Time well spent…

This has been the most exciting and long desired course I have taken throughout my degree program. Mainly because it is the LAST one. YAYYY…I have truly learned a lot, lost a few hairs, and also enjoyed the classmates and professor I was lucky to have for this final course here at Walden University. One thing I gained from this class was what my true passion is in the Early Childhood Field and that is Early Intervention. It never dawned on my why I do everything I do in this field both personally and professionally, but now I do. Another thing I learned from this course is how important a community of practice is when it comes to developing a plan and following through with the plan. I literally had to think outside the box on this one and choose people that would add value to what I was trying to accomplish. My third and final thing I learned during this course is how exceptional each of my classmates are and how passionate each person is in very similar paths of the Early Childhood Field. I am so excited to see everyone be so successful and make their dreams become reality. I can see the passion through the discussion boards and especially through the speeches we all uploaded. It has been an honor to work with colleagues like this and I would do it all over again if given the chance.

One long term goal I have is to find a career working closely with Early Intervention and making my dream become a reality. I know that this will require hard work and I am ready and willing to do whatever it takes. So this is the part where I say farewell to you all. I honestly can say this course flew by. I have learned new things from my classmates as well as my professor and I wish everyone the best of luck in all they do. If anyone is ever in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and would love to discuss their accomplishments, new findings, career, whatever, etc., shoot me an email that comes directly to my phone. It is smwillyumz@gmail.com I go on maternity leave in January to have my 2nd princess, so I continue my journey through my little ones. Good luck everybody! See you around 🙂

Shayla

“You will face many defeats in your life, but never let yourself be defeated.”
-Maya Angelou

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

After reviewing the list of international organizations that work toward positive social change for both children and families, three truly stood out to me the most. The first organization is UNICEF. I love everything that this organization stands for that helps build a world where the rights of every child are realized. UNICEF was created with this purpose in mind, to work with others to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path. They advocate for measures to give children the best start in life, because proper care at the youngest age forms the strongest foundation for a person’s future. A job opportunity that I would enjoy doing for this particular organization would be the Director, Office of Research. The skills and experience I would need to fulfill this role would be; PhD or equivalent level in social sciences, public policy, international relations, public health, education, law or other fields related to the work of UNICEF, 15 years of progressively responsible professional and managerial work experience at the national or international level in development policy analysis and/or research and research management, Fluency in English and command of at least one other UN working language, Leadership experience that includes advancing an organizational agenda in a national or international organization, and Proven experience in mobilizing resources.

A second international organization that was intriguing to me was the Save the Children organization. I never heard anything about this organization, but the name was enough to spark my interest in researching more about the organization. This organization invests in childhood – every day, in times of crisis and for our future. In the United States and around the world, they give children a healthy start, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. An employment opportunity that would be wonderful to work in at this organization would be a Child Protection Advisor. The skills and experience I would need to fulfill this position would be 7 – 9 years field-based technical experience in working on child protection programs in development settings, including orphans and vulnerable children programming, quality improvement, social welfare and child protection systems strengthening, early childhood development and other related fields, Experience designing, implementing and evaluating child protection/OVC programs with children, youth, and families in difficult circumstances or who are without appropriate care, Experience in program design, proposal development, and reporting for bilateral donors and private foundations, and Experience in multi-cultural training using basic principles of adult learning and developing programming guidelines.

A third organization that was interesting to me and one I wanted to know more about was the International Step by Step Association. This organization is a vibrant network that connects professionals and non-profit organizations working in the field of early childhood development. ISSA aims to ensure equal access to quality care and education for all young children from birth to 10 years old. This mission is implemented through three main pillars of action: equal access for all children; promoting high-quality and professionalism in early years services and empowering parents and communities to be part of the children’s development and learning. There were no current or listed career opportunities listed on their website.

