Time Well Spent

One deep learning I have gained from this program is how much hard work and dedication other professionals are willing to put into the field to help the families and young children.  Without them, early childhood education would not be as strong and as well acknowledged as it is becoming today.

Another deep learning that I have gained is how much communication truly helps strengthen any argument or point.  By using resources and talking with other peers from the class, I was able to find additional resources or change my Community of Practice. They showed me different perspectives on the argument I was trying to make and how to alter it to make it more appropriate.

The third deeply felt learning from this program is that with the support of colleagues and other professionals, anything is possible.  Talking with my classmates and other professionals, I was able to identify what the key problems are in the field.  It has given me inspiration to keep working hard and never back down from something I am passionate about.

One long term goal that I have for myself is to strengthen my ability to be a better advocate.  I want to do as much as possible to help young children and their families. It is important to fight and remain positive about making changes within the field.

A farewell message to your Instructor and colleagues.

It has been a pleasure working with each and every one of you.  I have not only grown as a professional but have learned a great deal from each of you as well.  Thank you for taking the time to read my posts and responding in thoughtful ways.  I will take the information that I have obtained and will be a stronger professional as a result.

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

One international organization that I would love to get involved with is Save the Children.  They have been around since 1919 and are still striving to accomplish the goal of saving the children.  They start with children at birth and work with them to ensure that they stay strong and healthy.  It allows children of all ages to get the fighting chance that they may not have otherwise received.  Although they do not currently have any opening, I found one that interested me a great deal.  The organization has a position called International Field-Based.  Individuals involved recruits a limited number of qualified individuals to support field-based programs in a variety of International locations. In addition Save the Children International and 30 national Save the Children organizations around the world also recruit for positions overseas.  The skills and experience needed in order to fulfill this position would be the desire to help the children all over the world.  It doesn’t matter where you live, there are always children who need help.

Another international organization that I would like to get involved with is UNICEF.  They are an organization that most people are familiar with, usually around Halloween.  Their ultimate goal is to help children overcome obstacles and help them survive.  They offer ways for the children to receive protection and social inclusion as well as an education.  A position that they offer that interests me would be the good will ambassador.  I would like the opportunity to talk with people from all over the world and fill them in on the struggles that the children in the United States are currently having.  Every country has their share of problems, but together we could find a way to fix it.  The skills needed for this experience would be a good people person who wants to help children all over the world.  They must have the desire to want to help keep children safe as well as get them an education.

The final international organization that I would like to get involved with is the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).  They research and find ways in which to help improve the quality of life for people whether it be through taxes or social security.  This organization would help the working middle class and help find ways to make life easier for them.  Although I did not see it offered, I would like to work in researching the different economics around the world.  It may be interesting to see what countries are succeeding and what they are doing to make it work.

 

References

http://www.oecd.org/home/0,2987,en_2649_201185_1_1_1_1_1,00.html

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

http://www.unicef.org/

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

The first national organization that I would like to join is the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).  They inform anyone who is interested about the latest trends, trainings, and journal articles that pertain to young children.  Grandparents can look up advice on how to get their grandson to sleep on the same site that teachers may utilize to find additional resources for helping with English language learners.  This organization appealed to me because they have information regarding every aspect of young childhood education.  They do not only focus on one component such as behavior or English language learners.  They have up to date articles and journals that are geared towards helping everyone, not just educators.  They do not have any job opportunities currently available but they do offer membership into the organization.  That would be a useful tool to help me get all the current information they have to offer.

Another organization that I would like to join is called Child Care Aware.  It is designed for individuals who are looking to work in the early childcare field or parents who have young children.  They put people in contact with each other with regards of how to recognize high quality programs and what to look for in schools.  This appealed to me because many parents are not aware of what to look for when placing their children in preschools or day cares.  This site informs them of what to spot and what to ask.  One job that would interest me from this site is something that is not currently listed.  I would like to go into the programs they have listed and see what classifies them as high quality programs.  One skill that I would need to fulfill this role would be  understanding of what sets high quality programs apart from the rest that simply open up to make money.

