Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

The first international organization I chose is Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI). ACEI's mission is to promote and support in the global community the optimal education, development, and well-being of children, from birth through early adolescence, 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. They promote policies and practices that support children’s healthy development, love of learning, and joy in living. Our public education campaigns bring to light both the promise and the vulnerability of childhood. They act for the sake of the children themselves and for a more just, democratic, and ecologically responsible future. In addition they believe that every child in every nation deserves a childhood full of hope, joy, freedom, and promise for the future.

I chose this organization because they are really focused on early childhood on a global scale just as I am. I am very much interested in attending the global summit they will hold at the Intercontinental Hotel in San José, Costa Rica March 31, 2016 to April 3, 2016. The 2016 Global Summit on Childhood brings together individuals from around the world and across disciplines to explore the role of childhood in ensuring a positive human future during a time of rapid change

Being a part of (ACEI) is important to me and I like the fact that they deliver education news and information to individuals, schools, and institutions worldwide. My goal is to do likewise. I love traveling around the world and learning about other organizations and their involvement in the field of early childhood education. Even though no employment opportunities exist at this time this is a wonderful organization for me to be a part of.

The second international organization I chose is Save the Children. The mission of Save the Children is to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives. Their vision is in line with mine in that every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation.

I chose this organization because of their firm conviction, values and integrity. They see to it that all children have the opportunity to succeed and this is extremely important to me. We all know that education improves life-long health, income and prospects. Save the Children works to ensure that every child receives a good quality education and gains the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in the 21st century. They also support programs that are proven to promote learning in school and in the community. And we influence global and national policy to improve children’s access to quality education, from pre-school care through to adulthood. I would also love the opportunity to be a sponsor for a child in the USA.

One of the career opportunities that interest me with Save the Children is the Interim Internal Communications Director. The communications director is responsible for leading the change of the communications function internationally, as part of the recent communications review, working closely with stakeholders within the organization as well as across the wider membership/movement. Some of the skills and experience I would need and I feel I qualify for are:


• Proven communications leadership at a senior level, in a complex, global organization, with the demonstrable ability to work in a networked organization, influencing others through 'soft power'
• Experience in leading the creation and implementation of a strategy, demonstrating the ability to identify the necessary steps towards an ambitious goal.
•      Proven communications leadership at a senior level, in a complex, global organization, with the demonstrable ability to work in a networked organization, influencing others through 'soft power'
•      Willingness to travel overseas for up of 15% of the time
•      Ability to work in a culturally diverse setting
•      Commitment to Save the Children's values and ways of working

I think this would be a great opportunity for me to expand my horizons and do my part in saving all children. I would love the opportunity to travel overseas and see what other countries and doing when it comes to early childhood education.

The third international organization I chose is the International Child Resource Institute (ICRI).
ICRI envisions a world in which all children and families are able to fulfill their greatest potential. All children deserve access to high quality, stimulating, developmentally appropriate early childhood care and education. They believe that early intervention promotes the healthy growth and development not just of individual children, but of entire communities. I chose this organization because they are determined to reach children all around the world. Some of the places are Kenya, Chile, India, Nepal, USA, Norway and more. I would love to travel to some of these countries.

There are no employment opportunities at this time but I am very much interested in the volunteering my services. At this time the International Child Resource Institute (ICRI) have a particular need for volunteers to work on fund development, research/writing, and office administration. This would indeed be a wonderful experience for me.

                                                   ADVOCATE FOR CHILDREN

                          Be the voice for children in need! Take action on these critical 

               issues  and tell our government leaders to prioritize our children and futures.

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

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community

The three national/federal organizations that appealed to me are:

1. The Association for Early Learning Leaders, formerly known as the National Association of Child Care Professionals. The Association for Early Learning Leaders is committed to excellence in the field of early childhood care and education by promoting leadership development and enhancing program quality. In addition they are very much committed to strengthening the skills of those such as owners, directors, administrators, as well as those who are devoted to the field of early childhood education. I chose this organization because there mission is very similar to mine. As a director of an early childhood program I think it is extremely important to promote leadership while at the same time enhancing and maintaining a quality program. They offer a great deal of resources that impact the field of early childhood education. In addition I am a member of this organization. The job opportunity that interests me is Executive Director. The skills and experience is a Master’s Degree with 5-10 years experience. 

