Week 8: Time Well Spent

It feels surreal that this is our final class in the MS in Early Childhood Studies program together. As a result of studying the courses and learning together with you all, I’ve become a better person. I’ve learned a lot about diversity, social justice and child advocacy. On my journey of being an early childhood professional, there are at least 3 lessons that I will use to make a difference in the lives of children and families!

1.      It is essential to develop and maintain strong teacher-family partnerships. In most cases, the family and teacher want the best for the child being educated. As an early childhood professional, I want parents to know that they are a valuable resource in their child’s future success.

2.      Creating activities that encourage children to be proud of who they are and where they come from is a priceless gift that anti-bias educators can give. If children are comfortable with their family structure, gender, race, varying ability or beliefs, they will develop the habit of learning to respect the differences in others.

3.      I will embrace diversity by loving everyone despite their beliefs or differences. I feel inspired to meet more diverse groups of people and learn about their languages, parenting styles, varying abilities, customs and beliefs.

 

I have the long term goal of using social identities to help children and families celebrate their own identities while learning about the social identities of other children and families.

Dr. Teri and my lovely colleagues have made this learning experience a life-changing experience by sharing their opinions, experiences, explanations, practices, theories, questions, comments, time and love for the various issues in the early childhood field.

I know that all of you are going on to do great things like earning your PH.D., getting married, having children, being your very own boss, becoming teacher of the year and many more things. I really wish everyone the best!

THANKS FOR BEING ROLE MODELS, LEADERS, AND ANTI-BIAS EDUCATORS TO EACH OTHER, TO THE CHILDREN AND TO THE FAMILIES!

 

 

 

Week 6 Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

The International Step by Step Association (ISSA) is an organization that supports several childhood programs. Such programs include early childhood, primary school, Equal Access, Teacher Education and Civic Participation in Education. As a result of clicking on one of these programs, I’ve been able to increase my knowledge and gain new ideas about the early childhood field. “SbS classrooms foster democratic habits. In this type of classroom children are encouraged to make choices and accept responsibility, learn independently as well as cooperatively, and be tolerant and respectful of differences” (ISSA, n.d.).  This organization appeals to me because it supports programs that align with the age groups of children that I will be working with.

 The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is a giant community of practice that focuses on a variety of child safety and health issues. These include water, sanitation and hygiene. In fact, the statistics are very alarming. “Inadequate access to safe water and sanitation services, coupled with poor hygiene practices, kills and sickens thousands of children every day, and leads to impoverishment and diminished opportunities for thousands more” (UNICEF, n.d.). Learning these statistics reminds me of the small things that I sometimes take for granted. However, this organization appeals to me because I feel more determined to focus on my ability to donate money that will help children and their families.

 I am most familiar with the Save the Children organization. I clearly remember seeing the infomercials on television showing the faces of poverty and poor health and it always brought tears to my eyes. The mission of this organization represents everything I plan to do to help the poor, hungry and sick. This organization appeals to me because I can use the stories of less fortunate families to inspire my children about the importance of helping each other. It’s exciting to learn that there are more than a dozen ways that people can give to support this organization! I have made a commitment to participate in the Honor A Special Person Program each month! “With your donation of $20 or more, Save the Children will include a personalized Gift Card to be sent to the person or the family of the person in whose name the donation was made” (Save the Children, n.d.).

 Job Opportunities

 A Project Director of Early Childhood Care and Development Program will be working in Mozambique. They have the job responsibilities of managing, implementing, and monitoring coordinated project models across multiple provinces (Save the Children, n.d.). The requirements to fulfill this job role include

Master’s Degree in Education or a related field

5 to 7 years of experience of managing community-based projects

Portuguese language skills (both oral & written)

 

A Program Development and Reporting Specialist will be working in Sudan. This professional will have the responsibility of assisting to ensure strong program design and proposal development. They will review and provide quality input to all project proposals, reports and assessments. The requirements to fulfill this job role include

M.S. Degree in a humanitarian or development field

Excellent reporting and essential planning skills

Computer skills including Microsoft word, PowerPoint and Excel

 

References

International Step By Step Association. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.issa.nl/index.html

Save the Children. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.8D6E/Official_Site.htm

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.unicef.org/

Week 4: Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

The National Education Association is an organization that appeals to me for several reasons. If anyone visits this organization online, they will find a variety of topics, issues and resources that can be used to help children and families. This organization shares resources to prevent and fight the common problem of bullying. As a substitute teacher, I have a lot of problems with students who exhibit inappropiate behavior. In fact, I posted my question about classroom management into the NEA’s discussion forum and a classroom management expert will be responding in the next 24 hours. I really like the idea of sharing certain issues with other teachers and professionals and receiving new insights from them. The NEA also shares tips on how to handle angry parents.

The National Child Care Association is an organization that prepares anyone who is planning to operate a home daycare business or a commercial child care facility. Parents who are looking for quality childcare programs will be able to obtain referrals from this website/organization. Teachers can also locate resources that support early education and care. This organization appeals to me because I can always refer to it to maintain current knowledge of issues in the child care field. There is also a section that displays early childhood education data and research.

The National Organization on Disability promotes and provides a wealth of information about men, women and children who have any type of varying abilities. The NOD’s mission is to promote employment and full participation of America’s 56 million people with disabilities in all aspects of life (NOD, n.d.). The organization appeals to me because referring to it as a helpful resource has allowed me to avoid labeling people with varying abilities. Teachers, parents and other professionals can use this Organization to celebrate the gift of diversity among all people.

Superintendent of a School

Could I see myself working in this position in the future? The jury is still out on this one. In most cases, this person would need to have a master’s or doctoral degree in school administration. The superintendent also needs a strong background and belief system in the education of all people. They have the responsibility of supervising the school district’s employees and making sure that the schools maintain accreditation.