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

Save the Children. (2011). Retrieved from
http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.8D6E/Official_Site.htm

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

The first National organization I looked at in terms of career opportunities was the National Education Association. I chose this particular organization because they are the voice of education professionals. Their Mission is what stood out to me the most, which is to advocate for education professionals and to unite our members and the nation to fulfill the promise of public education to prepare every student to succeed in a diverse and interdependent world. NEA also believes every student in America, regardless of family income or place of residence, deserves a quality education. An open position that look very intriguing to me is the Creative Services Specialist. The essential functions of this position include establishing and maintaining relationships with NEA internal clients as well as work with NEA state affiliate communicators and editors (http://www.nea.org/home/19583.htm). Processes creative-related job requests and creative briefs; identifies resources needed and assigns individual responsibilities with management approval; anticipates client needs as well as sets and achieves client expectations; and maintains communication with clients to increase client satisfaction and deepen client relationships. The required skills for this position are proven experience in project management and demonstrated knowledge and proven experience in setting, creating, developing, and successfully coordinating the deadlines and deliverables of a full-service creative services team, unit or department within an established budget; ability to diplomatically enforce deadlines and solve problems in an efficient and professional manner (http://www.nea.org/home/19583.htm).

The second organization I chose to research on a federal level is the Office of Child Care which provides the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF). This organization works with state, territory and tribal governments to provide support for children and their families juggling work schedules and struggling to find child care programs that will fit their needs and that will prepare children to succeed in school. The Child Care and Development Fund is a multibillion-dollar federal and state partnership administered by OCC to promote family economic self-sufficiency and to help children succeed in school and life through affordable, high-quality early care and afterschool programs (http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/occ/about/what-we-do). CCDF also improves the quality of care to support children’s healthy development and learning by supporting child care licensing, quality improvements systems to help programs meet higher standards and support for child care workers to attain more training and education. There are currently no positions open for this organization, but one position that I would enjoy working as would be as the Office of Child Care Regional Manager.

The third and final organization I chose to research was the Zero to Three, National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. I chose this specific organization because they are a nonprofit organization that provides parents, professionals and policymakers the knowledge and know-how to nurture early development (http://www.zerotothree.org/). As an advocate for Early Childhood, I believe organizations like these are extremely important in helping families gain resources to things they may not know exist. Their mission, which matches very similar to mine, is to ensure that all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life. A career opportunity that I found intriguing to me was the Assistant Director for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Technical Assistance Coordinating Center (TACC). The Assistant Director provides oversight to technical assistance delivery from the TACC including the supervision of Technical Assistance (TA) Specialists and the e-Learning Coordinator, the management of all consultant agreements, and coordination with partners and other TA providers, ensuring that all technical assistance activities are carried out in a high quality manner. The skills required for this position are Excellent leadership skills; Experience leading multi-disciplinary staff and supervising direct reports; Strong supervisory skills, including experience providing reflective supervision; Strong interpersonal skills; Effective time management skills; and the ability to be flexible. I believe I possess all of the skills required for this position.

References:
http://www.nea.org/home/19583.htm
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/occ/about/what-we-do
http://www.zerotothree.org/

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

After researching my state and local Early Childhood Organizations, I have found that there are many agencies that share the same passion I do. One particular organization that stood out to me was the PennAEYC, which is a state affiliate organization that builds and participates in collaborations and connections across the state, promotes and practices advocacy for funding high quality children’s programs and services, represents members and early care and education providers on various committees & task forces, publishes online and print newsletters, and provides technical assistance, leadership support, and networking for our local affiliate chapters. PennAEYC’s vision is that every child in Pennsylvania has the equal opportunity to be a successful, responsible, and productive member of society as a result of their early childhood experiences. That is a motto that I live by and practice in my daily duties as a Preschool Program Director.
Another organization that does outstanding work and was very appealing to me was the OCDEL, the Office of Child Development and Early Learning. This agency has focused on creating opportunities for the commonwealth’s youngest children to develop and learn to their fullest potential. OCDEL strives to build a strong foundation for children, starting in infancy, through the establishment of a statewide standard for excellence in early care and education and the creation of financial and technical supports to achieve that goal. The final agency I chose to take a deeper look into was the Early Intervention Services. This specific agency provides support and services to families with children birth to age five, who have developmental delays and disabilities, supports services and resources for children that enhance daily opportunities for learning provided in settings where a child would be if he/she did not have a developmental delay and disability, provides families’ independence and competencies, and respects families’ strengths, values and diversity.
I currently serve as a Preschool Program Director and it is a wonderful job. My ultimate goal is to work in a center that serves children with Autism. I have certifications in working with children on the spectrum and I would love to be able to work in that capacity as my career. In these agencies, there are always opportunities to serve as a Child and Youth Program Assistant, a Home Visitor, a Behavior Support Specialist, or a Team Leader of Early Intervention Services. I am already equipped with the skills necessary to perform the duties of all of these employment opportunities. Having a degree in the field and experience working in the field is what many employers look for. I have 6 years or more working specifically in the Early Childhood field and I feel I would be an asset to any of the organizations.

