Reflection on Learning

·      Why is your simulation important to the field of early childhood?

I believe that my simulation is important to the field of early childhood because it reiterates the fact that we should all focus on the well-being of the whole child vs. just teaching them their letters and numbers. We should, in partnership with their families, talk about discuss the importance of their healthy development physically, socially and emotionally. I truly believe that this research will be helpful in their development.

·      If you were to conduct your simulation proposal, who would benefit?

If I were to truly conduct my simulation proposal, it would benefit children.  They would be able to live a life free of medication (unnecessary chemicals in their bodies) and learn healthy ways to take care of themselves. 

·      What are some of the ways your perceptions of an early childhood professional been modified as a result of this course?

This course has helped me realize that early childhood professionals are extremely important when it comes to research pertaining to children.  We are already privy to information that we have gained throughout our years of undergraduate and graduate studies.  That education helps us implement those things we have learned. On top of that, learning how to conduct proper research will insure that we are looking for relevant information from proven studies to help them going forward. 

Research Around the World

This week, I reviewed the European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) website (http://wwweecera.org) and answered the following questions:

·       What are some of the current international research topics?  Some of the most recent research topics include information on professionalism, education policy, enhancing peer interactions through guided play, and gender differences in language.

·       What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website?  One of the insights that I gained from exploring this website is that other countries have the same issues/questions that we in the United States have.  We all want our children to develop well in all domains; there is a focus on how children interact with their peers; there is value and emphasis on family involvement; and there are ongoing debates about policies pertaining to the education and general care of children. 

·       What other noteworthy information did you find on this website?  As far as noteworthy information on this website, I really was not able to find much information immediately.  There were links to journals, but once I explored those links, I did not find the actual articles when clicking on the link provided on the websites, just summaries of the information within the articles, references and citations.

Providing the best care to all children seems to be a top priority in countries all around the world.  The questions and concerns that I have often about the development of children are not unique to the United States.  Hopefully, one day there will be a central website where all countries can share what works for them and what does not, and sound advice can be shared!