Time Well Spent

As I approach the end of this journey, my feelings are bittersweet.  I am proud of my accomplishments throughout this process, and I feel a bond and rapport with my Walden classmates.  On the flip-side, I am saddened as this chapter closes.  Early Childhood has been one of my passions for quite sometime, and over the past eighteen months, I feel a great contentedness and unity. I will miss the discussions and topics of interest we all share.

Three items I have learned through this journey is a deeper respect for diversity, a vision for educating adults, and a longing to make the ECE profession better for both professionals and our children.

This course made me take a look at the biases in life as well as within myself As I pursue my future endeavors,  these  aspects will be a lasting influence.  I have also come to realize that educating adults is both a blessing for both parties, instructor and student.  We have so much to learn from our students, as they do from us (this is a definite correlation to how I feel regarding children as well).  Finally, this Capstone Project has allowed me to realize that ny cause for change is attainable with a great team and hard work. I look forward to utilizing these lessons in my future causes.

One long term goal I have is to become a Master Teacher in the field.  I love working with children, and I love sharing my passion with other educators.  Becoming a Master Teacher is that wonderful "happy medium" between the two.

Lastly, I want to give a heartfelt thank you to my classmates and my wonderful instructors. I leave this institution with wonderful memories.  I can honestly say that all of my instructors have been of the highest caliber regarding genuine care and concern.  Their fairness and equity has made this journey positive and one which I would recommend to anyone.  I am proud to be a Walden graduate and I will miss the bond with my classmates, but I wish each and everyone of you the best that life has to offer and we will forever be connected.

International ECE Jobs and Roles

The first organization I have chosen is Association for Childhood Education International http://acei.org/ .  ACEI promotes the optimal education and development of children in a changing world through various programs and projects with a commitment to support and advocate for access to education, equity in educational settings, quality educational content, and the child's right to education.  ACEI offers internships for graduate students during the summer months, and also has opportunities for volunteering.  I chose ACEI because this organization is reminiscent of NAEYC with many similarities regarding positions and stances regarding young children.

The second organization is Save the Children http://www.savethechildren.org . Save the Children is an organization dedicated to giving children in 120 countries the opportunity to grow up happy and healthy.  They impact education, health and nutrition, hunger, disaster relief, and many other areas.  I chose this organization because of its commitment to children, including our children of the US, and their influence on preschool and early learning.  Employment opportunities within the US are based in Washington DC and Connecticut.  These jobs range in all sectors including education and healthcare. Additionally, job opportunities are available worldwide as well. 

The third organization I have chosen is the International Step by Step Association http://www.issa.nl/.  I chose this organization mainly because I never heard of this organization before.  Their vision is to have a society where families, communities, and professionals work together to empower each child to reach their full potential.  ISSA was started in 1999 in the Netherlands, but has since stretched across the globe and covers 50 countries, with most located in Europe and Central Asia.  They strive for equal care and access for all young children, and quality for birth to ten years old.  I was unable to locate job opportunities or even volunteer opportunities, however they do offer a membership and donor options. 

Resources

http://acei.org/

http://www.issa.nl

http://www.savethechildren.org

National/Federal ECE Jobs/Roles

The first organization is National Institute For Early Education Research.  NIEER, as it is referred to, came into my school this week for research on early childhood environments.  NIEER conducts research to support high-quality, effective early childhood education.  Their research areas include, but are not limited to access, quality and curriculum, special education, ELL's, state programs, and teachers.  Currently they are offering vacant positions for Assistant Research Professors, and Data Collectors in nationwide positions.

The second organization I have researched is Children's Literacy Initiative.  CLI, as it is referred to, has helped to improve 38 low income district in Philadelphia, Chicago, Camden, and Newark NJ, and other places such as Massachusetts, Maryland, New York, and Virginia.  CLI works with teachers so that children can become powerful readers, writers,and thinkers.  Essentially, CLI coaches teachers both in and out of the classroom, and I have had the pleasure of atttending workshops given at CLI, and I also had a CLI coach a few years ago.  Currently, CLI is hiring part time literacy consultants in Pennsylvania and NJ.

The third organization I have researched is Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning.  CSEFEL, as this is referred to, is focused on promoting the social emotional development and school readiness of young children birth to age 5.  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.  The Center is located at Vanderbilt University, and collaborates with the University of Illinois, University of South Florida, Georgetown University, University of Colorado at Denver, and ZERO TO THREE.  The website itself is such a valuable resource for parents and classroom teachers.  They have a wealth of information such as social stories, strategies, and training materials.  I did not see any current career opportunities, however, I feel this is a site for future reference.

Resources
http://www.nieer.org/home

http://www.cli.org/

http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

This week’s blog includes organizations at the local and state levels which I find helpful at the early childhood level.  This is an assignment that I enjoy because I have a “resource file” of helpful websites and organizations which I utilize on a daily basis.  Because this course is focusing upon my Capstone Project, I am choosing those resources that will most benefit me in reference to this assignment. 

