Time Well Spent

At the conclusion of this course I learned the importance of voicing my passion in the field of early childhood education.  It was sometimes hard to formulate exactly what I wanted to say, however, with the help of Dr. Embree and my colleagues it came to pass.  I learned about resources that are available to early childhood professionals in the state, national and international level.  I was amazed to learn how there are so many difference is the field from state to state.  Including my current state of residency.  I left the state of North Carolina where there has been a big push on early childhood development utilizing the initiatives.  Virginia is slowly making the same strides.  

Secondly, I learned how my current positon as a training and curriculum specialists serves as a vehicle for change.  I can communicate with teachers, parents, support staff and individuals in the community who visit our facility.  I values what I have learned about collaboration with others in the field and the importance of sharing our knowledge with others in order to advocate for needed changes and developing strategies that will help others.

Lastly, I learned a lot about leadership and how that leadership can affect the cause.  I learned about the importance of sticking to my values by working to support others and continue to look towards how to make changes through my examples provided through leadership and actions.  My long term goal is to continue to work on professional development by started my Doctoral program in early childhood education.  As a trainer I continue to share the importance of learning as much as possible.  It is important for me to work as a professional in this career while always working to improve and share how what we do as educators is beneficial to others especially children and families. 

I would like to truly wish everyone well on their next journey in life.  I am proud of the commitment we have made to education and early childhood education.  Thank you Dr. Embree for all of your support.  You helped me calm down to stay on task for the last eight weeks.  I appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with you and my colleagues to continue to grow as an early childhood professional.  Remember how much we can do when we continue to advocate for change. 

 

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

During my search online for three international organizations or communities of practice, I found three that stood out to me.  The first organization was ICF International at www.icfi.com.  This institution works to support the field of early childhood education programs by providing assistance with meeting mandates by building upon skills that are essential through trainings and technical support.  The goal is to produce programs that are high quality and effective.  The institute has consultants who can work where their clients are and provide hands-on support as needed.  The institution also works with programs to stay competitive and current with requirements at the federal level (ICF International, 2015).

ICF International’s mission is to support business, people and government by having a large impact in areas that are important.  They work to support partners by providing solutions to issues through innovations, providing advice, and execution. The vision of the institution is to work without boundaries with clients, individuals, and shareholders in order to find success in the world with continuous change.  The institute values maintaining focus on their clients, committing to their passion to complete work that needs to be done.  They provide rewards to encourage continuation of growth in performance.  They strive for excellence through providing rigor in areas of applied experiences creativity and intellect.  Lastly, three components support following the way of ICF.  They work with the passion to help clients meet their goals.  Providing expertise through providing experiences in areas of technical support, analytics, and knowledge in the industry and program.  They also work with programs from the beginning to the end in order to achieve results that are compelling (ICF International, 2015).

I selected this institution because of their work in early childhood education to provide trainings and hand-on support.  In 2007 India launched services from ICF International Early Education to assist with addressing education challenges in early childhood.  ICF provides programs technical assistance and training using research and evaluations supporting plans and projects (ICF International, 2015).

When I searched ICF International’s website for careers in early childhood education I selected one that stood out to me.  The positon is Education Technical Assistance Specialists-Office of Child Care (Nationwide).  When I reviewed the qualifications, I realized that I am qualified.  Those qualifications are that I must have a Bachelor’s degree in or related to the field of early childhood education.  I have to have twelve years of experiences that is relevant to the field.  I need to be able to provide training as well as technical support in the field.  I saw one area that I would need to gain more experience in and that was with using TA tools.  Also I am proficient with MS Office Suite, Adobe and webinar tools and E-learning (ICF International, 2015).

The second organization was SRI International at https://www.sri.com.  This is a research organization that works as a non-profit providing services to industries and government.  The organization address problems faced by the word by working collaboratively in order to great new solutions and ideas.  This organization was started by Stanford University in 1946 and in 1970 independently separated from the university and changed their name to SRI International in 1977.  The organization works to promote safety, productivity and health (SRI International, 2015).

SRI International has a center for education and human services that work collaboratively with practitioners, policymakers and founders to make improvements of effectiveness and implementation of the programs and the policies using researching early childhood education through the products and services.  I chose this organization because of their work to collaborate to find ways to make change in the field. There were not only early childhood education positons in my job search, however I saw a position titled education researcher assessment in California.  I do not meet the qualifications, but I thought it was an interesting position supporting the use of assessments which I have used in the field.  I need to have a PhD in measurement, statistics and social research methods, psychology and related areas along with three years of experience (SRI International, 2015).

The third organization I selected was International Step by Step Association.  In 1999 this organization was founded in the Netherlands.  Members are at almost 40 countries around the world primarily in Europe and Central Asia.  This organization brings together non-profits and professionals who work in education and provide quality care available to children birth to age ten.  There is an alliance called Early Years Regional Alliance where various organizations share common goals.  The mission is to ensure programs have high quality, equal access to education by all children and professionalism.  The organization works on providing empowerment to families and the community supporting learning and the development of children.  Support is also provided for continued professional development.  Works to create an effective partnership with individuals working with children and families form Roma (International Step By Step Association, n.d.).

