Time Well Spent

Dear Dr. Myers and fellow Walden Classmates:

These last 8 weeks have been extremely amazing and wonderful to work with such a diverse group of people with the same goal in mind. I have no doubt that we will all leave a remarkable impact on the field of early childhood education in unique ways. It is my greatest wish to work with each of you one day to make a great impact on the lives of children and families all across the world.

As I move closer to the completion of this course, I am reminded of the following quotes to make it to the end or to continue to push myself. I have listed the quotes below:

• "Children are the living messages that we send to a time we will not see."(John Whitehead, founder of Rutherford Institute)
• "The price of greatness is responsibility." (Sir Winston Churchill)
• "Be the change that you want to see in the world." (Mohandas Ghandi)

Each of these quotes move beyond the field of education but can definitely relate to what we (parents, teachers, advocates, etc) need to strive for and make the years of early childhood benefit all children.

This course has left 3 deeply felt learnings that I have gathered from this course include: being passionate, create the right team, and continue to make changes. First lesson learned was being passionate was taught to me by searching for a topic that I felt needed addressing in the field of early childhood (this because the foundation for my major assessment). The second lesson learned to create the right team or people from diverse background to add something meaningful to the goal. The final deeply felt learning that gained from this course is to never be afraid to make revisions to plans. Revisions doesn't mean failure but simply changing a component to take a step closer to reaching the goal.

I am now more convinced after completing this course and this program, that I will meet my long term goal of establishing a resource centers for children and families. I want to use all of my resources that I have gathered along the way through the wonderful contacts of professors and classmates to make this dream a reality with hopes of working with many of my classmate in the near future.

Best wishes on your many endeavours and pray that our paths meet in the near future.

Sincerely,

TaShunda Pollard-Chapman


 <a href="http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/5458752/My_Future"
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Jobs/Roles in ECE Community: International Level

This week I am looking at jobs with organizations in the early childhood field from an international perspective. In this blog, I will share the organizations that I find interesting, current positions with the organizations and reasons why each of them was chosen.

1. Organization: International Youth Foundation
     Website: http://iyfnet.org
     Position: Program Manager-Employability (MENA Region)
     Requirements: Masters of Education with experience in working with youth, ability to travel,
         excellent computer skills with Microsoft products.
     Significance: I chose this organization because it works with children and trains them with job
     skills that they can use in the future. It is important to me because it gives youth skills to earn
      money the right way and builds confidence while learning a trade.

2.  Organization: Plan International USA
      Website: http://www.planusa.org
       Position: Program Associate/Health
       Requirements: Good communication, in depth knowledge of spread sheets, power point
         presentations, word processing and experience in Spanish.
      Significance: I chose this organization because it focuses on developing health programs around
         the world which is very important because there are limited resources in many parts of the
         world for children and families. This is a dream job for me because it will provide the
         opportunity to travel to remote parts of the world to help communities establish and learn about
         good health.

3.  Organization: World Food Programme
     Website: http://www.wfp.org
      Position: Junior Professional Officer
      Requirements: none were listed only an application
      Significance: I chose this organization because it focuses on creating food programs around the
         world for children and families because poverty and lack of food are common in many parts of
         the world.

Each organization that was chosen taps into an interests of mine: working with youth, promoting good health and working on eliminating poverty which are all common issues that families with children face daily.  I believe that each of these positions would ideally be a dream job because it would allow me to travel and network with individuals in the field on an international level.

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

The purpose of this blog is to address about 3 national or federal organizations or communities of practices that appeal to me and I chose them:

1. DECAL- Bright from the Star
Website: http://www.decal.ga.gov
Position: Program Evaluator/Standards Coordinator
 Qualifications: Bachelors degree in Early Childhood education or related field plus 4 years of
experience that included both classroom instruction and curriculum and standards administration; or a Master's degree in Early Childhood or related field plus 2 years experience that included both classroom instruction and curriculum and standards administration.
 Reasons for Picking Agency: This is a great resource for the state of Georgia that provides teacher   professional development and provides a place for child care employers to list jobs statewide. I have plans to relocate to the Georgia area and keep this as a resource to find other jobs in the area as well as professional development opportunities. The job was interesting to me because it gave a chance to observe and make sure that each program is following the standards and providing a quality early childhood education for all the kids in the program.