The final group that I would join is the National Head Start Association.  The organization offers various articles about the Head Start program as well as professional development programs.  The site also offers current research that is being done in the field of early childhood education. This site appealed to me because I understand the important of Head Starts in low income programs.  Many families need the additional support and resources that this program has to offer in order to help their children.  There are no current job openings listed but I would like to be a program director for one of my local Head Start programs.  This would allow me to stay current in the field of early childcare education and help those who need it the most. The skill that I would need is the desire and drive to help.  Without that, the families would not be receiving the services and would not be benefiting from their experience at the Head Start.  My experience as a teacher in my town’s Head Start allows me to fully understand how the program works and how much it can impact families in a positive way.

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community

The first local organization that I found is the Children’s Home Society of New Jersey.  I chose this one because it is to help at-risk youth.  Organizations such as this always catch my attention.  These are the children who would benefit the most from extra positive attention.  I enjoy working with at risk children of all age groups and showing them different ways in which they can turn their lives around.

Although they currently have no open job opportunities, I would still like to be apart of the Intensive services program.  It is designed to help educate parents who have had their children taken away from them.  Being part of that program will allow me to see a different side of the education process and what steps are taken to help the families become a whole again. The skills that I feel that would be needed to fulfill this role would to keep myself educated about the child abuse laws as well as how to inform parents about the steps they can take if they start to feel overwhelmed and feel as though they need help raising their children.

Prevention First is an organization that teachers many different lessons to school age children.  They start at kindergarten and stay with the children until the end of third grade.  They teach them life skills such as peer pressure and conflict resolution.  This appeals to me because they are helping children with common everyday problems.  The children need assistance and often the individuals who work for this company go into low income or poverty stricken areas that could use this help the most.

There is currently a job opportunity in my local organization for an education specialist.  They are the educators who enter the schools and give the presentation on various important topics.  The skills needed are someone who is willing to help children, have a bachelor’s degree, and have a desire to assist those who need it the most.

The final organization that I found that appealed to me is Ocean Inc.  The organization is rather large and does many different things around the community.  Ocean Inc has preschool programs that are open to low income families as well as has various programs that help them pay their utilities.  They do various things around the community to help the families live a better life.

There is currently an opening for a Head Start director who is also a part of Ocean Inc.  I would love to be able to have this position because it assists more people and families than any other organization.  The director is in charge of the local Head Start program and decided who enters and who doesn’t.  They initially have the final say on everything that occurs within the school building.  I know I would excel at this position because I would be able to help the families since I am from the area I know what they are currently facing. I feel I would bring the necessary experience needed to fully understand the families’ situations and what can be done to solve it.

se roles 

Profile of a Volunteer

Describe the volunteer efforts of the person you have elected to profile.

There is a woman who volunteers every week at my job.  She often brings art supplies to donate to the school such as ribbon, yarn, and paper.  This allows the school to earn inkind or money off of her generosity.  Kathy is a retired school teacher and a stay at home grandmother.  She loves children and looks forward to working with the children.  She is very excited to enter the classrooms and often looks for extra projects to do while she is there.  Kathy sits at the tables with the children and helps them with whatever art project the teacher has set out for the day.  She is very eager to help and finds ways to contribute to the lessons whether it is through supplies or explaining different activities that may work with the day’s lesson plans.

Identify how you feel this person's work has positively impacted others.

Kathy’s efforts have made a positive impact on other members of the community as well as her friends.  We often have parents who watch Kathy and see how often she volunteers in the school.  As a result, we have had a higher number of parents and guardians come into the school asking how they can help.  It has been nice to see how the work of one person can impact many others. Kathy has also helped the school by talking with her friends outside of the school setting about ways in which they can help without having to enter the school.  The local organizations have come together and donated teddy bears to the school around Christmas time.  They ensure that every child receives one and even spend the time to crochet clothing for each one.  They do not look for any recognition but simply a picture of the children smiling with the bears.

Describe what you feel is a vital "take-away" message relative to this work in terms of your own volunteer efforts and advocacy work in fostering the well-being of children and families.

