Time Well Spent

I cannot believe I am posting my last blog!  It is a bit surreal to think I will have my Master’s Degree soon.  My time at Walden has been stressful at times, but overall, an amazing experience!  I have learned so much about myself and early childhood education.  I learned that my passion for educating young children is strong helped me keep moving forward through my studies.  I also learned that I am doing the right thing for the students in my classroom. My studies helped me realize that I know what is developmentally appropriate for young children and gave me more ideas to strengthen my teaching even further.  The most important thing I learned through my time at Walden is that I am capable of much more than I think I am.  I was balancing mommy, wife, teacher, and student duties, and somehow managed to get it all done.  

One long term goal I have for myself is to never stop learning and growing both in my personal life and my professional life.  To Dr. Teri and all of my colleagues, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your knowledge and support!  I could not have made it through without you.  Time to celebrate!!

Some of my favorite quotes from the resources this week:

“Every child is gifted. They just unwrap their packages at different times” –Anonymous (Laureate, 2011).   

“No one had yet fully realize the wealth of sympathy, kindness, and generosity hidden in the soul of a child.  The effort of every true education should be to unlock that treasure” - Emma Goldman (Laureate, 2011). 

“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge” – Albert Einstein (Laureate, 2011). 

                                                                        References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). Merging vision, passion, and practice

[Multimedia]. Retrieved from http://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/2dett4d/Walden/EDUC/6990/01/mm/ec_pres/index.html

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

I am grateful for the time and resources Walden has given me to explore organizations that benefit young children.  I especially enjoyed exploring the international resources this week.  These resources have inspired me to become an advocate for young children on an international level someday.  

The first organization I chose was Save the Children.  “Save the Children serves impoverished, marginalized and vulnerable children and families in more than 120 nations”(www.savethechildren.org).   It is a truly remarkable organization with young children in the forefront of everything they do.  I clicked on the link with the success stories and loved reading the positive things happening for children!  Save the Children has a job opening for a coordinator for the Early Steps to School Success program. “ Early Steps to School Success provides early childhood education services to pregnant women and children birth to five years of age, education services to their parents, and ongoing staff training to the community early childhood educators” (www.savethechildren.org).  This is a job I would love to have one day!!  Some of the job responsibilities would be to recruit pregnant families and children under five into the program, develop and schedule program activities, provide home visits to the families involved.  The job requirements include, an associate’s degree in early childhood, experience with home visits and leading parent groups, and experience working with families in rural areas (www.savethechildren.org).

The second organization I chose was The International Step by Step Association (ISSA).      “ISSA promotes equal access to quality education and care for all children, especially in the early years of their lives”(www.issa.nl).  They hold conferences all around the world that allow early childhood professionals to meet, have dialogue, and inspire each other towards equity and quality in early childhood education.  ISSA also published a variety of books and offer online classes pertaining to diversity, equity, and quality early childhood programs.  The International Step by Step Association has a job opening for an office coordinator, who coordinates many of the day to day happenings of the association.  Job requirements include a degree in a relevant field of study, office experience, and fluency in English and Dutch.  I am not remotely close to being fluent in Dutch, so I will need to work on that. ;)

The last organization I chose was UNICEF.  UNICEF is an amazing company working to ensure that children of the world do not have to live with poverty, disease, violence, or discrimination (www.unicef.org).  I loved reading about their child friendly school model (CFS). 

The CFS model compensates for any shortcomings in the home or community that might impede a child’s ability to enroll in school, attend regularly or succeed in studies. For example, when learning is hampered by a lack of food, a school feeding program can provide children the nutrition they need. In such circumstances it also serves as an incentive to stay in school, reinforcing its child-friendliness.  (www.unicef.org). 

My dream would be to travel around the world and see the child friendly schools in action and maybe even become a teacher in one of the schools.  I am sure I would need to learn some new languages and have become familiar with the child friendly school model before I could become a teacher in one of their schools. 

References

 Save the Children - www.savethechildren.org

International Step by Step Association - www.issa.nl

UNICEF - www.unicef.org

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

The first organization I chose was the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators.  The purpose of the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators is to “Advocate for improvements in early childhood teacher education and provide a forum for consideration of issues and concerns of interest to educators of early childhood teacher educators” (naecte.org). The association publishes the Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education which provides a place for early childhood educators to exchange ideas about best practices in early childhood education.  They have a job opening at Central Michigan University, (which I would love because all of my family lives in Michigan) for an assistant professor in early childhood development.  Qualifications for the job are as follows:

“Earned doctorate degree in child development, early childhood education, human development and family studies, or closely related discipline;

Competence in subject matter as evidenced by relevant course work;

Evidence of teaching effectiveness;

Affiliation with relevant professional organizations;

Evidence of potential for successful research and/or scholarly activities;

Evidence of effective communication and interpersonal skills”.

