Receiving a masters especially in the field of early childhood education has been a dream for me. I was the first to graduate from college in my family, actually to be honest I am the only to graduate from college and my family and I have a rather LARGE family. Striving to receive an undergraduate degree in early childhood development was simply unheard of with my family, but they pushed and motivated me through the entire way because in my family that was a huge accomplishment. Not only did I want to receive an undergraduate degree for myself, I did it to motivate the generations that was yet to come. Now that I am striving to excel in my education with trying to receive a masters in child development I feel that I’ve exceeded all expectations as to what my family can accomplish. Although trying to complete my masters has been a struggle and couldn’t have come at a worse time I still managed to push forward. Currently I’m a single mom who is taking care of a beautiful little girl and grandmother who recently had a stroke and is also working a full-time job to make ends meet. This journey has been extremely difficult for me because I have so much that I am juggling but I refuse to stop. I have learned that true passion will push you regardless of the obstacles that has been placed in front of you. Although I have struggled with in the last couple months due to several mishaps within my family, the passion I have to obtain my Masters has made it almost impossible for me to fail. I would truly like to thank all of my professors in this process for their great guidance and motivation. I have learned a fruitful amount of knowledge and I am beyond grateful. Originally I wanted to start my own early childhood development educational program, but as excelled in this master’s program I have learned that I would like to use this new knowledge and educational background to educate families. I would like to start a parenting program. We as educators can only do so much with working with the children in school, but when they go home the children are in need of a support team within their families. I would like to educate parents to be that support team that would make it impossible to the children to fail in life.
Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally
Program Director with Save the Children
Program Director is currently an opened position requiring having at least 5 years of experience working in a senior leadership position. The Project Director will provide strategic and operational leadership to the project and assume the responsibility for the implementation of Improving Learning for Ethiopia’s Primary Grade Students (ILEPGS) programs. The estimated cost allocated for this project is between $79-$140 million and the activity will commence for a period of five years starting on or before May 2017. Overall responsibility is to manage and report on project activities; making key decisions and solving problems in short time frames while maintaining operational and program quality and integrity; and serving as the recipient’s first point of interface with USAID on routine and strategic matters. The position requires demonstrated Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in over 120 countries, including the United States. They aim to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives by improving their health, education and economic opportunities. In times of acute crisis, we mobilize rapid assistance to help children recover from the effects of war, conflict and natural disasters. Each year, we and our partners reach millions of children in communities around the world. Join our dedicated and diverse staff in their work to improve the well-being of children everywhere. Their primary purpose is to provide lasting change in children’s lives by improving their health, education and economic opportunities to sustain and support those improvements.
Website: Save the Children. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.8D6E/Official_Site.htm
Program Specialist with UNESCO
UNESCO is responsible for coordinating international cooperation in education, science, culture and communication. It strengthens the ties between nations and societies, and mobilizes the wider public so that each child and citizen: has access to quality education; a basic human right and an indispensable prerequisite for sustainable development; may grow and live in a cultural environment rich in diversity and dialogue, where heritage serves as a bridge between generations and peoples.
To be a Program Specialist with UNESCO, one would have to work under the overall authority of the Assistant Director-General for Education (ADG/ED), the general guidance of the Director of the UNESCO Office in Santiago de Chile and Regional Bureau for Education in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the direct supervision of the Head of Section (Education 2030), the incumbent will be responsible for the management, implementation, monitoring and reporting of the regional programmes on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and Global Citizenship Education (GCEd). S/he will support the efforts of the Regional Office to refocus its programs and strategies to respond to emerging education needs and trends in the region, in light of UNESCO’s mandate to lead and coordinate the Education 2030 Agenda, within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), in particular SDG-4 (Education).
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/about-us/who-we-are/introducing-unesco/
Senior Policy Analyst – Early Childhood Education and Care with OECD
OECD’s mission is to promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. The Organization provides a unique forum in which governments work together to share experiences on what drives economic, social and environmental change, seeking solutions to common problems.
