Final Blog

Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life

~Confucius

Learning at Walden University has been a part of my life for the past 2 years. This journey started in South Africa as a way to maintain my sense of self while living overseas. During my time in South Africa there were many obstacles. Including slow internet, power cuts and time zone differences. My professors and advisor were extremely supportive in helping me solve for the issues related to being an international student.

While at Walden I have learned about the field of early childhood education but most importantly I have learned how I can be a professional in the field and make a difference in the lives of children.

I have learned sharing my experiences and knowledge with others is crucial in helping others in the field. The pioneers in the field were committed in their efforts to improve education for children. They left a legacy for us to follow. I would like to leave that same type of legacy.

Another important learning is learning never ends. Although I have completed my degree, I intend on learning how to make the lives of children better through education for the rest of my life. Because of what I have learned while at Walden, I am able to recognize and have opinions of what quality education looks like.

I am thankful for the Walden professors who invested in my education with their helpful comments on assignments and discussions. I am especially thankful to Dr. Darragh for her guidance with my capstone project. Your experience in the field was an invaluable resource in understanding early childhood education.

Thank you to my colleagues who were a source of personal and professional support. I will miss our weekly discussions. It is truly amazing how people you have not met personally can have such a profound effect on your life.

One goal I have is to become a member of the PEACE center at my church, Saddleback Church. PEACE stands for promote reconciliation, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick and educate the next generation.  The initiative I have begun skills training in is building and starting preschools in Rwanda. I am excited about the next chapter in life and will be able to attribute my education and training at Walden for my successes in Rwanda.

All the best for the future to my professors and colleagues.     

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

The international organizations I chose to review for this assignment area: the Military Child Education Coalition, the Council for Exceptional Children and the Association for Childhood Education International.

The Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) is focused on ensuring quality educational opportunities for all military children affected by mobility, family separation, and transition. MCEC is a non-profit, world-wide organization that performs research, develops resources, conducts professional institutes and conferences and develops and publishes resources. This program was especially interesting to me because my children (although not military) have moved several times in their lives and their education continuity has always been important. This organization has volunteer positions available that include the following opportunities:  Administrative, focus groups, students to provide their input and professionals to write articles, be guest speakers and serve in the advisory capacity.

The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving the educational success of individuals with disabilities and/or gifts and talents. CEC advocates for appropriate governmental policies, sets professional standards, provides professional development, advocates for individuals with exceptionalities, and helps professionals obtain conditions and resources necessary for effective practice. This organization was of special interest to me due to my efforts related to ensuring early childhood professionals are equipped to provide quality education and care for children. An employment opportunity available is the special education specialist. A few responsibilities of this position include: Develop and write administration manuals, resource guides, soring guides, and presentation materials as needed, collaborate with and provide technical assistance to Measured Progress Program Managers, subcontractors, and/or state education agencies regarding the program’s design, planning and implementation. These responsibilities are in line with program administration which is my specialization.

The Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) is an organization that promotes the best possible education and development of children. ACEI’s motto is “Bright futures for every child, every nation”. This describes ACEI’s commitment to support and advocate for access to education, equity in educational settings, quality educational content, and the child’s right to education. ACEI is important to learn about due to their members describing themselves as social change agents. Members have involved themselves in critical social issues to ensure children around the world are protected, supported, and educated in ways that allow them to reach their fullest potential. There are summer internships available giving the opportunity to gain work experience in online research and data gathering. Research is crucial to the early childhood field and this opportunity can allow for discovery of evidence to support the work we do.

References

The Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) www.acei.org

The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) www.cec.sped.org

The Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) www.militarychild.org

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

The national and federal organizations I chose to review are:  Council for Professional Recognition, Association for Early Learning Leaders and National Black Child Development Institute.

The Council for Professional Recognition is a resource for educators to acquire the credentials needed to provide quality care for children. The Council promotes performance and recognition of professionals in the early childhood education of children aged birth to 5. The Council sets policies and procedures for assessment and credentialing, publishes the Competency Standards and other materials used for CDA, (Child Development Associate) credentialing, and administers the assessment. The reason I chose to highlight this organization is because they recognize the importance of development of early childhood professionals. The Council recognizes and credentials professionals who work in all types of early care and education programs-Head Start, pre-k, infant-toddler, family child care, and home visitor programs. There are currently no employment positions available in this program.

The Association for Early Learning Leaders, formerly known as the National Association of Child Care Professionals (NACCP), is an organization committed to strengthening the skills of owners, directors, administrators, emerging leaders and other professionals who are dedicated to early care and education. This organization is considered one of the top associations serving professionals in the early care and education field. It has created professional development opportunities since 1984. This organization will be important as a networking and collaboration source for members, other professionals, and national early childhood organizations. The organizations had several positions for teacher assistants, resident supervisors and a Mother’s Day out Director.

The National Black Child Development Institute is one of the only national organizations dedicated exclusively to the success and well-being of Black children, the National Black Child Development Institute and their network of Affiliates have been outspoken on issues related to the education, care, and health of Black children and their families. They serve as a national resource agency providing programs, publications, advocacy, and trainings related to early childhood care and education; K-12 education; health and wellness; literacy; family engagement; and child welfare. I chose to highlight this organization because of the important work they are undertaking to respond to the unique strengths and needs of Black children in the education field. There are no employment positions available in this organization.

