Time Well Spent

 

Although this has been a absolute WONDERFUL course and program, I have to admit I am truly exhausted! I have always taken my courses very serious, and desired nothing but As. I would constantly work on something, then go back and totally redo it! So, I am somewhat frazzled but oh so thankful I continued my education! One day (NOT ANYTIME SOON!) I will consider going back for my Doctorate!

Throughout this Capstone course, I have learned so many wonderful things! First, I need to add to my Ideal Community of Practice. This group of people work collaboratively and I love having other's input and suggestions. Second, I have learned how passionate I am concerning my challenge and will not give up on getting that goal achieved. I want all children in wheelchairs to feel embraced in ECE programs, and I will continue working towards that!! Third, I have been reminded just how wonderful constructive criticism truly is! Just because I think something is ideal, does not mean others are going to think that. I appreciated the comments, suggestions, and ideas from everyone in my course as well as Dr. Davis. It has allowed me to be more open to suggestions and a much better writer!

My long term goal is to ensure all children in wheelchairs are embraced within ECE programs. I will continue to work towards this goal as Early Childhood Education is crucial to a child's development! I will not give up on this!

I would like to thank each of you for your kind words, suggestions, ideas, and praises! It has been wonderful working with each of you! I hope you achieve your goals and follow your dreams! CONGRATULATIONS! YOU DID IT!!

Dr. Davis, I must say, at first I was VERY SCARED of this course. However, upon seeing the grades I made, the wonderful comments you always gave, as well as the praise you gave, I knew I had no reason to be scared. You are quite the inspiration! Thank you for demanding nothing but the very best! God's blessings to you!!

Susan

 

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

Since attending my program here at Walden, I have found a plethora of organizations that will assist me in the future. However, those organizations have been instrumental in assisting me with my classroom now. I am so very thankful I have found these organizations! I will use them as long as I am in the field of education!

I have found some very useful international organizations I want to be affiliated with. The Division of Early Childhood, [DEC], is one I am very interested in. DEC is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or the gifted. This organization works with children with special needs, ages birth through eight years of age. Their mission is “The Division for Early Childhood 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” (The Division of Early Childhood, 2013). This is especially interesting to me because of my current challenge. I want all preschool children with disabilities to feel welcomed and embraced within their classrooms. This organization is a vital tool to ensure this is accomplished. Within this organization, there is a special section for professionals in the field of education; there are tools and webinars that will assist educators. I would encourage any and all educators to look at this website and become a member.

Unfortunately, there are no jobs that I found within the actual organization. There are jobs that are outside of the organization, but none that I would be interested in.

Next, I chose the Association for Childhood Education International, [ACEI] as another international organization I want to be affiliated with. Their mission is “to promote and support the optimal education, development, and well-being of children worldwide and to influence the professional growth of educators and the efforts of others who are committed to the needs of children in a changing society” (Association for Childhood Education International, 2011). Their vision is equally important, “Every child in every nation will have access to a quality education. This education will prepare children to become responsible and engaged citizens and ready them for life in a changing world” (Association for Childhood Education International, 2011). There is an enormous amount of information within this organization’s website; too many to even attempt to list here. However, again, I would encourage all educators to look into this organization. It is a very useful tool to aid in educating children, especially those with special needs.

Within this organization, I did not find any current employment opportunities. However, I did find internships that were available this summer that just past. It would have been quite an opportunity. Had I been able to, I would have very much inquired about this. Below is the description.

“ACEI has two internships available for the summer of 2013. Interns are given the opportunity to gain work experience consisting primarily of online research and data gathering that will contribute to the development of briefing papers and other types of resources. In addition to their day-to-day assignments, interns will have the opportunity to attend various meetings related to childhood education.

Interns should be enrolled in a graduate degree program that focuses on global education issues with a particular interest in children's education. A focus on one specific aspect of childhood education, such as basic education or early childhood development, is also acceptable. Interns, who have had some international experience working or living outside the U.S., are preferred.

Internships typically range from 8 -12 weeks. All interns must reside in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area during their assignment and are responsible for arranging their own housing and transportation. Interns are based at the ACEI Headquarters located at 1101 16th Street NW, Washington DC, 20036, a few blocks north of the White House.

ACEI offers a monthly stipend” (Association for Childhood Education, 2013).

The next international organization I chose was Save the Children. “We work to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives. Across all of our work, we pursue several core values: accountability, ambition, collaboration, creativity and integrity” (Save the Children, 2013). Within this organization, they are advocates for health, education, child protection, and child right’s governance. They encompass everything and anything for the child. What a valuable organization to be a part of. “We work together, with our partners, to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives. We have over two million supporters worldwide and raised 1.6 billion dollars last year to reach more children than ever before, through programmes in health, nutrition, education, protection and child rights, also in times of humanitarian crises. Following a major transition, our international programmes are now delivered through a merged operation with c14,000 staff, managed through seven regional hubs and reporting to a relatively small, central office. We're changing to become more efficient, more aligned, a better partner, a stronger advocate, a magnet for world-class people and relevant for the 21st century” (Save the Children, 2013).

Within this organization, there is a job opening I would love to take. Unfortunately, it would require me to locate internationally. I am unable to leave my husband and daughter at this current time, but I would so love to be a part of this team! Below is the listing as well as qualifications. (I also would not be considered because I am unable to speak their native language).

Contract length:

12 months

The role:

The Education Programme Manager will be responsible for the realization of the Emergency Education programme in the field. Responsibilities include participation in technical assessments, collection of education data, implementation, monitoring, documentation and reporting of the project, as well as supervision of the education team in two locations, contributing to overall Education program, its appropriateness and quality. As the emergency Education intervention is integrated within a multi-sectoral response along with NFI, Food Security, Shelter, Health and Nutrition and Child Protection, the Education Programme Manager will link closely with other respective sectors to ensure maximum possible integration of the project activities.