2. National Education Association
 Website: http://www.nea.org
 Position: Director of Minority Community Organizing and Partnerships #H008
 Qualifications: Bachelors degree required. Demonstrated record of effective coalition and          advocacy. Proven ability to measure and evaluate the success of outreach efforts. Effective skills
in supervision, decision-making oral/written communications, interpersonal relations, team
 building and collaboration.
Reasons for Picking Agency:  I decided to pick this agency because it was one that I never heard of before and found it interesting because it targeted not only early childhood programs but the entire education system. The job was interesting me because it dealt with forming a committee with the community to provide a better education for all children.

3. Zero-To-Three (National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families
Website: http://www.zerotothree.org
 Positions: none currently available
 Qualifications: Bachelors or Masters degree in Early Childhood as well as experience with
 children and families.
Reasons for Picking Agency: I decided to pick this agency because it worked with children from birth to three year old and their families to make sure that the families know what to expect so that their child can receive the highest quality education.

Resources

DECAL (2012). Retrieved from http://www.decal.ga.gov

National Education Association (2012). Retrieved from http://www.nea.org

Zero-To-Three (2012). Retrieved from http://www.zerotothree.org

Exploring Roles in ECE Community: Local and State Levels

I decided to look at the ECE community in state of Georgia because it is my hope in the next few months to relocate my family to this area. Georgia has a huge early childhood education community but the organizations that i decided to focus on are:

A. Georgia Association of Young Children
Website: http://www.gayconline.org
 Mission: To encourage and support healthy development in young children by working with others
(1) increase public awareness of the importance of early childhood education and (2) to improve the quality of programs for young children through learning opportunities for early childhood educators (Georgia Association of Young Children, 2012).

The reason that I chose this organization because it works to increase community awareness of the benefits of early childhood education programs while striving to improve the overall quality of early childhood programs.

Job Opportunities that interest me:
- Trainer Position for Georgia Association of Young Children is a job opportunity to interests me greatly because it allows me to use the skills learned while working towards this degree. The skills needed for this position include knowledge of the early childhood field, experience in the classroom setting, great communication skills, organizations skills and the ability to travel for various training settings.

B. Georgia Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agency
 Website: http://www.gaccrra.org 
  Mission: Support all Georgia families, caregivers and communities in a unified effort to provide,
  promote and receive high quality childcare for all children in Georgia to reach their full potential,
  being ready to succeed in school and life (Georgia Association of Child Care Resource & Referral
   Agency, 2012).

The reason that I chose this organization is because it works with numerous organizations that benefit children including the Department of Children and Family Services as well as monitor programs throughout the state of Georgia. It provides referral services to parents so that they can make the right decisions on early childhood education for their children. It also pushes the centers to stay in compliance and strive for higher quality service pushing success rates of the children.

Job Opportunities that interests me:
-Early Care and Education Specialist for Georgia Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agency is the job opportunity for this agency that really interests me. The skills needed for this position include a degree in Early Childhood Education, a license Training of Adults, knowledge of state regulations regarding early childhood programs and great communication skills.

C. Bright From The Start
  Website: http://decalga.gov
  Mission: Delivers exemplary early childcare education programs that improve the quality of early
   learning experiences, increase school readiness and improve overall school performance
   (Bright From The Start, 2012).

The reason that I chose this agency because it houses a few agencies under it such as Head Start and Even Start. It also provides opportunities for teachers working all age groups and lists employment opportunities for centers throughout the state.

Job Opportunities that interests me:
-Lead Teacher- listings for the following counties: Henry, Newton, McDuffie and Rockdale in Georgia. The major requirements to work in these positions include a degree in the ECE field with at least 6-12 months in the classroom setting.

Other opportunities listed on the agency website include: Teacher Assistant positions for DeKalb (3 positions), Cobb and Rockdale counties that require either a CDA or TCC certificate.