References:
http://www.pennaeyc.com/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/dpworganization/officeofchilddevelopmentandearlylearning/
http://www.pattan.net/category/Educational%20Initiatives/Early%20Intervention

Reflecting on Learning

My most passionate hope for my future as an early childhood professional and for the children and families whom I work with and will work with is to create and implement an environment and curriculum where children and families are valued and respected for their diversity. Another hope is to incorporate parent trainings and involvement with anti-bias education activities in order to promote diversity in the classroom, home and community.

I would like to thank my professor and all of my colleagues for an amazing 8 weeks where I have been able to learn so much and implement new things into my early childhood program. I would also like to share gratitude for being able to express who I am and the ways that I interpret diversity. I have learned so much on how to create an anti-bias environment and I will continue to use these skills and hopefully be an inspiration to others as you have all been to me.

Impacts on Early Emotional Development

After browsing the UNICEF website, I decided to focus on West and Central Africa as my region to investigate. My reasoning behind this is because I have always wanted to visit Africa to help in any way that I can, especially with the children. I hear about how impoverished some parts of Africa are and how the political leaders don’t care enough to make changes. You always hear of celebrities going over to donate and to build schools for the children in need, and I want to be part of that community seeking to help those children in need. I specifically chose this region because I have only ever seen the Congo and Mali and other Countries within Africa portrayed in movies, so to be able to actually get over there and help would be a dream come true to me.

Children in West and Central Africa have their rights violated on daily basis to an extent that is worse than anywhere else in the world. Nearly 2 children out of 10 never reach their fifth birthday. They die from malaria, diarrheal diseases and vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles. Malnutrition is widespread in the region. In the Sahel countries, half of the child mortality is related to under-nutrition in children. Poverty and traditional beliefs keep 40% of children out of school. Girls are particularly penalized. Schools are not always the child friendly places they are supposed to be. Many children in West & Central Africa face sexual and other forms of violence in school. Children in the region are also being abused and exploited in many ways: child trafficking, child labor, children in armed conflicts, children victims of harmful traditional practices.

These experiences affect the children’s emotional well-being because children that do survive their fifth birthday often do not end going to school due to the violence that takes place. Through initiatives focused on the quality of education, UNICEF contributes to increased retention and completion of the schooling cycle. Throughout West & Central Africa, UNICEF promotes a protective environment for children through a range of activities and programs. UNICEF supports data collection, prevention through community based activities and the reinforcement of legal systems. It saddens me that a child goes through all of these challenges before they are 5 years old. I have a 6 year old daughter and one on the way, so I couldn’t fathom my children going through these severities at such an early age. I would be inclined to think that this really affects how the children grow up, especially without the proper resources and advocates. I have truly learned a lot about this region of children and would like to work with UNICEF in making the environment more protective for the children. The situation of children in West & Central Africa seems very difficult, but through strong political leadership in the region and with the support of donors, I’m sure UNICEF is confident that it can help make a difference for children and for their communities. 

Reference:

West and Central Africa retrieved from:http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/.