Required qualifications and experience:

• Degree in related field
• Previous 3 years of working with an NGO in emergency education
• Experience of staff training and capacity building of organisational staff and partner staff (MoE)
• Flexible, adaptable, ability to improvise
• Results orientated
• Familiarity with SPHERE standards guidelines and other humanitarian standards
• Ideally fluency in written and spoken Arabic
• Strength in interpersonal communication and presentation skills

We need to keep children safe so our selection process reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

A second job opening within this organization is quite interesting to me, as well. It is for Senior Education Specialist. Sadly, I could not accept this job because of having to relocate internationally and not being fluent in Thailand’s language. However, I can certainly dream!

Contract length: 3 years

The role:

Provide high quality technical support and advice to Save the Children's education programming in Thailand, with a particular focus on our ACCESS (Assisting Conflict-affected Children Enrol and Stay in School) programme.

Required qualifications and experience:

Essential

• Demonstrated knowledge and experience of education programme design, implementation and evaluation
• Experience of undertaking, commissioning and managing applied education research
• Experience of education sector policy development and influencing
• Experience of senior level representation
• Experience of working with implementing partners in a consortium and of building coalitions to affect change
• Experience of developing and negotiating successful partnerships with institutional donors
• Ability to write clear and well-argued research and policy reports
• Excellent communication skills with a high level of written and spoken English
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy
• Postgraduate qualifications in a related field

Desirable

• Technical experience in programs that focus on improving access to education, particularly community outreach, enrolment and retention of primary school students
• Knowledge and/or experience of ethnic minority education
• Knowledge and/or experience of designing and implementing programmes that use mother tongue based multilingual education
• Experience developing and successfully implementing an advocacy plan
• Experience working in Thailand and/or Myanmar
• Master's Degree in a related field

We need to keep children safe so our selection process reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

References

The Division of Early Childhood.[DEC].  http://www.dec-sped.org/

Association for Childhood Education International, [ACEI].  http://acei.org/

Save the Children. http://www.savethechildren.net/

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

There are so many wonderful organizations out there for educators. I realized just how many when I started this program at Walden. I chose some specific ones that I will talk about here as well as include in my CoP.

First, I have always found the National Association for the Education of the Young Child, [NAEYC] to be one of the best organizations for educators and children. They focus on the overall health and well-being of children, their safety, and encourage positive interactions with families, as well as promoting parental involvement. Initially, I felt like I already held one of the best jobs; however, after looking through this site, I would enjoy being the Program Coordinator for NAEYC. Below are the qualifications for this position. I would very much enjoy helping programs with Accreditation, and ensuring they are meeting the standards of a high quality ECE program.

Program Coordinator

"NAEYC is seeking a Program Coordinator to support the work of our early childhood program Accreditation System.  The Program Coordinator is a customer service professional in the NAEYC Academy who supports the work of the accreditation system.  Duties include providing technical assistance on the accreditation process, policies and procedures to accreditation consumers, including program staff and the public.  The Coordinator is also responsible for working with NAEYC consumers throughout all aspects of the accreditation process and providing administrative assistance to the Accreditation team.    

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 Associates 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" (National Association for the Education of the Young Child).

Next, I also want to be affiliated with the Texas Association for the Education of the Young Child, [TAEYC]. One of the main reasons would be I am a Texas educator, and I can keep up with the Texas laws and requirements for ECE programs. Second, the TAEYC is "committed to promoting professional development and evidence-based best practices in early childhood education" (TAEYC, 2010). Unfortunately, there are no job opportunities available within this organization. However, if there was another Program Monitor/Coordinator within this organization, I would apply for it. I would like to ensure all programs are high quality within the state of Texas.

Another organization that I am most interested in is the Texas Education Agency, [TEA]. They provide educators with resources. "The mission of the Texas Education Agency is to provide leadership, guidance and resources to help schools meet the educational needs of all students" (Texas Education Agency, 2013). Currently, there are no positions available that would appeal to me within this organization. The majority of positions that are currently posted are geared more toward the technology field. It is State level, but also could be considered Federal. It is a great resource for any Texas Educator, but others can certainly use it that are educators out of state for comparisons.

If there were job openings within this agency, I would like to be on a panel that reviewed ECE programs, and put laws in place that enforce high quality prekindergarten. For example, class size; teacher to student ratio; and funding for preschool.

Next, I am interested in the National Education Association, [NEA]. "The National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest professional employee organization, is committed to advancing the cause of public education. NEA's 3 million members work at every level of education—from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the United States" (National Education Association, 2002). This association provides numerous resources for the educator. There is a wealth of publications within this site that would be great aids for all educators. They provide tools and ideas, as well as grants that may be available.

Within this organization, there is a listing for an Organizational Specialist. The summary of the position as well as job requirements are:

"Position Summary:  The incumbent serves as a member of the Center for Organizing (C40) reporting to the Director of Organizing.  The incumbent will provide organizing advice and assistance to assigned local and state affiliates on a variety of areas, such as developing and executing strategic organizing plans, organization development, strategic planning, capacity building, team building, and education reform.  The work includes partnering with other NEA Centers to organize around state and federal policy issues and develop strategies to assist affiliates in achieving NEA’s strategic goals. The incumbent will model and provide hands-on coaching and training to organizing projects and campaigns, with the intent of developing skills and capacity among field staff, UniServ staff, local leaders, worksite leaders and activists for the purpose of increasing membership and organizing successfully in new markets. The incumbent will partner with state and local affiliates to recruit and train trainers in the basics of organizing, develop a variety of materials to support, present and report on progress in the targeted sites and promote mutually developed, effective strategies and programs to affiliates and NEA.  The incumbent will also coordinate with NEA and state communications staff to deliver strategic communications in targeted sites to grow and engage membership as well as aid the field teams in assessing and sharing their learnings with our stakeholders as a basis for developing and scaling effective membership organizing strategies in all affiliates. The employee uses effective interpersonal skills and an understanding of group/human dynamics to develop and promote organizing/capacity-building strategies. To carry out these responsibilities, the incumbent submits regular reports and uses a personal computer, associated software, and other office automation technology and travels extensively by various conveyances, including driving a car.