I chose this organization because of their work to improve quality care through continued professional development and provide education access to children.  After browsing the website there was no search engine to see if there were any job vacancies.

 

References

 ICF International. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.icfi.com

 International Step By Step Association. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.issa.nl

SRI International. (2015). Retrieved from https://www.sri.com

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

While searching online for three national and federal agencies or communities of practice or organizations I selected three that were appealing.  The first organization I selected was National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators at www.naecte.org.  I selected this group due to their purpose.  This organization supports professionals by advocating improvements and development of professionals working in the field of early childhood education.  The organization also provides a network where communication can occur between other professionals in the field ("National Association Of Early Childhood Teacher Educators", n.d.).

The second organization I selected is Association for Childhood Education (ACEI) at www.acei.org.  I selected this organization due to the collaboration of diverse professional sharing information in order to support education that provides quality for all children.  Done of the professionals in this organization that stood out to me was Dr. Graham who focuses on developing the workforce.  I also selected this organization due to the shared focus of developing teacher’s education by Jesus Paiz-Albo ("Association For Childhood Education International", 2015).

The third organization that was appealing was National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education (NAECS-SDE) at www.naecs-sde.org.  I selected this organization based on the ability to make contact with professionals who have a big influence in the field of early childhood.  The organization focuses on providing high quality by making improvements in instruction, curriculum used and how programs are operated.  There is also a collaboration of members with professionals in the field, organizations, agencies and, state departments to strategize on shared challenges ("National Association Of Early Childhood Specialists In State Departments Of Education", n.d.).

After completing my search of communities of practice on the national and federal level, I looked on the organizations websites and the internet for job positions that I found required continued professional development and learning.  One position that I found was an adjunct early childhood education in Suffolk, Virginia.  To qualify for this positon a Bachelor’s degree in early childhood or elementary education was required.  The individual would also need to have teaching experiences, oral and good writing skills.  There is a preference for a Master’s degree with a minimum of 18 semester hours of graduate teaching discipline.  Also there is a preference for previous teaching experience in a community college and using technology ("Monster Jobs", 2015).  Currently, I am qualified for this position and would like to gain additional experience teaching adults while working in a college setting.  I would eventually like to teach in the university and this is great start to my journey.

While browsing National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators, I found a job announcement.  The position is Director-Henderson-Hopkins School.  The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Early Childhood Center in Baltimore, Maryland.  To qualify for this position, the individual must have knowledge of best practices in early childhood and pre-k leadership skills working in early childhood center based settings.  Experience working with stakeholders is also needed.  Knowledge with assessing development in holistic areas.  There is a preference for experience in Head Start and Early Head Start Programs.  The applicant must also have five years of experience as an administrator and a preferences of a Master’s degree in early childhood or related field ("National Association Of Early Childhood Teacher Educators", n.d.).   This position appealed to me because I meet the qualification and I have past experience of working with public school programs in pre-k and working as a trainer focusing on the holistic areas of children.

The last positon a Center Director at Right Start Early Childhood Center in Chesapeake, Virginia.  The applicant must be 21 years or older with a minimum of an Associates or Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education.  The applicant must also have two years of experience working as a director with good leadership skills relating to children and adults.  Lastly the applicant must have CPR & First Aid/ MAT certification and Food Handlers ("Indeed Job Search", n.d.).   This job appealed to me due to my past experience of working as an assistant director.  I feel that I am qualified for this positon based on my continued professional development and experience over the years to manage a program.

References

Association for childhood education international. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.acei.org/

Indeed job search. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.indeed.com

Monster jobs. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.monster.com/

National association of early childhood specialists in state departments of education. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.naecs-sde.org/

National association of early childhood teacher educators. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.naecte.org/

 

 

 

Exploring Roles in the Early Childhood Education Community: Local and State Levels

Exploring Roles in the Early Childhood Community: Local and State Levels

After looking online for three local or state communities of practice or organizations I have chosen three that were appealing.  The first organization is Virginia Cross-Sector Professional Development Team  at www.vcpd.net.  I chose this organization due to their mission to promote coordination in professional development for programs working with young children in Virginia.  The mission is to also evaluate professional development through implementation development and planning.  The program looks at characteristic in early childhood such as fair wages for high standards of credentials and licensure.  Providing access early childhood educators to gain understanding of what they do in the area of development and knowledge that supports using practices based on evidence ("Virginia Cross-Sector Professional Development Team", 2013). It is important to help new and seasoned teachers understand the importance of what they do including the importance of continued education. 

The second organization I chose was Virginia Association for Early Childhood Education at www.vaece.org.  This organization seeks to support programs or groups working with young children in Virginia.  The program works to promote professional development to support the growth of educators through resources and ways to improve the quality of education for children.  The program also advocates for decisions in public policies to and get information out that support children and families ("Virginia Association For Early Childhood Education", n.d.). I chose this organization because they work to promote the need for early childhood educators to seek professional development in order to increase quality in their programs.

