About 6 years ago, I participated in a study conducted by a professional development framework and research collaborative group. They conducted the survey for the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, Kentucky Dept. of Education, and the Division of Early Childhood Development. The study was a part of the current statewide evaluation of the KIDS NOW Initiative, by conducting research and investigating the impact a statewide unified professional development system has on quality environments and child outcomes. The incentives for participating in this study were very rewarding. They gave my classroom over $75.00 in classroom materials.
In July this past year, I attended a CLASS reliability course in which I realized at that point I had participated in that study. I felt honored by that fact that my classroom had participated in the study because it meant that I had helped make early childhood education better. Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) is amazing evaluation tool that evaluates the teacher's interactions with the students in the classroom, just as ECERS evalutes the classroom. In early childhood education, we now have two effective tools to make our classrooms developmentally appropriate for our children.
After taking the CLASS reliability course and being able to go into other classrooms and rate their performance made me feel accomplished, I had actually done something to impact the early childhood field. However, I did not realize how long it takes research to affect in making an impact on any given subject.
http://www.teachstone.org/about-the-class/
http://ers.fpg.unc.edu/
It is very rewarding to know you took part of something that made a difference in the lives of children only if we had more organizations like that. I think about how earning books and collecting boxtops really makes a difference in children lives and it teaches them to I wonder if they often do research about things like that, just a thought thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteIt must really feel good to know that your effort made a difference. I have never had the opportunity to have such a change in something that will eventually help. Great post.
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