 Minimum Education Requirement:  Bachelor's degree or equivalent.  Minimum Qualifications: Experience as an employee on an Association staff or an advocacy organization with primary duties in one or more of the following areas: organizing, strategic planning, crisis management, collective bargaining, public relations, communications, and/or legislative/political action.  Other Requirements: Writing samples (training, facilitation, strategic planning, reports, etc.) may be required at time of interview.  Must be able to work weekends and late evenings.  Extensive travel (over 90 overnights per year) is required.  Must possess a valid driver’s license" (National Education Association, 2013).

Finally, I chose National Institute for Early Education Research, [NIEER]. This organization provides research to educators that will ensure their preschool programs are high quality. Their mission statement is: "The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) conducts and communicates research to support high-quality, effective early childhood education for all young children. Such education enhances their physical, cognitive, and social development, and subsequent success in school and later life.The Institute offers independent, research-based advice and technical assistance to policymakers, journalists, researchers, and educators" (NIEER, 2013).

Currently, NIEER has a job opportunity titled "Senior Communications and Policy Specialist." This would certainly be a position I would enjoy. The qualifications are:

"Requires a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Education Policy, Development or Psychology. Earned doctorate strongly preferred. A minimum  of three years of experience working with others to: plan, develop and implement research-based technical assistance to a variety of early education policy-makers and practitioners, including those at the national level; contribute to ongoing strategic planning, development, management, and implementation of  programs; engage in research and policy analysis. Experience should include conducting and disseminating education research, including  developing instruments, data collection and analysis, writing and presenting research-related reports. Requires advanced knowledge of current early education policy and practice including issues of finance, governance, and assessment, and ability to develop, deliver, coordinate, and evaluate high-level technical assistance informed by the latest research (requires an ability to discern research quality in these areas), that can demonstrably increase the ability of regional and national early education entities to enhance early learning outcomes, as required per Rutgers University agreement with the Department. Requires experience that demonstrates comprehensive knowledge, skill, and understanding of writing, formatting, proofreading, publishing, promotional advertising, organization coordination, and/or facilitation" (NIEER, 2013).

While I do not hold a PhD, I would enjoy this position because I would get to view policies and practices for early childhood education.

References

National Association for the Education of the Young Child. (2010). Retrieved from

            www.naeyc.org

National Education Association. (2002). Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/ 

 National Institute for Early Education Research, [NIEER]. (2013). Retrieved from

               http://nieer.org/

Texas Association for the Education of the Young Child. (2010). Retrieved from      

                 http://www.texasaeyc.org/.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

There are so many wonderful organizations out there for educators. I realized just how many when I started this program at Walden. I chose some specific ones, and will be adding two of those to my Community of Practice.


First, I have always found the National Association for the Education of the Young Child, [NAEYC] to be one of the best organizations for educators and children. They focus on the overall health and well-being of children, their safety, and encourage positive interactions with families, as well as promoting parental involvement. Initially, I felt like I already held one of the best jobs; however, after looking through this site, I would enjoy being the Program Coordinator for NAEYC. Below are the qualifications for this position. I would very much enjoy helping programs with Accreditation, and ensuring they are meeting the standards of a high quality ECE program.


Program Coordinator

"NAEYC is seeking a Program Coordinator to support the work of our early childhood program Accreditation System.  The Program Coordinator is a customer service professional in the NAEYC Academy who supports the work of the accreditation system.  Duties include providing technical assistance on the accreditation process, policies and procedures to accreditation consumers, including program staff and the public.  The Coordinator is also responsible for working with NAEYC consumers throughout all aspects of the accreditation process and providing administrative assistance to the Accreditation team.   

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 Associates 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" (National Association for the Education of the Young Child).


Next, I also want to be affiliated with the Texas Association for the Education of the Young Child, [TAEYC]. One of the main reasons would be I am a Texas educator, and I can keep up with the Texas laws and requirements for ECE programs. Second, the TAEYC is "committed to promoting professional development and evidence-based best practices in early childhood education" (TAEYC, 2010). Unfortunately, there are no job opportunities available within this organization. However, if there was another Program Monitor/Coordinator within this organization, I would apply for it. I would like to ensure all programs are high quality within the state of Texas.


Another organization that I am most interested in is the Texas Education Agency, [TEA]. They provide educators with resources. "The mission of the Texas Education Agency is to provide leadership, guidance and resources to help schools meet the educational needs of all students" (Texas Education Agency, 2013). Currently, there are no positions available that would appeal to me within this organization. The majority of positions that are currently posted are geared more toward the technology field. It is State level, but also could be considered Federal. It is a great resource for any Texas Educator, but others can certainly use it that are educators out of state for comparisons.

If there were job openings within this agency, I would like to be on a panel that reviewed ECE programs, and put laws in place that enforce high quality prekindergarten. For example, class size; teacher to student ratio; and funding for preschool.

Next, I am interested in the National Education Association, [NEA]. "The National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest professional employee organization, is committed to advancing the cause of public education. NEA's 3 million members work at every level of education—from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the United States" (National Education Association, 2002). This association provides numerous resources for the educator. There is a wealth of publications within this site that would be great aids for all educators. They provide tools and ideas, as well as grants that may be available.

