Final Post

Time Well Spent

One deeply felt learning experience in this program was in Week 5 when we were
reviewing leadership styles. I did not know of all the different learning styles. I did learn that I am a mixture of multiple leadership styles - people-oriented, servant and transformational. What I will need to work on is combining all three styles to provide a quality program and Community of  Practice team to advocate for early childhood. The second is taking a step back and truly looking at the problem that I want to fix within the early childhood program. The educational impact and healthy issue that could arise from eliminating free-play in the daily routines of young children has hit home with my 7 year old niece. The problem is not only professional,
but personal. The third deeply felt thing from this course is the interaction with colleagues and learning about each individual's passion and challenge.

A long term goal would be to continue to advocate and fright for a FAPE for
all children. To continue to keep free-play into the learning environment
in our early childhood programs to help our children develop in a healthy
manner.

To all my colleagues in this course and Dr. Teri

Thank you for your advice and input with my challenge during this course.
Your information has been very beneficial in the continued effort to make
learning fun for children. When children have fun learning the information
learned will stay with them longer. Thank you all and I look forward to
blogging. Have a wonderful summer!

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

The OMEP is one of the oldest early childhood organizations that work to ensure the wellbeing, rights and education of young children.  They currently have offices established in over sixty different countries.   They are a non-profit, non-governmental international organization.  OMEP works collaboratively with UNICEF to develop water and sanitation systems for children in the developing world.  This organization offers a membership to be a part of their team.

OMEP-USA.  (2010).  Making a difference for children at home and around the world. Retrieved from: http://omepusa.fatcow.com/omep

Education International is an organization compressed of teachers and other education employees across the globe.  Their goal is to provide a quality education to all children around the world.  This organization works to eliminate racism across the globe by advocating for equity in society.  This groups drive is to provide an education to all children.  The organization has regional and global task force teams working to promote a better life for children.

The employment opportunities range from switch board operator to teaching.  The qualifications one would need would be a degree in education.  You have to be someone who is committed to working with other individuals and making a better life for children.  Employment for me with this organization would not be feasible as I do not speak a different language.

Education International. (n.d.). Early Childhood Education. Retrieved from: http://www.ei-ie.org/en//websections/content_detail/3265

The third organization is the International Association for Steiner/Waldorf Early Childhood Education.  This organization works to promote health, education and care for all young children from birth until they enter school.  They publish monthly newsletters on their current events and issues.  Waldorf kindergartens are located in Germany.  The site offers membership to the organization, as well as being able to list your child care center with them.  This organization also offers a program that can provide support to the individual child care centers.  At this time I did not see a place to apply for employment. 

Rudolf Steiner. (n.d.).  International Association for Steiner/Waldorf Early Childhood Education. Retrieved from: http://www.iaswece.org/index.aspx

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

*          At least three national/federal organizations or communities of practice that appealed to you, and explain why you chose them. 

            The three national organizations that appeal to my challenge are National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Zero to Three, and United States Department of Health and Human Services.  All three of these organizations have offer support and up-to-date resources and information when working with early childhood.  All three organizations offer publications and conference to attend for training on current issues.  These organizations have been in my resource bank for many years, as they provide knowledge on age ranges from zero to adolescence.   The sites keep me abreast of new information, ideas and data regarding a child’s development.           

*          Job opportunities (currently available or not) that interest you

Currently NAEYC and Zero to Three organizations do not have any jobs available that I am qualified for, however the jobs that were posted give me an idea of what this organization is looking for as far as an employee.  The United States Department of Health and Human Services had several jobs that were of interest that worked with assisting youth into adulthood and child protective service.             

*          Skills and experience that you would need to competently fulfill each of these roles. 

 

The skills and experiences needed for the United States Department of Health and Human Services position is my current teaching position with high school students.  Currently I teach students life and job skills to prepare them for post-secondary life.  The child protective job training in placement services, self-protection training, and hands on job experience in working as a social worker or educator. 

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

*          At least three local or state organizations or communities of

practice that appealed to you, and explain why you chose them

            Family and Children Services, Head Start, and Easter Seals.

All three of these organizations have a local office and work with children who have special needs.  Family and Children Services offers a variety of services and programs for children at risk, low income families and assist with early intervention needs for all children.  Head Start helps children who are less fortunate that others.  This program gives children a competitive edge with their peers in school.  Easter Seals offers supports to individuals and programs for children with special needs, as well as financially.

           

*          Job opportunities (currently available or not) that interest you

The job opportunity that I would be of the most interest to me is working with the early intervention assessment team.  Being able to support children and their families from the initial diagnosis would be rewarding.    The position with Easter Seals would be a coordinator.  This position assists families in setting up therapy, day care or other services for individuals with special needs.

           

*          Skills and experience that you would need to competently fulfill each of these roles.  The skills and experiences needed are to know the process of evaluating a young child with special needs.  Early childhood training, courses and hands on experience in working with special needs are essential for knowing how to establish effective programs that will benefit the child and family.

Week 1 Wordle in the Final Stretch

The final stretch is here.  My wordle topic is dealing with the public school systems wanting to delete play from the early childhood years.  Good luck to everyone in our last course.

Welcoming Families from Around the World

       The country of the family’s origin is Italy.

The ways that I would prepare myself to be culturally responsive towards this family would first be through research of the country; 2) with affiliation to the military I would check family services to see what we could offer a family that is moving to this area with different ethnical backgrounds; 3) make a list of questions to ask the family that I feel would beneficial to me from the research conducted on Italy; 4) ask the staff if there is anyone who has ever lived or has relatives from Italy; 5) set my classroom up with some items from Italy that would make the family feel welcome on the first visit; 6) ask the family if the items I’ve placed in the class are appropriate or could they assist me in making the necessary corrections.

I believe that these preparations will assist me in eliminating some of my own biases or fears of the unknown when the family arrives.  Also this will I hope make the family feel a little more comfortable and empowered when they walk into my classroom.  I want all of my families and children to know that this is their classroom.  For parents to feel comfortable knowing that they have a voice in what we do and the creation of the education for their children.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

Living in South Korea I had a hard time dealing with the way women are treated.  The value is of little significance.  The women are there to take care of the children, house and the men.  If an as women married an American male who had children (female) they treated that child as if she was a threat to the relationship.  

 

This oppression diminished the equity between the male and female race; making the male more superior.  These women were oppressed as they were not allowed to speak up unless directed.   The women automatically knew their places in society.  As a woman of the western culture, this is what we were called, it made my skill crawl to see how they treated the women and to know the little girls were going to grow up the same way.

The feels this brought up for me was that of anger, resent, the who do they think they are syndrome, and if it were not for the women they wouldn’t exist either.  For anyone to think they are more superior to the next is pure ignorance.  Men could not survive without women in the world; they need to get over themselves. 

What and or who that would have to change would be society and history.  History has made its mark on the culture and now only society can change the way things are passed from generation to generation.  When there society realizes that everyone is human and should be treated equal only then will the opportunity for greater equity be seen.