The most important take away message relative to this work in terms of my own volunteer effort is that spreading the word of how people can help is very effective.  Kathy spreads the word to her friends about her efforts working in the school and as a result they have found ways to volunteer their time in a setting that makes them more comfortable.  This helps spread the message about the well-being of the children and how they struggle around the holidays.  This will help my advocacy work and volunteering.  I know can see how a community, even a small one such as the school, can be impacted by the dedication of one individual.  I want to strive to be a strong volunteer like Kathy who looks forward to giving back to the community, even if it’s through cutting out shapes for the classroom.

Using Social Media to get Connected

Provide a brief overview of your past and present experience with social media.

I utilize different forms of social media such as youtube and facebook.  I have often found both useful tools for different reasons.  Youtube has allowed me to share short clips in my classroom to my students about topics that we had been discussing.  It allows me to show them the topic in a different approach helping the more visual learners understand.  Facebook has also introduced me to local business that I could use as well as keep in touch with old friends.  I have not used it for any educational purpose but do know that many useful organizations are beginning to use it.

Describe what social media tools you feel lend themselves to effective advocacy.

The tools that lend themselves to effective advocacy are newsletters and facebook.  Since many people are on facebook now, it would benefit many organizations to create a page and keep it current.  They could post about upcoming events as well as important information that they want others to know.  Newsletters would be a useful tool for the individuals who do not like to utilize the computer to find information.  Some people still utilize newspapers and handouts to find their information.  Using both resources will help reach more people.

Identify how you might use these social media tools to educate and inspire others in your advocacy work.

I have many professionals on my facebook page.  I would be able to post information that pertains to them on there to help promote important causes and organizations.  This will hopefully inspire them to pursue more advocacy work and help find a cause that they are passionate about.  By me posting information about steps that I have taken to help others and children, hopefully people in the field will take what I am doing and use it to help others as well.

Ask your colleagues for their suggestions and/or their help with using social media as a tool to promote advocacy efforts.

Many of my colleagues have also suggested utilizing facebook as a means to get the most information about advocacy efforts out to the public.  Out of the 4 people I asked, all of them said that since many people and companies are on facebook, it would be the fastest way to get the message and information out to others.

Advocacy Messages

One of the most recent advertising campaigns that I believe to be inspiring actually comes from the beer company Guinness.  The commercial is about six men who are in wheel chairs playing basketball.  When the game ends, five of the men stand up and one remains sitting.  It shows how they were all able to come together and not use anyone’s disability as an obstacle.  The slogan that can be heard is “The choices we make reveal the true nature of our character.”

Another inspiring advertisement is from the United Negro College Fund.  Their message is “a mind is a terrible thing to waste.”  This reminds everyone of how important it is to think things through and to think for yourself.

Though you most likely won't be able to find research data, your analysis of why these messages are so effective in creating action

These messages are effective in creating action because they are clear to the point.  They express that we must think for ourselves and not base someone by their appearance.  The first one regarding the men in the wheel chairs truly shows how people should not be judged based on what we see.  The guys were helping a friend and participating in an activity that they all enjoyed.  The second message explains how important it is to think for ourselves and not to waste our brains. We must use it or we could lose it in a sense.

My Own Capacity

Which issues impacting young children and their families and/or the field of early childhood fuel your passion?

One of the major issues impacting young children and their families that has fueled my passion is the lack f people willing to speak up.  I work in a community that is composed of a large amount of illegal immigrants.  Because of their current status, many people feel as though they do not deserve the help and attention that legal citizens do.  I want to open everyone’s eyes about how this is impacting their children and their education.  Many of the families are unaware of how to help their children if they have any educational problems or even health problems.  People write them off as being needy and wanting too much assistance. This has fueled my passion into wanting to help those when others have given up on them.

What resources do you have at your disposal that can benefit your advocacy work?

One resource that I have at my disposal that can benefit my advocacy work is my current access to a wide range of professionals.  I work in a center that has many different people entering.  I work with people who have resources outside of a public setting that better help the children in my class.  The school psychologist knows a great deal of professionals that can help my student with ADHD and the doctor speaks multiple languages helping me communicate with all the families I serve.