Within this organization, there is a listing for an Organizational Specialist. The summary of the position as well as job requirements are:

"Position Summary:  The incumbent serves as a member of the Center for Organizing (C40) reporting to the Director of Organizing.  The incumbent will provide organizing advice and assistance to assigned local and state affiliates on a variety of areas, such as developing and executing strategic organizing plans, organization development, strategic planning, capacity building, team building, and education reform.  The work includes partnering with other NEA Centers to organize around state and federal policy issues and develop strategies to assist affiliates in achieving NEA’s strategic goals. The incumbent will model and provide hands-on coaching and training to organizing projects and campaigns, with the intent of developing skills and capacity among field staff, UniServ staff, local leaders, worksite leaders and activists for the purpose of increasing membership and organizing successfully in new markets. The incumbent will partner with state and local affiliates to recruit and train trainers in the basics of organizing, develop a variety of materials to support, present and report on progress in the targeted sites and promote mutually developed, effective strategies and programs to affiliates and NEA.  The incumbent will also coordinate with NEA and state communications staff to deliver strategic communications in targeted sites to grow and engage membership as well as aid the field teams in assessing and sharing their learnings with our stakeholders as a basis for developing and scaling effective membership organizing strategies in all affiliates. The employee uses effective interpersonal skills and an understanding of group/human dynamics to develop and promote organizing/capacity-building strategies. To carry out these responsibilities, the incumbent submits regular reports and uses a personal computer, associated software, and other office automation technology and travels extensively by various conveyances, including driving a car.

 Minimum Education Requirement:  Bachelor's degree or equivalent.  Minimum Qualifications: Experience as an employee on an Association staff or an advocacy organization with primary duties in one or more of the following areas: organizing, strategic planning, crisis management, collective bargaining, public relations, communications, and/or legislative/political action.  Other Requirements: Writing samples (training, facilitation, strategic planning, reports, etc.) may be required at time of interview.  Must be able to work weekends and late evenings.  Extensive travel (over 90 overnights per year) is required.  Must possess a valid driver’s license" (National Education Association, 2013).

Finally, I chose National Institute for Early Education Research, [NIEER]. This organization provides research to educators that will ensure their preschool programs are high quality. Their mission statement is: "The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) conducts and communicates research to support high-quality, effective early childhood education for all young children. Such education enhances their physical, cognitive, and social development, and subsequent success in school and later life.The Institute offers independent, research-based advice and technical assistance to policymakers, journalists, researchers, and educators" (NIEER, 2013).

Currently, NIEER has a job opportunity titled "Senior Communications and Policy Specialist." This would certainly be a position I would enjoy. The qualifications are:

"Requires a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Education Policy, Development or Psychology. Earned doctorate strongly preferred. A minimum  of three years of experience working with others to: plan, develop and implement research-based technical assistance to a variety of early education policy-makers and practitioners, including those at the national level; contribute to ongoing strategic planning, development, management, and implementation of  programs; engage in research and policy analysis. Experience should include conducting and disseminating education research, including  developing instruments, data collection and analysis, writing and presenting research-related reports. Requires advanced knowledge of current early education policy and practice including issues of finance, governance, and assessment, and ability to develop, deliver, coordinate, and evaluate high-level technical assistance informed by the latest research (requires an ability to discern research quality in these areas), that can demonstrably increase the ability of regional and national early education entities to enhance early learning outcomes, as required per Rutgers University agreement with the Department. Requires experience that demonstrates comprehensive knowledge, skill, and understanding of writing, formatting, proofreading, publishing, promotional advertising, organization coordination, and/or facilitation" (NIEER, 2013).

While I do not hold a PhD, I would enjoy this position because I would get to view policies and practices for early childhood education.

References

National Education Association. (2002). Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/

National Association for the Education of the Young Child. (2010). Retrieved from

                 http://www.naeyc.org/

 

National Institute for Early Education Research, [NIEER]. (2013). Retrieved from

                 http://nieer.org/

Texas Association for the Education of the Young Child. (2010). Retrieved from      
                 http://www.texasaeyc.org/.

 

 

 

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

I pondered this assignment for several days because there are SO many organizations at the national level, but not as many at the local level (in my communities, that is). However, I found some truly great state level organizations that I very much want to be a part of.

First, I was very intrigued by taeyc - Texas Association for the Education of the Young Child. I believe early education is crucial, and this association wants to ensure young children has success in education. "The Texas Association for the Education of Young Children (Texas AEYC) seeks to improve early childhood education in Texas by supporting members to be effective early childhood advocates and by collaborating with other agencies to promote public policies that address the needs of young children and their families" (TAEYC, 2010). By collaboration and communicating, we can address those needs of all children and their families.

By exploring this website, I found a wealth of resources and publications that will assist me in becoming a better early childhood educator. I encourage you to go this website, as well. You will not be disappointed, even if you are not in the state of Texas. The website is http://www.texasaeyc.org/.

Second, I have always used the TEA, Texas Education Agency, website for everything. However, I have not thought of using it as part of my Community of Practice. TEA has so many resources available to educators, as well as a section for just Early Childhood Education. This website is a tool that assists teachers with guidance and leadership to become a better educator, but to also meet the needs of all students.

Next, I chose Texans Care for Children. I have never heard of this, but after doing my research, I am quite thankful I did find it. This organization is dedicated to improving the lives of children. "As the voice for Texas children, we speak for kids at the Capitol and across the state and mobilize others to make a difference. As the source on Texas children, we keep Texans informed about what's happening with kids and how the people of our state can help. As the network for Texans who care, we bring together coalitions around the issues that matter for children. Families and those who work with kids come together around solutions that lead to a bright Texas future" (Texans Care for Children, 2013). Because of dedicated individuals, children and families can be helped!

