Time Well Spent

To A Job Well Done! 
 Congratulations on Your Accomplishment!


As we come to the end of an amazing journey I reflect on the learning that resonated with me and I will carry on throughout my career.

 Being not only culturally aware but being culturally responsive is crucial when working with children and families.  One's culture is intertwined into one's identity. 

 

The field of early childhood education requires working in collaboration with many that share the same passion, vision, and mission.  "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much".  Helen Keller

 

Self-reflection is a powerful tool in which we can grown and learn from.  As early childhood educators we must reflect on our practices to ensure the work we are doing serves the best interest of children and families.

 

Being open to various perspectives allows for all voices to be heard.  It allows for the development of understanding and growth to occur.

 

Evaluating the consequences of an idea, project, proposal, or program provides opportunities to identity what we what to achieve as well as what we do not want to achieve.  This allows for proactive and careful planning to occur in order to achieve the desired outcomes. 





After completing this program I have the knowledge and skill set to achieve my long-term goals.  While it may not be easy or happen over night, I know what I need to be successful.

 

A long-term goal I have is to put my Capstone Project Challenge into action.  To implement a child development and positive parenting course as a high school graduation requirement.

Another goal I have is to bring developmentally appropriate practices back to all.  Including bringing play-based instruction back to kindergarten.  To bring hands-on and exploratory learning back to all.  To rid our school systems of teaching to the test.  To teach children how to problem solve and to apply their knowledge instead of memorizing and regurgitating facts. 

 

 

 

I want to thank my mom for giving he "motherly push" to start my Master's degree and for the encouragement along the way.  I want to thank the wonderful man in my life for all the support and encouragement along the way and for the understanding of "I have homework to do."  I want to thank my two wonderful daughters for their support and understanding as I balance work, school, and family.  Thank you to my dad for his ongoing support.  A shout out to other family and friends for their support and understanding when I could not attend the fun things going on! 

 

A big thank you goes out to my colleagues.  Many of us started the first class together.  I appreciate your insights, perspectives, and feedback.  I learned so much from your discussion posts and blogs.  I appreciate your honesty as we shared the good and difficult experiences both in our professional lives and in our private lives.  These experiences shaped who we are and I value each of you!  I wish you well as we move on to future endeavors!  I know each of you will be very successful and make positive impacts on children and families!

 

I would like to thank all my instructors that I have had the pleasure to work with.  It has been a wonderful learning experience. 

 

 

I leave my final thoughts with images and quotes below in regards to the field of early childhood education:

 

 

 
 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

 

Global Partnership for Education

 

I found this organization to be very interesting as it demonstrates partnerships among a variety of practices.  It is the ultimate community of practice.  The organization works in partnership with many to assist developing countries in developing educational programs to meet their priorities.  Global Partnership for Education assists in helping governments develop their educational plans as well as working with partners to assist with finding financial resources or grants. Part of the plan is to monitor and measure outcomes.  The efforts are completed in a collaborative effort with a team consisting of members of the countries’ government, the private sector and private foundations that support education efforts, community organizations, teacher organizations, and those working in the education field.  The goal of the organization is to provide access to education to all, to reach every child with a focus of reaching girls and children with disabilities, have child learn and master necessary skills, and to build an educational system that will support the future. 

A job that was posted through the website was with partnership with World Bank.  The position is Senior Country Education Specialist.   The Senior Country Education Specialists represent the Secretariat at Country Level. They are each in charge of a portfolio of countries where they promote the Partnership goals and facilitate its processes (Global Partnership for Education, 2015).  Duties include developing knowledge of the education sector in assigned countries to identify barriers and solutions for reaching international education goals.  To support governments in the development, implementation and monitoring of education sector plan.  Assist in leveraging international financial and technical support at country level.  Participating in thematic working groups in collaboration with the Strategic Policy and Performance team.  To contribute to thematic work related to the Strategic Goals and Objectives of the Global Partnership.  Develop and strengthen the Partnership’s operational modalities.  Qualifications include a Master’s degree in education, economics, international development or related field.  Eight years of relevant experience with a minimum of three years working in developing countries.  Expertise in one or more of the following areas: education planning, finance and management of education systems, teacher development, girls’ education, inclusive education, and other areas relevant to the work of the Global Partnership.  Ability to work both independently and effectively in teams.   Frequent travel requires.