The first organization is Food Bank of South Jersey.  This organization provides immediate access to emergency food, nutrition education, and sustainable ways to improve their lives.  Quality, fresh food and nutrition education is an issue in the poverty stricken areas, and childhood obesity is prevalent among our children in these areas.  This organization helps aide in those issues as well.  This organization partners with many non-profit organizations and initiatives to educate our people.  The Campbell Soup Company is a large contributor to the food bank as well as another organization called The Food Trust, which focuses upon educating our youth about food, and food choices, and healthy living. This is a wonderful resources, even for those not living in the New Jersey area, and can be found at http://www.foodbanksj.org .

The second organization I have chosen and found to be most helpful is www.hhs.gov,  US Department of Health and Human Services.  Currently if you visit the site, Healthy Eating is one of the focal points, as well as many others.  All of these topics take you to outside links with a  wealth of information.  If you go to the search bar and type childhood obesity, a wealth of information is presented and these are wonderful resources for both teachers, and families. 
The link is http://www.hhs.gov.

The last organization I would like to focus upon is the New Jersey Association for the Education of Young Children.  This organization is the state represented affiliate of the NAEYC organization.  This is a wonderful reference for position statements as well as resources covering a wealth of topics in Early Childhood.  Regarding childhood obesity, this website has links to state programs for childcare nutrition guidelines, as well as resources for parents and educators.  Whenever I need a scholarly resource regarding any topic within my profession, this is one of the first places I peruse for information.  They can be accessed at  http://www.njaeyc.org.

Many of these resources have employment links within their website.  Additionally, if you contact a live person at the contact phone number, they are helpful in finding employment resources as well.  When one is looking for employment within these different early childhood related entities, one needs to be creative in finding those resources as they are sometimes not readily available.  The one position I discovered at the Food Bank of SJ, is for teacher trainer and parental liaison.  Teaching and sharing is my passion, and if I were currently looking for a new position, this would definitely be one I would pursue. 

Website References

http://www.foodbanksj.org/

http://www.hhs.gov/

http://www.njaeyc.org/

Week 8 - Bittersweet Farewell

These past eight weeks I have learned so much regarding communication, and I believe that I have become a better communicator in all aspects of my life.  I would like to take this time to thank all of my colleagues for all of their feedback this course, I learned so much through these connections.  Best of luck to all with your endeavors, both professional and personal.  Furthermore, I would like to thank Dr. Parrish for the feedback and support she has extended during this course, it has been truly a pleasure to have you as professor once again.

Bittersweet farewells to all

Karen Thompson
Edukater2007@aol.com

Adjourning Groups

I have been involved in many different types of groups, professional as well as personal.  I feel that all groups, when they work well together, are bittersweet when they come to an end.  When you have a group that struggles and then comes together beautifully, it’s hard to see it end.    Likewise, a group that meshes from the onset and runs like a machine is hard to leave as well.  When a group is productive, no matter what the process or outcome, the end should be a time for celebration and reflection. 

The hardest group adjournment that I was involved in was a group of parents who were rallying to keep a program in my child’s elementary school.  The funding was cut and we hated to see the program be cut, so we formed a group to try and change the inevitable.  We worked together beautifully, with a few minor disagreements which actually grew our bond even more.  After almost a year of accomplishments, we were still unable to keep the program alive, however the fight was definitely worth it. 

Upon the close of this group, we gathered for one last time and celebrated our labor of love and recognized each other for our hard work.  While we were not really successful in keeping the program, we built some lasting friendships and had a great group experience.  Our last meeting was at a member’s home, and was a relaxed environment with good conversation and a few tears. 

I feel that different groups end differently.  Sometimes professional groups I have been involved in just ended without warning, one day we were there, the next day we were done.  These types of ending are the most painstaking because I feel as though all my hard work and dedication was completely invalidated.

As this group of academic colleagues come to an end, I feel that some of us may continue to network and just share a common bond as educators.  I, for one, find that having colleagues from different areas and walks of life makes for a great information resource and a different set of eyes or ears.  I am confident that I will have some lasting contact with some of my Walden colleagues for many years to come.

Strategies to Avoid Conflict

Avoiding confrontation and negative communication has been something that has come pretty natural. One strategy I use often is to listen and compromise.  When I feel that my view differed from another's, I am always sure to listen to the view of the other, and then try and compromise.  This seems to work on numerous occasions.  The second strategy I use is what I call "keep my composure and never be afraid to walk away".  My mother instilled this strategy at an early age.  She always said stay true to who you are and when you feel as though your comfort zone may be breeched, walk away and try again later.  

These two strategies (if one would like to call them this) have served me well for 40 years.  While I have had some "healthy debates" over the years, I really cannot say that I have had any highly negative misunderstandings.  I am easy going by nature and always tend to think positively and try and take the role of the other when presented.