Time Well Spent

"You and I will meet again, when we're least expecting it.  One day in some far off place, I will recognize your face.  I won't say goodbye my friend for you and I will meet again."-  Tom Petty

 

 

The above quote kind of sums up my time, friendships, and wisdom I have gained from my graduate program at Walden.  It is hard to believe that this journey started two years ago as it seems just like yesterday when I began my first class introducing me to scholarly writing and enthusiastic colleagues and professors in the early childhood field.  I was elated because I had finally found a place with other people that shared my passion and dreams for early childhood education.

 

Now we have come to the end of our journeys for now.  However, I truly believe that God chooses our path and the people he puts in it.  Thank you to all of my professors and colleagues that I have met on this wonderful journey!  Your support, encouragement and intellectual wisdom have taught me amazing insights about myself and the early childhood field.

 

Three important insights I have learned from my time at Walden are:

 

1.  When you think your family is going to be burdened with sharing time with you and your classes, they surprise you by supporting you and showing an interest in you achieving your dreams.

 

2.  Never give up and always communicate with your colleagues and instructors.  Walden truly believes in setting you up to succeed, not to fail and it shows through the dedication of their faculty.

 

3.  I have appreciated so much meeting early childhood professionals in so many different facets of the field. Being exposed to other early childhood professionals has allowed me to expand my horizons to seek out more information about different early childhood programs.

 

One goal that I hope to achieve is bringing my Capstone project to life and watch it become implemented throughout my school district.

 

Two more goals I have for myself is to begin writing for NAEYC and begin teaching early childhood classes at a junior college or university.

 

Although this is goodbye, it is definitely a celebratory moment for all of us!  So I was inspired to post the "Happy" video by Pharell Williams.  Whenever I am stressed or wanting to celebrate, I play this song.  Please enjoy the video and I hope the song and video inspires you to make your own "Happy" video to share with others!

 

May God continue to bless you all on the next part of your journey and I look forward to our paths crossing again in the future!

Please keep in touch:  nmoad6@hotmail.com
 

Much peace and happiness, Nicolette:)

 

 

References

 

Brainy Quotes. (2014).  Goodbye Quotes: Tom Petty.  Retrieved from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/goodbye.html

 

YouTube. (2014).  Pharell Williams- Happy (Official Video).  Retrieved fromhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6Sxv-sUYtM 

Job Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

 

This week, I researched three international organizations and possible employment opportunities related to the early childhood field.

 

 

UNICEF is an international organization with a mission to protect the rights of every child (UNICEF, 2014).  I have always been interested in UNICEF and its mission since I was a young child when a teacher encouraged my classmates and I to raise money for children in other countries through UNICEF.

 

One position that I find interesting at UNICEF is Consultancy Assignment: To Support the Early Childhood Development Section, Geneva, Switzerland (UNICEF, 2014).  Some of the qualifications that I possess for this position are at least 3-5 years in the education field, fluency in English, and the ability to lead and assess other programs (UNICEF, 2014). The position would require some travel and dedication to the position for at least six months (UNICEF, 2014).  I would love the opportunity to assist with creating and overseeing beginning early childhood programs in another country.

 

 

 

 

The second international organization I chose to research is the Peace Corps.  The mission of the Peace Corps is to provide assistance to others in developing countries in the fields of medicine, education, farming, and nutrition (Peace Corps, 2014).  The assistance provided is intended to provide services that otherwise would not be available to people and also provide leadership to enable people to learn ways to sustain themselves and their families (Peace Corps, 2014).

 

I have had an interest in the Peace Corps since I was an undergraduate in college.  I actually started filling out an application but had to stop because of family commitments.  I still keep the opportunity of volunteering for the Peace Corps in the back of my mind because I would like to travel to another country, learn about other people and cultures, and be an agent of change teaching young children and/or assisting in building a school in another country (Peace Corps, 2014).  The Peace Corps is about global change and connecting people around the world.

