Time Well Spent

I have learned so much from this program about the early childhood program as a whole, children and the way they learn, the many influences that effect children and families, me and my ideas and biases.  One thing I learned from this program early on was how important play is to children.  This is their main pathway to learning, but what I find so interesting is how play and exploration is being taken out of the school settings.  A second lesson that I learned was the devastating effects that poverty has on children.  I had previously believed that it would be better to experience poverty as a younger child than as an older child because they would not know any better or even remember.  What I learned was that it is the opposite.  The effects of poverty are worse on young children due to lack of proper healthcare and malnutrition.  This causes learning delays and problems later in school.  It is never easy to live in poverty.  A third thing that I have learned from this program is that we all have biases that we are aware and unaware of.  This is nothing to be ashamed of but something that we must be aware of and possibly work on releasing.

The long-term goal that I have set for myself is to help children understand that we are all different and that it is ok because we all bring something different to the circle.  I want to help children fight the urge to hurt others through their words and actions.  I want to teach them and show them compassion.   

It seems like it should have been a longer journey, but having great colleagues and knowledgeable professors has made the journey easier.  There were many times when we bared our souls in the discussion boards and we knew that it was safe because we could trust that our secrets were safe with each other.  We supported each other through tough times as well as the good times.  Without the support and feedback from my colleagues through this course I am not sure I would have done as well as I did.  I say thank you to each and every one of you.  Remember we are all WILDFLOWERS.

WILDFLOWERS

Without our differences our world would be bland

Individuals need to be able to shine no matter what

Learn to accept each other’s culture, beliefs, and languages

Differently abled doesn’t mean they can’t

Follow your heart

Level the playing field with education

Open the mind to acceptance

Willingness to learn about others

Ears open to listen for clues and hurt hearts

Respect

Strong enough to stand up for others rights

ECE Jobs/Roles-Internationally

The three organizations that I chose to research are ones that have a positive effect on children and families.  They also provide large amounts of helpful and informative information for individuals interested in the topics of helping family’s nationwide.

Save the Children was one of the organizations that I chose to search through.  The career that caught my eye was as an Emergency Education Cluster Co-ordinator.  The position is global so there are many opportunities and countries to choose from. 

The position is to make sure that the education needs are being addressed by the different agencies that are promoting educational interventions through the United Nations Cluster System (Save the Children, 2011).  The coordinator will work closely with the children, families, communities, and educational institutions to provide a collective and strategic response to situations that occur.  The skills that I would need to complete this job include good communication skills, qualifications in Education, and experience in coordinating and chairing meetings, ability to work and represent different views across the different stakeholders, provide humanitarian interventions (Save the Children, 2011).  I would have to expand my advocacy skills and knowledge of the appeals process and other funding mechanisms. 

The second site that I looked at was International Step by Step Association (ISSA).  Their services are mostly provided in the Netherland areas of the world.  The Programs tab on their website caught my eyes first.  They provide educational programs for children from birth through primary school and provide teacher education as well (International Step By Step Association, 2011).  They train adults in their education methods and send them to work in their school facilities.  The position that I would like is to be one of the trainers who work with new teachers and help them to transition into their new position.  The skills I would need would be good communication skills, knowledge of the Step by Step programs and ISSA standards, be able to work with and train new students in a respectful manner.  I was not able to find this position on their site.  I would love to do this job, it lets me do what I love and that is to teach others.  They would then be able to go out and help others in the environment they are placed. 

UNICEF was the third site that I was of interest to me.  The position that was of interest to me was in the area of emergency preparation in the Sudan.  I chose this area because I am concerned about how families are cared for in emergency situations.  The position is to implement the countries emergency preparedness and response plan.  I would help develop, plan, implement, monitor and evaluate the emergency intervention plan for the survival and well-being of children and mothers and the communities who are in a state of emergency (UNICEF, 2011).  The skills that I would need include good communication, ability to set high standards and achieve project goals, work in a multi-cultural environment, data analyses, ensure that the team and departments follow relevant policies and procedures set by the company, leadership and supervisory skills, co-ordinate group activities, and set and define clear objectives and produce comprehensive project plans for the organization (UNICEF, 2011). 

References

Save the Children. (2011). Careers.  Retrieved from http://www.savethechildren.org

International Step By Step Association. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.issa.nl/index.html

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.unicef.org/

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

UNICEF, NAEYC, and Head Start are three organizations that appealed to me as avenues of employment in the early childhood settings.   All three of these organizations are nationwide and UNICEF provided international opportunities.  I chose these specific organizations for their well know work with children and families and the research that is being done by them for children.

