RESEARCH AROUND THE WORLD

I researched the Early Development Virtual University (ECDVU) Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) topics. I read about the topic of "Assessment of Interaction and Stimulation in Single Mothers with Low Income Families". This study was used to create guidelines that will initiate a closer bond between parents and their children, identify and stimulate children living in single parent homes and to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the childcare givers in Malawi. Another topic was "Utilizing Indigenous Stories in the Promotion of Early Childhood Development Programs in Uganda". This project stressed the importance o storytelling in child development much like we in the United States stress reading storybooks to children even while in the womb. There were topics of encouragement for fathers to get involved with their children's care, model training programs in Ghana and assessing school readiness in Kenya. I was surprised by the fact that the topics were so similar to the norms of what we research here in the Unites States. I have never been to Africa but when I think of Africa I mainly think of rural areas with not much emphasis on education. Clearly this is not the case. Africa is thriving and trying to make childhood education a major issue. They are developing teacher training curriculums and initiating programs focused on supporting childcare programs for working families. Education is the key to making a better society. I am glad that Africa is moving in the right direction......................http://www.ecdvu.org/ssa/major_reports.php

RESEARCH THAT BENEFITS CHILDREN AND FAMILIES--UPLIFTING STORIES

Numerical rating scales (NRS) involve estimates of pain shown to children to describe their pain levels. These pain scales are used in children over the age of 8 years. At this age the children can verbalize and clearly and have the ability to think and decide. There are many of these pain scales. Many of the scales have not been researched thoroughly. As a pediatric nurse, I used these scales frequently and responses were usually valid. Here is an example of a pain scale:

.........Pain Research and Management. National Institute of Health. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC253905/

MY PERSONAL RESEARCH JOURNEY

I've decided to research the effects of death of a child's pets and/or loved one. I also want to research how I as a caregiver/educator can assist with teaching coping skills to children. So far I have learned that reputable websites most often end in edu, org, or gov. I will be very careful in choosing the sites I pick for my research information. I do not know anyone who has done this research before. I think it is an important topic because death strikes everyone regardless of age. Qualitative research will be done to show the meaning or significance of death and it's affect on children ages 5-13 years old. I will take a qualitative approach to learn how children understand and make sense of the topic. Do any of my colleagues have any insights or advice dealing with this subject? Mac Naughton, G., Rolfe, S.A., & Siraj-Blatchford, I. (2010). Doing early childhood research: International perspectives on theory and practice (2nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

FINAL BLOG ASSIGNMENT

The first consequence I learned was that education is our primary focus, while countries like Kenya have childhood education and other concerns for their children. In Kenya the educators have incorporated water purification and the children education together. The children live in houses without running water or toilets. The water was muddy. The children and teachers purified the water together. The children have acquired skills and improved their self esteem. We have hardships in America but our water supply is not damaged. Other countries have education as an obstacle along with other issues at times. In America at least we can concentrate on the education needed for our children......www.OMEP-USNC.org Another consequence I have learned is that children do have advocates like Hillary Clinton and Marion Wright Edelman. The sad part is that most of children's advocates are women and the government is made up of mostly men. Possibly children's advocates are not heard loudly or understood. Another consequence was that unfortunately as hard as I tried I couldn't get an ECE professional from another country to correspond with me. I was kind of disappointed at first because I was so hyped at the prospect of networking and learning new things about the International Child Resource Institute and its child abuse prevention curriculum. Educators become trained in child abuse detection, intervention and prevention all for the safety of the children....www.icrichild.org/Kenya. One goal for the early childhood field is to come together globally , discuss and make educated solutions on how to effectively educate our children, develop strategies and collaborate together continuously through seminars and workshops. Two heads are better than one and more than two is excellent!

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INTERNATIONAL CONTACTS PT 3

UNESCO's "Early Childhood Care and Education" website enlightened me on many issues. In 1993, nine highly populated countries Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria and Pakistan launched the E-9 Initiative. The countries are home to nearly half of all the world population under the age of 14. The initiative is aimed at achieving progress in basic education. The principals meet every two years to discuss the progress of the goals. Goals include improve access and equity in early childcare and education in these countries. UNESCO is the leading agency in education helping all oountries develop and reform education systems from early childhood to adulthood. Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) provides the holistic development of children from birth till 8 years old. Primary and Secondary education is geared towards building a foundation to ensure lifelong learning opportunities for all. Higher education for adults in is the key to developing societies that all learners acquire knowledge skills, attitudes and values to be used lifelong. UNESCO is also a supporter of gender equality. They promote the right to education for all. They advocate for girls education through the Global Partnership for Girls and Women's Education. They also promote gender equality in national education laws, policies and plans. Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/

SHARING WEB RESOURCES

The World Organization For Early Childhood Education's goal is to ensure that every child, no matter what background, race or location is entitled to a great education. It is a non-profit child advocacy organization. In 1948, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) have policies in place to guarantee that all children have the right to good health, well-being, and education so that they can develop their full potential. One committee the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), believes that if we give children all the tools they need to learn society as a whole will benefit. Leading economists agree that the best economic decision a country can make is to invest in the children. (ECEC) promotes equity for all children regardless of disabilities, location, rich, or poor. The World Organization For Early Childhood Education (OMEP) is made up of college professors, preschool teachers, parents policymakers, librarians doctors, nurses, advocates and activists. All are working toward the goal of equity globally in the early childhood education. (OMEP) is the oldest and largest international organization that focuses on early childhood education. www.omep-usnc.org

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INTERNATIONAL CONTACTS PT. 2

Unfortunately I still have not heard from any contacts. I went on the Developing Child website to learn more about global childhood systems around the globe. Innovation in Washington State began in 2011. It involves leaders, parents, and policymakers who get together and work on possible solutions to get the resources for a better education to the children who are in need. In Brazil there is the Executive Leadership Course which constitutes policymakers and managers who collaborate on the science of early childhood development. The course started in 2012. Policymakers include congressmen, civil leaders and city secretaries. They all work together for 3 months to develop science based action plans to strengthen early childhood policies. Un Buen Comienzo, which translates to A Good Start is an early childhood education project in Santiago, Chile. Its' Goal is to improve the language development of 4-6 year olds, parental involvement in education, improvement in school attendance and socioemotional development. There seems to be a movement globally to get children on equal learning fields, in attempt to leave no child behind. There appears to be many programs locally and globally. The question is: how many parents are really aware of these programs? I would never have learned about the many educational programs if I had not taken this course. As I learn, I pass on information to others that may need it. Reference http://developingchild.harvard.edu/initiatives/global_initiative/