 

 

 

The third international organization that I researched is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).  The mission of UNESCO is to create respectful dialogue among nations respecting culture and language (UNESCO, 2014). 

 

At first when I was searching UNESCO for job opportunities, I became frustrated because the job opportunities I was finding required at least a doctorate to apply.  However, when I did a little more researching, I found the position of Consultant for Education which included a list of related education fields and early childhood education was listed (UNESCO, 2014).  I would meet the minimal requirements as a consultant except for international experience in my field but I would also welcome the opportunity to work for UNESCO as this organization seems to relate closely to my Capstone Project.

 

Researching international organizations provided me the opportunity learn more about worldwide organizations that are serving early childhood programs, young children, and families worldwide.  Although I do not feel confident at this moment working in a position internationally, I look at the opportunity as something to look forward to in the future.

 

 References

 

Peace Corps.  (2014).  Volunteer Opportunities.  Retrieved from

 

     http://www.peacecorps.gov/volunteer/

 

UNESCO.  (2014).  UNESCO Careers.  Retrieved from http://en.unesco.org/careers/

 

UNICEF.  (2014).  Employment at UNICEF.  Retrieved from

 

      http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/

 



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

 

 

 

This week, I had to research job opportunities at a federal and national level.  The first organization I chose to search was NAEYC (National Association of Education for the Education of Young Children).  One job opportunity that sparked my interest is the Quality Enhancement Coordinator (NAEYC, 2014).  The responsibilities of this position is collaborative in nature and involves travel to the Middle East and Africa to coordinate with early childhood professionals and stakeholders in the Middle East and Africa to assist ensure quality early childhood education programs (NAEYC, 2014).  The minimum requirements for this position are a Bachelor's in International Development or related field, experience in early childhood education, and abilities to work independently but also collaborate successfully (NAEYC, 2014).

 

Although I do not meet all of the qualifications of this position such as the international background, I find this job very intriguing.  The position involves travel at a moment's notice and I would enjoy the opportunity to travel and learn about early childhood education programs in other countries besides the United States.

 

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER EDUCATORS (NAECTE)

 

The NAECTE is an organization that encourages collaboration and resources for early childhood educators around the world (NAECTE, 2014).  Their website has job listings but they are provided by agencies and early childhood settings.  In order to inquire about job openings with the organization, prospective job seekers are encouraged to email Will Mosier at william.mosier@wright.edu (NAECTE, 2014).   I emailed Will Mosier but have not received an email from him yet. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 

 

Although I did not find any job opportunities for this site, I was able to become more familiar with this site as a result of researching it.  I did not know that NAECTE existed.

 

National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER)

 

The National Institute for Early Education Research is an organization that dedicates time to research about early childhood education, appropriate practices, and public policy decisions (NIEER, 2014).  One of the reasons I was attracted to this site was the fact that there is a section on their home page dedicated to information about ELL (English Language Learners) in preschool  (NIEER, 2014).

I researched the job opportunities for NIEER and found the position of Data Collectors (NIEER, 2014).  The data collectors are responsible for collecting data from early childhood settings around the nation and analyze the data to report back to NIEER about how early childhood programs are performing to program standards nationwide (NIEER, 2014).  The minimum requirements consist of actively engaging in a graduate program and classroom/teaching experience an early childhood setting (NIEER, 2014).

This was another organization that I was not familiar with and I am excited that I found it and the resources it provides.  I believe I have the minimum requirements to fulfill the position of data collector and might find the position interesting as it would provide me the opportunity to venture to various early childhood settings to see how other programs in the United States operate.



