Time Well Spent !!!!

 

 

In the past year and a half I have learned to identify my own possible biases, better ways to communicate with children, their families and others in my professional life, and I have learned being an educator does not stop in a classroom. 

One long-term goal that I have as it relates to early childhood education is to grow my relationships with the children and families in my community so that I can better understand their needs in and outside of the class so that I can fully reach the total child and make a lasting impact on them as to provide them with a passion to develop into well balanced individuals that grow into adults who will contribute to future generations developmental needs. 

I am grateful for all of the support, feedback and connections I have been given from everyone in this program. Every discussion and blog has given me a unique perspective on children, their needs and how I can better utilize my peers, administration along with local and state officials to provide additional support for children and their families. I wish everyone all the best in the next chapter of your journey in bringing a quality learning environment to the children and families in your community.

CONGRATUALTIONS EVERYONE - WE DID IT !!!!

References 

Photo: https://www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/access-to-education.html

Photo: https://omf.org/uk/events/mission-sunday-croydon/

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community Internationally

 

The first organization I inquired about is OECD. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international organization that works to build better policies for better lives. Our goal is to shape policies that foster prosperity, equality, opportunity and well-being for all (OECD, 2021). While learning about this organization I discovered that there are several things that interest me.  

There is a Policy Analyst and Advice position that will give me access to current and upcoming trends and policies and to also be able to meet and work with many other individuals all around the world. “EDU/PAI is looking for one or more Policy Analyst(s) to support its work providing education policy analysis and advice to countries both within and beyond the OECD” (OECD, 2021).  

Ideal Candidate Profile 

Academic Background 

• An advanced university degree in economics, education, public policy, social sciences, or a similar discipline. 

Languages 

• Fluency in one of the two OECD official languages (English and French) and knowledge of the other, with a commitment to reach a good working level. 

Contract Duration 

• One-year fixed term appointment, with the possibility of renewal. 

The above are just a few things to highlight of what would be needed for this position. I would love the opportunity to meet individuals from all over the world and hear and share their views along with their resources all over the country with whomever I can. Teaching, traveling, helping others and meeting new people would be would be a dream come true.

 

The second organization I came across that would be ideal for my CoP was found with the OECD link. I discovered it while looking for ESL positions in Dubai. The organization is Education Affairs Office (EAO). The mission of the Education Affairs Office (EAO) at the Crown Prince Court is to support our country's ambitious education goals through community engagement, superior education advisory, and high-impact initiatives that stimulate the potential of principals, teachers and students (OECD, 2021). I was drawn to this organization because their focus is on devising ways to making the learning and teaching experience more successful by doing a survey to ask teachers what they need to be successful. “Qudwa 2019 created a framework that invited teachers to explore techniques to illuminate students’ connections to their communities and the world, to encourage their capacity for problem solving and collaboration, and to instill a lifelong learning mindset. The overwhelming feedback from teachers in the UAE was that teaching for global competence requires an update in teaching methods and, more importantly, a change in teachers’ mindsets “(OECD, 2021). 

The last organization that would be a good source to include in my CoP is UNESCO. UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It seeks to build peace through international cooperation in Education, the Sciences and Culture. UNESCO develops educational tools to help people live as global citizens free of hate and intolerance. UNESCO works so that each child and citizen has access to quality education (UNESCO, 2021). I believe that having UNESCO a part of my CoP is important because they believe that no matter where you are from and what your language is that all children deserve the opportunity and access to tools for learning to develop into their best selves.  

 

References  

OECD. (2020). Teaching in the United Emirates: 10 Lesson from TALIS. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/education/talis/Teaching_in_the_UAE-10_Lessons_from_TALIS.pdf. 

OECD. (2021). Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/ 

United Nations Educations, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (2021). UNESCO in Brief - Mission and Mandate. Retrieved from https://en.unesco.org/about-us/introducing-unesco 

Image: https://www.ggc.edu/academics/internationalization/international-learning/

Image: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Education/Ashcroft-International-Learning-Centre-109464194049375/

Image: https://www.interlcenter.com/

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community on the State and Federal Level

 

There are an overwhelming number of organizations that could foster the ECE field. I selected TESOL, the International Literacy Association, and the Department of Education as additional organizations that could greatly benefit the needs of children, families and the early childhood field. 

My reason for selecting each is because the believe in the value of an equal education for every child. TESOL International Association advances the expertise of professionals who teach English to speakers of other languages in multilingual contexts worldwide (2021.) 