As for job opportunities, the Texas Education Agency currently has no openings; however, I am in the job I have always wanted to be in. I am an early childhood educator and I want nothing more than to continue teaching the preschool age. There are truly no other jobs that interest me within the education system. I feel as if I am at the ideal position now, and I would not want to change that.

References

Texas Association for the Education of the Young Child. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.texasaeyc.org/.

Texans Care for Children. (2013). Retrieved from http://texanscareforchildren.org/what-we-do.

My Wordle

Ok, I did my wordle but I can't seem to get it to open correctly! But, I am posting the link below!

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/7219658/Early_Childhood_Education

Reflecting on Learning

What a great class this has been! I have had my eyes opened to many new concepts and ideas. My professional hope is creating a classroom where every single child, regardless of their varying abilities may be, can feel safe, accepted, loved, and nurtured. I want each child to come to this classroom and feel as if they are accepted as a "whole" child. I also want each family member to know their child is being nurtured for their own individual self as well as being allowed to have pride and confidence in who they are. My hope is one day, years from now, each child I teach will remember the things I taught them about acceptance, love, and understanding of everyone. I hope each child will never display unfair treatment or show discrimination for any child.

I would like to thank each of you for your comments and kind words. I cannot believe we are so close to being done with this program. Not only will I be receiving a Master's Degree, but I will be taking information that will help me be a successful anti-bias educator. Thank you all!

God bless!!

Susan

Impacts on Early Emotional Development

After exploring UNICEF's website, I was inclined to go with West and Central Africa. Having classrooms that contain more than 80 children (within one classroom) does not constitute good, quality development. I also know the living conditions in this area are not always sanitary, and this concerns me as children need clean, safe, trusting environments.

In Sierra Leone, there are advocates that are promoting cleanliness and helping improve children's lives. I was saddened, however, when reading how this child gets up, fetches water, cleans, goes to classes, then fetches water for school, and back home to help with her mother. I feel as if her early development has been compromised because she has to take on an adult role. However, after thinking about this, I do believe it may hinder her development because she is not able to be around children for long periods at a time and develop social development, but, on the other hand, she is learning how to be responsible, proactive and respectful. This is an important developmental stage too. I am torn on this, because have mixed feelings about it.

In Congo, UNICEF is helping refugee children in school. They are making education a priority for refugee children but their school conditions are not up to date at all. Many children are sitting on the ground in huts. However, volunteer teachers are working to improve those conditions for children. By making education a priority, these children can begin to value education. However, because of the conditions of their environment, I feel they can not develop like other children we teach on a daily basis. This is truly heartbreaking because I feel we, as educators and parents, take education for granted. Not everyone has the same environments, teachers, or families that promote good, quality education.

This UNICEF website made me thankful for all children, but I was so saddened at the differences of all countries about education. As an educator, I want to do so much but I alone lack the ability to make things happen in other countries. It is so unfair that so many children all around the world cannot have what so many children in other countries have in education.

The Sexualization of Early Childhood

As I sat and thought about this topic, I became sad and a little overwhelmed with it. Children that are this young should not be thinking about sexualization; rather, they should enjoy being a child and playing. Sadly, children are viewing sexual images as well as sexual encounters way earlier than they should. They are viewing things on video games, watching older siblings, as well as seeing and hearing things from their parents. Instead of seeing others in "regular" clothes, children are viewing women as sexual objects that are dressed in very little clothing, excessive makeup and very thin. Sadly, even children in preschool want to be just like the women they see on television and video games. This is not healthy development; I believe this is taking away children's development by pushing sexualization.

This topic made me think of my own daughter, who is almost 15 now. It makes me truly sick to see the people on television that some of her classmates are idolizing. Thankfully, I have instilled in my daughter to be her own person and never try to be something she is not. She is very classy, has high standards, and refuses to act like something she is not. She does not like the trashy clothing or the messages it sends out. I also realize I cannot shelter her from everything; she will see and hear things she should not hear or see, but I have to hope she will make the right choices based on the way I have brought her up.

When I think of all of these things both for my students and my daughter, I want to protect these sweet babies and my teenager from all of the negativity! These children should be allowed to be just that-children. They should not be exposed to sex at such an early age! I remember, several years ago, one of my preschoolers talking about the "sexy" women and naked women he seen on a video game. I let him talk for about a minute about how hot she was, and how good she looked with no clothes on. I was SHOCKED! He was only 4, but he was talking like this. I was beyond appalled at what I was hearing. I pulled him to my table and had a discussion with him. He told me overheard his brother and dad talking like that, so he was repeating it. I told him I understood he looked up to both his brother and dad, but those types of things were inappropriate for our classroom and he would not be allowed to discuss those things. I even called his mom in for a conference and expressed my concerns. This mother was as shocked as I was, and he was not allowed to play that video game again.

Because of the influx of technology, I do not believe we will be able to reverse this trend. I believe our children will continue to see inappropriate images and sex. We, as educators need to feel comfortable collaborating with parents and families when topics of this nature come up. We must allow children to be children who enjoy playing without brining up the topic of sex or sexualization.

Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

This week's blog assignment has me thinking quite a bit about different -isms. Throughout my time in this program, I have become more compassionate with my teaching as well as ensuring I am not using any -isms myself. However, this has also allowed me to watch others closely.

When I see discrimination taking place among other educators, I am so saddened! Children should not have to feel any type of discrimination because of their skin color, their class, or their beliefs. I believe, if I was to begin having discriminatory thoughts I would become an educator that forced children to feel shame and inequality; that would make me feel horrible as I in the classroom to build children up and help them succeed. I believe I would be an emotional roller coaster and never succeed in helping children feel loved, nurtured, or safe. Not to mention force families to feel ashamed of their life, their cultures, color, etc. and not want their children to come to school because I would be viewed as a negative educator that is harming their children instead of helping them. I certainly could not be this type of educator.

