Time Well Spent

Time well Spent

The time flew by as we learned more about early childhood education.  It was a challenge but nothing worth obtaining is every easy.  It feels good to be at the finish line and to have accomplished my goal of getting a masters degree.

The three things that I feel made an impact on me during my journey through this program are:
1. To let my passion in early childhood education lead me in how I can make a positive impact in the field.

It is your passion that empowers you to be able to do that thing you were created to do.

T. D. Jakes

2. In continuing to learn more about the early childhood field I will see more opportunities in how I can make a positive impact in the field.  

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3.   

Long Term Goal
A long term goal that I have is to teach adults in the early childhood field about the importance of early learning for young children and building positive relationships with families.    

It feels odd not preparing for the next week and looking ahead to what is due or what the next class will be but I am glad to be moving forward to the next step with the knowledge that I have gained from the program, Dr. Teri and all of you, my colleagues.  Thank you for your informative posts and discussions on various topics.  It has helped me see new perspectives on the issues in the early childhood filed.

 Me and my family at my husband's graduation a few weeks ago.  Our sons are glad to have a summer where we are not studying.  They have been troopers during our educational journey.  I can only hope that we have inspired them to go as far as they can in their learning.  

  

 

International Early Childhood Education Communities and Organizations

The first organization that I found interesting was the Association for Childhood Education International.
They are very active in the early childhood community around the world and they have consultative status with the United Nations. I choose this organization because they not only support children and education but they also support professional growth for educators.

Mission  
Our 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.

Job opportunities
I did not see job listings on this web site but I did see that the organization is looking for candidates to join their board of directors.
The Nominations Committee of the Association for Childhood Education International seeks candidates for Board of Directors positions who demonstrate a clear commitment to furthering the education and well-being of children worldwide and are dedicated to promoting excellence in nonprofit governance.  Board of Directors members play a critical role in making decisions regarding Association goals and the allocation of resources (Association for Childhood Education International, 2011).
Some of the qualifications for the position are, possess strong leadership skills, possess broad knowledge of the field of childhood education with an understanding of global movements that impact the lives of children and Experience living or working in more than one nation.


The next organization that I found interesting was the World Forum Foundation.  
I would be interested in meeting with others from around the world to exchange ideas on early childhood issues so that I can learn from them and take ideas to use in my own community.

The World Forum Foundation provides opportunities for early childhood professionals who are interested in promoting the well-being of young children and families to share ideas, strategies, and perspectives (World Forum Foundation, 2011).

Job Opportunities
I did not see specific job opportunities but this organization has an international organization committee that they recruit members for. 

Members are appointed to the IOC from these categories:

• Two representatives from each region of the world as defined by UNICEF;

• Two representatives from each of the World Forum Working Groups;

• One representative for the World Forum National Representatives; and

• One representative from each of the major World Forum partners (World Forum Foundation,  2011).

The individuals from that join the committee from this group would probably need to have a Masters degree in early childhood education, be aware of the global perspectives of early childhood education have a passion for making a difference in the lives of children and their families.

I really like their forum on play because they have a "mud day" in June and they try to get as many children, families and teachers involved by playing in the mud.  They encourage participants to take pictures and send them to the organization to share their active involvement in natural children's play.  International mud day June 29, 2013.

UNICEF  

The next organization that was of interest to me was UNICEF which is very involved in helping and advocating for children and families around the world.  They have four focus areas which are, Child Survival and Development, Basic Equality and Gender Equality, HIV/AIDS and Children, Child Protection, Policy-Advocacy and Partnerships.

Purpose  
UNICEF is the driving force that helps build a world where the rights of every child are realized. We have the global authority to influence decision-makers, and the variety of partners at grassroots level to turn the most innovative ideas into reality.  That makes us unique among world organizations, and unique among those working with the young (UNICEF, 2012).

Job Opportunities
There are many job opportunities around the world.  Some are short term and some are more permanent. An example of a job opportunity is for Chief Education.  Some of the qualifications needed for this position are:
Advanced university degree in Social Sciences or a related technical field with background in Monitoring and Evaluation. Ten years progressively responsible professional work experience at the national and international levels in program planning and management in a related field, with emphasis on strategic planning, leading policy reform in a developing country environment, sectoral coordination, sector financing and sector leadership. Strong networks in the sector and strong program management required.  Fluency in English and another UN language required.  Knowledge of the local working language of the duty station is an asset (UNICEF, 2012).

