When I think of Research....

• What insights have you gained about research from taking this course?
• In what ways have your ideas about the nature of doing research changed?
• What lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood did you learn?
• What were some of the challenges you encountered—and in what ways did you meet them?
• What are some of the ways your perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course?

The insights that I have gained about research from taking this course are that researches can be very complex and can also be very bias, as well as one sided depending on the researchers.
My ideas and ways have changed about the nature of doing research because I can can honestly say that I understand the time and effort of doing research and also the importance of doing research. I learned that you have to do intense planning, and make sure all of your assets are covered such as confidentiality, barriers, and parent understandings. This also goes for conducting and designing the research so that everything is legit and on the same level. One challenge that I encountered was a language barrier when I did my brief research on early childhood and poverty. I used a translator to get my information across that needed to be explained to families for further research instructions. Alot of early childhood professionals may not understand the different perceptions of research and this course is a good course for anyone to take in the early childhood field.

International topics

Some interesting facts are the ECDVU is committed to improving the quality of life for children and their families in Africa. The program seeks to accomplish this through working, on a sustained basis, with ECD leaders from across the continent. To meet the ECDVU’s child and social development objectives, it employs a number of approaches to post-secondary education that are ‘non-traditional’ in nature. These include: recognizing the strengths and expertise that exist locally and regionally; incorporating these ‘voices’ and experiences into the learning process; promoting sustainable, interactive networks that reach rural as well as urban populations; and using computer technology as a means for developing strong information and communication systems within Africa. (http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/about.php) So the research is basically based upon traditional and non traditional. These are some of the topics being researched    The Development of Integrated Early Childhood Development Urban Model Training Program for Informal Minders and Community Volunteers in Ghana, Building Community Leadership fo Quality Sustainablity in Madrasa Preschools Post Graduate Support, etc. There are many more but these caught my eye.(http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/documents/major_projects/Ahmed%20MP%20Final%20UVic%20LP.pdf) This website gives more information that has more research projects. Some other noteworthy information was
The Early Childhood Development Virtual University (ECDVU) works with nominees of participating countries to enhance the country's social and economic development through addressing the needs of their youngest citizens and the families and communities which nurture them.
The ECDVU grew out of a series of ECD training seminars (Summer Institutes) initiated by UNICEF in 1994/95. For more information click on the history of the ECDVU.
In 2000 the World Bank, utilizing Norwegian Educational Trust Funds, supported the development phase of the ECDVU. The World Bank was then joined by UNICEF, UNESCO, CIDA, the Bernard van Leer Foundation, and local employers of participants in supporting the delivery of the inaugural three year graduate degree program in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA-1) .(http://www.ecdvu.org/overview.php)

References:
http://www.ecdvu.org/overview.php

http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/documents/major_projects/Ahmed%20MP%20Final%20UVic%20LP.pdf

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

Defining the term at risk

The term at risk can mean alot of things in a negative way, but as I read the article briefly it also has a positive outcome with the word "at risk".

The positive side of this confusion is that program providers have some leeway in how they define “at risk” for

their programs. Despite this flexibility, it still is important to have a standard or a reference point for clear

communication between providers, funders

highlights some of the issues surrounding the concept. (http://www.childtrends.org/Files/DefiningAtRisk%5B1%5D.pdf)

Alternatively, some contend that one should not view children themselves as being at risk, but rather the

environments in which children develop. For example, it could be said that the family is at risk. Families are the most critical setting for the development of children, and family risk factors, such as poverty, single parenthood,and low parental education levels, regularly have been found to undermine children’s development.(http://www.childtrends.org/Files/DefiningAtRisk%5B1%5D.pdf)

A third approach would focus on the community, neighborhood, or school context as an at-risk environment. For example, a low-income community with a high crime rate and a low high school graduation rate might be viewed as a place that puts children and adolescents at risk of poor outcomes.

Surprisingly, rather than specifically indicating what children are at risk of, the phrase is often used vaguely to refer to poor life outcomes in general. When outcomes for children are mentioned, they tend to refer to very general, long-term deficits, such as school failure, death, economic dependency, or incarceration. However, particular outof- school-time programs in the community are likely to have more specific goals for “at-risk” children, such as improving grades in school, delaying sexual initiation, or developing conflict resolution skills. Moreover, any given program is likely to have just one or two specific targets; in other words, few programs are seeking to improve arts performance, sports competence, academic skills and test scores, and to encourage volunteering. Thus, in the field, different program providers are likely to have quite different outcomes in mind when they think a child is “at risk” of a poor outcome. Also, as discussed below, both general goals and specific target outcomes can be useful, but for different purposes.(http://www.childtrends.org/Files/DefiningAtRisk%5B1%5D.pdf)

This article basically focuses on positive ways to help at risk families, children, communities etc.

References:

http://www.childtrends.org/Files/DefiningAtRisk%5B1%5D.pdf)

Topic

I chose to do poverty levels in the early childhood Field. I am working currently and I work fora program by the name of Ealry Headstart. It is a program for families that are considered at poverty level, and can not afford childcare ages 6 weeks to 3 years of age. It is like Headstart, but it is not free and has a waived fee that parents pay who can not pay full price. It is a excellent program, and is an opportunity for parents to be able to work and go to school at ease and not stay at home and wonder how they are going to pay for there next meal. Some of the parents that are not working do get the care for free, but they have to be enrolling in school or they have to be trying to find a job. So this program has its perks. The website you can go to to get more information is www.durhamcountyehs.com or you can google  Durham early headstart  program to get more information. Th research chart is very helpful and helps us to see how to go step by step to see how to do the research and gives examples of how to site the journal or article. So if there are any resource that you might want to share with me feel free to do so.