The last program I selected was Tidewater Association for Early Childhood Education at www.taece.org.  This is a local organization that works to get early childhood professionals on the goal of providing development that is ideal for children living in the Tidewater area.  The program also provides training to early childhood educators to support improvements in quality care ("Tidewater Association For Early Childhood Education", n.d.).  I selected this program because it is local and works to provide information to early childhood educators on the need for continued professionals development in order to ensure high quality and standards of practice in the field.  I can use all of these programs to share information with teachers in my child care program.

After learning about some communities of practice and organizations that support the need for professional development I browsed the internet for job positions available to early childhood professionals that support what I would like to do in the field.  I selected a position that is no longer available on line for an adjunct professor at Norfolk State University ("Indeed Job Search", n.d.). I chose to complete my master’s degree in adult education and training so that I could teach adults interested in working in the field of early childhood education.  I quickly realized that I must continue to work on my professional development by striving for my PhD in education.  I have not yet found any positions available for someone with a master’s degree, but I will keep looking.

I also found a positon for a child care licensing specialists.  After reading over the minimum qualifications, I learned that I am qualified for this position by having my bachelor’s degree in child development.  I have had the required minimum of working for two years as an administrator ("Indeed Job Search", n.d.).  I currently work as a trainers of adults and one of the duties of this job is to provide trainings for technical assistance for providers of child care.  I would also have to travel by completing on-site visits.  This would be very similar to what I am doing now minus the traveling.

The last position I would like to apply to is similar to my time as a teacher working for the public school.  The job is early head start home based family consultant.  This positions minimum requirement is to have a bachelor’s degree with a preference for a master’s degree ("Indeed Job Search", n.d.).  I have to have skills in home visits for a minimum of a year.  This is something that I used to do when I worked for a program called Bright Beginnings.  We were required to complete one home visit a year.  This position is appealing because I would get to work with families by providing playgroups for their children and parent education.  I need to continue to work on becoming bilingual as a form of professional development to meet the needs of child and families I may come in contact with. 

  

References

Indeed job search. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.indeed.com

Tidewater association for early childhood education. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.taece.org

Virginia association for early childhood education. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.vaec.org

Virginia cross-sector professional development team. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.vcpd.net

Welcome to my blog page

Welcome to my page EDUC 6990-7

Professional Thanks

I have enjoyed learning about my colleagues this semester.  I have learned more about several classmates in their blog posts.  I hope to continue to communicate and learn more while I continue my education at Walden.  I have been using strategies I have learned throughout this class and will continue in my early childhood journey and personal life.  I would like to thank my colleagues for your support this semester by responding to my posts and sharing insights in your posts.  I wish you all well in your professional and educational journey and enjoy the rest of your summer.

Adjourning Group

            In college I had the opportunity to participate in several group projects.  One of the groups that stands out the most was in my teaching licensure program. I was paired in a group with one other member.  We were both enrolled in the program in order to attain our teaching license in birth through kindergarten.  In this group I learned that Ms. Rhonda was a hard worker like myself and wanted to ensure we completed our task on time.  In this group I was the group leader.  My partner Ms. Rhonda was easy to reach and stayed on task with the completion of her portion of the project. She worked hard to find creative ways to meet our challenge of getting video taped segments for our group project.  We e-mailed the segments back and forth and then met to put the assignment together.  After our presentation we earned received an A.

            I enjoyed working with Ms. Rhonda and I felt that our group was a high performing group.  We both completing tasks in a timely manner while working closely with good communication.  We learned about each other during our group project.  We both worked in early childhood.  She worked in a child development home and wanted to work in the public school after she got her teaching license.  I had just started working in a pre-k program where I came in under lateral entry with the understanding that I had to complete my licensure program within three years.  After communicating with Rhonda I realized we were both were goal oriented and enjoyed working in our field.  At the end of the group project I maintained contact with Rhonda by phone and via social media.   I no longer live near Ms. Rhonda but we both stay up to date with one another and our journey in the early childhood profession.

                While completing my master’s program in my current group I imagine that I will try to maintain contact.  According to O’Hair, Wiemann, Mullin and Teven (2015) “cohesion is the degree to which group members bond, like each other, and consider themselves to be one entity” (p. 262).   I had the opportunity to get to know Rhonda while working with her in our group.  We were able to have weekly interactions in person and by phone.  In my current master’s program I have not had the opportunity to get to know my colleagues like I did with Ms. Rhonda.  I think this is because we only have contact via e-mail.   By reading their e-mails on our blog posts and class assignments I have gained a glimpse of who my group members are.  This has been a little challenging to build a relationship with my colleagues because I am used to working with group members in person.  According to Abudi (2010) “The adjourning stage is when the team is completing the current project. They will be joining other teams and moving on to other work in the near future” (para, 1).   My hope is to continue to try to build a relationship with my colleagues on our journey in the early childhood profession while using what I have learned from past group experiences and work toward making improvements in order to be a valuable and productive group member.

 

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., Mullin, D. I., & Teven, J.  (2015). Real communication (3rd. ed). New York: Bedford/St. Martin's