Time Well Spent 

This course has taught me to pursue my passions.  I found it easy to come up with the list of words for my Wordle. However, narrowing the list down to the topic of my Capstone Project was more challenging than I would have thought.  I had strong feelings about each of the topics.  I ended up choosing a topic in which I could combine several of my passions: parent involvement, families, nurturing relationships, and professional growth.

This course has also taught me the importance of relying on others.  I valued the input I received each week on how to improve my Capstone Project.  The responses to my Discussion posts were most instructive.  In addition, before this course, I had never heard of a Community of Practice.  I have learned the importance of building a community of practice for support, resources, guidance, and leadership.   

Finally, this course has helped me to see past the here and now and begin to look towards the future.  I have given a great deal of thought to being an advocate for social change for children and families in my community.  This course has helped me to look for other ways in which I can make a difference in my community by using my knowledge of early childhood for the well-being of children and their families.

A long term goal that I have made is to move to a foreign country for at least one year and teach in a mission/orphanage.  This will not be possible until my own children are in college; however, that time will be here before I know it.  I have never been outside the United States, and I would love the opportunity to travel to a foreign country.  I have not decided where, yet.  Do you have any suggestions?  I do know that I would like to use my time teaching young children who are living in a mission/orphanage. 

I cannot believe that this journey has come to an end.  I keep asking my children, “What am I going to do with all the free time that I am going to have?” They haven’t given me an answer, but I think that they will just be happy to have more of their mama’s attention again.

 

Dr. Teri and classmates, I consider you not just my instructor and colleagues but also my friends.  At times, I have wondered if I would make it to this point.  Thank you for your encouraging words, posts, and blogs. I wish you each the best as you continue your careers and education. 

 

The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be. –Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Best regards,

Dianne

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community:  Internationally 

Save the Children

Early Childhood Development (ECD) Specialist, Washington 

This job opportunity is currently being posted on the UNjobs website.  Save the Children’s (n.d.) website states that they are “the world’s leading independent organization for children”.  According to the UNjob posting, the ECD Specialist would be responsible for “providing technical support to country offices in the design, implementation, and monitoring of ECD programs”.  A Masters in early childhood development, education, or related field is required as well as communication skills in English and Spanish.  One must also be willing to travel 30-40% of the time.  This job opportunity appeals to me because I am very interested in traveling to other countries and would like to oversee early childhood programs in other countries.  I would like to pursue an opportunity like this one once my children are in college.  At that time, I will be able to travel and use my early childhood background in different avenues like this job opportunity. 

International Rescue Committee (IRC)

Child and Family Specialist, New York

According to their website, the International Rescue Committee “responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people survive, recover, and rebuild their lives.”  This job opportunity is currently being posted on the UNjobs website.  According to the UNjob posting, the major responsibility of the Child and Family Specialist will be to “lead the development of a comprehensive, evidence-based Healing Families Toolkit that will be piloted in Tanzania”.  An applicant must have a Masters in social work, child development, or related field, excellent communication skills, and be willing to travel to Tanzania 1-2 times for about 15 days.  I am intrigued by this organization’s passion for helping families to rebuild their lives after wars or natural disasters.  I think it would be very rewarding to work for such an organization and use my early childhood background to develop parenting programs. 

World Vision International

Early Childhood Development (ECD) Specialist, Washington 

This job opportunity is currently being posted on the UNjobs website.  A Masters or Doctoral degree in early childhood development, education, developmental psychology or social work is preferred.  Excellent communication skills and the ability to network with other agencies is required as well as the ability to travel 25-30% of the time.   According to the UNjobs posting, “Inter and intra agency working groups are established (CoP) to contribute to and help disseminate best practices and learning across the Partnership and externally”.  What attracted me most to this job posting were the multiple opportunities to discuss early childhood development with other international organizations/agencies.  Being a lifelong learner and loving opportunities to expand my knowledge of the early childhood field, this job opportunity appealed to me greatly. 

