Time Well Spent

I have learned so much throughout the past 8 weeks of this course in which I will take these findings with me as I continue with my action plan and my role as an educator. First off, I have learned the importance of self-reflection as we were asked time and again to self-reflect on our challenges, our goals, our Communities of Practice, and our vision for the future. This time was spent reflecting on the feedback we were given and the push was to see where we could go from there. It was essential in developing our final Capstone which are now successful action plans to implement. The second thing I am taking from this course is the power of communication and collaboration in the form of having a professor and group of peers who were constantly in communication with one another, pushing each other to dig deeper or suggesting ideas to better our project. Having the communication and collaboration piece of this course has truly pushed me beyond my limits and is the sole reason that my Capstone is what it is now. The final piece I am taking from this course is the ability to implement the learning in the form of carrying out my action plan. I have already began reaching out to my proposed Community of Practice in order to create permanent partnerships between staff and families at my school. I have discussed what my vision is and have begun the steps that I proposed to achieve my three goals. This course taught me that it is possible to implement what we have learned immediately and to evolve as time goes.

My long-term goal is to take these teachings and keep utilizing them to every endeavor I take on as an early childhood professional.

I am so thankful for Dr. Embree for pushing me on each of my discussions, blogs, and applications to ensure my work was fine-tuned early on to allow me to take in the feedback and evolve my project to the right level it needed to be at. This was immensely helpful in creating my final Capstone project which was not as burdening as I had imagined due to the weeks of specific feedback and recommendations for changes. I feel confident in my action plan and the work that I have presented is up to par with everything I have been working on in this Masters program the past two years. I am grateful to have ended my time with Walden with a professor who is both critical and encouraging to ensure I reached my maximum success.

I would also like to thank my peers, especially those in Group 2, who have pushed me in my discussions and given me ideas for how to improve my project. I have enjoyed working with each and everyone of you and normally I would put that I hope we have another class together, but seeing as we have finally achieved the end, I say this; May your goals as an early childhood professional be reached and may your influence change lives. Thank you for everything you all have given me and take a moment to relax, we did it!!!!!

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

Our Mission:

To promote innovative solutions to education challenges and inspire action that creates positive, sustainable futures for children and youth worldwide.

Our Challenge:

Children need stimulating learning environments that provide the knowledge and skills they need to tackle the challenges of this century. However, their opportunities to learn are being threatened around the world.

Our Solution:

Expanding diplomatic interactions to advance education, promoting skills children need for a 21st century life, and transforming today's education into education for tomorrow.

This organization, which has been established since 1892, is an International organization which has dedicated itself to making education a right to every student around the world, which means that every child has equal access and opportunity to obtain an education for a sustainable future.

Websites

https://www.acei.org/

"When a devastating natural disaster occurs in some countries, the OMEP Executive Board takes immediate actions to help the affected countries to rebuild the early education and care programs, along with endeavor for the reduction of the disaster impact. Those efforts mainly center on providing quality early education and care (e.g., establishing early education and care centers, libraries, training early education teachers, providing educational materials and nutritious meals, etc.) in collaboration with other OMEP members and international NGOs such as UN/UNICEF. However, the efforts often extends to revitalizing local communities as a whole by participating in more community-wide comprehensive projects."

This organization began after World War II where the devastation from the war left Europe in shambles. A group of dedicated educators, took it upon themselves to rebuild early childhood systems so that no child would be left without an education due to the fights between men and governments. 

ISSA is a membership association which serves as a learning community and champion for quality and equity for all children and their families.

ISSA champions the right of all children to reach their unique, full potential and welcomes all organizations and individuals who have the same ambitions.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES:

International Consultant to Support the Office Partnership Strategy Building and Implementation, Tunisia Education: Advanced university degree in International Development, Public Relations, Administration or related discipline. Experience: Two to three years of progressively responsible and relevant professional work experience in donor relations, external communications, and / or programme planning and monitoring; Proven/demonstrable experience in proposal writing/fundraising and donor reporting; Previous experience with international organization is considered an asset; Strong knowledge and experience using MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), and other software; Familiarity with Infographic software an asset; Familiarity with rights based programming; Familiarity with UNICEF and the local context is an asset. Fluency in both English and French is required. Education Officer, Port Vila

To qualify as a/an [champion or advocate] for every child you will have…

• A University Degree in education, psychology, sociology or other social science field is required.
• A minimum of 2 years of professional experience in social development planning and management in education
• Relevant experience in education and related areas, program/project development and management in a UN system agency or organization is an asset.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required or a local language is an asset.
  For every Child, you demonstrate…
  Our core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.
  UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply.

