Research- Uplifting Stories

                If I had the time to research any topic with unlimited resources, I would have a difficult time choosing the topic to research!  In the field of early childhood education, there are so many areas in which we need more knowledge or more up-to-date knowledge.  One of the sectors of early childhood is the sector of health, which seeks to provide for children’s health and well-being.  Although, I am not trained medically in any way I believe that I would like to look for a cure for childhood cancer like leukemia.  Cancer is such a horrible disease that in most cases there is no method of prevention.  Sadly, in most cases there is not a consistent cure and most treatments i.e. chemotherapy can be as dangerous as the disease itself.  According to the National Cancer Institute (n.d.) approximately 10, 400 children under the age of 15 will be diagnosed with cancer, of these approximately 1, 545 children will die from the disease.  I find this startling, horrible, and unimaginable!                  

                Although, organizations like the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital are working to find a cure and bring about better treatments for cancer they have not found a solution yet.  Although, I have never personally worked with children that have cancer I can only imagine how horrible it would be.  Cancer means a lot to me personally, because my mother died of cancer.  I saw its affects and the effects of the standard treatments for it and I know there has to be a better way.  If a “real cure” for cancer were to be found, I think it would have many meaningful, positive contributions for children, families, and society in general.  First, it would stop the disease so that children would not get sick and their families would not have to watch them get sick.  Second, families would not have to grieve the loss of their child (ren).    Society in general would be spared the future economic cost of these losses and would be assured that there was a way to defeat a major disease. 

                I realize that I probably will never be the one to cure cancer.  However, a cure does need to be found.  I believe that finding a cure would have a very positive affect on many lives.

References

The National Cancer Institute. (n.d.) Childhood cancers fact sheet.  Retrieved from                                                          http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Sites-Types/childhood

Research and Me?

I am interested in language development: how it works, why it works, what does it mean the whole kit-and-caboodle.  For my research simulation, I have decided to focus on the subtopic of how does language affect social development.  I have chosen this particular focus because this year I have a child with a speech delay.  “Bob” is beginning to be able to produce single words; however, he cannot combine sentences into words.  In the beginning of the year the other children in the class appeared to shun, “Bob” I believe due to his inability to verbally communicate with them.  I am interested in learning more about the extent that these two areas of development are intertwined.  I have learned that conducting literature reviews can help shape your focus and inform your hypothesis.  I have also learned that it is important to become familiar with the different paradigms available because they are the models so to speak, of how our beliefs line up.  As I begin developing this simulation, I am not sure what to do after the literature review.  How should I frame my hypothesis?  I would also like help with knowing what steps to take to begin collecting data, should I use qualitative or quantitative methods?