In what ways do you hope to grow in order to be a more effective advocate?

One way that I hope to grow in order to be a more effective advocate is strengthening my list of resources.  I want to have information that is relevant to my community on hand at all times in order to better serve them.  Having the list available will help me provide them with fast information and resources about where to go to get the solution to any problems they may be having.

My Role as an Advocate

What motivated you to start advocating for very young children?

I work in a preschool setting and know how hard it is for the parent’s to get the necessary resources for their children.  They don’t feel comfortable reaching out to strangers and being their child’s teacher; I felt it was my job to help them.  What truly motivated me was seeing how difficult of a time the parent’s had when it came to help their children. 

Why is it essential to acknowledge and foster advocacy efforts at the micro as well as the macro level?

It is essential to acknowledge and foster advocacy efforts at the micro level because it affects the people we work with directly.  We will be able to better serve the families we interact with directly by being their voice and helping them get anything that they may need.  It is also essential for the macro level because people from around the world will be able to shed light or offer different suggestions on problems that are occurring.  They could advocate in the other side of the country about strategies that worked somewhere to help other families.  Professionals can work together to advocate everywhere and help families that they may never meet.

What does it take to be a community leader on early childhood issues?

Being a leader in any community can be difficult and challenging.  To be a leader in the early childhood issue the individual must be aware of all the current problems and what is being done to help them.  They must stay current in both the state and country in terms of the issues that are coming up.  The individual must also be aware of what they can do to help the community they serve as well as their colleagues.  They must also be willing to speak up and have their voice heard about issues that see occurring.

What resources does it take to be a state leader on early childhood issues?

The resources that it takes to be a state leader on early childhood issues are people within the community as well as online sources.  By creating a list of people within the field who can help, the individual will know where to send the families for any additional resources that they may need.  Having a list of online sources as well will help anyone stay current and up to date on any new information or issues that may occur.

What tactics or strategies do you use to mobilize others?

One strategy that I utilize to help mobilize others is to ask them to put themselves in the family’s shoes.  Once they start thinking about what the families go through in terms of not speaking the language, not knowing what to do with their child’s education, they begin to realize how much the families need our help.  This helps motivate others to think of and find ways to address the family’s needs.  They would want someone to help them and that is enough to get them started helping others.

What advice would you give to someone who was interested in taking a leadership role in advocating for young children and their families?

Create a list of resources both online and within the community.  Since each community is unique in the needs, it is important to focus on the families that you serve.  Gather as much information as possible about the current struggles the families are dealing with.  This will help make the information ready and available if they approach you with any questions.

Personal Advocacy Reflection

I have seen others around me be a strong advocate for the children in my school.  They stood up for a family who was having a difficult time getting their children the necessary resources for his speech problem.  The social worker walked the family through the process and even took them to the doctor’s appointments.  The family was able to get the services for the child as a result of the social workers hard work and dedication.  The child now receives speech therapy twice a week and has made significant strides.  His family is extremely grateful because they felt that no one was going to help them.

Upon seeing this family’s experience, I decided to explore my own options for advocacy work.  This part in my career I feel it’s important to find as many ways possible to help every child that I come across.  By researching and keeping a list of the websites along with journal articles that I found useful, I am creating a broader spectrum of information helping me reach out to more children and their families.  After seeing the family’s smiles and hearing the child’s speech develop, it gave me the necessary motivation to pursue ways to help more children.  At this stage in my career, I have been able to provide families with information that will help them and their children with things such as housing issues and taking English classes.  Everyone is grateful when someone takes the time to listen to them and provide them with a little bit of assistance to help make their life easier.

When I Reflect About My Collegial, Professional Learning Community

Post at least three consequences of your experience being a part of a caring, collaborative learning community for your professional growth and development. Use any format you choose.

One consequence of being part of a caring, collaborative learning community for my professional growth and development has to learn information about families that I may not want to know.  If I find out a child in my class is having issues at home such as neglect from the parent, it makes it difficult to see past it.  I want to do everything I can to help the child.