Advisor, Nutrition and Child Health, Lusaka, Zambia Required Background and Experience, Skills and Behaviors Master's degree in Nutrition, international health, is required Demonstrated progressive experience with increasing responsibility focused in integrated programming of nutrition, child health, early childhood development, and SBCC Demonstrated progressive experience in providing technical expertise to host government(s) for the areas of care, treatment, and prevention of malnutrition Solid experience developing SBCC training tools and materials Experience developing and implementing a behavior change communication strategy for the program, focusing on creating demand for community nutrition services Experience working with nutrition-sensitive agriculture and livelihoods programs Prior experience developing and managing community-based health programs in developing countries Experience working in health systems strengthening Extensive experience working in Africa, preferably Zambia Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to lead and work effectively in team situations Excellent oral and written communication skills Zambian nationals are encouraged to apply.

Websites:

https://www.acei.org/

http://www.issa.nl/

http://www.worldomep.org/

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

"Research shows that children who are poor hear approximately 30 million fewer words than their more affluent peers during the first three years of life. This "word gap" can lead to disparities in not only school readiness, but also long-term educational and health outcomes, earnings, and family stability (BTWG, n.d.)". Bridging the Word Gap is a National Research Network Community of Practice in which includes the Department of Education (ED), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to help parents, caregivers, and teachers on this importance issue. As someone who teaches in a low-socioeconomic area, I can attest to having students come in at the second grade level, having no knowledge of many sight words that should have been learned before entering Kindergarten. This is not necessarily the parents fault, but the fault of the society we live in which cannot afford to give these families the same privleges as their affluent peers during the first three years of life.



The Build Initiative is a Federal Community of Practice that "assists state leaders in planning and implementing a comprehensive early childhood "system of systems" that crosses policy domains. The aim is to prepare young children aged birth - five to succeed by helping their families access high quality early learning programs, family and parenting support, early intervention services for children with special needs, and comprehensive health, mental health and nutritional services (Build Initiative, n.d.)". This Community of Practice is made up of state leaders, families, teachers, early childhood professionals, interventionists, child counselors and psychologists, and other members such as nutritional services that cater to schools. This Community of Practice appealed to me as I have actually been to a Professional Development meeting in which members of the Build Initiative came to speak to us educators about joining the Build Initiative at our state level in order to make a difference. I have been considering this for quite some time now and this week's Blog assignment has just further pushed me to finally take the chance and help make a change for students in our country.

The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Visiting Community of Practice was established by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Administration on Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) which also includes state level organizations for this Federal Community of Practice that visits soon-to-be moms as well as moms who have just given birth or have children in the early childhood stage of development. They provide resources and knowledge to help these families out and to ensure everyone is safe, healthy, and happy while also getting what they need to survive.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES:

President and CEO of Early Learning Indiana (ELI) - Statewide
ELI seeks a leader with at least ten years’ progressive leadership experience and a passion for ELI’s mission and vision. Knowledge in the field of early care and education and prior management experience, preferably in nonprofit or educational leadership, is required. Strong business, financial and organizational savvy will be evidenced by a proven ability to set clear priorities, delegate and guide the investment of human and other resources to help achieve goals. The successful candidate is an active listener who will support and value the skills of staff, bring a collaborative and compassionate nature to problem solving, and demonstrate a history of building and supporting a diverse team though equal opportunity in operations, community engagement, employment, and decision making.

Early Learning Branch Manager - Seattle, Washington

• Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education or psychology related degree with an emphasis in early learning/childhood.
• Two years of experience in managing and leading an early learning program for young children. Preferred experience in working with children and families that have been involved with the Child Welfare system or other social services
• Must have 45 Credits of ECE in accordance with Childcare Licensing
• Must be able to obtain cleared Portable Background check through Department of Early Learning
• Must have a valid WDL and safe driving record.
• Must clear agency background check and drug test screening
• Current state approved infant/child (or community if school aged) CPR certification
• TB test by Mantoux method.
• HIV/AIDS training certification.
• Completion of minimum MERIT required 30 hour training.