The first job that caught my interest was as an Educational Specialist in Thimphu, Bhutan.   The skills and qualifications that I would need to possess for this position is an advanced university degree in primary education.  I would need five years of relevant work experience at a national or international level in education programs which I do not have at this time.  I would need to be fluent in English and another United Nations language, also which I am not.  Also it is important that I am able to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and formal public speaking.  I would need good leadership and supervisory skills, be able to coordinate group activities, and work effectively in a multi-cultural environment ( UNICEF, 2012).

The second job that I was interested in was through NAEYC Academy for Early Childhood Education as an Accreditation Coordinator.  The qualifications that I would need to possess are a BA in Early Childhood Education/Child Development, 3-5 years of experience in the early childhood field.  I would need experience with high quality programming and the NAEYC accreditations.  Plus I would need to have excellent oral and written communication skills, be analytical and computer skills in MS Office and database.  I also need to be willing to travel if needed (NAEYC, 2012).

The third job that I was interested in was through Head Start.  The position available was Family Development Advocate for Mohave County in Arizona.  The qualification for this position includes a Baccalaureate degree in Child Care/Early Childhood Education and AA Degree in Social Services or Child Care/ Early Childhood Education with two years’ experience in Social Services or related field.  Being bi-lingual in English and Spanish is preferred (Head Start, 2012).

References

Head Start. (2012). Career Center.  Retrieved from http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2012). Employment Opportunities.  Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/about/jobs

UNICEF. (2012). Employment at UNICEF. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index.php

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

The three organizations that were of interest to my study of families living in extreme poverty or homeless were Saint Vincent DePaul, Arizona Migrant Head Start, and First Things First.  These three organizations are in my local area of service in Arizona. 

Saint Vincent DePaul is a charity organization that is located throughout the nation (Stvincentdepaul, 2012).  They operate on donations and volunteer helpers.  They offer a large range of services that help not only those who are experiencing a hard time financially but services for individuals and families of those incarcerated in the prison system.  This organization appeals to me because of the large number of services they provide.  They provide these services for those who have no other avenue and they serve in a caring, nonjudgmental, and supportive manner.

Arizona Migrant Head Start, this section of Head Start focuses on migrant farm workers (AZ Migrant/Head Start, 2012).  These workers move from area to area in order to work the farms.  Families work long hours and often have to resort to lower quality childcare do to financial hardships.  The Migrant Head Start takes the children from these families and works with them for the time they may be in the area.  They educate and serve the families in many areas such as oral health education, family literacy, and mental health services.  They use a team approach in working with not only the children but the whole family.  They promote school readiness skills for children ages 0-5 (AZ Migrant/Head Start, 2012).  This organization appeals to me because I living in a high migrant population area and would like to know how to better serve families who are migrant workers. 

First Things First is an Arizona based program that promotes education, healthcare, and family support to all families (First Things First, 2012).  They support the families in their native language and culture.  Offer access to a multitude of services such as oral health, early screenings, nutrition, mental health, and injury prevention.  They provide parent education, services to help you find the right childcare for your child, scholarships, etc (First Things First, 2012).  This is a state funded program that is open to anyone who wants to take advantage of the program.  This program appeals to me in that it promotes parent education as well as school readiness skills for children.

One job that is currently open is for Center Service Manager III for the AZ Migrant Head Start program Chicanos Por La Causa.  The qualifications that I would need would be Bachelors in Education, experience in an early childhood setting, and administrative experience.  I would have to be able exhibit leadership abilities, multitask and have knowledge in the areas of program management, finances, computer skills, and Head Start procedures and protocol.

Resources

Arizona Migrant/Early Head Start-Chicanos por la Causa, Inc. (2012). The Arizona Migrant & Head Start Program. Retrieved from www.cplc.org/education/arizona-migrant-early-head-start.aspx

First Things First. (2012). Ready for School Set for Life. Retrieved from www.azftf.gov

St. Vincent de Paul Charity Phoenix. (2012). Voice of the Poor. Retrieved from www.stvincentdepaul.net

The end of another course

My goal and hope for my future as an early childhood professional is that I provide a warm and accepting environment for the families and children who I work with.  I want to create an environment where children feel safe and free to be themselves and not have to worry about being stereotyped.  I want children to be able to stand up for what is right and be open minded and accepting of differences.  I want families to see the center not just as a place to drop off their child but as a place of excitement and wonder where their child will be loved, accepted, and inspired. 

I want to say a heartfelt thank you to each member of this class.  I don’t think of each of you as just a classmate but as a valued colleague whom I am able to bounce ideas off of and get honest feedback.  Without the support from each other this journey would have been a long and boring ride but we have made it more bearable for each other.  So again dear WILDFLOWERS it is not good byes but see you in the next course. 