For more information visit the website:  http://www.globalpartnership.org/

Reference:

Global Partnership for Education. (2015). Job description, senior country specialist. Retrieve from:

http://www.globalpartnership.org/

  

  

Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI)

I chose this organization because it views education and well-being of children whether they are in their home, school, or in the community as an inherent right.  The organization strives for quality programs and practices for children from infancy through early adolescence. To increase preparation standards for those involved with the care and development of children. To promote continuous professional growth of educators. They view each child as an individual with their own abilities, gifts, and talents.  They believe in equity for all children.  To be in an environment free of bias.  The organization’s website offers numerous resources and provides information for programs and events. Resources include topics on early childhood education, professional development, research, advocacy, and a variety of publications.   

I did not see any job postings.  However the organization offers internships and volunteer opportunities.  Requirements for interns are to be enrolled in a graduate program that focuses on global issues with a particular interest in children’s education.  The internship run eight to twelve weeks.  Interns must live in the Washington, D.C. area.  ACEI does not have a formal volunteer placement program.  Members participate with ACEI by selecting critical projects and initiatives that support the mission and support children's development and well-being. Volunteers are able to decide how and where to volunteer.   Many look to volunteer in their own communities.

For more information visit the website:  http://www.acei.org/

 

 

 

European Early Childhood Education Research Journal (EECERJ)

European Early Childhood Education Research Journal is an organization that promotes and distributes research on a variety of early childhood disciplines and its applications to policy and practice.  I chose this organization as it operates on the basis of great European theorists such as Vygotsky and Piaget.  I also chose this organization because I thought it was interesting that it run by voluntarily efforts and owned by its members.  It is administered under the protocols of a charity with Board of Trustees elected by an Electoral College.  EECERJ publishes the only European early childhood journal cited in the prestigious Social Science Citation Index (SSCI). The SSCI identifies scholarship from across 50 disciplines including 'education'. Only the world's leading social sciences journals are selected for inclusion in the index. The SSCI includes only four journals with an early years' focus, and of these four, only one is produced in Europe (EECERJ, 2015).  This organization sponsors conferences, allows for the opportunities to form a special interest group, offers membership and allows access to research journals and newsletters.  The organization has over 35 country coordinators that work to increase the national participation and activity of EECERA members in the Country Coordinator's country or region; raise the visibility, status and impact of the EECERA in each country; create an EECERA supported international network of EC researchers, practitioners and policy makers and to be an intermediary for local EC colleagues to EECERA and its journal (EECERJ, 2015). 

For more information visit the website:  http://www.eecera.org/

Reference: 

European Early Childhood Education Research Journal. (2015). Homepage. Retrieved from:

                http://www.eecera.org/

               

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

I chose New America Foundation as one of the national organizations-community of practice because it supports public policy and is committed to finding solutions to various issues. Finding of solutions requires efforts of public, private and civic sectors working together.  The organization assists on finding solutions at the state, federal, and international level. Also by focusing on creating diverse thinkers, the organization relies on researchers and writers as well as looking to bridge technology, policy and academia by creating,  testing and piloting new technologies and integrating them into solutions.  The success of this organization requires collaboration within in many fields and the willingness to take risk and find out of the box solutions to many issues facing us today. 

There are various job opportunities within various departments of the organization.  One that caught my attention was the Policy Analyst for Education.  This position will entail researching and reporting on federal education policies pertaining to early childhood through higher education as well as the workforce of the Departments of Health, Education and Human Services with a focus on budget and finance.  The position  requires analysis of qualitative and quantitative data. The requirements of this position include a Bachelor's degree, Master's degree in field related to public policy or economics.  Ability to take feedback and work in collaboration as well as being well organized. 