Executive Director, Children's Museum in Easton

• Passionate advocate for the mission
• Experienced nonprofit or business manager
• Demonstrated success in raising funds
• Exceptional communication skills
• A thoughtful visionary and creative entrepreneur
• Astute networker and collaborator
• Keen emotional intelligence
• Team builder
• Experience working with boards of directors
• Strong social media and information technology skills

Websites

http://www.buildinitiative.org/

http://www.bwgresnet.res.ku.edu/

https://mchb.hrsa.gov/maternal-child-health-initiatives/home-visiting-overview

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

I entered upon the world of Early Childhood through education. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree, I knew that I wanted to work with kids in a small group setting. I entered this program at Walden with the hopes of procuring a Masters in Early Childhood so that I would be able to enter the field, yet two months after starting, I was blessed to get a job as a Kindergarten teacher over a thousand miles away from where I was living at the time. I decided to continue with my Masters as I had already fallen in love with the program and knew that I wanted to better myself for my future scholars.

Here I am, nearly two years later, still teaching for the same school system and almost completed with my degree. Up until now, I had thought that education was my only niche in the Early Childhood community, but this week we were asked to explore state and local level roles in the Early Childhood field. I have discovered multiple opportunities at the state and local levels that would provide an excellent opportunity to remain in the Early Childhood field, yet be able to take on different hat to help the children we serve.


One of these organizations within my great state of Texas, is the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children. This is the Texas state affiliate of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) which caters directly to celebrating, education, and advocating for young children, families, and the early childhood profession. I chose this organization as I have become extremely familiar with NAEYC through this program and was extremely interested in finding that there was a state branch that followed the same mission. Perhaps the biggest appeal in choosing this organization, is how it caters directly to Texas and the issues and topics we are facing as a state, for example, the TXAEYC website has an entire section dedicated to accepting donations for Early Childhood Programs that were affected by Hurrican Harvey back in August. As I have seen the direct affects of Hurricane Harvey, it was great to see how this organization is giving back to the community and helping the young children who were affected by it.


I picked the Association for Early Learning Leaders as an organization as it appeals to my current career plans to become and a Leader in Early Childhood. This organization is made up of hundreds of individuals that are committed to excellence by promoting leadership development and enhancing program quality through the National Accreditation Commission's standards and which caters directly to program directors, owners, and administrators. This organization holds many conferences all over the USA to reach multiple people who are interested in either furthering their career to become a leader in early childhood or to reach those who are already in the position and want to continue to improve. They are directly interested in providing resources to these communities while also providing the perfect outlet for communication and collaboration for these individuals so that they may hold each other accountable and can rely on one another for questions and issues that may arise.

The last organization I chose was the Council for Professional Recognition which is focused on advancing the professional development and recognition of early childhood educators. As I am currently an early childhood educator, I have seen firsthand the lack of relevant available professional development for early childhood educators and how the lack of recognition leaves the field with a high turnover rate. Whereas many individuals believe that early childhood teachers are simply babysitters, without actual recognition for the amount of work and time we spend bettering our students, many early childhood educators are left feeling like their roles do not matter or believe they could be better recognized in another field.

Jobs Available:

Preschool Teacher at Country Home Learning Center #4
"Daycare facility ready to hire caring, dedicated Preschool Teachers to work a variety of Part Time shifts including Infants, Preschool, and After School Teachers. We are specifically looking for those qualified with a CDA or an Early Childhood Education background. Employer will train. Duties may include: Maintain a safe play environment. Dress children and change diapers. Observe and monitor children's play activities. Communicate with children's parents or guardians about daily activities, behaviors, and related issues. Sanitize toys and play equipment."

Adjunct Faculty in Early Childhood -The Texas A&M School System
"The Department of Educator and Leadership Preparation is currently seeking a non-tenured track Adjunct faculty in Early Childhood for Spring, Summer, and Fall 2018. Responsibilities include teaching undergraduate courses in Early Childhood. Master's degree in related field from a regionally accredited institution.Experience as a teacher of young children or early childhood professional working with children and families"

Preschool Teacher at Upscale Chilldcare Center - PREP School of Stone Oak
"We are looking for professional people with a great attitude that have a love for children and are looking for a great opportunity with a new Private Preschool! Strong knowledge of Licensing and great references are a must! Job Requirements: CDA or Early Childhood Development Degree is preferred Previous work history in a licensed child care facility is preferred HS Diploma/GED 18 years or over Pass a Background Check and fingerprint scan"

After searching for Early Childhood jobs, it can be easy to see why many think early childhood is solely dedicated to the field of preschool and daycare teachers and why people do not take them seriously when the only requirements are to be 18 years old, a high school diploma or a GED, and they must pass a background and fingerprint check. It makes the field of early childhood education seem like an easy thing and discredits the trust early childhood educators that have devoted their lives to bettering our society by raising and teaching students with their whole hearts.  
 