Reference
Association for Education International. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://acei.org/
UNICEF. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/index.php
World Forum Foundation. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/index.php

National and Federal Level Early Childhood Community of Practice


The first community of practice on the national level that appeals to me is the National Association for the Education of Young Children.

NAEYC Mission Statement

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 Bylaws, Article I., Section 1.1).

I chose NAEYC because I am impressed in how involved they are in protecting the rights of children, families and educators.  They have so much information for teachers to keep them current on early childhood issues and for parents on parenting and research that shows why children need to be in the care of people who are passionate and committed to providing the best early learning experiences that they can. 

A current job opening at NAEYC is - Affiliate and Member Relations Manager
This job sounds interesting and would put me in an organization that is very active in early childhood education and supporting families with young children.
Some of the skills and experience needed for this job are a BA degree, 3 years related work experience specifically in component relations or association management along with successful work experience with volunteer and non-profit boards.


The next organization that I found interesting was the National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families or commonly known as Zero to Three.   I chose this organization because they are so committed to infants, toddlers and their families.  They let teachers and families know about the current research about infants and toddlers and how to support their learning and development.
  "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. 
Our mission is to ensure that all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life" (Zero to Three, n.d.).

A current job opening they have available is for a Chief Business Development and Marketing Officer.  The qualifications for this position are, 12 years of business related experience,

Understanding of the Social Sector, either from professional or volunteer involvement in a national

advocacy or non-profit organization, Sophisticated understanding of non-profit financial management, and able to contribute to development strategies across funding sectors where appropriate.

Education

Advanced degree in Business or related field. Knowledge of early childhood development and related

health, education, and public service systems a plus.

The next organization that I found is the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education  or NAECS-SDE.  

What is NAECS-SDE? NAECS-SDE (National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education) is a national organization for state education agency staff members with major responsibilities in the field of early childhood education. The Association promotes high-quality services to young children and their families through improvement of instruction, curriculum, and administration of programs. Members of the Association have an opportunity to share ideas and to work together toward the solution of common problems (NAECS-SDE, n.d.).

  I found this organization interesting because it is a support system for early childhood specialists who work for state education agencies.  They have more regulations to follow than a non-profit child care center and school that they have to be trained in what is expected of them as teachers by the government.   
I did not see any job opportunities at this time.  Some of the skills that I would need to fulfill a role with this organization would be to have a strong background in early childhood education and child development along with administrative background.  

References
National Association for the Education of Young Children. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/
Zero to Three. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.zerotothree.org/
National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.naecs-sde.org/aboutus

  

 


    

Community of Practice
The first community of practice that appealed to me was a non-profit agency in my area called Community Resources for Children.  This agency appeals to me because their mission is something that I believe in.  The mission states:

The mission of Community Resources for Children is to provide resources for the early care and education of children in Napa County (Community Resources for Children, n.d.).

They provide parents and early childhood educators workshops that will help them provide the developmental needs of children.

A job opportunity with this agency that appeals to me is an Early Learning System Specialist. Some of the skills and experiences that I would need to fulfill this role would be:

1. Bachelor of Arts degree in Education, Child Development, or related Social Science field. Prefer Master’s degree in Child Development, Early Childhood Education, or in a related Social Science field

 2. Knowledge of current ECE practices for children 0-5 years old, licensing requirements, funding and support systems, including, but not limited to, Head Start/Early Head Start, Title 5, Title 22, child care resource and referral agencies, etc.

3. Familiarity with the CLASS and ECERS assessment tools is required. Certification in CLASS preferred.

4. Prefer bicultural and bilingual competence in Spanish and English and at least three years of experience working with low-income children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

The second community of practice group that appeals to me is another non-profit agency in my community is called NapaLearns.  I chose this agency because they are committed to helping children succeed in school.  They partner with schools and the office of education to provide resources for schools, teachers and parents on education.  The current emphasis is helping to provide access to technology for children and their parents to help with English language learning and with math. The individuals that come together to meet about these issues are from many educational backgrounds, diverse levels of experience in  education and bring their knowledge and expertise to the community of practice.
The mission states: 

Partnering for Innovation and Success

In partnership with Napa County schools and the County Office of Education, NapaLearns encourages the success of EVERY student by providing resources, funding, and support to help district staff adopt new teaching methods focused on the demands of the future:

• Early childhood reading and math
• Project-based learning opportunities in grades K-12
• Technology and Internet access for all (NapaLearns, n.d.).