In order to help build family relationships, allow children to succeed and be nurtured we, as educators need to be positive ourselves and never form biases or discriminatory thoughts or actions. We need to allow ALL children to feel a sense of pride, no matter what their race, class, sex, etc. may be. We need to instill love an acceptance for all children and families within the classroom.

Observing Communication

I witness many conversations throughout the day with my students, other students as well as adults, paraprofessionals and parents. However, I recall watching one of my students and his mother have a conversation about his behavior at school. While I thought about what conversation I wanted to recall, I chose to discuss the positive interactions of this particular conversation.

This student had a difficult day at school; he refused to follow directions; he was pushing other students; and he slapped a girl on the playground during recess. Because of his behavior, he had consequences. I marked this in his discipline folder, and when school was dismissed, I spoke with his mother about his behavior. During our conversation, he tried to interrupt, but his mother politely asked him to remain quiet for a few moments while we spoke. She was very sweet and showed no anger.

After the parent and I were finished, she began talking to her son. It was not a "You are in trouble when you get home;" rather, it was a question and answer time. She asked her son to explain to her why he had this type of day. She listened to him without interrupting him, and she let him explain to her why he displayed this type of behavior. She never got angry or irritated with him, but she let him talk and then explained to him why it was wrong to hit and not behave. I was so impressed with the gentle nature of this mother, and equally impressed at the mutual respect among the two.

This conversation taught me a valuable lesson; to always show respect to children (even if they are only 4 years old0 and let them actually have a voice in the conversation rather than make them feel as if they are not allowed to communicate. In order to gain respect, it must be given as well.  I realize I need to do a better job of communicating, and allowing my children to speak more while I listen more.

References

Laureate Education Inc.(Producer). (2011). Communicating With Young Children. Baltimore, MD: Author

Creating Affirming Environments

My vision for an anti-bias classroom is actually quite simple. All families and children would be represented, as well as displaying pictures of all cultures and races. I would ensure my students as well as their families knew we were all a big family. This is actually what my classroom currently looks like. I have several ELL students; any and ALL information I send home is translated into their home language. This has always made my parents of the ELL students feel good about sending their child to school because they know I am going to communicate with them regardless of their language.

Derman-Sparks & Edwards (2010) reminds us we are to have materials that invite children to explore and discover. An ideal anti-bias environment embraces this. Many cultures are represented through play, music and movement, puzzles, and reading material. (As well as all other centers)

Books should be a wide variety with much diversity, but engaged students to want to explore. Many books about different races, traditions, as well as languages should be purchased and used.

Puzzles should be diverse, as well. I have witnessed my students having discussions about the puzzles I place out. They will begin to explore the puzzles, but then I find them in conversations about the differences of the people and the "parties" they are having. This is so amazing for acceptance, learning to appreciate diversity, as well as oral language development.

A wide variety of music should be used. Again, I have several ELL students who only speak Spanish, so I make sure I play songs that are in Spanish. It is absolutely wonderful for all of my students as they begin to appreciate each other and the language spoken.

These are a just a few of the centers that should be culturally diverse; all centers should be this way. Dolls should be all ethnicities that are present in a classroom or center as well as dress up clothes that represent a variety of traditions, cultures, and races. It is important to remember "The look and sounds of the room reflect the family cultures and daily lives of children" (Derman-Sparks & Edwards, 2010, p. 43). I want all families to know we represent everyone, accept everyone, and embrace each other daily.

References

Derman-Sparks, & Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-Bias education for young children and ourselves.

               Washington D.C. National Association for the Education of Young Children( NAEYC).

Farewell and Good Luck

Hello, everyone!

This has been a wonderful, eye-opening course for me in communication and collaboration! I have learned so many new insights and ideas, as well as what I need to work on to become a more effective communicator that can collaborate. I will carry these resouces with me in both my professional and personal life. Oftentimes, (for me, anyway) we get so caught up that we forget we are not communicating effectively, and our families seem to suffer the most. I have learned some valuable tools to ensure I am communicating well with my own family as well as my co-workers, students and their families.

Each person in this course has supported me in ways they may not not know. The support has come from comments on discussions and blogs; the initial postings have given us all different aspects on communicating and collaborating, and we can use the other thoughts and comments to ensure we are doing the best we can for our students and families when collaborating with them.

I wish each of you good luck as you continue your courses at Walden. We only have two more courses, and we will be officially graduated with our graduate degree. I hope you all can utilize in the way in which you hoped. I am hoping I can use mine to teach online courses. I love early childhood and want to ensure everyone is giving each child the education they so deserve.

Again, good luck to you all and God Bless!!

Blessings,
Susan

Development of Groups; Week 6

This week there has been a wealth of resources that will be of great assistance to me both in my professional career as well as my personal life. I have learned what successful communication looks like, but also how to make a group excel in communication. The 5 stages of development have been quite helpful and I will ensure I have each stage readily available when I am in group settings in which we are working towards a goal.

As far as saying goodbye to groups, I would say the high-performing groups would be difficult to leave because you know everyone has a desire to work towards their goal, and the group does what they can to achieve that goal. When you are in a high performing group, you develop expectations and you carry those with you. Should you end up in a group that is not working for towards the goal, and do not bond with one another, you can be let down and are more than willing to say goodbye to the group. I believe the same would apply for the groups that had the high norms because everyone felt so comfortable with one another and they worked diligently to achieve their goal. They put aside their individual thoughts and desires to work towards the goal. I can remember working with a group of friends on an assignment in my undergraduate work, and I could not wait to get out of that group because I was doing the brute of the work. I had no help, but everyone reaped the benefits of the A we received. It was not a comfortable group to be involved in.