“So Sexy So Soon”-The Sexualization of Early Childhood

     My reaction to the ideas shared in this article are utter and total shock! I try to the best of my abilities to monitor what my child is picking up from television, music, books, etc. It can be very difficult when she is in the school setting to monitor what other children are saying to her and what she may be picking up, so that has been my most difficult challenge yet. I do believe that today’s younger generation has been exposed to a level of sexualization at an early age, and that can be such a huge downfall if they begin to pick up the wrong messages about it. I am fearful for my child at times with how much she already knows about sexuality and so my husband and I try to keep her in “kids-zone” state of mind. This just means we encourage her to do things that 6-year olds should be doing; swimming, bubbles, riding her bike/scooter, going to Disney on Ice, etc. In the beginning of the school year, my child was inappropriately touched on her “private parts” by a male student. The school never called to notify myself nor her father and we had to hear it from her what happened. I took the next day off to go up to the school and find out what was going on. They of course had no real answers, nor could they tell me how no teacher saw it happen. I was pissed and ready to fight any and everyone. My husband and I had a discussion with our daughter to see how she felt. I don’t think she understood what was going, so we immediately sought counseling to make sure there would be no side effects of the “bad touch”.

     We allow our daughter to only watch the Disney channel, just because it is a little better than most of the other channels that are supposed to be for children. Disney channel can be a little grown at times in the way some of the characters dress, the relationships the kids have with opposite sex, and their language. We monitor those shows and allow her to put on a Disney movie instead. In the stores, I see the half-dressed dolls that are for sale with all the caked up make-up on. I also see it in the video games for the kids Nintendo 3DS, PS4, Xbox One, etc. My husband and I always check the ratings on the games and see the game play before we purchase it for our daughter. My step-son, who is 6 years old also, has no real supervision in his home and has talked about watching “Adult Swim” on Cartoon Network. The shows on that channel are highly sexually explicit and are not meant for children, but I cannot change what I am not present to see.

     These messages impact children in the worst ways. Children are paying an enormous price for the sexualization of their childhood. As children struggle to understand what they see and hear, they learn lessons that can frighten and confuse them. According to Levin & Kilbourne (2009). These lessons can seriously harm their ability to grow up to have healthy attitudes about themselves and their bodies and to have caring relationships in which sex is an important part. In the most extreme cases, the media’s incessant sexualization of childhood can contribute to pathological sexual behavior, including sexual abuse, pedophilia, and prostitution.  Gender roles modeled for children have become increasingly polarized and rigid. A narrow definition of femininity and sexuality encourages girls to focus heavily on appearance and sex appeal. They learn at a very young age that their value is determined by how beautiful, thin, “hot,” and sexy they are. And boys, who get a very narrow definition of masculinity that promotes insensitivity and macho behavior, are taught to judge girls based on how close they come to an artificial, impossible, and shallow ideal.

     The ways in which my awareness of sexualization in early childhood has been influenced by studying the topic this week are by listening and observing cues that may indicate increased awareness of sexuality in my home and workplace. I am going to develop a “game plan” for how to discuss or deal with any child that may have been learning the wrong messages about sexuality and attempt to involve their family in the discussion. I know that as a classroom effort, we can utilize Persona dolls to explain sexuality in an appropriate manner to children at their age level so they can understand. My plan is to also petition that parents set passcodes on television stations that are not appropriate for children under the age of 15. If the community can all work together on this effort, I believe we can get our children’s views back to the way they used to be.

Reference:

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

 

 

 

 

Evaluating Impacts on Professional Practice

After recalling some of the specific “isms” I dealt with growing up and identifying them for my own personal growth, I have concluded that children will have many consequences depending on their background. I have found in my preschool setting that many of the children deal with not being able to say their grace during meal times because the Department of Education frowns upon it. Some of the children sneak and do it anyway, and I do not try to stop them nor discourage them from saying their prayers. I have also noticed because of specific cultures, children are not allowed or do not celebrate all of the American holidays throughout the year. Some of the children do not understand why everyone is dressed in costume in late October and others come in their normal attire. We try to make it a point to include all of the children in with all aspects of the program and allow the families to share some of the traditions they follow throughout the course of the year. We also have a good mix of interracial couples and same-sex couples, so I assume a consequence the children of these families may experience is feeling left out, or different because of their parents choice. These are all great learning tools and provide wonderful discussions between the children and staff.

