Progress 02/03/14 to 07/31/17
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience for this reporting period was early childhood professionals (early childhood faculty, early childhood community-based teachers and early childhood public and private school teachers). Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?A professional development training was conducted with early childhood teachers (N= 30)at the Texas A & M Health Science Institute. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results of the project have been disseminated through conference presentations (2), teacher training (1), and publications (2). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
1. The Teachers' Perception Survey was used to collect data regarding community-based classroom teachers' perceptions of health science education for preschool-age children. 2. A professional development training was conducted with early childhood teachers (N= 30)at the Texas A & M Health Science Institute. 3. Parent surveys indicated that young children ( 4-6 years of age) demonstrated more knowledge about selecting healthy foods.Approximately 75% of families stated that their child has shown more interest in what he or she is eating, and 84% stated that their child has shown more interest in being active and exercising. Most (80%) of the families also suggested that their child has started to eat more fruits and vegetables in order to be healthier.
Publications
- Type:
Book Chapters
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Javorsky, K. JH., Musser, M., & Parker, J. C. (2018). Striking a collaborative tone in teacher preparation programs to give voice to the rural realities in early childhood education. In I Jones & M. Lin (Eds.), Critical Issues in Early Childhood Education. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Parker, J. C. & Staton, L. (2017). Bridging the school to home partnership through health science education programming. Presented at the Division of Early Childhood Annual Conference, Portland, OR
- Type:
Other
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Parker, J. C., & Staton, L. E., (July, 2017). Wannabee Healthy? Introducing STEM through hands-on activities in the early childhood classroom. (preK-2). Texas A & M University Health Science Center- Teacher Science Institute. Kerrville, TX
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Parker, J. C., Staton, L. E. & Graham, G. (under review). An integrated curriculum for health science education in rural early childhood classrooms: Teachers perspectives and practices. The Rural Educator.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Brenner, D., Javorsky, K., Parker, J. C., & Musser, M. (2017-accepted). Conversations on rural early childhood teacher education: Considering education in and for diverse rural settings. National Association for the Education of Young Children. Atlanta, GA.
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Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/16
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience of this project for this year was early care and education professionals working in community-based or school programs. The audience consisted of Pre-K 3-4 teachers and kindergarten- 2nd grade teachers, in both public and private schools. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Teacher trainings were conducted to introduce the curriculum and instructional activities to 6 different school districts in the north east region of Mississippi. The training was conducted at each elementary school for the Pre-K 4, Kindergarten and Preschool Special Education teachers (n-43). Professional development trainings were also provided at the Southern Obesity Summit (n-35) and the Global Summit on Childhood in San Jose, Costa Rica.(n=40). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results of the Wanna Be Healthy curriculum child assessment and teacher evaluation have been disseminated through conference presentations (2), teacher training's (6), and Extension publications (2) What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?An additional NIH-SEPA grant has been submitted to extend the training opportunities and curriculum usage by a larger and more diverse population in MIssissippi. The researcher will also submit additional manuscripts for peer reviewedpublications and conferences.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Data collection continues using the Wanna Be Healthy Curriculum Teacher Survey. Teachers using the Wanna Be Healthy curriculum (n=83) completed the survey in 2015/16, indicating perceptions of integrated health science curriculum and use. Teacher trainings were conducted to introduce the curriculum and instructional activities to 6 different school districts in the north east region of Mississippi. The training was conducted at each elementary school for the Pre-K 4, Kindergarten and Preschool Special Education teachers (n-43). Preliminary data indicates stastically significant change scores for young children who particpated in the Wanna Be Healthy curriculum. Final data analysis will be conducted in Dec. 2016.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Parker, J. C. & Cross, G. (2016). Be a Leader: Modeling Healthy Lifestyles to Young Children. MSU CARES
Extension Publication
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Hanna, H., Cross, G.& Parker, J.C. (2016). Who Says Healthy Has to Be Expensive?. MSU CARES Extension Publication
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Parker, J. C., Cross, G., Davis, L., & Dickson, L.(March, 2016). Health Science Education for an Inclusive Early Childhood Classroom. Poster presented at the Global Summit on Childhood. San Jose, Costa Rica.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Parker, J. C. & Cross, G. (2015, November). An integrated health science curriculum for early childhood classrooms. Paper and poster presented at the Southern Obesity Summit. Jackson, MS.