I did not see any job listings on the NapaLearns site but it looks like if there were a job for an early childhood professional the qualifications would need to be to have a good understanding of how to teach reading, math and technology skills to young children, teachers and parents.  A degree in early childhood hood education or a related field.  Living in this county it would also be important to be bilingual and bi-cultural.
  
 The Third community of practice group that appeals to me would be First Five of California. 

 This organization strives to support children, families and early childhood educators in the early learning foundations.  "The promise of First 5 California is to continue to invest in services and programs that directly benefit children and families and to advocate for a sustainable early childhood system for future generations" (First 5 of California, n.d.).   I choose this organization because they are a good resource for me and for parents. 
I did not see any job postings on this web site but since it deals directly with early childhood it would be important to have a degree in early childhood education or child development.  It would also be important to have a good understanding of appropriate practices in early childhood education and have the ability to plan workshops to educate parents and teachers about the importance of early learning and what their role is in a child's first learning experiences.  It would also be important to be bilingual and bi-cultural.

References
Community Resources for Children. (n.d). Mission. Retrieved from http://www.crcnapa.org/about_us/mission.html

First 5 California. (n.d.). Welcome to first 5 california. Retrieved from http://www.ccfc.ca.gov/

NapaLearns (n.d). Vision and mission. Retrieved from http://napalearns.org/about/vision-mission/

 

        

 

supporting families

A Journey Ends and Another Begins

When I look back at the journey we have been on for the past year it is amazing how much we have learned and shared together and how quickly the time has gone.  I feel that I have learned a lot from discussing the different early childhood topics and issues that we have all have to take a closer look at and we have learned  by sharing the many experiences that we have had in our professional careers.  It has been refreshing to talk with others who are passionate about early childhood education and it has been a learning experience to read about the views and opinions of others.  I feel that that this has all been supportive in my journey toward a Masters Degree in early childhood education.

I have tried to be supportive to my colleagues by validating their ideas and by sharing my experiences in the ECE field that I thought may give them some ideas for their situations.

I hope that each of my colleagues continue to pursue their passion of supporting children, families and future ECE teachers.  I hope that they each find the area in the early childhood field that speaks to their strengths and that they are successful.

"Be well, do good work, and keep in touch" – Garrison Keillor.

Contact information: jyamada@puc.edu

         

The Adjourning Phase of a Group

In reading about the formation for groups I did not realize that the ending or adjourning of a group and reflection on the project of the group was so important.  I believe that a group that has worked hard together and been able to respect each other through problem solving and brainstorming to finish the project by setting goals and agreeing on them would become a close group.  When you form friendships and partners in your professional field then I think this would be a hard group to leave because you have learned from each other and see the potential in each others ideas. To me this would be considered a high-performance group.

The first teaching team that I was part of was a great learning experience and we all worked well together.  We respected each other and we were able to brain storm ideas to make our environments inviting and a great learning experience for the children.  We rarely had disagreements and I enjoyed working with all the teachers.  After five years I moved because my husband got a job elsewhere.  It was hard to say good -by because I felt that we were a great team and I learned so much from my colleagues.

The closing rituals that I experienced were that the staff took me to dinner and we talked about all the fun and cray times in the classroom.  We have kept in-touch and some of us see each other regularly because we are working in the ECE field in the same region.

I imagine that I will adjourn from the group that has been formed in the Walden Masters program by saying thank you for all the information that has been shared that I was able to use or bank in my memory as an example that I can refer to later in my career.  It has been refreshing to talk and learn with others who have the same passion that I do about early childhood education.

I have come to understand that adjourning a group is important because it is a time to acknowledge the hard work that everyone has put into the project or into reaching goals.  It's a time to say thank you and relax, talk and laugh about what was accomplished.  We all need that closure of the project but to also talk with new friends and colleagues in a casual way.