Another consequence is not being able to help every child.  I have a few children in my class that need additional resources to help them succeed.  Due to their insurance or the resources being too far, many of them are unable to get the help.  It breaks everyone’s heart who is involved knowing that the child could get everything they need but due to the parent’s financial or transportation issues they cannot get their children there.

The final consequence is that too many people try to get involved.  When there are a lot of people involved, although they all have good intentions, it becomes too much for the family and the child.  They can become overwhelmed with information, especially if everyone is telling them something different.  It may be best for only a few individuals to be informed and understand the situation that a family is in or any problems that they may be having.

Post one goal for using this collegial experience to enhance your advocacy, policy, and/or system development work on behalf of young children, families, and the early childhood community.

One goal that I have to enhance my advocacy, policy and system development work is to become more familiar with the resources that are available in my area.  By doing this, I will be able to provide the families and their children with the information that will help them.  I will also be able to help them find additional services that they might not be aware of.  By advocating for them, I will provide them with a safe person to turn to whenever they have any questions or concerns.

My Hypothetical Family Situation

The family that I created is one containing a father and mother with a baby on the way.  The unborn child will be born with downs syndrome as confirmed by a prenatal test.  My family’s socioecomic situation is a very poor one.  The father is a day laborer and only picks up odd jobs with no steady pay.  I stay at home taking care of the house and resting until the baby is born.  Neither one of us speaks English and struggle even more as a result.  We have little money and struggle to put food on the table and provide ourselves with a home to live in.  The family situation has been impacted by the sociocultural, economic, and politics of the community.  We are living similar to many other families in the community where only one adult works odd jobs and they can barely get by.  It is a result of where we live that many of the families we interact with have the same problems.  The economic status of the town is poor.  There is little money for education for the public schools and funds for the community to help those less fortunate.  The politics in the town is torn. The leaders of the community focus on the other members of the town who are able to provide for their families and focus on other problems such as having multiple children and continuing their education. They do not worry or acknowledge the less fortunate members of the town.

Due to the current financial situation, there is no money for in-home child care.  We are hoping to have help and support from the friends that we have made in the community.  When the baby is born, we will be trying to get my sister to move in with us for additional help.  Another problem is that neither one of us has a driver’s license.  We must rely on taxi’s or friends in order to get around.  This will become a problem when the baby is born and we must attend doctor’s appointments.

The three sectors of comprehensive systems would benefit my child now and in the future.  The health services would inform us of how to care for the child since it will be our first along with any obstacles that will arise due to the downs syndrome.  The early learning and development will keep us informed of what developmental signs to look for and how to help our newborn keep on track with their needs.  The family leadership and support will help inform us and any other people that are able to help with what we need to do to keep our baby help and striving.  It will allow us to stand up as a leader with a child with special needs and how they need additional services.  One of the major early childhood related services that would support me and my family is Early Head Start.  They provide services about how to properly care for children and how to keep on track with doctor’s appointments.  Some will often provide transportation to the appointments to provide extra services.

The Political Will to Improve Early Childhood Systems

Share one or more strategies you have discovered as you worked on the assignments in this course, and particularly this week, that are currently being used by advocates or organizations to influence the political will toward improving early childhood systems in order to foster the well-being of young children and their families.

The one strategy that I saw being utilized is more bills being passed by people of power.  Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania put a bill into act that opens up the opportunity for more children to have access to preschool of higher quality.  This helps improve the early childhood systems in order to foster the wellbeing of young children and their families.  By someone standing up and speaking out about the programs, they are making the public more aware of how important the early childcare programs are.  People who use their power in the positive manner influence others to do the same.

What part of this work appeals to you most and why?

This aspect appeals to me.  I like seeing people of power using it in a positive way.  Too often we hear about political figures using their power to influence people to do what they want rather than what is right for the public.  Having someone like Bon Casey represent the field in a positive way helps shed light on its importance and how the community as well as the families that they need to help their children at an early age.