For more information visit the website: www.newamerica.org

 

I chose the National Association of the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) as a national organization-community of practice because NAEYC is one of the leading organizations on early childhood education.  Experts affiliated with this organization have the knowledge, know of or have completed research and developed best practices on various topics that support child development.  Topics include attachment, child development and milestones, developmentally appropriate practices, curriculum and assessment,  inclusion, health and wellness, parent education and engagement, teacher education and credentials, accreditation standards and quality and so much more.  The organization provides numerous resources to all that are invested in early childhood.   

 

Job opportunities that caught my attention were 1)  Senior Director, NAEYC Academy of Early Childhood Program Accreditation. The position entails keeping the NAEYC standards as the Gold Standard of Excellence.  Ensuring the support of quality improvement and providing reliable and valid assessment of quality.  Works with states and other systems to form partnerships that utilize NAEYC accreditation as a cost-effective way to improve early childhood programs.  Requirements include an advanced degree in nonprofit management, business administration and/or early childhood education/child development.  Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skill; strong conceptual and analytic skills and talent for innovation. 2) Early Childhood Systems Technical Assistance Expert, State Preschool Development Grants.  The position entails providing and managing technical assistance (TA) to Preschool Development Grant grantees states and focusing on ensuring high-quality preschool programs, expanding high-quality preschool programs in high-need communities, collaborating and supporting subgrantees, building professional development systems, and aligning curriculum.  Requirements include Master's degree in early childhood education, child development, child psychology, education or related field. Experience with cross-sector early childhood systems, policies,  and regulations.  Expertise in preschool content areas to include providing TA, direct implementation of programs and policies.  Providing presentations, developing publications.  Experience working with multiple stakeholder groups as content advisor, participant, or TA provider. 

 

For more information visit the website: www.naeyc.org/

 

 

 

I chose Zero to Three as a national organization-community of practice because this organization focuses on providing professional, parents, and policy makers with the knowledge, information that is founded on research and evidenced based practices to support the development of children starting at birth. Zero to Three develops, funds, and support various projects to support families and professionals.  This organization has a policy center in which research based resources are shared with advocates, policy makers at the state and federal level in regards to the developmental needs of infants and toddlers. 

 

Job opportunities that caught my attention were 1) Senior Training Specialist.  The position entails being responsible for project activities including but not limited to content development, training, and facilitation pertaining to The Prenatal Through Age Five Workforce Development Project. Requirements include Master's degree in social work, counseling, psychology, special education, early childhood education or related field. Maintains an acceptable and respectful approach to others.

Is self-reflective and empathic.  Encourages and practices critical thinking.  2) Senior Research Analyst. The position entails supporting research and evaluation projects throughout the organization.

Including the complete research process to include development, implementation and final report. 

 Requirements include a Master's degree in program evaluation or in a field of applied social science research. Strong knowledge of program evaluation and research methods. Ability to communicate effectively both written and verbally to various audiences.  Strong interpersonal skills with ability to explain complex information in  a simplified format.

For more information visit the website:  www.zerotothree.org

 

 

 

 

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

Smart Beginnings is an organization that appealed to me because I believe in their motto "Ready for School. Ready for Life."  Smart Beginnings is an organization that is designed to support state initiatives within the field of early childhood development and education.  The organization also has regional programs that supports a group of local communities across the state.  The state's star quality improvement initiative is supported by Smart Beginnings.  The be a quality rater or mentor one would need to have the knowledge of early childhood education, development, and practices.  Specific training is required for each position.  Trainings are focused on the observation tools that are used to determine the rating.  The tools that are used is CLASS, and ECERS.  Depending on the age of the classroom the appropriate observation tool is used.  Smart Beginnings offers resources for parents.  Smart Beginnings also offers community members to be part of the organization by participating on various committees.  To be a member of a committee one must value and support the overall healthy development of children to ensure each child is "Ready for School. Ready for Life".  For more information visit the Smart Beginnings website:  http://smartbeginnings.org/