• Develop and implement CFEC’s strategic vision;

• Lead the development of state-of-the-art programming strategies that position CFEC as a regional leader for achieving community impact;

• Collaborate with the Principals of the member schools and leadership of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, to facilitate their active participation in achieving CFEC’s goals;

• Support the Principals in the planning, coordination and management of the daily operations of the schools. 

• Communicate CFEC’s plans and policies to broad audiences;

• Develop and nurture productive relationships and resources deemed essential for the attainment of CFEC’s goal and objectives.

This is a position I would love to take on. I have the necessary skills and experience for this position but it is located in North Carolina.

2. The Early Care and Education Consortium is a voice for child care providers in Congress. They work to be a provider voice to shape public policy in support of high-quality care and education for young children and families. This organization played a major part in getting the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) signed into law. The purpose of this grant is to improve child care safety and quality. The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) also help low-income families, families receiving public assistance and those families transitioning from public assistance in obtaining child care. (PACCA) The Pennsylvania Child Care Association is a member of ECEC which my center has a membership with.

I chose this organization because of their devotion and willingness to partner with other organizations to be a voice for providers, connecting capitols and classrooms in Pennsylvania and across the country. They offer a great deal of information and resources on the national and federal level. The one job opportunity that interests me very much is the State Policy Senior Associate. The applicant applying for this position must have a positive, upbeat attitude, the ability to handle multiple tasks under time-sensitive deadlines, the ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment, and to remain flexible and resourceful as part of a small staff while maintaining a high level of professionalism are key requirements of the job. Even though I meet the majority of the skills necessary I have very little experience at the state and or federal level. The position requires that you have the following skills and experience.

• A  Bachelor’s degree ( Master’s preferred) plus five to eight  years of progressive experience at the state and/or federal level in issue advocacy, policy development or analysis, and strong knowledge of early childhood issues

• Excellent written, oral and public presentation skills including the ability to translate technical concepts succinctly to diverse stakeholders and audiences.  Demonstrated ability to prioritize, organize and complete work independently and as part of a team

• Availability for travel within United States

• Ability to use e-advocacy and e-communication tools

• Strong computer skills, including advanced knowledge of MS Word, MS Excel , MS PowerPoint and other office programs

• Effective interpersonal communication skills including the ability to develop relationships and coordinate the work of virtual teams and committees 

• Desire to work with others to strengthen community early care and education  programs and services  thru advocacy in support of independent community providers of high quality early learning programs, children and their families

This position sounds very interesting but I have no experience at the state or federal level.

3. The third organization I chose was the National Child Care Association (NCCA). NCCA has been the voice of the licensed, private early childhood care and education community. Many of their members include individual owners and multi-state companies, who all have the same goal in mind and that is to provide all young children & their families with quality care and education. As the National Voice of Private Early Childhood Care and Education Providers, NCCA is working to make your voice heard on the state and federal level on a wide range of issues impacting your business. Today these issues include State and Federal Funding, Unionization and Labor Issues, Regulatory Issues, and Pre-K and Quality issues.

I chose this organization because I am very much interested in the issues they deal with as it relates to funding, quality and Pre-K and how they advocate for state regulations that make sense and which is of great interest to me. In addition like me, NCCA’s top priority is providing comprehensive quality early education and care to the children and families in our communities. I also agree with the fact the just like NCCA many of its members and licensed child care providers believe in appropriate oversight; however we believe that the focus of inspections should be improvement, not punishment. Licensed providers want to provide the highest quality of care, and many do so without regard for financial gain. This is so true and I firmly believe that. It is very clear to me that the state governments have been and continue to be in the forefront of regulatory compliance and oversight. The federal government’s role should be to assist the states in their implementation of programs and regulations, not create an additional laws and regulation which only serves to create more bureaucracy, confusion, and expense. The NCCA did not have any job opportunities available.

Reference

Association for Early Learning Leaders. (1984). Retrieved on May 22, 2015 from: http://www.earlylearningleaders.org/

Early Care and Education Consortium. (2015). Retrieved on May 24, 2015 from: http://www.ececonsortium.org/

National Child Care Association (NCCA). (n.d.). Retrieved on May 24, 2015 from: http://www.nccanet.org/

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

                                                               Community

The first state organization I chose is PennAEYC.  PennAEYC is the voice of early childhood in Pennsylvania. PennAEYC is a State Affiliate of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). PennAEYC represents all NAEYC members in Pennsylvania, (which I am a member of) including those in local affiliate groups as well as those unaffiliated with any local affiliate.  I chose them because they offer professional development, advocacy support, networking, leadership, and other opportunities for early childhood professionals like myself. They build, participate, collaborate and connect across the state level. I have used them in providing networking. PennAEYC's vision is that every child in Pennsylvania has the equal opportunity to be a successful, responsible, and productive members of society as a result of their early childhood experiences which is something I totally agree with. There are currently no job opportunities available.