 

References

UNjobs: a Swiss Association. (n.d.).  Save the Children. Retrieved from

http://unjobs.org/vacancies/1377115071900

 

Save the Children. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.8D6E/Official_Site.htm

UNjobs; a Swiss Association. (n.d.). International Rescue Committee. Retrieved from

http://unjobs.org/vacancies/1377722590305

International Rescue Committee. (n.d.).  Retrieved from

http://www.rescue.org/irc-fast-facts

UNjobs: a Swiss Association. (n.d.).  World Vision International. Retrieved from

http://unjobs.org/vacancies/1379449832386 

World Vision International. (n.d.).  Retrieved from

http://www.wvi.org/about-world-vision

 

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

 

State Liaison for the National PTA

This job opportunity within the national office of the PTA intrigued me.  It would be a way to use my background in early childhood in a more administrative capacity.  A State Liaison has to be knowledgeable about the different departments within the PTA organization as well as be knowledgeable about key programs and resources that the PTA offers.  In this job position, you would be responsible for being the main contact and customer support for all State PTAs with regard to programmatic and organizational issues (http://www.pta.org/careers).  A Bachelor’s degree, excellent communication and computer skills are required for this job opportunity.

NAEYC:  Project Manager, Education

This job opportunity involves travel abroad which excited me.  As a project manager, you oversee that the educational programs are being delivered effectively and in a cost effective manner.  As project manner, you assist the Director in developing and implementing programs that provide information, guidance and support to public and large scale entities aboard that implement quality enhancement initiatives that embrace NAEYC’s early learning standards (http://www.naeyc.org/about/jobs).  Currently, the NAEYC is looking for a Project Manager to provide training for early childhood professionals in the Middle East.  NAEYC prefers someone with a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education for this position as well as someone with excellent communication and writing skills.

Teach for America: Corp Member

This national organization promotes providing excellent educational experiences for children growing up in poverty (http://www.teachforamerica.org/join-our-staff).  With a two year commitment, you can become a corp member and be assigned to one of four regions in the United States that desperately needs teachers in high-poverty areas.  The website provides a wealth on information about the four regions and each region’s certification/licensing requirements.  When assigning a corp member to a position, they take into consideration the regional needs and opportunities, the state’s licensing and certification requirements, and your own preference of location(http://www.teachforamerica.org/join-our-staff) .  You will receive a beginning teacher’s salary for that state.  There are many scholarship opportunities for Teach for America employees.  What interests me most about this program is their commitments to help those living in poverty receive an excellent education.  In my opinion, it would be a wonderful way to use my educational background and serve those most in need.    

 

References

NAEYC. (n.d.). Job opportunities: Executive Office.  Retrieved from

          http://www.naeyc.org/about/jobs

 

National PTA. (n.d.) Careers at National PTA. Retrieved from

          http://www.pta.org/careers

 

Teach for America (n.d.). Join our staff.  Retrieved from

          http://www.teachforamerica.org/join-our-staff

 

 

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels 

The National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education (NCPIE) is an organization that appeals to me because it supports one of my passions in education.  I am constantly looking for ways to increase parent involvement.  Unfortunately, many people misunderstand parent involvement to mean only the required four programs/events that parents are invited to attend at their child’s Title I school.  Parent involvement is an ongoing process. It is finding engaging activities and learning experiences that the parent and child may participate in together in the home. The NCPIE website recommended a book, Beyond the Bake Sale by Anne Henderson, which my school used as a professional learning community resource last year. I recommend it, as well. 

Another organization that appeals to me is the North Carolina PTA.  As a parent and as a teacher, I support the purpose of this organization. The national and NC PTA bylaws core purpose states, “To secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth” (NCPTA website).  As I was telling my principal yesterday, the safety and well-being of our children is fundamental and non-negotiable.