I can remember a group I worked with during my undergraduate studies that was very high performing and clearly stated objectives and goals. I was the president of an organization, the Student Education Association. I had officers that worked extremely hard to accomplish what we needed to do, and I loved working with this group. We became very close during that year, and I was saddened when we had to say good bye to one another. We had worked so hard and I knew we had formed such close bonds and communicated very well. We would have many dinners outside of school where we could come up with great ideas and thoughts about what was best for the students involved in education. It was truly a memorable group. When we finally did adjourn, we sat down and discussed how we worked as a team and all of the wonderful things we accomplished. We just said our goodbyes and wished each other well. Those goodbyes bring closure and allow everyone to feel accomplished.

During my time here at Walden, I have been in classes with many of the same people. However, because I took a course out of order, I am not longer in the courses with anyone I started with. I am somewhat saddened because I feel like I developed some "personal" relationships through blogs and discussion postings. However, it is another lesson to put in my pocket because I have learned so many new ideas for early childhood education. I have received feedback from old and new colleagues that I will use during my time as an educator.

Abudi (2011) reminds us the adjourning stage is the closing of the project and the movement on to other projects. During this time, group members are able to analyze successes and failures, and make notes of what would aid in better success in the next group. O'Hair & Wiemann (2009) also remind us some group members can remain friends even after the group has adjourned. This is certainly the truth as 2 of the members of my group and myself have remained friends.

References

Abudi, G. (2010). The five stages of team development: A case study. Retrieved from  http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html

O'- Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.

Communication Disagreements

Currently, I am not experiencing any type of conflict with anyone. I am normally a very easy going person, but I do not always compromise. So, instead of thinking of a current disagreement, I would like to discuss the way I was at one time.

I can remember several years ago I was not the ideal communicator. In fact, I would say most people would probably dread speaking to me! Not because I was mean or nasty, but because I refused to compromise and my way seemed the best possible way (in my opinion of course!) and I always wanted to control the situation. For so long, I could not figure out why some of my closest friends would avoid certain topics with me. Finally, I just decided they thought I was right and did not want to argue with me. Little did I know I was wrong about that thought!

Through the 3Rs and non-violent communcation, I now know why people did not like to communicate with me! I was not being respectful, repsonsive, or reciprocating whatsoever. I was trying to control the entire conversation and was not allowing my listeners to see I was an empathetic listener; rather, I was being disrespecful by not giving them respect by listening to their ideas and forming a compromise.

 This week's resources have showed me I should avoid conflict and always incorporate the 3Rs. Oftentimes, I would be so controlling of a conversation that conflict would arise and I would not budge on my thoughts and ideas. I now know I certainly was not a victor in these types of conversations, but an egotistical, disrespectful, controlling communicator that had no regard for others.

I cannot say how thankful I am for this course on communication because I want to be the very best communicator I can be with my students, their families, as well as my own family, friends, and co-workers!

Communication Evaluation; week 4

This week, we are to evaluate our own communication styles as well as have others evaluate us. I enjoyed completing the assessments as I could sit and ponder each question, while trying to understand myself as a communicator.

I was always terrified to speak in front of groups of people until I was in my last semester of my undergraduate degree. I was terrified of anyone looking at me while I was talking; I would get tongue tied, sweat, lose my train of thought, and be in tears. However, I was having to teach in front of my peers on a regular basis as well as teach smaller children during college, I knew I needed to get over this fear. Now, I am able to get in front of people and speak with no problems. I enjoy speaking in front of others and I do not, in my opinion, get any type of anxiety from speaking in front of others. 

Both of my evaluators scored me the same; this surprised me as I thought, because one person is my husband while the other is a co-worker and great friend, they will both see me differently as a communicator.

What surprised me about the assessments from my evaluators would be the fact that they both seemed to think I had mild anxiety when I had to speak in front of groups of people. I do not ever feel any anxiety, but that is me evaluating myself. I believe my evaluators see something I may not, and through this assessment, we were able to see this, and I can remember this when it comes time to speaking in front of others. However, upon receiving these results, I wanted to find out why they thought I had mild anxiety. My friend as well as my husband told me they hear my voice shaking and occasionally will see me trembling.

While continuing this course, I am learning I must be an effective communicator, but ensuring I must communicate in ways that my student's families can understand. As educators and communicators, we must remember to be objective and not subjective (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2012). This can be difficult because human nature wants to kick in and quickly assume things. We cannot assume anything; we must get facts before we make assumptions. I refer back to our discussion assignment; we had to make assumptions based on our own personal schema, and that was unfair as we do not know anything about this lady or her life. We could damage a child and their families by making assumptions before we know the facts.

References

O'- Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.

Communication and Culture

In my opinion, I feel I have always been an effective communicator with all cultures. I have never felt as if I could not or would not communicate with someone because of their values, beliefts, language, behaviors, customs or practices (Gonzalez-Mena, 2010). However, before I began teaching, I did not realize the differences and beliefs of so many others around me. I have learned through courses here at Walden that I must be culturally sensitve at all times, and even if I fele uncomfortable, I need to embrace all cultures as well as celebrate them.

There are things we must take into consideration when communicating among cultures. I have never been uncomfortable communicating with anyone; however, I have always felt (because of my own upbringing) that you are to look someone in the eye when speaking to them. If you do not, that is considered disrepect. However, many cultures do not allow eye contact when communicating. Some cultures find it repsectful to actually look down or look elsewhere when being spoken to. This is a strategy I must work on as I need to understand and respect this. I am constantly telling my students to look at me when I am speaking. I must refrain from doing this as I do not want to cause contradictions among one of my student's cultures.