The second organization is the Delaware Valley Association for the Education of Young Children (DVAEYC). They focus on empowering early childhood educators in the Delaware Valley with vast resources, support and motivation. So every child from birth to age 8, may receive the best care and education possible. Since our child’s future depends on us. I too am committed to creating a path that allows them, and their teachers, to reach their full potential. As a director and leader I am very much interested in their Leadership Empowerment Action Project (LEAP). They also offer assistance with career advising, professional development and Keystone Stars which my agency is a part of. There are currently no job opportunities available for me.

The third organization I chose is PACCA. The Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA) is a statewide non-profit organization.  PACCA exists to be a strong and effective advocate for quality early care and education programs which is of great importance to me. I like the fact that they strive to give leadership and support to those organizations that assist the Early Childhood Education community, families, and children. I am a firm believer and advocate for early childhood education. My entire staff and I are members of PACCA. I like the information that is available if you want to start your own childcare center. In addition they have a great deal of resource information for parents. They can assist you in finding quality child care. There are no employment opportunities available that would interest me.

 

Reference:

PennAEYC (n.d.). Retrieved on May 15, 2015 from: http://www.pennaeyc.com/Pages/default.aspx

Delaware Valley Association for the Education of Young Children (DVAEYC), (2015).  Retrieved on May 15, 2015 from: http://www.dvaeyc.org/

Pennsylvania Child Care Association, (2012). Retrieved on May 15, 2015 from: http://www.pacca.org/

 

 

Capstone Project

Hello everyone and welcome to the capstone project. I look forward to working and learning something new from each and everyone of you. 


      "student effort should be at its peak during                             capstone experiences"

Collaborative Learning Community

The last 8 weeks was a wonderful experience and I have learned great deal on what it means to be effective in our communication and listening skills. I say all the time you learn something new each day. All my colleagues have been supportive in responding to information as well as giving suggestions and advice on how they effectively communicate or have learned new skills as a result of this class. I like the honesty displayed by all and they were not afraid to say how they feel. I am been supportive by offering any advice asked by others or administering some of the knowledge I have on some issues. I too still learned information that I have already begun to incorporate in my day to day dealings with each and every person I come in contact with. I would like to wish each and every one of you much success as you continue your progress at Walden University.  Please feel free to email me at childrens4802@gmail.com and I will give you my contact information to keep in touch.

Thanks Again from the bottom of my heart

ADJOURNING PHASE

The adjourning stage of the CACFP (Child and Adult Care Food Program) food program is winding down and even though pressure was put on a few of us to complete the paperwork that others claimed they did we really felt good. It was a real challenge for us but we survived. This bought the team closer together and it enabled all of us to be more helpful and supportive of one another. Even though the high performing didn’t begin until we were in a jam it was really hard to say good bye. We set aside a day and we all went out to dinner after getting word that the audit went very well. Some of the individuals that never worked together became close and starting working on other projects together and relying on each other more. Many of us keep in contact with each other and we provide support to one another no matter at what cost. 

The group of us that worked together was very clear about what had to be one and the time frame involve. There are many closing rituals I have experienced but the one that I feel is important was to address those who worked on the CACFP (Child and Adult Care Food Program) project. I let them know that the project we worked on required leadership, planning and cooperation. This project is something we will have to go through again. What we went through was only the beginning. Each of us here played a major part in getting this work done however we will still need to keep abreast and make sure the CACFP (Child and Adult Care Food Program)  is being done daily and properly. It is our mission to make sure that continues.

In closing, I look forward to standing here and working with each and every one of you upon successful completion of this project. I would like to extend my thanks to each and every one of you. As a token of my appreciation the center will be giving each of you a paid day off on us. Thank You Again.

While working on my master’s degree I imagine that I will adjourn from the groups, colleagues and instructor just about the same. I don’t know about the paid day off but I will show my appreciation for all the help and support I received from everyone.