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Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience of this project for this year was early care and education professionals working in community-based or school programs. The audience consisted of Pre-K 3-4 teachers and kindergarten- 2nd grade teachers, in both public and private schools. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Teacher trainings were conducted to introduce the curriculum and instructional activities to 10 different school districtsin the north east region of Mississippi. The training was conducted at each elementary school for the Pre-K 4, Kindergarten and Preschool Special Education teachers (n-83). A one day teacher training was conducted at theTexas A & M University Health Science Center- Teacher Science Institute. The Health Science Institutewas held inCyprus, TX. Pre-K, kindergarten, first and second grade teachers attended the training (n=38). How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results of the Wanna Be Healthy curriculum child assessmet and teacher evaluation have been disseminated through conference presentations (3), teacher trainings (11), publications (1), and Extension publications (3). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?An additional USDA grant has been submitted to extend the training opportunities and curriculum usage by a larger and more diverse population in the MIssissippi Delta. The researcher will also submit additional manuscripts for peer reviewed publications and conferences.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1: An evaluation tool was created to evaluate teacher usage and perceptions of the Wanna Be Healthy Curriculum. The evaluation measure captured qualitative and quantitative data regarding percentage of use, flexibility of curriculum and instructional materials, and child usage of materials. Goal 2: Teacher trainings were provided to 10 school districts in the northeast quadrant of Mississippi. Teachers (n= 83) were trained on the curriculum, how to meet the curriculum standards using the curriculum, use of the instructional materials, and child evaluation. A full day teacher training (n=38) was conducted at the Texas A & M University Health Sciences Center-Science Teacher Institute.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Parker, J. C., & Cross, G. (2015, February). Be smart, be active, be a leader: A health science curriculum and instructional materials for early childhood classrooms in Mississippi. Journal of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences, 60(1), 146-147.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Awaiting Publication
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Parker, J. C. & Cross, G. (2015). Juicy, Juicy, You! Helping children drink more water for good health. MSU CARES Extension Publication.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Awaiting Publication
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Parker, J. C. & Cross, G. (2015). Its a balancing act: Energy in and energy out. MSU CARES Extension Publication.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Cross, G., Long, L., Gallman, S., Loden, D., Parker, J., Burns, A., and Buffington, A. (2015, May). Partnerships to promote healthy lifestyles for children and communities. Poster presentation (by G. Cross) at the 2015 NIH SciED Conference in Washington, DC.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Staton, L. E., Parker, J. C., Mercer, A. (2015). Promoting healthy habits in the classroom. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Southern Early Childhood Association. New Orleans, LA
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Parker, J. C., & Staton, L. E., (July, 2015). Wannabee Healthy? Promoting Healthy Behaviors in
the Early Childhood Classroom (grades preK-2). Texas A & M University Health Science Center- Teacher Science Institute. Cyprus, TX
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Progress 02/03/14 to 09/30/14
Outputs
Target Audience: The target audience for this project was early care and education professionals working in community-based or school-based Pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms. The target audience was reach through professional development training sessions at regional conferences and in-services at local early care and educational programs. Additionally, the target audience was reach through a Pre-K- K curriculum, WannaBe Healthy, that was developed as part of an NIH grant, Partnerships to Promote Healthy LIfestyles for Children and Families. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Professional development conference sessions were conducted at two conferences and two professional development inservices for early care and education teachers. Conference presentations: Cross, G., Parker, J., Hall, S., Loden, D., Gallman, S., and Long, L. (2014, May). Partnerships to promote healthy lifestyles for children and communities. Poster presented at the National Institutes of Health’s 2014 Sci Ed Conference. Bethesda, MD. Hock, G., Barrett, A., Parker, J., Elmore-Staton, L., Payne, E. (2014, February). Reflections on the integration of a school garden into the Pre-K curriculum. Poster accepted for presentation at the Southern AAAE Conference, Dallas, TX Teacher Inservice Training: Parker, J.C. and Staton, L. E. (2014). An Experiential learning garden: A collaborative approach to child well-being. Staff Development Training for the Child Development and Family Studies Center. Parker, J. C. (June, 2014). Experiences count: Early learning experiences that impact brain development and promote healthy development. Thread Alaska-Resource and Referral Summer Training Institute, Fairbanks, AK How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? A experiential learning garden manual was developed to assist teachers with including gardening and healthy curriculum activities in daily programming. This gardening manual was provided to inservice and conference participants and will be an Extension publication by the end of this year. The WannaBe Healthy: Be Smart, Be Active and Be a Leader curriculum is available on the Partnerships to Promote Healthy LIfestyles for Children and Families at http://partnershipsforhealthychildren.com/resources-2/ . Two journal articles were published in journals that impact this population: Staton, L., Parker, J., & Bean, G. (2014). Creating a nature inspired outdoor learning environment on a shoestring budget. Dimensions, 42(2). 30-35. Cross, G., Parker, J., Hall, S., Long, L., Gallman, S., Broughan, G., Walton, L., Loden, D., and Briley, C. (2014, May). Developing obesity prevention programs and resources targeting preschool and kindergarten children in Mississippi. Anthropology News, Society for Medical Anthropology. http://www.anthropology-news.org/ Regional Award: The experiential learning garden at the Child Development and Family Studies Center was awarded second place by the Southern Early Childhood Association’s Exemplary Outdoor Classroom Contest. The garden is noted as a model outdoor classroom for other professionals to visit. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Conference proposals will be submitted to continue training early care and education professionals. Inservice and pre-service presentations will be provided to professionals and students. The gardening manual will be published. Professional journal articles and Extension publications will be submitted.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1. Examine teacher's attitude toward exposure to and actual practice of experiential learning activities to enhance insturction in early care and education classrooms. A survey was conducted online to collect data that included teacher's attitudes regarding experiential learning activities as part of daily curriculum in Pre-K-K classrooms. A pre and post survey was conducted to measure change in perception and attitude regarding experiential learning and health initiatives. Goal 2. Develop an evidence-based professional development training program that addresses early childhood curriculum and is linked to Ms. Early Learning Standards in Math, Science and Literacy. A curriculum, WannaBe Healthy: Be Smart, Be Active, Be a Leader, was developed to promote experiential learning and healthy behaviors. This curriculum is evidence-based and linked to Mississippi Early Learning Standards and the National Science Foundation Benchmarks. Professional development inservices were provided to local early care and education professionals and attendees at state and regional conferences. Goal 3. Compare the impact an outdoor experiential garden has on the academic proficiency levels of preschool-aged children. Pre and post evaluation measures were conducted on pre-school children, in a pilot project for the Partnerships to Promote Healthy LIfesyles for Children and Families, to establish academic profeciency in math, science, and language arts.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Cross, G., Parker, J., Hall, S., Long, L., Gallman, S., Broughan, G., Walton, L., Loden, D., and
Briley, C. (2014, May). Developing obesity prevention programs and resources targeting preschool and kindergarten children in Mississippi. Anthropology News, Society for Medical Anthropology. http://www.anthropology-news.org/
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Staton, L., Parker, J., & Bean, G. (2014). Creating a nature inspired outdoor learning environment on a shoestring budget. Dimensions, 42(2). 30-35.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Cross, G., Parker, J., Hall, S., Loden, D., Gallman, S., and Long, L. (2014, May). Partnerships to promote healthy lifestyles for children and communities. Poster presented at the National Institutes of Healths 2014 Sci Ed Conference. Bethesda, MD.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Hock, G., Barrett, A., Parker, J., Elmore-Staton, L., Payne, E. (2014, February). Reflections on the integration of a school garden into the Pre-K curriculum. Poster accepted for presentation at the Southern AAAE Conference, Dallas, TX.
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