Chief Executive Officer of an Educational Netowrk

This leader has the responsibility of overseeing the entire operation of an organization. The CEO also reports important information to the board of directors that may determine the company’s access to funding and success. The CEO of any company should have years of experience working in a related field. They must be energetic, knowledgeable in the industry, and exhibit a great image that is representative of the company.

 

References

National Education Association (n.d.). retrieved from www.nea.org

National Child Care Association (n.d.).  retrieved from www.nccanet.org

National Organization on Disabilities (n.d.). retrieved from www.nod.org

 

 

Week 2: Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

The Richmond Early Childhood Association is a local organization that gives resources to families, early childhood educators, and the community. This organization appealed to me because it holds events that allow teachers more time to incorporate professional development into their careers. For example, Naeyc’s National Institute will be held on June 9- June 12 of 2013.

The Early Childhood Music Association is an organization that promotes unity and learning among children through the diverse sounds of music. This is an excellent resource that teachers can use to teach children about the different sounds around the world.

Virginia’s Office of Early Childhood Development is an organization that focuses on providing quality resources and materials that will benefit Virginia families in the process of transitioning children to enter kindergarten.

One job opportunity that I am interested in exploring is being a childcare provider. I really enjoy working with children from birth to 6 years old. Another job opportunity that captures my interest is being a preschool teacher. A child’s early years are crucial to his/her social, emotional, intellectual and physical development. Young children imitate the behaviors they see in adults. I feel that I can make the biggest impact on very young children. An additional job opportunity that I’d love to fulfill is a Childcare Director. It’s really fun to work with children, families and teachers. It gets more exciting to be able to plan the curriculum and decide what age-appropiate activities to use for learning and development!

There are specific skills and experiences needed to competently fulfill each of these roles. Safety is the most important service that an early childhood professional can provide. Having first-aid and CPR certification is a requirement. Possessing effective communication skills by maintaining strong teacher-family partnerships will maximize each child’s learning experiences. Anyone who is considering working with children should have lots of patience and consideration for the differences in behaviors, cultures, and abilities.

Week 8: Reflecting on Learning

My journey of teaching and embracing diversity in the early childhood field is a life-changing experience. One hope that I have is continuing to meet diverse groups of people and learning as much as I can about them.  If every house was pink, the world would probably be a very boring place to live. Living in an anti-bias community is the complete opposite. As I continue advocating for equity and fairness in the early childhood field, I’d like to thank my professor and colleagues for sharing valuable experiences related to diversity and giving me the opportunity to see the world from different perspectives. Learning to teach Anti-bias education has changed my life because I know that I am making a difference in the lives of others---one child and one family at a time! What’s even better is knowing that there are so many others who are passionate about sharing this wonderful journey.

Week 7: Impacts on Early Emotional Development

It is a fact that many challenges can negatively affect a child’s emotional development. I chose to investigate the West and Central Africa region. Some of the challenges that affect children in this region include malaria, diarrhea related diseases, and vaccine preventable diseases like measles (UNICEF, 2011). Malnutrition is also common in this region. I also learned that some children are sexually and physically abused.

If a child is stricken with these types of diseases and continues living without treatment, it would be very difficult for them to attend school on a regular basis or concentrate on learning basic skills like reading comprehension and arithmetic. Further, the child may not feel enthusiastic about socializing with other children in a positive way due to the pain of not being treated for these diseases.

After learning about these challenges and reflecting on the impacts they have on children, I am more appreciative of the country that I live in. I also think about the silly things that I sometimes complain about. Some of these problems exist in the U.S., but may not be as common as they are in other parts of the world.

While learning these devastating facts about children in West and Central Africa, I began thinking about ways that I could help to make a difference in the life of at least 1 child. Eight of my friends from undergrad and I are in the early stages of  holding a charity event in which any amount of money will be accepted and will be equally divided and forwarded to the children in the 8 regions. Accepting any amount of money is sending the message to everyone that they can make a difference in the life of a child(ren).

It is rewarding to know that we can all unite and help in some way. We owe this to the children and families that we are passionate to serve in and outside of our communities.

References

UNICEF (2011). Retrieved from: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/index.html

Week 6: The Sexualization of Early Childhood

In today’s society, boys and girls are receiving all kinds of messages related to sex through the media. I was working with students from a 2^nd grade class. Seven year-old Tamera arrived and politely put her belongings in the cubby. As she emerged from the closet, she was wearing some large hooped earrings. Her classmate Mitchell asked Tamera why she was wearing those big circles in her ear. Tamera shouted “This is how I can get a boyfriend and have a baby….I can get my sexy back…I get it from my mama.” When I heard that phrase, I was unsure of how to react. Could she have been modeling her mom’s behavior? It’s interesting how we sometimes think children aren’t really paying attention to the things we say or do.

Six year-old Corsica and Shane were clapping and singing cheers on the playground. Corsica sings “My milkshake brings all the boys to the yard” as she sticks her bottom out and continues shaking from side to side. After asking her about where she’d heard the song, she explained a popular music video that comes on the music channel every week. She also explained that if she wore tight pants like the singer in the video, she would get more friends to like her.

Eight year old Kaylee asked her classmate Josh “What does it mean to knock someone up?” Josh said “I don’t know” and continued reading his book about glaciers.

If young children are exposed to sexualized content, this may negatively affect their development because they will unintentionally say the wrong things which can upset peers, parents and others. Further, children can watch something on television and believe it’s real or acceptable to imitate sexual behavior.

As I heard some of these comments, I found it extremely challenging to respond to. I think it’s very important to tell children to ‘not believe’ or imitate everything that they see on television. It is also essential for them to understand that they don’t have to look like someone else to be accepted.