Adjourning is an essential stage of teamwork. At this stage I find that it is important to achieve closure for the group doing so on a positive note. Group members may begin to feel a sense of loss and their motivation may decline when the group's work comes to an end. With that being said I find it is very important to recognize the group members for their accomplishments and celebrate the group's overall success. As a director and leader of my team this is important to the future success of all members.

Reference:

Abudi, G. (2010). The five stages of team development: A case study. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html

Disagreement and Conflict Strategies

As an educator I try my best not to engage in disagreements and conflicts. I do my best to try and resolve all issues no matter how small or large. The one thing I just recently experienced, that comes to mind is a situation one of the Assistant Directors had. One of our parents who is deaf insist on bringing her children to daycare even though the state had informed the center that until she submits in the necessary paperwork the childcare will stop. The assistant told her she could not leave her children and the parent began to sign at her snapping and displaying anger. The parent basically told the assistant you can’t tell me I can’t leave my children. The assistant director explained to her that if she left her children she would have to pay out of pocket. The parent handed her a piece of paper that stated that because she is death the worker could not contact her by phone but by email only and the email address was on the paper. The parent wanted the assistant director to contact the worker and give her the email address so that the worker and parent could properly communicate. 

Non-Verbal Communication

The assistant director told the parent it was not her responsibility to contact them that as the parent she had to handle the situation. Again the parent began to sign and again very angry snapping at the assistant director. When I came in the assistant director mentioned to me what had happened and she seemed to be very upset by it. I simply asked her what was wrong so that she could explain the story from start to finish. She felt that it was not her responsibility to contact the worker that the parent needs to do so.  After she made me aware of the conversation I explained to her the way she handled that was inappropriate and that could have been resolved in such a way that would have made the situation peaceful for both people the parent and the assistant director.

As mentioned in Chapter 8 Managing Conflict Resolution “what starts out as a complaint or an observation can quickly develop into a nasty conflict or even an investigation” (O'Hair & Wiemann, 2012, p. 219). My investigation of the situation determined that the matter could have been handled in a different manner. First of all in our business we need to be effective in our communication. Secondly, I look at the fact that this parent is death and so this is the best way for her to communicate with the center and so we need to take the extra step in assisting her. I let the assistant director know that the situation could have been easily resolved by just picking up the phone, contacting the worker and giving her the information (email address) from the parent so that there could be communication between the parent and the worker. That would have taken very little time to do so. 

Friends Resolving Conflicts

One strategy that comes to mind is the cooperative strategy. The assistant director could have proposed a compromise by allowing the children to stay until she was able to communicate with the parent’s worker. This would have been the best outcome for both parties in this relationship. “Strategies that benefit the relationship, serve mutual rather than individual goals, and strive to produce solutions that benefit both parties”( O'Hair & Wiemann,  2012, p. 237). Offering and potentially negotiating alternatives is a useful tactic for cooperative conflict management.  In this situation challenging strategy I would say could have applied to the parent. This promoted the objective of the individual (referring to the parent) who use the challenge rather than the desires of the other person or the relationship.

Communicate

"The dynamic communication techniques of Nonviolent Communication transform potential conflicts into peaceful dialogues. You'll learn simple tools to defuse arguments and create compassionate connections with your family, friends, and other acquaintances” (http://www.cnvc.org/). (Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is based on the principles of nonviolence-- the natural state of compassion when no violence is present in the heart. Nonviolent Communication skills emphasize personal responsibility for our actions and the choices we make when we respond to others, as well as how to contribute to relationships based in cooperation and collaboration. When our communication supports compassionate giving and receiving, happiness replaces violence and grieving!

I find that the needs of both parties play important roles in the long-term success of most relationships, and each deserves respect and consideration. When you can recognize the legitimacy of conflicting needs and become willing to examine them in an environment of compassionate understanding, it opens pathways to creative problem solving, team building, and improved relationships. The way you look, listen, move, and react to another person tells them more about how you’re feeling than words alone ever can.

Developing the ability to understand and use nonverbal communication can help you connect with others, express what you really mean, navigate challenging situations, and build better relationships at home and work.

To all my colleagues I would like your input regarding any specific problems you may have had and how you learned to be more effective communicators when handling conflicts.

References:

 The Center for Nonviolent Communication. (n.d.). The center for nonviolent communication. Retrieved from http://www.cnvc.org/

http://www.cnvc.org/learn/nvc-foundations