Gonzalez-Mena (2010) reminds us to be careful of our own non-verbal behaviors. Oftentimes, we are unconscious of these behaviors until we begin speaking to someone who does not fit our styles and beliefs. I will ensure I am not showing non-verbal behaviors that would make anyone feel uncomfortable or disrespected.

For all of us to be effective communicators, we must understand what culture truly means as well as how to teach children to embrace their own cultures. As educators, we must learn to never show any form of steretyping or disrespect as we are models for children. We want to show them how to be effective communicators while showing respect and empathy for diversity.

References



Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2010). 50 strategies for communicating and working with diverse families. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

O'- Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.

Communication Experiences - Week 2

This week, I pondered what show to record since I do not watch much television. However, while I was at the gym, I was watching a soap opera, Young and the Restless, with the sound off. I knew I was unable to record it at the gym; however, my husband has been watching this program since he was a tween. His mother watched so he continues to watch it, as well.

As I continued working out, I made notes on my Nook about the non-verbal actions going on. While I do not know names of characters with the sound off, I can clearly see this couple seem to not want to be around each other. They are sitting outside some place, and their bodies seem tense, locked on the seat they are sitting on. The man is sitting with his head down, close to his knees, with his hands on top of his head while the young lady is talking non-stop, using her hands and shaking her head. From what I am witnessing, these two are having quite a heated argument and do not want to be around each other. At one point, the man actually goes to touch the lady's shoulder, and she flinches and he jerks back. There seems to be more tension and a need to not be touched.

A second scene I observed was a family, mother, dad (I assume they are the child's parents) and a child. The mother and dad are hugging and smiling while watching the little boy play. The couple is very affectionate and do not want to remove their hands or eyes from one another. From what I am seeing, they are very much in love and adore their child. Several times, they look at this child with such love in their eyes. Finally, they scoop up this child and walk hand in hand talking and smiling at one another.

During this entire episode, I see many different feelings and expressions. I see tension, anger, and love and adoration. However, this is the very reason I do not watch soap operas; they are not how the real life operates, and oftentimes, it is quite comical because it is predictable. But, on the other hand, I enjoyed watching the communication with no sound on.

I made assumptions based on what I seen, and not what I could hear. I assumed, with the first couple, there was tension and anger, but I was very wrong. This man and woman are married, and are very much in love with one another. What I viewed as tension and anger was stress from a situation they did not know how to handle. They found out their child was bullying another child and they were so upset about him doing this and did not know how to handle the situation. If I would have been watching this show for a while, even with the sound off I would have known what was happening. Instead, I made the assumption that these two people literally cound not stand each other and did not want to share the same space whatsoever.

This was quite the experience for me as I thoroughly enjoyed watching communication take place without hearing any words. It made me realize just how important our non-verbal cues are. We must be careful, even with our body language and facial expressions to not send the wrong message to others.

 

References

 

Phelps, J. (2013). Young and the Restless, Los Angeles, CA.

 



Competent Communicators

As I reflected upon this assignment for this week, I thought about many communicators I have been around, including myself. I have taken into consideration the types of people I have witnessed communication going on as well as the messages given and received. I am amazed at the differences we all have when it comes to sending and receiving messages!!

O'Hair & Wiemann (2012) reminds us that competent communication is effective and appropriate for all situations, while ensuring evaluation and reassessing communication. We must always ensure we are communicating effectively, taking into consideration the situation and the communications, as well as showing respect and understanding.

When thinking about this type of communicator, I instantly have someone who, in my opinion, is an excellent, competent commuicator. She is always evaluating herself, ensuring she is communicating in the best way possible, as well as showing nothing but respect and understanding for all situations. She is one of my co-workers; she has taught me many lessons on effective communication, as well. She has never degraded anyone, or made anyone feel ill feeligns because of their different styles of communication. She is intune to body language, and can read what body movements mean, as well as one of the best listeners I have ever been around. She understands she cannot speak to parents and families the same way she would speak to her family members or friends (O'Hair & Wieman, 2012, p. 16). She has always been able to make sure she is always professional when talking with families.
Her morals are very high, and she always shows respect for famlies regardless of how diverse they are.

I have certainly modeled her communication skills because they are effective and professional, as well as allowing families to feel comfortable and at ease with me as their child's educator. Her communication skills always have goals for her children and they are conveyed to families, which in turn allows families to be secure knowing their child is being taken care of they are being informed.

References



O'- Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication. New York: Bedford/St.

          Martin's.

What I Have Learned......

 



Before my courses at Walden, I never really thought about diversity and the importance of embracing it. However, upon seeing the importance of embracing differences of everyone, I realize how important it is to reflect everyone in my classroom, even if I am not comfortable with it or do not agree with it. Because children spend more than half of their day in classrooms, they should feel comfortable and accepted, and each aspect of their life represented.

 

 

Because I did not think much about diversity before this course, I believe there should be workshops or classes that every teacher should have to attend just to learn the importance of embracing diversity. Through this class, I have learned the importance of self reflection, as it has helped me uncover some of my own discomforts I would have never thought about had I not taken this class. The knowledge I have gained has allowed me to be a better anti-bias educator as well as speak to my co-workers about the importance of diversity.

I would like to thank all of my colleagues for your wonderful comments throughout this course. It has been very helpful in allowing me to see things from a different perspective. I have also enjoyed reading all of your discussions and blog postings as they have given me a great deal to reflect on. I hope to see you all in more courses together.



A special thank you to Dr. Kien as your words have also been constructive and helpful. Your course has been organized and thorough, and you have always been more than helpful to ensure we have a smooth 8 weeks. Your insight and comments to me have helped me see things from many different views. Because of your expertise and this course, I feel I am a better anti-bias educator. Thank you again!