Websites
http://www.texasaeyc.org/
http://www.earlylearningleaders.org/
https://www.cdacouncil.org/

Thank You

This officially marks my last full class before starting my Capstone course. This entire course has been an eye-opening experience that has allowed me to self-reflect on my own discomforts and biases while being able to communicate and collaborate with my peers. I feel better prepared continuing on my journey to higher education and to establishing an anti-bias classroom and persona. I would like to thank my colleagues for consistently keeping me on my toes with their questions and responses while also aiding me in topics I did not feel comfortable discussing. I wish you all the best of luck in your future!

Thank you,
Emily

Ukraine in Crisis

I chose the regional office of Europe and Central Asia as there is so much on the news about this area, the refugees, and the children that are affected. The article that I chose addresses the 200,000 children in Ukraine that require extensive and immediate psychological support after they have lived nearly three years in nonstop violence. These children all live within 15km of the major area of war and the article expresses the consistent sounds of bullets and the constant source of fear that their family will be the next bodies lying in the streets. "Children nearest the 'contact-line' have been living in chronic fear and uncertainty due to sporadic shelling, unpredictable fighting and dangers from landmines and other unexploded ordinance" (UNICEF, 2017, para. 5).

There have already been life-altering behaviors exhibited in 3 year-olds, children born right when the conflict arose, and other psychological behaviors such as bed-wetting, nightmares, aggressive behavior, and severe anxiety have been noted. It is affecting their overall well-being and those that are able to make it to school are being restricted from excelling due to these behaviors.

From a personal and professional experience as I am both human and an educator who has dealt with psychological regression in some students, I am heartbroken for these children and plan to see what more there is I can do on my side of the world. Whether that is having my own students write to them in a pen pal exchange or raising money for relief, I want to play a part in helping them.

Reference
https://www.unicef.org/eca/media_30700.html

Sexulization in Early Childhood

Children being exposed to sexual content at younger ages may lead to them engaging in sexual activity at earlier ages and being at risk for certain issues related to early sex (e.g. teen pregnancy, STDs). Peer pressure can contribute to this kind of behavior as well. Children may not believe that they are worthy of others’ attention if they are not behaving in certain ways or wearing certain clothing. It was difficult to read the book excerpt from ‘so sexy so soon’ as it made the many different ways our culture is sexualised so apparent. I feel that I have become desensitized to this sexualization, so to read about the different effects of it was shocking. After thinking about this it is obvious how much the culture around children has changed over the years. In movies, on television and even at toy stores children are bombarded with sexualised images. This could affect their self-identity development if they feel that they do not conform to the ‘perfect’ image of a boy or a girl. It is important for early childhood professionals to be aware of the exposure that the students have to these images to be able to combat it. We need to teach boys that they do not have to be strong and full of muscle and we have to show girls that they are more than just an object. Studying this topic has definitely increased my awareness of this issue so much so that I no longer ignore the impact it can have.

Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

I work in an extremely diverse part of my city. Where I live, Hispanics are the majority, where I work, African Americans are the majority. No matter where I go, I am the minority as a white female. While I am in no way bothered by this as I celebrate other cultures and enjoy each of the places and people I interact with, I believe that I have come into contact with my own experiences of racism. While the area I live in provides issues with language barriers, it is mainly my experiences in the area I work at that challenge my professional practice. Many of the families and children I serve are African American and almost each and every one of them are below the poverty line. I chose to work in a school system where I would serve low-income students as I believe my biggest impact as a professional comes from my experience as a low-income student growing up. I can relate with these students and empathize with them as I have been in their tattered, too small shoes at one time. A few weeks back at Meet the Teacher Night, I told my own story so that parents know that I am here for all the right reasons and to show them how important education is, especially for those who grew up with little to nothing. After this night, I have had a select few parents who scoff anytime I speak with them or ask to meet with them for their student. I had to make a phone call home as one of the students was not in uniform, when I told the parent that our school policy was to have an all black belt on, the parent told me she could not afford it. I offered to write down her information and send it to my principal to see if we could work with her. She lamented that the uniform policy was stupid and her child should wear what they want, including the twenty dollar Michael Jordan belt that he was wearing that day. I explained the school's policy of uniforms and told her most of the schools in this area require a uniform and she began saying how I did not know anything since I was not from the area saying no white person has ever lived on the Eastside. I had to explain that while no, I did not grow up here, I was born in the same hospital as her son was, but moved around with my two teenage parents. While I know that her comment was more than likely in the heat of the moment and understand the current state of our society in regards to racism, it still impacted my professional practice as I felt like I could no longer communicate with that parent.