 

 Resources

 

NAEYC.  (2014).  Job Opportunities.  Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/about/jobs

NAECTE.  (2014).  Positions Open.  Retrieved from http://www.naecte.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29&Itemid=42

NIEER.  (2014).  Job Opportunities.  Retrieved from http://nieer.org/about/jobs



Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels



The first organization that I researched in Iowa is the Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children (IAEYC).  I belong to this organization collaboratively with my NAEYC membership.  There is actually an article on their website entitled "Careers in Early Childhood" (IAEYC, 2008).  One of the jobs that appealed to me in this article was Professional Development Coordinator.  The Professional Development Coordinator can work in many different settings such as colleges, high schools, and child care and resource referral agencies (IAEYC, 2008).  The minimum qualifications include a Master's in Early Childhood Education (IAEYC, 2008).  This job description and title appealed to me because I would like to become a leader in the field where I can help educate prospective early childhood professionals in their journey to become successful early childhood professionals.

 

 

The second organization I checked out was the Iowa Community Action Association which has local agencies located in the state of Iowa.  The Community Action agencies work collaboratively with other agencies to provide resources for low income families in Iowa.  One job opening that I found that interested me and connects with my Capstone challenge is a bilingual advocate for a Head Start center in Iowa.  The minimum qualifications are a Bachelor's in Social Work or related field with excellent communication skills (Iowa Community Action, 2014). This person would work closely with families to ensure that they are receiving information about services they are receiving and also assist with communicating information to bilingual children and their families (Iowa Community Action, 2014).

 

 

 

Iowa has Area Education Agencies that cover all of the counties in Iowa.  I checked my local AEA which is Great Prairie AEA but there were not any job openings at my local agency.  The job position I found at the AEA 267 is in Clear Lake, Iowa searching for an Early Childhood Consultant.  The consultant position requires a Master's in Early Childhood Education along with four years of successful teaching (AEA, 2014).  The consultant would provide leadership and professional development to other early childhood professionals in area schools and early childhood centers (AEA, 2014).

 

I found it interesting to research other positions in my field.  I have done this before but only looked at positions that required a Master's.  Now that I am finishing my Master's and pursuing my Capstone project, I am inspired to start looking again.

References 

AEA 267 Area Education Agency. (2014). Employment Opportunities.  Retrieved from

            http://employment.aea267.k12.ia.us/jobs

Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children. (2008). Careers in Early Childhood. 

            Retrieved from http://www.iowaaeyc.org/CareersEarlyChildhood_Iowa10_27_10.pdf

Iowa Community Action Association.  (2014). Jobs - Bi-lingual Family Advocate Needed For

Denison-Area Head Start Program.  Retrieved from http://www.iowacommunityaction.org/Job/308/BI-LINGUAL_FAMILY_ADVOCATE__NEEDED_FOR___DENISON-AREA__HEAD_START_PROGRAM/





Reflections on Learning

My hope for the children and families that I serve is that they will not only feel welcomed and comfortable in my classroom but also continue to have the same experiences throughout their school aged life.  I know that is a big order to expect that all of the children and families I serve have positive educational experiences as they go on in their education but I believe that the education world needs to re-examine how we teach children and treat families (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010).  There is really no reason for children to be ignored, talked to in a negative way, and mistreated in the classroom or anywhere for that matter.  There is also no reason for families to feel ignored, disrespected, and detached from their children.  I realize that teaching is not an easy profession but if you have the passion to teach, then you have a responsibility to care and nurture children’s minds and spirits.  You also have a responsibility to create positive and respectful relationships with the families to ensure the success and well-being of their children but also to continue those connections and relationships.  One of the favorite things about being an early childhood educator for me is creating those relationships with families and their children and then continuing them as they leave our classroom.  I see my children and families out in the community and at school and it is rewarding to me when they take the time to come over and talk to me to tell me their latest happenings.  I feel as though I am an important part of their life and development.  Teaching is not just about the ABC’s and 123’s.  Teaching is about the children and their families and how we can help them get from to wherever they are to wherever they need to be in a nurturing and caring environment. 

Thank you Dr.Pickens for all of your encouragement and positivity throughout the two classes I have been fortunate to take with you.  You have inspired me to become an even bigger advocate for young children and their families.