I attended a training last month and one of the guest speakers made some great points as she discussed parent engagement. She stated that her center does not celebrate the American holidays, instead they have each family all year around bring in a family tradition, dish, etc. that represents them and their culture. I believe that is the best way to get families more involved in their child’s learning experience and will make the child more successful in learning about other cultures.

Observing Communication

    I was very lucky this week to have been present at my nephew’s 2nd birthday party, so I decided to use this setting to observe the communication between adults and children. When my husband, daughter and I arrived at the birthday party, my nephew was not a happy camper. The party was taking place during his usually scheduled nap time, so he was very moody and did not wish to talk to us much. We greeted his mom and other family members as he lay around attempting to take a “cat nap”. I observed my daughter interact with some of the adults at the party as she mingled around, eventually heading to play with the older girls. She would respectfully greet them, and they her. I caught a snippet of the conversation an 8 year old cousin of my nephew’s was having with her mom. She was busy taking “selfies” on her new I-Phone, and her mom wanted her to come over and eat. She immediately yelled across the yard at her mother that she was not hungry. Her mom brought the plate over to her anyway, ignoring what the child had just expressed. About 20-minutes later, the mom yelled to her daughter to see if she had finished her food. She completely ignored her mom and continued taking pictures of herself and her friends. Her mom shook her head and came over to pick up her plate to place it in the trash.

After that observation, I clearly saw that I and that child’s mother have different parenting styles and ways of communicating with our children. I would call for my daughter to come over to me and then ask her the question rather than yell the question across the front yard. I also would expect that my daughter show enough respect and answer me whenever I questioned her. I had to step back and determine what the child was saying to the mom and vice versa. According to Stephenson (2009), stepping back became a strategy that helped me listen with an openness that allowed me to hear unexpected meanings in what children shared with me. I believe this is the normal way this particular parent communicates with her daughter, so I do not believe that this observation had any affect on the child’s sense of self-worth. I am always mindful of what I say and who  I say it to. Children are often affected by what we say and how we say things, so meaning and tone are everything in communication. I try to talk to my daughter and the children I provide care for in the same manner so to interest them in sharing their thoughts with me. I can always improve on my active listening, especially with younger children and children with behavior difficulties.

Reference:

Stephenson, A. (2009). Conversations with a 2-year-old. YC: Young Children, 64(2), 90–95. Retrieved from the Walden Library using the Education Research Complete database. http://ezp.waldenulibrary.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=37131016&site=ehost-live&scope=site

 

Creating Affirming Environments

If I were to open my own Family Child Care Home, I would focus on diversity in all that I purchased. The dolls would be from all different cultures, skin complexions, attire, etc. This would be to make sure I welcome all forms of diversity within my child care home. There would be multi-cultural puzzles, different types of transportation, gross and fine motor material, signs and posters in different languages, books, learning games, placemats, bulletin board displays, etc. I would also incorporate different paints, crayons, colored pencils, markers, pretty much anything that welcomes diversity. The furniture would include couches, bean bag chairs, mats, stools, hammocks, etc. These too would represent the different types of diversity within the child care home.

According to Derman-Sparks & Edwards (2010), our understanding of anti-bias issues shapes how we put together the curriculum each day. Almost every domain area in early childhood programs have the possibility for anti-bias education themes and activities. In working to create and affirming environment, I would strive to make sure the images displayed within the home do not counter stereotypes. I would also make sure they reflect both similarities and differences within and between every group. I would make sure all races and types of diversity are visible at all times. The visual and material environment along with the daily curriculum all come together to help create an affirming anti-bias learning community. I know it will not happen overnight, but I look forward to each small change.

Reference:

Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, D.C.: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).