The International Literacy Association believes that literacy is the foundation to all learning (2021). 

The Department of Education mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access (2021).

While each has it's own criteria for being involved in it career field it is my most sincerest belief that the absolute best quality to have is a love for children and their families and an even great passion for equality and progressive changed for better in the ECE community. 

For the first two organizations the provide ways to prepare for jobs in ESL and of course the best qualification in either is to become ESL certified. The Department of Education currently has jobs available in the technology field which does not interest me much but in order to qualify for any of the 11 positions they have available I would certainly need to have some interest in that field. I would also need to have a higher level of training with software programs. The other position that caught my attention with the department of education is the Contracting Officer Representative which the qualifications are :

Specialized Experience: For the GS-13 level, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is in or directly related to the line of work of this position and has equipped you with the knowledge and competencies to successfully perform the duties of this position. More specifically, specialized experience must include performing at least two (2) of the following three (3) duties or work assignments:

1. Experience with technical and service contracts, procurement, and acquisition policies and regulations sufficient to analyze and interpret policy directives to write Standard Operating Procedures and directives for the organization and assess the impact of new procurement directives on headquarters programs.
2. Experience in communicating technical and service contract issues to the vendor and making recommendations to management.
3. Experience in working with contract administration program principles, policies, concepts, and objectives to negotiate, monitor, evaluate, and administer commercial activities contracts.

References 

TESOL global Partners. (2021). Retrieved from https://www.tesol.org/

The international Literacy association. (2021). Retrieved from https://www.literacyworldwide.org/

Home. (2021). Retrieved from https://www.ed.gov/

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community

 

The organizations and communities of practice that appealed to me are Childcare Group, The South East Texas Food Bank and Workforce Solutions. Each organization provides a service that helps both children in their families on several levels. 

During my research I came across the Childcare Group, it drew me in because it supplies a needed service to both children and their families. Their mission to champion a strong two-generation system that instructs children and parents, trains early childhood professionals and helps families (CCG, 2021). They have been helping families dating back to 1901. What I love most is their “two generation” approach. Childcare Group works to end the cycle of intergenerational poverty in our community by using the research-based Two-Generation Approach that links our high-quality early childhood education programs with other core programs and services that help families increase self-sufficiency. Having support in taking care of your family is not something every person has the pleasure of experiencing in my opinion and is often something that makes the difference in the development of a child. Childcare Group does more than prepare early learners but their parents as well by collaborating with other entities that provide services to access resume building and job training programs, GED and ESL classes, health screenings, parent-directed education programs and several other services (CCG, 2021). Childcare Group has a vast number of positions available and is the 1 of 3 that had a job opportunity of interest. The Preschool Resource Teacher is one that interest me. The qualifications for this position are: 

Education and Experience 

• One (1) year experience working with young children preferred 

• Desire to work with children ages 3-5, have general knowledge of child development 

• Ability to work as a team member 

• Organizational skills and written and oral communication skills 

• Ability to work effectively with all levels of staff, parents and center volunteers 

• Regular and prompt attendance required 

• Unquestioned integrity and commitment to uphold ChildCareGroup’s mission, vision and core values 

The South East Texas Food Bank is an organization that I have volunteer with on many occasions. I selected the foodbank because I love what it stands for. It allows families to get boxes of food to feed their families. They also gather resources from all around the community to service families. To be a volunteer you must register and be approved to work in the facility or with children and their families. The have a program called School Tools. The goal of this program is to provide tools for children of low-income families so that they can be equipped at home or school (SETX FB, 2021).  

The third and finally organization I did further research on is the Workforce Solutions. I have an interest in Workforce Solution for is access to resources that can aid those children of families that are not eligible due to age, income, or other reason for childcare assistance.  

These organizations to me provide need resources and support for both children and their families which are important to me in reaching the total child in getting to know them and their family's needs. 

 

Resources  

https://childcaregroup.org/contact-us/join-our-team 

https://setxfoodbank.org/programs/school-tools/ 

https://www.workforcechildcare.org/resources.html 

Photo: https://tanglewoodpta.org/product/helping-hands/

Practical Application in the Early Childhood Field

 

In this last course of my program I find myself reflecting over how much every course taken has broaden my perspective on diversity, equality and the many factors that play a role in shaping us into the individuals we are today be it in our personal or professional lives. It is week 1 of EDUC 6990 and much like the other courses I am anxious to learn more !

Reference

Quote: https://thejanegroup.org/leadbig/category/diversity-inclusion/