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/