References

Association for Early Learning Leaders, www.earlylearningleaders.org

Council for Professional Recognition, www.cdacouncil.org

National Black Child Development Institute, www.nbcdi.org   

  

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

In exploring roles in the early childhood education community on the local and state level, there were many that I found interesting. Those I chose to explore further are:  Orange County Head Start, First 5 California and California Department of Education, specifically the Early Education and Support Division.

Orange County Head Start (OCHS)

Nationally, Head Start began providing services in 1965 and is now available to children throughout counties in the United States. Head Start in Orange County, California began in 1979 and currently serves over 4,000 children. These services are available for preschool children from low-income families at no cost. I chose this local agency because of the many opportunities to make an impact in children’s lives. This agency provides services education for parents, home visits, and center care and education for children to name a few.  The community of practice is extensive in this agency.

 

A current employment opportunity is Childcare Center Director. Some responsibilities include:  supervise, organize, and plan staff, child and parent activities; observe and monitor classrooms for compliance and prepare related paperwork and reports; implement programs that will maintain compliance with federal and state regulations and Agency policies; and train staff on developmentally appropriate practices and agency policies and procedures. These are a few of the responsibilities included in the job description.

First 5 California

Since 1998, this agency has designed comprehensive programs that address the needs of children ages 0-5 and their families. Their goal is to improve early childhood outcomes in the areas of health, nutrition, early literacy and language development, quality childcare, and smoking cessation. This is an interesting agency because of their commitment to research and designing of programs. An important reason why research is necessary to the field of early childhood education because of how it is evolving with our changing communities.

An available employment opportunity with this agency is a research program specialist. In this position, you are responsible for developing and documenting evaluation policies, procedures and protocols. And most importantly, independently contributing to research, evaluation and or technology projects that collect data for evaluation efforts related to professional development of teachers in the early childhood education field.  

California Department of Education (CDE)

In this large state agency, I am specifically interested in the Early Education and Support Division (EESD). This division provides leadership and support to contractors and the child development community, ensuring high quality early education programs are provided to children ages birth to 13 years.

A current employment opportunity is that of Child Development Consultant. This position is a great example of community of practices. Duties include:  Collaboration with local childcare agency representatives, other governmental agencies and other units with the California Department of Education (CDE), including directors, curriculum specialists, teachers, parents, and representatives from the child development community, to develop activities which promote the vision, mission and goals of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, the CDE, and the EESD.

References

Orange County Head Start. Retrieved from http://www.ochsinc.org

First 5 California.  Retrieved from http://www.first5california.com

California Department of Education.  Early Education and Support Division. Retrieved from http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/di/or/cdd.asp

Thank You

This is the final blog for the course Communicating and Collaborating in the Early Education Field. This course has helped me to understand that communication is an art that requires continual refining. I appreciate the informative discussions with my colleagues. I especially enjoyed Dr. Darragh's insights related to the field of early education. Good luck to everyone in your future education endeavors.

The Adjourning Phase

The group I am currently working with will be the most difficult to leave. I am working with a phenomenal group of parents of high school seniors planning the senior banquet. There are some parents that attend the meetings occasionally, but there is also a core group who are there at every meeting planning and executing. What makes the core group effective is communication is clear, there is commitment to completing the project, regular attendance and the people are genuine and easy to get along with.

I think the adjournment of the group will be at the senior banquet, which will be the last time we see each other. Some group members will be leaving the school, due to their graduate being the youngest child, some will leave due to relocation and some will stay in the country.  During the banquet we will celebrate our seniors and congratulate each other on a well-planned event.

It is important for the team to be allowed to celebrate the success of the project and capture best practices for future use (Abudi, 2010).  Also, the team should be given the chance to say good-bye to provide closure to the project and established friendships.

Hopefully, I will culminate the completion of my graduate degree with attending the graduation ceremony and meeting, face to face, some of the people I have studied with.

References

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

Strategies For Resolving Conflict

Having conflicts is a part of life. One particular conflict I am having is with a few teachers at the school where I teach English.  The teachers use corporal punishment, fear and intimidation to control their classrooms. It is clear the teachers have no class management skills.  I have mentioned to them on several occasions, ways to improve how they manage the class. My communication to them is seen as me being more intelligent than them which leads to hurt and angry feelings. They are often defensive and don't want to accept my feedback. 

Two strategies I learned about this week that could help me resolve conflict more productively are:  Having empathy and being able to manage emotions.  The best way to build empathy is to help the person feel that they are understood (Conflict Resolution Network, n.d.).  During conflict, it is important that both sides are heard.  One way to demonstrate empathy is through active listening. I learned active listening includes getting a clear picture, acknowledging or exploring the problem and responding. I think having empathy in solving conflict allows the other person to see you are thinking of them and their feelings as you aim for resolution. Having empathy is also used in the nonviolent communication model.

Another strategy for conflict resolution is being able to manage emotions.  This approach could be especially useful during heated debates.  I chose to pay close attention to this strategy due to my scoring high on the verbal aggressiveness scale we participated in last week. Managing emotions includes understanding behaviors about yourself and the person you are in conflict with.  Our responses to others difficult behaviors can influence the outcome of the conflict. This approach requires thought. The thoughts include the conflict and why people are behaving the way they are.

References

Conflict Resolution Network. (n.d.) http://www.cmhg.org/pages.php?pID=12#skill_3