The Directorate for Education and Skills (EDU) leads the Organization’s work to help member and non-member countries achieve high-quality learning for all, design better skills policies, and turn them into jobs and growth. The Directorate carries this out by providing statistics, analysis and policy advice to countries on a wide range of educational topics.
- An advanced university degree in social sciences, psychology, education, policy analysis or a related field.
Professional Background
- A minimum of eight years’ experience in education and/or family policy analysis in an international or national agency, or research institute.
- Expertise in education and/or family policy analysis and research around ECEC and knowledge of primary education would be an asset.
- Extensive contacts within the international education research and policy communities would be an advantage, as would experience of education systems or developments in more than a single OECD country.
- Proven experience in the application of quantitative research and survey methods in a policy context in an international or national agency, commercial or research institute.
- Expertise in survey design and other research methodologies would be an advantage.
Proven ability to plan, co-ordinate, implement and supervise projects, to deliver planned outputs to schedule and budget, and to coach and supervise teams. Experience with the organization of meetings, workshops and conferences
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.oecd.org/home/0,2987,en_2649_201185_1_1_1_1_1,00.html
US Department of Education
The United States Department of Education website provides information about loans, laws, grants. Utilizing this federal website could be essential when trying to beginning an educational program.
Education, U. D. (2016). Students in Foster Care. Retrieved from https://www2.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/foster-care/index.html
National Association for the Education of Young Children
The National Association for the Education of Young Children is a resouce that provides childcare programs with accreditation by implementing the policies that the state has mandated. When trying to receive accreditation, the NAEYC foundation is who you will need to be affiliated with. They provide a variation of trainings, information, updates, and events in regards to early childhood education.
NAEYC. (2017). National Association for the Education of Young Children. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/
National Childcare Association
National childcare Association focuses on how to support the beneficial children in school. They work with several professionals and advocates that can produce a standstill amount of education until the children. They work with children and families by providing a subsidy program in several states for the families that are not able to afford childcare in education for their children. This is a great association to be connected with when working with child education because they are they have an abundance of information and resources that can assist in providing a fruitful educational program
NCCA. (n.d.). Care Association . Retrieved from National Child Care Association: http://www.nccanet.org/
I would like to be a program director of an early childhood school. I would like to start a private school that would be centered in Inglewood. My program would be geared to African American children but opened for all races. My daughter is an African American 5 year old child and is constantly focused on her image negatively. I believe it has much to do with her not being around other children that are her race. I would like to start this program to place a strong emphasis on African American appreciation and building good morals for our children. To take on this task and be successful as a program direction, I believe that I would need to have a strong sense of determination. I would need to be have to strong organizational skills and a strict budgeting schedule for the school year.
Three local or state organizations or communities of practice
Crystal Stairs provide head start education, they also provide subsidize funding for families that are not able to afford childcare as well. It enforces child care that not only educates the children but the families as well. The programs provide linkages to outside resources within the communities, to assist with ongoing services.
DCFS has a fruitful understanding of the foster system. Mr. Browning directed the Department of Children and Family Services, which is a company that provides consistent resources for families that are needed to be serviced and bonded.
Ms. Davis is currently in a position of managing a well-known transitional housing program called PATH Gramercy, within the city of Los Angeles. What is most interesting about this program, is that it does not hinder the families by providing them with a crutch it. Instead it gives the families time and provides them with a safety net that will continue until the families are able to get on their feet. “PATH Services provides the support that homeless individuals and families need in order to successfully transition from living on the street to thriving in homes of their own” (PATH, 2015).
Words of Gratitude
This class has been very eventful for me personally. I have learned A numerous amount of strategies as to how to communicate and it has been very fruitful for me to actually speak my own opinion within the class. I felt as if we had little bit more freedom and it was relaxing because we can actually speak about our own personal opinions and self reflect on our personal experiences. It was really interesting being able to read other opinions and experiences and comparing them with our own. Although I am glad that the class is over with I would have to say that I’m going miss the dynamics of this class. So farewell this class and hello to the next class; actually starts today.
I truly hope that we all successfully prosper.