References

Bright from the Start (2012). Retrieved from http://www.decalga.gov

Georgia Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (2012). Retrieved from http://www.gaccrra.org

Georgia Association of Young Children (2012). Retrieved from http://www.gayconline.org

Reflecting on Communication in Early Childhood Field

To my EDU 6165 family:

As I write this blog entry, I am taken back to my first day of this degree and the fears that were built up inside about meeting others online. I can remember the queasy stomach and the doubts that were racing through my mind but I'm glad that I went forward with this challenge because it has yielded so many personal growth opportunities. I have never in my life had so many wonderful experiences meeting and networking with so many individuals near and far from different areas of the early childhood field. Many have served as role models, inspirational mentors and extended family through discussion board post and blog entries.....making this degree all the more meaningful to me. Time does not permit me to thank each of you individually but know that each person that has shown kindness and challenged me to think outside my comfort zone will never be forgotten. I pray that each of you has success with completing your degree and all that life has to offer you, hopefully one day soon our paths will meet again.

Sincerely,

TaShunda Pollard-Chapman

Team Building and Collaboration, Part 1

Adjourning

1. Are high performing groups hardest to leave?

    Yes, high performing groups are definitely hard to leave because of the strong relationships formed and the success or the accomplishments of the group members.

2. Groups with the clearest established norms?

      Groups with the clearest established norms are definitely hard to leave because the expectations and the goals of the group were established early with each member making a commitment to work towards the groups goals.

3. Which of the group that you participated in was the hardest to leave? Why?

      I work for a local Head Start center and each classroom is divided into teams with a teacher and assistant. Last year, my assistant was the best and we were totally in sync with every project that we wanted to do for our classroom. This "group" was hard to leave because she could finish my sentences or thoughts without me opening my mouth. It was wonderful to work with her because we shared the same visions for the classroom and wanted to see each child succeed beyond the classroom.

4. What sorts of closing rituals have you experienced or wish you had experienced?
     
     We found out in May that were both up for transfers to other centers which caused a few tears but we decided that we would meet up monthly for dinners or lunches to keep in touch which I guess you can say was our "closing ritual".
    
5. How do you imagine that you will adjourn from the group of colleagues you have formed while working on your master's degree in this program?

    I'm not sure how I will adjourn from my group of colleagues in this program. I would love to keep in touch via email and hope to run into a few members at different conferences in the early childhood field.
     

6. Why is adjourning an essential stage of teamwork?

     Adjourning is essential in teamwork because it allows the team to reflect on their accomplishments and to celebrate with each other. It provide the opportunity for the members to say good and close out their projects successfully.

Nonviolent Communication and Conflict Management

A few weeks back, my son had an issue with a History class at his high school and sought help from his teacher. The teacher informed him that she was not able to help him but suggested that he speak with his 10th grade counselor. My son immediately went to speak with his counselor in an effort to get the issue resolved quickly. The counselor was rude and instructed my son that she had other pressing matters that needed handling and slammed the door in his face. My son returned to his teacher frustrated and upset by what had just taken place with his 10th grade counselor.

The next day, the teacher made a special trip to speak with the counselor on behalf of my son. She wanted to see if she could resolve this issue without involving me or my husband. The counselor was extremely harsh with her and stated that the teacher needed to stay in her classroom not the counselor's office. After several attempts to speak with the counselor, my husband received a frantic phone call from the teacher stating that she need to see both of us immediately. We rushed from our jobs with fear of hearing something awful had happened to our child. We entered the room nervously and tried to prepare ourselves for the horrible news. The teacher was extremely upset so we had to calm her before we could learn more about the issue. The main issue was that he was struggling in his advance placed history course and sought help from tutoring but then decided to step down to accelerated history.

I decided to sit down with the counselor to see what needed to be done. I received the same treatment which caused me to become more verbal with her. I told the counselor exactly how I felt about her treatment of my child. The sitaution escalated to the point that I had to walk away without accomplishing anything. My husband later went back to meet with the assistant  principal and the head principal.

The agreement that they reached included:

• The principals needed one more student to complete an accelerated course
• My son wanted to transfer to an accelerated history course but nothing lower than this course
• We wanted to make sure that the transition is smooth and that the counselor would not give our son any trouble with making changes to style

The compromise that they reached benefited both parties because my son is excelling and comfortable in his new course. The principals were able to have the course by allowing my son to transfer into the classroom. The method that they used included the 3 R's where they were respectful, reciprocal and responsive to each other. I believe that if I would have used the 3 R's with the counselor that I might have been able to resolve the situation but I'm grateful to my supportive husband for stepping in at the right time.

I would like to ask my fellow classmates of EDU 165, how would you have handled the situation with the counselor? What approach do you believe would have been more effective and why?