Thank you to my colleagues for your positive, intelligent, and encouraging feedback throughout the course and other courses we have taken together.  I am so happy that I decided to pursue my Master’s in Early Childhood Education because not only is it my passion but it is a pleasure and a privilege to be with other dedicated early childhood professionals.  My hope for all of you is to continue pursuing your passion for early childhood education and continue becoming beacons of light and hope for all children and their families.

Nicolette

References

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children                   and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Impacts on Early Emotional Development

I chose to look at Jamaica for my blog assignment this week.  My sister has traveled to Jamaica many times. When she first started traveling to Jamaica, it was for tourism and vacation purposes but as she talked to people from Jamaica living in the United States and realized that she would like to revisit Jamaica and stay in the residential areas instead of the popular vacation spots.  She found her experiences very different than the first visit she made and got to know and understand the people, culture and hardships of the Jamaican people.

The article that I read discussed the aftermath of the children's emotional states in West Kingston following the violence in West Kingston (UNICEF, 2010).  The amazing information in this article is that teachers, mostly early childhood educators, were trained in using music, art, dance, and play therapy to help the children when they came back to school to express their feelings and unrest about the violence (UNICEF, 2010).  The teachers also found it therapeutic for themselves to go through the training as they lost loved ones from the violence as well (UNICEF, 2010).  The teachers found this approach to be especially helpful for the children as children were able to be honest about their experiences and use the arts and play to express themselves (UNICEF, 2010).  The teachers were amazed at some of the drawings and paintings that the children made that portrayed the violence they had endured and seen (UNICEF, 2010).

As an early childhood educator, I have worked in many different places. One school came to mind when I was reading the article about the children in Jamaica.  One of my first jobs was as a kindergarten teacher in a school in Chicago.  The area was described as poverty and the children and families I served endured violence every day living close to gang warfare, drugs, and prostitution.  The children walked out of their living places every morning greeted by drug dealers and gang members.  So I always tried to make sure that school was their safe place and a place they could enjoy coming to on a daily basis.  One day, an intruder came into my classroom and mugged me in front of the children.  He threatened that he had a gun and would come back and kill me if I told anyone.  Thankfully he left without any physical harm to me or the children but emotional scarring had occurred.  As I tried to get help in my classroom which was difficult with no classroom phone and no way to contact other teachers, my children started to cry one by one until every child in the room was crying.  While trying to console the children, I pulled out a bingo game and started playing with the children just to get them to calm down and bring some normalcy back.  I listened to the children as they expressed their fears while we played. The game playing also helped me to stay calm and be there for my children.  When the principal asked the children what had happened after hearing my story, they were able to give her every detail about what happened.  What saddened me the most about this incident is that my kindergartners had to endure that violence every day outside of school in their neighborhood and should not have to experience it at school.  What helped me to get through my own experience of being mugged and threatened was the support of my family and the resilience I saw in the children I taught.

While children are resilient and can endure more than we can imagine, they are still our precious treasures that we should protect and nurture.  When something bad happens, we need to learn a lesson from the educators in Jamaica and allow children to express their honest feelings through avenues that are familiar to them.

References

UNICEF. (2010). After the violence, children in West Kingston heal with help from their

            teachers.  Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/jamaica_54208.html

The Sexualization of Early Childhood

When reading the article, "So Sexy So Soon" by Levin and Kilbourne (2009), I found it interesting that the topic of sexualization not only focused on media and commercialization of sex but also society's views about sexualization and how it affects young children's minds and actions (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009).  Often when the topic of sexualization comes up in conversation, people automatically place the blame on media and commercial ads (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009).  While media and advertisement plays a part, it was interesting to find out that more of the impact of sexualization comes from attitudes and ideals from society and how society has become more relaxed about children being exposed to sexualization (Levin & Kilbourne, 2009).

