My farewell!!

My twenty-two years of teaching taught me so many wonderful life lessons. Then... came my next chapter...

When I entered Walden University, I was ready for a different challenge a new path. My experiences at Walden, has once again enabled me to grow, and develop in many unexpected ways.

Three Deeply Felt Learning’s

·      I can say, without a doubt that I view the field of early childhood through a much wider lens.  My acuity is sharper. I see things clearer. It allows me to better see other’s perspectives.

·      My knowledge is deeper, and I evaluate the issues within the field of early childhood more critically. Walden University challenged me to look closer at details. I now have become a more proficient writer. I now understand the importance of research. I as a person have become more resilient.

·      Walden provided me with a renewed commitment to my work with children and families. I embrace the role of advocacy, and I see new and different avenues for social change.

Through my Walden work my capacity for learning expanded in variety of subject areas within the early childhood field;

I have a new understanding of: diversity, equity, anti-bias education, poverty, inclusion, leadership, brain development, policy, adult learners, cultural influences, trends, language, social contexts, the field of early childhood in remote countries and the challenges they face, advocacy. Programs and websites and great resources!!

My long-term goal:

·      Keep growing in terms of defining and choosing my own directions within the early childhood field. I want to focus on early childhood inclusion and try to figure out exactly which professional role would help me to best serve children and families with disabilities.

Farewell Message:

To my colleagues:

Via a computer has to be one of the strangest ways to form relationships. It is weird how we have learned to support each other. We have been able to show our support through our postings, discussion boards, and blogs. I think for me, this farewell message is bittersweet. I am so proud of all of you! Excited how the end of one adventure will allow us each to experience new journeys! I will miss you all! I wish each of you… all the best!!

WE DID IT!!

To Dr. Teri Davis and my instructors:

·      You have influenced and renewed my commitment to young children and families.

·      You have challenged me to look at my work.

·      You have made me a better educator and early childhood professional.

·      You contributed to my growth and my skills and my capacity to keep learning.

For these and many other reasons…. I say THANK-YOU!!!

Greg and I had met just a couple of months before I enrolled at Walden!
He kept me motivated!! When I was feeling overwhelmed. He would
say, "Milz,  if it was EASY then everyone would do it!!"

My Kids
My Three Daughters Are all In College!!
My son will graduate this coming May!
I think its so important to share with our
children the importance of education!!

Lilly My Boston Terrier
Always Sitting in her
Pink Chair
Lending Her Support!







I love them all!!

Job Roles In ECE Internationally

 The organization, United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), works to support the needs of the most vulnerable children, families, and communities in one hundred and ninety countries. As a young child, during Halloween, I along with many other children, carried around a little orange box. Our hope then was to raise monies for hungry children all over the world. Today, the need sadly still exists. The Unicef site shares great stories of hope, and accomplishments. Their mission, together, we are working toward the day when ZERO children die from preventable causes and every child has a safe and healthy childhood (Unicef, n.d.). 

     Unicef's work is important and relevant; they continuously work to raise monies and support, while employing many talented individuals working from varying careers. Reviewing their career and job opportunities yield little in the way of employment for educators. The vacancies were for positions for managers in civil engineering or deputy directors who responsibilities include outreach, research and analysis of global economics. I do not have the necessary knowledge, background or experience. I was able to find temporary assignments and consultancy assignments. If I were to follow varying links there are careers I am sure listed in roles to ensure support for varying needs of children.

I feel strongly about Unicef’s efforts as they have radically improved the lives and the conditions as well as mortality rates in children. The number of under-five child deaths has dropped more than forty percent since 1990. (Unicef, n. d.). 

A worldwide organization I learned about recently is Association for Childhood Education International.

There website is http://www.acei.org

They state their mission as Our mission is to promote and support the optimal education, development, and well-being of children worldwide, and to influence the professional growth of educators and the efforts of others who are committed to the needs of children in a changing society (Association for Childhood Education International n.d.)

Their efforts is through their work with the United Nations they have developed The Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and Development. The group has developed eight goals; eradicate hunger and poverty, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and empower women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal healthy, combat malaria and other diseases, ensure environmental sustainability, develop a global partnership for development (The Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and Development n. d.).  The work towards achieving these goals are tasks that I cannot even begin to comprehend. Nevertheless, they are imperative, if children are going to have the necessary and basic requirements for sustained learning and growth.

As I looked for employment, they listed no jobs are available. I researched the agencies, The United Nations Global Child Development group, but no luck.

My assumptions are that consultative groups may hire and work with many of these organizations.