WILDFLOWERS

Without our differences our world would be bland

Individuals need to be able to shine no matter what

Learn to accept each other’s culture, beliefs, and languages

Differently abled doesn’t mean they can’t

Follow your heart

Level the playing field with education

Open the mind to acceptance

Willingness to learn about others

Ears open to listen for clues and hurt hearts

Respect

Strong enough to stand up for others rights

Impacts on Early Emotional Development

Central and Eastern Europe-Commonwealth of Independent States

The area I choose to look at was Central and Eastern Europe-Commonwealth of Independent States.  The reason why I chose this area is because I know so little about the state of care and education in this part of the world.  I am curious as to the conditions the children live in. 

The challenges that the children of this area are experiencing include children who have disabilities are kept socially distance, violence within schools, extreme poverty, and a lack of access to social services such as health care and child care. 

In the Kyrgyz Republic children are placed in institutions because lack access to social services such as day care.  Parents are not able to work and pay for the family.  They turn their children over to institutions.  The private institutions have no monitoring by the government and provide many safety hazards such as lack of heating, poor sanitation, and deprive children of their family environment.  Reform is coming in the Kyrgyz Republic to help with child care reform (UNICEF, 2011).  Children in Montenegro suffer mostly from poverty-every 10^th child suffers from poverty.  Children under the age of 5 are the heaviest concentration of those affected.  Parents who have not finished secondary schooling, children from north of Montenegro and rural areas are hit the hardest.  Poor households with children are farthest from primary healthcare and schooling (UNICEF, 2011). 

The experience of poverty is going to have a lifetime effect on children.  Without proper nutrition and healthcare they will not succeed in school as well.  They will be at an academic disadvantage to their peers who have had proper nutrition and healthcare.   If they are malnourished they may not have the strength and muscle tone that is needed for an active life style and they will not be able to fight off many childhood illnesses.  For the Kyrgyz Republic children who are placed in institutions they are deprived of the interaction and care that a parent figure will give them.  They may have a higher rate for depression and an inability to relate or bond with others.

As a professional in the early childhood field I feel sadness and struggle for these children.  With such odds against them they are going to struggle more than any child should have to.  It does seem that the government is trying to make the proper reform in the childcare area, but knowing how long it takes and the red tape that will come, it may be too late for many children.  With properly trained and caring professionals in the early childhood centers, these children will have more success than if they were just left alone.  It is my hope that in the reform the governments are making that they see the huge impact early childhood professionals make in a child’s life.

                                                      

Resources

UNICEF (2011). Analysis of the Situation of Children’s Residential Institutions in the Kyrgyz Republic.  Retrieved from: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/index.html

UNICEF (2011). Every tenth child in Montenegro is poor.  Retrieved from: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/index.html

The kids are learning WHAT?

My initial reaction to the book excerpt So sexy so soon, was amazement (Levin, D. E., & Kilbourne, J., 2009).  The thought that children at such a young age are being hit with these ideas and are able to process them was horrible.   Once I was able to close up my jaw from the shock I was able to process the ideas more clearly.  I started to analyze things I saw on TV and toys that are in the store and even my own child’s behavior.   I can see the ideas that they shared happening all around me.

One experience that I had recently was in talking with another professional colleague who worked with college level adults.  She was asking me my take on a conversation she had with a friend.  The friend has a preschool daughter (3-4 years old).  The mother got a phone call from the school about and incident that happened at during the day.  The girl leaned over the table during activity time and kissed a boy.  She had her tongue in his mouth and was holding on to him so he would not get away.  The mother did not understand why everyone was so upset.  She was asking “is this not normal?-they’re just kids”.   When I first heard this story I though “what is she learning at home?”   After reading this book excerpt I had to rethink.   It may not be what she is learning from her parents but the media she is watching.

This spring at our school play day the children were allowed to wear their swimsuits.  The children were third and fourth graders, who know what they are looking at.  I must be old fashion but the swimsuits the girls were wearing were a little lacking in the material department.  The girl’s new fashions were bikini tops and boy shorts.  I thought I was at a skin farm.  These bikinis’ showed way to much skin for 8 year old girls.  The girls were discussing with each other how “hot” their suit looked on them. 

These messages will impact young children in a negative manner.  The girls will think that they should wear clothes that are reveling and make them look “hot” in order to fit in with their peers.  If they do not have the “right” clothes they may be ostracized by the larger group.  This will deepen the message and cause them to go down a bad path-one of trying to be accepted.  Boys will be given the message that this is how girls are supposed to look and act.  So the message they will get about gender is that boys were just shorts and girls wear skimpy tops and boy bottoms. 

As teachers we have to stop looking the other way when issues come up.  We have to confront them even though it may be difficult and uncomfortable.  As early an early childhood professional I could promote books and pictures of children who are having fun in a nonsexual manner.  I could also use pictures and books with more sexualized images to discuss how it could hurt the image the child has of themselves.  We will also look at boys and girls who are outside of the normal stereotype and talk about it they are boys or girls and why they think that.  Also it is important to have the discussion that they are each different and that they don’t have to follow the rigid stereotypical roles. 

Resources

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