The third organization that appeals to me is the North Carolina State PIRC.  When our Title I school first became involved with PIRC, I was unsure what it meant.  However, I soon learned how the North Carolina Parent Involvement Resource Center is instrumental in “helping schools and families work together to improve academic performance” (National PIRC Coordination Center website).  Our school district has used many of their resources in our curriculum night events to help inform parents of ways to become more involved in their child’s education.

Current job opportunities that interest me are being an early childhood instructor at the local community college and being the director of a small, church-affiliated mothers’ morning out program.  During our last class when we conducted interviews with early childhood instructors, I visited the local community college and spoke with two early childhood instructors.  I was asked to put in my application and have done so.  Obtaining my Masters with a specialization in Teaching Adults EC was definitely appealing to them as well as having twelve years of teaching in the elementary grades.  There is not a position currently available; however, I hope to teach at that level in the future.  My other interest is to be a director of a small, church-affiliated mothers’ morning out program.  My background in early childhood as well as my background in accounting/business would be helpful in this career.  My children participated in this type of early childhood program, and I found it so beneficial to them.  I would love to give back to the community and serve my church by having a position such as this.

References

North Carolina PTA.  (n.d.). Retrieved from the North Carolina PTA website:

          http://wsfcs.k12.nc.us/cms/lib/NC01001395/Centricity/Domain/7388/N

C%20PTA%20Advocacy%20Priorities.pdf

 

National PIRC Coordination Center. (n.d.).  North Carolina state PIRC. Retrieved

          from the National PIRC Coordination Center website:

http://www.nationalpirc.org/directory/NC.html

 

National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education. (n.d.). Building family-

          School partnerships that work. Retrieved from the National

          Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education website:

          http://www.ncpie.org/

 

 

Blog – Week 8

Note of Thanks

Thank you to all of my classmates for you support and insight throughout this course.  I have learned so much from each of your personal experiences as they related to being an effective communicator.  It has extended the learning experience for me.  I wish you the best as you continue your academic journey.

Dianne

 

 

Week 6 - Blog Assignment

To be quite honest, I have not been in many group situations that paid much attention to the adjourning stage.  It didn’t seem to matter whether or not the group was high-performing or if the group had the clearest established norms.  In my opinion, once the task was completed, the group members have just seemed to drift off on their separate ways. 

However, I have had one group that experienced a very memorable adjourning stage.  I had a wonderful student teaching supervisor.  She is an extraordinary mentor and a fascinating person.  Aside from being a college professor and student teaching supervisor, she also gave tours at the North Caroling Museum of Art.  At the end of our student teaching experience, she gave her ten student teachers a tour of the museum.  She singled out specific pieces of art from different periods and would relate them to how being an elementary teacher we would be able to influence the lives of children.  We then went to her house for a dinner and to share our final units.  It was hard to leave this group because we had been through so many courses together as well as shared our student teaching experience together.  All of us had been paired to experience a “dual” teaching experience in which we spent six weeks in one lower elementary grade and six weeks in an upper elementary grade.  Each pair was assigned to the same teachers, so that we could trade off grade levels at the halfway point.  In this way, we could share ideas and strategies about what worked and didn’t work well in the different classrooms and help each other design our final units.  It was a very close-knit group.  This final gathering was very memorable. 

As we are getting closer to obtaining our master’s degree in this program, I have given some thought as to how this group might adjourn.  At the end of our courses, I enjoy how we use our blogs to express our gratitude for each other and to wish each other good luck as we continue our studies.  This is a great way to adjourn since we are a part of an online community of learners.  However, as we near graduation, I look forward to meeting my classmates face-to-face at the graduation ceremony.  We have all shared so much of ourselves in our discussion posts and blogs that it would be nice to gather together to formally meet and to celebrate our accomplishments.

I think adjourning is an essential stage of teamwork because it gives the group time to celebrate their accomplishments, to acknowledge each other’s role in the team effort, and to reach closure before going separate ways.