My Personal Research Journey

WOW WOW WOW!!!

I must have been really looking for a challenge!  Although I enjoy learning new things, research seems to be a bit confusing at times.  Research journals and simulations have been a bit confusing for me and it seems to take me a while to process things.  I know it is just because the "formal" processes of research have been really challenging but very interesting at the same time. 

The topic I have chosen to use for the research simulation is:  How does poverty affect a child’s development?  I chose this topic because although I have worked in Child Development for many years, I find it a challenge to only focus on the child and not the family as a whole.  The centers I have worked in have been set in impoverished neighborhoods.  There were times when the families I served have been either on the brink of being homeless or living in very impoverished conditions.  I am passionate about working with the community and partnering with agencies in the effort to stamp out poverty through the education of the parents and services provided in support of children.

The greatest challenge I have faced with research in the past has been the lack of  understanding when required to read documents such as articles, journals and studies conducted on a particular subject area.  Through this class I have learned how to read these documents and actually understand what I am reading.  I am very excited about that and I know this has really taken much of the challenge out of conducting research. 

I look forward to learning more information about research strategies as well as about the topic I have chosen.