Communication

GENERAL INFORMATION
Age range:	2-6
Type of setting (e.g., family child care; center-based program):	Child-Care Center (Nationally Accredited)
Number of children in that “room”:	12
Date/time of observation:	September 20, 2017 / 1:00 p.m-2:00 p.m.

QUICK NOTES:

• Female child “Liz” – 4 years old
• Observation starts on playground during playtime
• Liz is with three other girls her age – 12 kids on playground total with 2 adults
• Liz and three other girls seem to be doing tricks and each one takes turns doing a trick and then others imitate her
• Reminds me of HORSE
• First girl during observational period does a somersault – each girl does a somersault on the grass field behind playground
• Liz does a cartwheel next – does not bend knees
• 2 out of 3 do a perfect cartwheel after her – 1 does a round cartwheel with knees bent to chest
• Other two girls do tricks (one does a popular dance move and other girls imitate; other does jumping jacks)
• One of the teachers begins to laugh and asks the girls where they learned the dance move
• The conversation seems lighthearted and shows that connection between the students and teacher
• A little boy runs up and tags Liz on the arm saying “You’re it! Chase us!” – All kids on playground scatter
• Liz almost immediately tags a little girl who was not in Liz’s initial group- Liz touches her back and begins to turn around
• Girl turns at Liz and yells “That doesn’t count. It was my shirt you tagged, not my back.”
• Liz then says “I tagged your back. You felt it. I know you did. You’re it.” Then runs off, turning once to make sure the little girl is ‘it’
• Teacher interludes with asking the children to play nicely - that is all that is communicated
• Two other children become ‘it’ – Liz carefully dodges these children
• Caregivers call children in from outside
• Children all rush to sink to wash hands – caregivers have a “cool down” period after outside before snack
• Teacher goes over expectations of the room now that they are inside again
• Liz was first to wash hands- immediately goes to aid caregiver who is passing out water cups; other one is grabbing a book
• Liz’s cup comes out of the mini-fridge with either dirt or fuzz on it- Liz does not want it
• Caregiver takes cup, rinses it out and washes it with hand soap before filling it back up-says nothing to Liz
• Liz takes cup but puts it back in the fridge and sits down-teacher sees this, but does not acknowledge it
• Remaining time spent listening to teach read book – Liz pays close attention with no interruption

WRITE-UP:

          Female child named “Liz” (changed for observational purposes), aged 4 is extremely active in the first twenty minutes of observation on the playground. She begins in a group of about three other girls, playing a game where each child tries to do something and then the others try to imitate (similar to the game HORSE in Basketball). One girl does a somersault and each girl imitates her. Liz then does a cartwheel (full form, no bent knees) and each girl tries to imitate her. Two out of the three other girls project a perfect cartwheel as well. During this time, it was observed that the teacher standing nearest to them began to interact with the students by laughing and asking about the dance moves that the girls started to do. She asks them where they learned it and the girls laugh and talk about how it is from the movie "Trolls". The teacher tries to do the dance move, showcasing that they are creating a relationship with the students by relating to what is relevant to them. The girls continue to do this for another five minutes before the game is interrupted by a game of ‘Tag’ where a little boy runs up and tags Liz where she begins to start chasing the other children who have all joined in for this single game of play. She tags another little girl and the girl turns and says “That doesn’t count. It was my shirt you tagged, not my back.” Liz then retorts “I tagged your back. You felt it. I know you did. You’re it.” Before she begins to run away, she looks back one more time to make sure that the little girl is following her. The teacher yells across the field that they need to play nicely, but does not comment further. They continue this game with Liz dodging two other children who become “it” after her before the two caregivers call the children in. When the children come in from outside, the immediately go to the sink to begin washing their hands while the teachers prepare a period of “cool down” for the children after being outside as well as restating the classroom expectations. One teacher grabs a book as the other teacher begins to hand out water cups to the children who have washer their hands. Liz immediately begins assisting the teacher handing out cups. When her cup comes out of the mini-fridge, there seems to be a piece of fuzz or dirt on the top. Liz immediately gives the cup back and says she doesn’t want it. The teacher rinses the cup out and does a once over with soap before filling it back up with water and handing it back to Liz without speaking a word. Liz takes the cup, but puts it back in the fridge before sitting down, again the teacher sees this action, but does not comment further. She then waits patiently until the teacher with the book begins reading.  During the reading time, Liz stares fascinated at the book and does not interrupt. End observational time.