When I Think of Research...

This has been a journey for me. This weeks blog is requesting responses to five questions which has actually helped me to reflect and take a deep breath.
1. What insights have you gained about research from taking this course? I have learned from this course that there are many doors to research and that it is a very necessary tool for us as educators. We need research to help keep ourselves updated on the latest trends and issues of early childhood education.
2. In what ways have your ideas about the nature of doing research changed? Before these last eight weeks I did not realize nor recognize how extensive and time consuming but  yet important research is. My thoughts about research has changed because I now know the significance of it in regards to the field of early childhood education.
3. What lessons about planning, designing, and conducting research in early childhood did you learn? The lesson that I have learned during this course is that you cannot in no possible way just jump into research, it takes time and much effort. And as a pointer, it is essential that you have a time management plan.
4. What were some of the challenges you encountered—and in what ways did you meet them? Because I am a beginner to the research field, there were many challenges for me. The terminology and the diverse ways that research could be conducted was really conflicting and overwhelming. I decided to use other resources to help me determine what it was that I initially needed to do, which for me was really time consuming and very exhausting.
5. What are some of the ways your perceptions of an early childhood professional have been modified as a result of this course? The only modification I perceive as an early childhood education professional is that I will have to stay involved and in tune with what is happening in the field and, because research will be playing a role in my profession I believe that implementing a management plan for research would be a great idea.

To my fellow colleagues thanks for all of the support and inspiration I received during these eight weeks. My prayer for each of you is that you will always possess the spirit of EXCELLENCE in everything that you do and I hope that I will see you again as we continue our journey to being the best Early Childhood Professionals in these times.