I have noticed a difference in society's attitudes about sexualization change from the time I was growing up until the time I started teaching and having children of my own.  When I taught kindergarten over 20 years ago, I had kindergarten children that knew a lot about sex and were very vocal about it.  I remember when my three girls were little and starting to go to school and how much trouble it was to find clothes for little girls that did not expose all parts of their bodies.  My own daughters are now teenagers and in that time span, I have been teaching preschool.  In my preschool classes, I hear comments from the children directed to each other that are suggestive in nature. 

It bothers me that our children are exposed to mature issues of sexualization at an early age through their home environment, media images, and advertisement.  I believe that our society has become more relaxed about what children are exposed to, especially with the use of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  I feel as though adults themselves have become more relaxed thinking that this is the trend of our times and why should we worry about it?  It is just kids being cute when they say they have a boyfriend in kindergarten.  But what are we really telling our children when we do not supervise what they are being exposed to?  We, as the adults, cannot shield our children from everything in their environment.  However, we can be present in their lives to provide a safe and nurturing environment where children feel comfortable to ask questions.

 

References 



Levin, D., & Kilbourne, J. (2009). [Introduction]. So sexy so soon: The new sexualizedchildhood and  what parents can do to protect their kids (pp. 1-8). New York: Ballantine Books.  Retrieved from: http://dianeelevin.com/sosexysosoon/introduction.pdf



Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

The -ism I struggle with personally is sexism.  When I was growing up, my father did not let me do certain things because they were not things girls "should" do such as play sports and lift heavy things.  As I got older and got married, my father in-law felt that it was necessary that I do the housework and cooking even though my husband and I shared those responsibilities in our house.  My mother has always taught me to be independent and armed me with the knowledge that I am capable of doing anything regardless of stereotypes.

Because I grew up with the stereotype that girls/women should only do certain tasks, hold certain jobs, etc., I found it necessary to try and prove myself to others that I could do anything regardless of my gender.  This proved to be a good thing and a bad thing.  While my confidence was boosted proving my independence, identity and strength as a woman, I often found myself becoming defensive when approached with comments like "your husband is not supposed to do that, that is woman's work."  I was especially defensive when these statements were made in front of my own children.

I have noticed that in my teaching, I tend to get defensive when boys tell girls that they cannot play with a certain toy and vice versa because it is not a "girl" or "boy" toy.  After realizing my own experiences of being oppressed, I am also realizing that while adults may be conscious about what they are saying and really believe what they are saying, children do not always understand why they are saying what they are saying.  So I have tried to not become personally offended when children make sexist statements but rather take the opportunity to have a conversation with them about why they might think that.  I learn so much from their responses that help me to put those statements into perspective such as cultural expectations and family styles (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010).  Those are times when I have to remember that children are expressing what they are experiencing and our classroom should be a safe and respectful environment that honors cultures and families but also respects everyone's identity and dignity (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010).

References 

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010).  Anti-bias education for young children and

       ourselves.  Washington, DC:  NAEYC.

Observing Communication

This week, I observed a kindergarten teacher who is new to the profession and to our school.  I observed her in the morning when her students were coming in and noticed that she stands at her door and greets each student asking them how they are and how great it is to see them.  When she communicates with her students or any students in the building, she gets to their level and talks to them in a way that is non-threatening and patiently waits for their response (Rainer Dangei, & Durden, 2010).  From the outside to the inside of her classroom, the environment is welcoming and inviting to children and their families (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010).  When I went in to observe her even more intensely communicating with children, I was amazed by her warm disposition and patience with each child that approached her.  She does not raise her voice and validates each child so that each child feels important in their classroom (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011).  She never rushes the children to go to the next activity until she is sure that their needs have been met to be able to move on to the next activity (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011).  I was especially intrigued when I observed the following conversation between one of the children and the teacher:
                                
Child:  "Mrs. S., I don't have a pencil to write with for math."
Teacher:  "That is okay. I have lots of pencils right here (pointing to a cup of  pencils on a counter) that you can borrow."
Child:  "Thank you Mrs. S. for the pencil."
Teacher:  "You are welcome and you never have to worry about asking me for something you need.  We can always find a solution."