Parent, Family, and Community Engagement

The professional and personal significance you drew from these stories:
The one story that stood out to me was Tess Dunlap's.  She explained how unaware she was about the Head Start program and all that it did for the children.  Like many of the parent's who have children enrolled, she saw it as nothing more then a daycare.  Tess soon realized how much more it was.  The program helped her overcome family issues regarding alcohol and even gave her the courage to get her bachelor's degree.  This story helped prove that the Head Start programs are much more than a preschool.  They provide the children and the families opportunities that they might not get if they tried on their own.


Your opinion regarding why or why not parent/family involvement is an essential system element for all strands of service in the early childhood field:
Parent/family involvment is extremely important when it comes to sevicing the early childhood field.  Having volunteered in Head Starts, it is obvious which families take the time to help their children succeed and which ones do not.  Having the families and parent's involved shows the children that they care about what they are learning and what they are doing in school.  Parent's are their children's first teachers.  If they do not make the effort to help promote what the teacher's do within the classroom, the children will not be able to get the most out of their experience at the Head Start setting.

Quality Programs for All Children

Today’s society takes early care and education very lightly.  It seems in my opinion that it is treated as more of a day care, especially preschool programs, rather than something that will help their children further their education.  Hopefully within the next 5 years, our society will realize programs such as Head Starts are there to help children and not babysit them.  Having volunteered in my local Head Start, I have seen how parents mistreat the program and use it to their benefit rather than their children’s.  They would drop the child off and run out of the door not taking any interest in their art work or what the teacher has to say.

I hope the opinion on early childhood education changes drastically.  People need to be aware of how important the programs are for the young children and how much they benefit from it.  By advocating to parents and the community, as professionals we should aim to show the importance of the programs and the other systems they coincide with.  Hopefully the change will show the public that children benefit long run from the services of early childhood education.  It will demonstrate that they are better prepared for school and are more successful in their lives. I imagine that the programs will strengthen their education with the young children.  They will implement more programs and a committee for the parent’s to attend to show them how important the programs truly are.

Early Childcare Policy and Advocacy

Part 1: Why did you choose this specialization? Share what resonates with you about this specialization. Consider the relationship between your passion and aspirations related to public policy and advocacy and what you hope to accomplish with regard to promoting the well-being of children, families, and the early childhood field.

The specialization that I chose which sparked my interest is handling challenging behaviors.  Many parents feel unsure of how to deal with their children who have behavioral issues and what their rights are in terms of education.  This issue has caught my attention and has made me want to further investigate information for the parent’s such as what their rights are and how to get help for them in their home setting with the difficult child.  I hope to accomplish with regard to promoting the well-being of children, families, and the early childhood field to educate everyone on how to properly handle the misbehaving children.  I would like to inform them about what their rights are as parents and the policy of the school’s their children are attending.  This will allow them to fully understand what they can do to help their children and how they can prevent any uncertainty that they may have.

Part 2: Why are advocates essential in the early childhood field? Explain why you believe becoming a skilled and confident advocate is crucial for early childhood professionals and for the field.

Becoming a skilled and confident advocate is crucial for early childhood professionals and for the field because many of the families that we deal with and interact with are not familiar with their rights as parents.  They are unfamiliar with the different policies and how to advocate for their children.  Many of the families have language barriers and are unable to advocate for their children themselves.  By being skilled and confident in advocating I will be able to assist the families accomplish and fulfill their goals for their children in terms of getting assistance they may need.

Part 3: What do you hope to learn about public policy and advocacy? Articulate at least three goals related to this specialization at this point in your coursework.

One goal that I have is to learn the policies of my local school district.  By doing this I will be more efficient in helping the families I deal with on a daily basis.

Another goal that I have is to strengthen my database in terms of resources that are available for the parent’s and families.  This will help me be a more efficient advocate for the families and what rights they have.

The final goal that I hope to learn about public policy and advocacy is to find resources for the families dealing with specialization about handling difficult children.  By having the information available, I will be able to assist the parents and families in a quicker approach to help get the situation taken care of and addressed.