Week 5-Research Around the World

Langu

• What are some of the current international research topics?

I chose to research early childhood in Australia.  This site is equivalent to the NAEYC as it informs people of the issues and trends related to the children in Australia.  Upon surfing the site, I saw that their current research topics aren’t too far from the issues that we in the U.S. are researching.  They are reforming their educational system because they have discovered that education and childcare go hand and hand. According to their most recent article, “we now have research-based evidence that care and learning are fundamentally entwined and a much better understanding of the importance of qualifications for early childhood teachers and other staff.  Australia’s early childhood education and care sector is at the beginning of a vital reform process.”(www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org) Language is another issue that is being researched in Australia.  “Language is important – it shapes the way we understand things; old terms are discarded and new terms open new possibilities. For example a change as subtle as ‘disabled’ to ‘people living with disabilities’ opens up huge potential and empowers people to look at themselves – and others – differently.”(www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org)

• What surprising facts/insights/new ideas about early childhood did you gain from exploring this international early childhood website?

I have learned that other areas in the world are also standing up for the rights and their beliefs concerning early childhood issues.  I have also learned that many of the issues have been discovered through researched based experiments.  What I found most remarkable about the issues and researches is that although early childhood educators are all over the world, many of the same issues, concerns, and trends are found to hold true across the world.

• What other noteworthy information did you find on this website?

I found this website to include a ton of information related to the early childhood field.  The website had topics on inclusion, diversity, children’s rights, a Code of Ethics, journals, articles, and a magazine.  I think it is great to know that many topics can be found and addressed in some form here on their site. 

 Reference:

http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org-earlychildhoodnews-earlychildhoodewsarchives%20.april/, 2011

Rage is important – it shapes the way we understand

things; old terms are discarded and new terms open new

possibilities. For example a change as subtle as ‘disabled’ to

‘people living with disabilities’ opens up huge potential and

Language is important – it shapes the way we understand

things; old terms are discarded and new terms open new

possibilities. For example a change as subtle as ‘disabled’ to

‘people living with disabilities’ opens up huge potential and

empowers people to look at themselves – and others – differently.

empowers people to look at themselves – and others – differently.