help me with behavioral analysis within my classroom in the future.  This course will help by enabling me to critically look at problems and to develop scientific ways to solve them through studies. 

I am excited to apply my new found knowledge to my classroom.  This course will continue to benefit me for years to come. 

Saturday, December 3, 2011

International Early Childhod Research

The site I examined was Early Childhood Australia website: http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/qias_qa_support/family_day_care_quality_assurance/family_day_care_quality_area_3_childrens_experiences_learning_and_development.html

It is very similar to the NAECY website, as it has many resources for professionals and for parents.  The resources include: the latest early childhood research, political lobbying, early childhood development standards, and professional standards. 

The Early Childhood Australia site had a standard that was interesting to me:

"Carers and coordination unit staff promote physical competence in all children"

I think that sometimes in the United States physical development is sacrificed for results in cognitive development.  Physical development should be an intricate part of the whole development of the child.  In many ways, the United States is similar to Australia's stance on early childhood education. This is one area where I feel Australia may be more progressive.