This particular conversation connected with me because I have observed quite a few teachers engaged in the same conversation with a student but the interactions and outcomes have been much more negative.  Oftentimes when teachers are approached by students asking for something that they think their students should already have, teachers find it inconvenient and/or enabling a student by giving them the materials they need even if they should have them in the first place.  But the reality of that situation is that we all need assistance at times.  How many times have you asked a co-worker to borrow a pen while in their room to leave a note?  There is a reason people keep pen and pencil cups on their desks or in their work area.  Yes, it is for their use but also if someone needs one.  In our school office, we have parents and family members come in to sign in but there is not a pencil or pen by the sign-in sheet.  They ask one of the secretaries for a pen or pencil and return it when they are done.

I enjoy being around this teacher because of how calm and patient she is with children but also with adults.  I also enjoy talking with her because our philosophies about early childhood are very similar and we both believe that how we talk and interact with children does make a difference and your words and actions can make or break a child.

Below is a YouTube video about how simply changing our words can change the message.  It is one of my favorites and the message sticks with me and reminds me to be more aware of how and what I am saying and how those words and actions can affect those around me, especially children.


                    

 

References

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010).  Anti-bias education for young

children and ourselves.  Washington, DC:  NAEYC.

Laureate Education, Inc. (2011). Communicating with Young Children.  (Course

Media).  Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_4197532_1%26url%3D

Rainer Dangei, J., & Durden, T.  (2010). The nature of teacher talk during small group activities.

            YC: Young Children, 65(1), 74-81. Retrieved from http://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?         url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=47964033&site=ehost-live&scope=site

 

YouTube. (2010).  The Power of Words.  Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=Hzgzim5m7oU

Creating Affirming Environments

Creating an anti-bias environment where children and families feel welcome and appreciated is important to the environment I would be creating if I had the opportunity to have my own family child care in my home.

The first thing I would do is make sure that I had a house that had enough room to designate enough space for the child care center to be its own entity so that children and families could feel like it was their space and not necessarily my living space.  I've been in quite a few home child care centers and the ones I really gravitate towards are the ones that have separate space for the children and families.  Of course the kitchen might become shared space but if I could swing it, I would try to have cooking and refrigeration in the family child care space.

 

I definitely like the idea of having a bookshelf dedicated to family's pictures and the idea of having the pictures in frames to create a warm feeling when children and their families come in.  It is important for children to see their families daily but also to see other's families to help them begin to understand how families can be different (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010).  The use of the children's pictures is authentic and real to them and not simply a representation of them (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010).

 

 

 

Having an art environment where children can create and not worry about duplicating someone else's art is also important.  When children work with a variety of materials, their creativity is sparked and their creation becomes their own.

 

 

Creating an environment that is natural helps children and families feel like they are at home.  When children and families feel comfortable in the environment they are going to, transitions become easier and relaxed and children feel a sense of comfort when their families leave for the day (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011).



 

 

Having cozy places to read and relax and musical instruments are also important to a child's social and emotional development and also exposing children to different cultures through literature and music (Derman-Sparks & Olsen Edwards, 2010).

 



 

 

 

Creating an anti-bias environment involves careful reflection and consideration of the children and families in your care and should reflect them in your learning environment.  Having this attitude creates an atmosphere of respect for the children and their families.

 

References

 

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010).  Anti-bias education for young children and

 

     ourselves.  Washington, DC:  NAEYC.

 

Laureate Education, Inc. (2011). Welcome to an Anti-Bias Learning Community.  (Course Media).

      Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp? tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps%2Fblackboard%2Fexecute%2Flauncher%3Ftype%3DCourse%26id%3D_4197532_1%26url%3D