(http://www.naecte.org/docs/Fall%202012%20%289-27-12%29%20EC.pdf)

The second organization I chose was the HighScope Educational Research Foundation.  “HighScope Educational Research Foundation is an independent nonprofit research, development, training, and public outreach organization.  HighScope's mission is to lift lives through education” (highscope.org).  They truly allow children to be children and explore the world around them.   This is an organization I am fascinated with and would love to work for.  They have openings for an early childhood teachers in Milan, Italy. Job requirements would be experience and or training in HighScope, minimum two-year contract. 

The third organization I chose was The Division for Early Childhood .  “DEC promotes policies and advances evidence-based practices that support families and enhance the optimal development of young children who have or are at risk for developmental delays and disabilities” (dec-sped.org).  My school district is moving towards the inclusion model, and I have been having increasing numbers of children in my classroom with disabilities.  I also go through the Road To Intervention process with some of my students during the school year to help them qualify for special education services.  This organization will be a great resource for me throughout the school year.  They have an opening for a child development instructor in California.  The job requirements would be: flexibility to work in many different work environments, “a Master’s Degree in Child Development, Early Childhood Education, or Human Development, experience teaching grade K – 3, and experience in the management and administration of Child Development 

programs” (dec-sped.org).  

                        References

www.naecte.org

www.highscope.org

www.dec-sped.org

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

The first organization I chose was the National Head Start Association.  “The National Head Start Association is a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization committed to the belief that every child, regardless of circumstances at birth, has the ability to succeed in life” (nhsa.org).  I chose this organization because I work in an area with at risk children and families.  Many of the children who begin kindergarten in my room have never been to preschool because their families cannot afford to send them.  I usually have about five or six students per class who did attend preschool, and I notice a huge difference in their school readiness and social skills. They did not have any open positions advertised on their site, but, I would love to work for the organization and help families in at risk areas become aware of free or affordable preschool programs for their children.  

The second organization I chose was the National Association for the Education of Young Children (naeyc.org).  “NAEYC's mission is to serve and act on behalf of the needs, rights and well-being of all young children with primary focus on the provision of educational and developmental services and resources” (naeyc.org) This is an organization I discovered through my first class at Walden and I have found it to be an invaluable resource.  They have an entire section of their site and an upcoming conference dedicated to developmentally appropriate practices in early childhood education.  I have chosen the topic of developmentally appropriate practices in the kindergarten classroom for my capstone project and am excited to use this site to begin my research.  They have a position open for program coordinator to assist programs with the accreditation process.  This is a job I would ultimately love to have!  The skills necessary for this position are as follows:  “Knowledge of NAEYC’s early childhood program accreditation system, 1-2 years clerical/administrative experience, and experience handling a high volume calls are required.  Call center experience and an Associate’s degree preferred.  Experience in the field of early childhood education and a sound understanding of its practices is plus.  Excellent oral and written communication, MS Office and database skills are also required.  Must be able to meet deadlines, work independently and work as part of a team in a fast-paced environment” (naeyc.org).

The third organization I chose was Zero to Three – National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families.  Zero to Three “is a national, nonprofit organization that informs, trains, and supports professionals, policymakers, and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers” (zerotothree.org).  This is a site I also discovered through my studies at Walden and have found to be a wonderful resource.  I would like to serve on the board of directors for this organization and work to make positive change for young children and their families.  In order to serve on the board I would need to be well versed in research and early intervention programs relating to young children. 

References:

www.nhsa.org

www.naeyc.org

www.zerotothree.org

Reflecting on Learning

I have known since I was a little girl that I wanted to be a teacher.  The dream of having my own classroom is what kept me going through all of my general education courses in college.  I have such a passion for teaching for what is doing what is best for children.  “Anti-bias teachers are committed to the principle that every child deserves to develop to his or her fullest potential” (Derman Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p. 2).  I feel this should be true of all teachers, caregivers, and parents.  My hope for early childhood education is that the people who make the laws and distribute the money begin to value early education and make it a priority.  I hope to see every child have access to quality preschools that allow them to explore, learn, and grow socially.  I hope that the children in my classroom leave my room with a love of learning and have the confidence and curiosity to explore the world around them.  I hope the families of my students understand what a vital role they play in the education of their children and know that I value them and want them to be my partner in the education journey of their child.  

A big thank you to my colleagues, you have been a wonderful area of support and knowledge for me.  While I am sad that many of us are frustrated with the state of the education system right now, I am happy to know that I am not alone in my frustration.  I loved interacting with a group of people who share my same passion and drive for doing what is right for children.  The best of luck in your future endeavors.  I hope to keep following your blogs and continuing to learn from you.    

References:

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and             

ourselves. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children

(NAEYC).