Adjourning
This week you read about the five stages of team development: forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning. Consider the adjourning phase for several of the groups in which you have been involved. Think about which aspects of the groups made for the hardest good-bye. Are high-performing groups hardest to leave? Groups with the clearest established norms? Which of the groups that you participated in was hardest to leave? Why? What sorts of closing rituals have you experienced or wish you had experienced? How do you imagine that you will adjourn from the group of colleagues you have formed while working on your master’s degree in this program? Why is adjourning an essential stage of teamwork?
When I was a preschool teacher, the most difficult thing about that job was having to leaving the children and families at the school. I have worked very hard to advance the children academically, socially, and physically. I have worked very hard to prep the students and families for grade school. When I had to leave there were so many students that were actually making a breakthrough in their development. The hardest thing about leaving the class was that I have watched the children group and develop and have established a relationship with the children and families. When leaving the children and families had a small going away party for me wishing me lunch on my new excursion. Although the families were happy for me in having this new opportunity, the children were devastated because they are not able to cope with change.
Conflict Resolution
My brother and I we grew up together and although we are very close we have so many disagreements. One of which is the importance of education and employment. As of now my little brother is 25 years old and he is completely infatuated and his girlfriend. He has been with her for over three years and has pretty much moved in with her and her family. We are always having the same talk of how it’s important for him to get an education and/or get a career so that way he can provide for his girlfriend and his future. Right now my little brother is focused on his music career and with that being said he does not see the importance and maintaining a career that is not of his interest and going to get an education has nothing to do with his passion for music. We have yet to resolve this matter but we have both gained an understanding of each other’s point of view. We respect each other being that we understand each other’s motive in life and we love each other. We reciprocate the way that we communicate with each other. With that being said if he’s upset and he’s coming at me with anger I tend to do the same and vice versa. As a result of listening to one another and getting a better understanding of each other one of you we respond with empathy.
Communication Assessment
My personality can be very estranged and string because I feel that there is a point behind every conversation. Whether it’s in an elevator and you are meeting someone for the first time, the meaning behind that conversation is to pass the time and make the opposing person feel comfortable by trying to eliminate the silence. The social schema would completely change when speaking with a group of professionals. Present yourself in a professional way and discussing the topic at hand. My communication would be utilizing factual information and trying to get them to understand my point of view and all the while trying to understand there as well.
When doing the communication anxiety inventory survey for myself I scored a 45 which showed that I reported to feel a bit easy in some communication situations and somewhat more confident in other contexts. Communication does not seem to be something that I worry a great deal about. (Rubin, Palmgreen, & Sypher, 2009)Personally I find that this outcome was most accurate being that it depends on the topic that is being communicated about. If I’m communicating about something I feel passionate about, I tend to love to communicate about the topic. When I’m communicating about something that I know very little about I tend to run on a tangent and I feel a little more insecure about what I am communicating.
Communicating with People
I myself communicate with a variety of people. Colleagues, friends, family, and etc. All are extremely different be whether it’s their sexual preference, gender roles, political affiliation, religion, race, and etc. I personally have no preference for the type of person that is involved in my life. Their personal preference has no effect on how I approach bring the person as a whole. For the most part with the job that I have as a social worker I come into contact with several different people. The most difficult thing about being a social worker is embracing the fact that although I’m dealing with different predators they are all people in general and I need to treat them as such.
Non-Verbal Communication
The show I video tapped this week was “Power”
With the sound off:
What do you think the characters’ relationships are based on the ways in which they are communicating? All o the characters seemed to be observing one another. They did not seem to trust each other at all. Every time someone left a conversation, the opposing person would show a deep stare.
What are the feeling and expressing based on the nonverbal behavior you are observing? The characters would use a great deal of arm and hand movement. I was very rare to see a character talk without utilizing their body language.
What assumptions did you make about the characters and plot based on the ways in which you interpreted the communication you observed?
I assumed that everyone had a plot to be a traitor. I felt like no one was to be trusted in this show.
Would your assumptions have been more correct if you had been watching a show you know?
I believe it depends on the show. This show was meant to be very dramatic and show a great deal of emotions therefore with only viewing the acting it was easy to depict the motive.
britneymathieu 