The next organization is the International Step by Step Association: Quality 

The International Step by Step Association (ISSA) is a membership organization that connects professionals and organizations working in the field of early childhood development and education. ISSA promotes equal access to quality education and care for all children, especially in the early years of their lives. Established in the Netherlands in 1999, ISSA’s network today stretches across the globe from Central and Eastern Europe to Central Asia, Asia, and the Americas. While ISSA offers general membership and information-sharing to all interested individuals and organizations, ISSA’s core members are the 31 nongovernmental organizations, located primarily in Central/Eastern Europe and Central Asia, that implement the Step by Step Program initiated by the Open Society Institute (OSI) in 1994. Within its network, ISSA supports a wide array of programs that collectively provide a comprehensive set of educational services and advocacy tools intended to influence policy reform for families and children, with a special focus on the years from birth through primary school (The International Step by Step Association, n. d.). 

Finding a career would most likely be through one on the thirty one nongovernmental organizations. So I googled the Open Society Institute and found a position for Program  Associate in New York but the position was one to provide support but not on an educational level but rather on program administrative level. Then I chose to follow a link to partnering programs and I found the site Diversity in Early Childhood Education and Training. Again, I had no luck at finding any available jobs.

 Reference

United Nations Children’s Fund [unicef]. (n .d.). Retrieved from

http://www.unicefusa.org

The Association for Childhood Education International (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.acei.org

International Step By Step Association. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.issa.nl/index.html

Diversity in Early Childhood Education And Training Retrieved from

http://www.decet.org

Exploring Roles in the Early Childhood Education Community: Federal/National Level

As an educator, I believe strongly in the advocacy for children with special needs, as well as the promotion of high quality preschool, for all children.

I too feel their needs to be greater support for teachers and the work they do with young children and families. Each of the three organizations I have included appeal to me because each of them have each of these goals in mind.

1.The Institute also supports The National Professional Development   

    Center on Inclusion (NPDCI).

·      The website for the National Professional Development Center on Inclusion is http://npdci.fpg.unc.edu

The center is working with states to ensure that early childhood teachers are prepared to educate and care for young children with disabilities in settings with their typically developing peers (National Professional Development Center on Inclusion [NPDCI], 2013).

Having the opportunity to work for a well renowned agency like NPDCI, would be both rewarding and challenging. I would love to be the person who provides professional development training to early childhood programs, schools, and teachers. NPDCI has an impressive reputation. It is highly recognized and seen as the “guru,” for inclusive preschool practices. I feel that in so many ways, teachers are unsupported and they have continuous expectation placed upon them. I would love to offer my support and working with the NPDCI hopefully my role would allow me to do just that.

2. The next organization I am interested in working with is United States

     Department of Education.

·     The link to the website is http://www.2.ed.gov

I am interested in employment within the Office of Early Learning. Their work is to promote of school readiness and improved learning outcomes of young children.
By providing high quality professional development programs to improve the knowledge and skills of early childhood educators and caregivers who work in early childhood programs located in high-poverty communities and who serve primarily children from low-income families (United States Department of Education, n.d.). My primary focus is on supporting teachers and programs on the provision of high quality early childhood programs. I am currently am employed with the Arizona Department of Education as a program specialist. The job with the United States Department of Education would hold a similar job title. I think that working with the federal department of Education and having an impact on the national level could allow me to better understand the laws, and rules along with the use and allocation of federal dollars.

The last agency I am interested in working with is the Center on the Social Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL).

·      The link for the website for CSEFEL: http://www.csefel.vanderbilt.edu

The organization's attention is on promoting the social emotional development and readiness of young children birth to age five. CSEFEL is a national resource center funded by the Office of Head Start and Child Care Bureau for disseminating research and evidence-based practices to early childhood programs across the country (CSEFEL, n.d.)

I think working for an agency like, CSEFEL, would be a unique opportunity. I hold the Head Start Agency in such high regard in relationship to their continued efforts and focus on young children birth to age five and concern for children's overall health and development. 

I must sound boring. Yet, I am once again attracted to a similar career path, which provides professional development and training to coaches, educators and families. 

Currently, there are no open job opportunities with any of these three organizations. Yet, if they did the skills required would include strong knowledge that encompasses all developmental domains and knowledge to ensure each child's education success. 

The educational requirement for each position is a Master's Degree, along with:

·      The ability to provide training, technical assistance to programs with regard to best teaching practices for children to encourage a cultural learning that promotes school readiness

·      Ability to provide professional development

·      Ability to maintain up to date knowledge of current research and developmental practices

·      Understanding of content standards for toddlers and preschool, guidelines, school law, IDEA, and developmentally appropriate practices.

·      Knowledge of effective teaching strategies in early care and school programming

·      Five plus years of experience in the field of early childhood education

·      A Masters in Early Childhood Education

If given the opportunities to work with either one of these agencies, I realize that I would be utilizing the knowledge and skills I currently possess. Yet, at the same time, each would offer me new challenges and continued professional growth.



References:

 The National Professional Development Center on Inclusion (NPDCI).   http://npdci.fpg.unc.edu

The United States Department of Education.

http://www.2.ed.gov

The Center on the Social Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL).
http://www.csefel.vanderbilt.edu