I chose Voices for Virginia's Children as an organization that appeals to me because they focus on advocacy to ensure the children are Virginia have a voice and ensure the programs are in place and funded in order to support and provide children across the state with the resources and services they need in order to learn and grow in order to reach their full potential.  This organization keeps communities and programs within those communities abreast of legislative changes that impact children. This organization lobbies for change by supporting new initiatives and bills that make positive impacts in communities across the state.  They all lobby in order to  protect programs from cuts or policies changes that could have negative impacts on communities across the state.  To work with this organization one will need to have knowledge of various content areas that support children's health and development.  The knowledge of the legislative process would be needed in order to advocate in the most effective manner.  For more information visit Voices for Virginia's Children website: http://vakids.org/

 

 I chose the Virginia Head Start Association, Inc. as an organization that appeals to me because I worked with Head Start for 12 years.  Through my work with Head Start I have developed a wonderful network of colleagues that provide support  for the mission of providing high quality services for children and families.  Head Start is inclusive of providing comprehensive services to children and families.  Head Start supports professional development for all staff.  Head Start has a strong commitment to community partners.  Those that share the passion of providing quality services to at risk children are able to join the work of Head Start. Head Start has provided what I believe is the ultimate model of how to support early childhood education and development.   Even though I have moved on in my career I still rely on my network within the Head Start community.  The mission of my current program is to support children and families that are not able to attend Head Start because of limited slots.  Therefore the Virginia Preschool Initiative is a partner with Head Start within many communities across the state. For more information visit the Virginia Head Start Association's website:  http://headstartva.org/

 

 

 

My Wordle

A Note of Thanks

I want to say thank you to all my colleagues as we complete another milestone in our journey of completing our Master Degrees.  As we come to a fork in the road as we go on our different pathways to embark on our specialties, I wish each of you well and the best in your future endeavors.  I want to thank you all for your perspectives as I gained so much knowledge and insight from your discussion posts as well as your blogs.  We never know when our paths may cross again and would look forward to such opportunities!  The best of luck to everyone!

Adjourning From A Team

There are many stages a team goes through as they conform and work together to achieve their goal.  Each phase may difficult and have its challenges.  Once the goal has been reached it is time for the team to move on and many times the team may dismantle.  This phase of team development may be the hardest of all.  This may happen because new relationships have been formed and while the goal was achieved there could be a bit of a let down as all the build up and hard work has come to an end.  I compare it to the build up of preparing for the holidays, graduations, and weddings where there is months of planning, preparation, excitement and then the day arrives and it is over so quickly.  Many times there is a sadness within the celebrations because it is over.  Many times these events are the center of our world for a long period of time and with a blink of an eye it is over.

 As I mentioned in the second discussion for this week, I recently left a job.  While my boss at the time demonstrated poor leadership as she had no trust and this caused issues throughout the work environment I had the bitter-sweet feeling when I left.  While the overall team in which included the boss was dysfunctional, the team ran quite effectively without her and with that I was sad.  I had a great working relationship and well as a true friendship with my co-workers.  We all shared the passion and the vision of providing the highest quality of services to children and families and we supported each other.  We also grew to know and respect each and became friends.  We all helped each other through many times, good and bad.  This group of women are truly amazing and I found it difficult to leave even though I was moving on to a wonderful opportunity.  So the group of us did go to dinner together to say good-bye.  However it was a good-bye from working together but not a good-bye as in staying in touch and meeting up from time to time and we did just that as we came together to celebrate one of the member's wedding.

As we embark on completing our Master's Degree in the near future I anticipate a bitter-sweet feeling.  As I will find it sweet to accomplish my degree and to put all the hours of work behind me.  It will be an adjustment of not having to do work as it part of my routine but I think  I will get over it rather quickly.   I find the bitter to be not being able to read the insight from my colleagues as they have provided such a wealth of knowledge and I have valued their insight.  As well as put their personal sides out there, they have been a big part of my life for a year and a half.  While I have not met them in person we have a connection and they have supported me throughout this journey. 

I think adjourning is an essential stage of teamwork because a successful team in many ways becomes a family during the time of working together to achieve the goal and there is a need to say good-bye or have a closing celebration.    As with family you have your ups and downs however trusting relationships are able to navigate through both smooth and rough waters.  I think as teams adjourn it is necessary to have a ritual or celebration to knowledge all the work and success of the team or have time to reflect.  It is also important to have the opportunity to say good-bye and have closure.