I loved my coursework throughout my graduate program in Early Childhood Studies. It really pushed my thinking, helped me to be more reflective in my work, and inspired me to research the things that were important to me. I also became very acquainted with different job opportunities in my field, organizations that I can be part of, and how I can make a difference in the early childhood field in general. I have become accustomed to being a researcher and a writer and hope to continue to pursue this discovered passion.
Throughout the program, I continued working at the same organization as the children's program director. My practices have changed and I have become better as I have gone through this course and learned skills to better manage teams, communicate, be accepting of differences, rely on the strength I find in others, and dream. I have gained insight into the cultures and customs of the families I serve, have learned strategies to keep families involved, and gained perspectives on the value of building positive relationships.
The greatest passion that has come from this course is my role and responsibility to educators in the field of early childhood. They work hard, relentless hours, and put their heart and souls into their work. They do this for little monetary compensation and yet they carry on. One teacher who consistently works with children with challenging behaviors reported to me, "I get hit, kicked, or bit daily. I love my kids, but it is so hard to take this every day. I am leaving on vacation for a week and I'm so sad to leave them and I'm so worried about my kids and what they will do without me." The internal stress and conflict we go through on our own just to turn around and give more love and more guidance to help children is amazing. This is what drives me to develop a system that will better support teachers in their struggle to love and guide while carrying the weight and stress that comes with caring for children. My capstone project and the learning throughout my master's degree was not just doing the assignments, it was learning what I can do to better support the educators in my field in the areas that they need it the most.
I appreciate all those who have shared their voice, their opinions, their experiences, their methods, and their lives with me these past two years. I have learned so much from my colleagues and my professors. I have loved to try new things and get new ideas and gain understanding of how others are on the same path. Mostly, I loved to see so many who had the passion I do to work in the early childhood field. For some reason I believed I was going to be in very small classes with only a few others in the field and I was delighted to see how many people are dedicated to changing lives in early childhood.
Thank you to all who have supported me and shared with me. I bid you farewell and good luck in your future endeavors.
Kelly
Friday, June 26, 2015
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally
I am interested in an international organization called Free The Children
because of their ability and passion to help children achieve their
fullest potential. They "work internationally to free children from
poverty and exploitation through a holistic and sustainable development
model called Adopt a Village. Domestically, we offer innovative programs
that educate, engage and empower youth to become agents of change"
(Free the Children, 2015, para 1).
Free the Children has many career opportunities. One I would be interested in for the future is an Educational Programming Coordinator. In this works with the "Youth Programming Department which develops and implements unique programming to engage youth in learning about social issues and taking action to support Free The Children’s sustainable community development work overseas as well as its local programming" (Free the Children, 2015, para 2). This position requires a minimum of a BA degree. Other requirements for this position include leadership skills, a passion and commitment for volunteerism, exceptional oral and written communication skills, the ability to lead and motivate others, a self-starter able to work with minimal supervision, and a positive and professional attitude.
Another international organization that interests me is the World Forum Foundation. "The mission of the World Forum Foundation is to promote an on-going global exchange of ideas on the delivery of quality services for young children in diverse settings. This mission is accomplished through convening gatherings of early childhood professionals around the world and by promoting the continuing exchange of ideas among participants." I love the collaboration they make with early childhood professionals from all over the world, both past and present, to determine best practice and needs of for children.
I would love to get involved in this organization on a volunteer/advocacy way. The World Forum Foundation has Working Forums that I can be part of and participate in meetings with other early childhood professionals focusing on specific issues designed to promote the well-being of young children and families. I would like to be part of the Curriculum Initiative and work with professionals Larry Schweinhart and Diane Trister Dodge, where I can share ideas, strategies, and perspectives on principles of early childhood curriculum (World Forum Foundation, 2015). They have been working on designing universal early childhood principles and designing inspiring and effective spaces. I believe I have much insight and information that I can share with this group. There are many other interest forums, but this is the one that is most appealing and of interest to me. Being part of this group would allow me to share my passion for education and curriculum.
A third international organization I would like to be part of is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). "UNESCO leads the international policy drive for an integrated early childhood care and education system that encompasses both the well-being and holistic development of the child. Our mission is to support early childhood policy development with the aim to build a solid foundation for a child’s lifelong learning" (UNESCO, 2015, para 3). They sponsored a world conference in early childhood care and education where discussions of challenges in the field of early childhood and possible ways to approach these problems were discussed. From there, they designed a framework for early childhood care that can be followed so all children around the world have the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential.
I am interested in being part of this organization because of they believe in the educational rights of all children and look towards finding possible solutions to problems. Like our challenges that we are addressing for our capstone project, they also approach challenges and look for solutions. They have an open position as a Programme Specialist (Education). It requires the minimum of a Master's degree or higher with 7 years of experiences at the national and international level in the field of education. While I do not yet meet this qualifications, it is a future possibility. Skills required include:
References
Free the Children (2015). Jobs: Coordinator, Educational and Youth Programming. Retrieved from http://www.freethechildren.com/about-us/careers-job-postings/?cc=show&id=5235379
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). 2015. UNESCO Careers. Retrieved from https://careers.unesco.org/careersection/1/jobdetail.ftl
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). 2015. Mission. Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/mission/
World Forum Foundation (2015). Curriculum Initiative. Retrieved from http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/working-groups/curriculum/
Free the Children has many career opportunities. One I would be interested in for the future is an Educational Programming Coordinator. In this works with the "Youth Programming Department which develops and implements unique programming to engage youth in learning about social issues and taking action to support Free The Children’s sustainable community development work overseas as well as its local programming" (Free the Children, 2015, para 2). This position requires a minimum of a BA degree. Other requirements for this position include leadership skills, a passion and commitment for volunteerism, exceptional oral and written communication skills, the ability to lead and motivate others, a self-starter able to work with minimal supervision, and a positive and professional attitude.
Another international organization that interests me is the World Forum Foundation. "The mission of the World Forum Foundation is to promote an on-going global exchange of ideas on the delivery of quality services for young children in diverse settings. This mission is accomplished through convening gatherings of early childhood professionals around the world and by promoting the continuing exchange of ideas among participants." I love the collaboration they make with early childhood professionals from all over the world, both past and present, to determine best practice and needs of for children.
I would love to get involved in this organization on a volunteer/advocacy way. The World Forum Foundation has Working Forums that I can be part of and participate in meetings with other early childhood professionals focusing on specific issues designed to promote the well-being of young children and families. I would like to be part of the Curriculum Initiative and work with professionals Larry Schweinhart and Diane Trister Dodge, where I can share ideas, strategies, and perspectives on principles of early childhood curriculum (World Forum Foundation, 2015). They have been working on designing universal early childhood principles and designing inspiring and effective spaces. I believe I have much insight and information that I can share with this group. There are many other interest forums, but this is the one that is most appealing and of interest to me. Being part of this group would allow me to share my passion for education and curriculum.
A third international organization I would like to be part of is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). "UNESCO leads the international policy drive for an integrated early childhood care and education system that encompasses both the well-being and holistic development of the child. Our mission is to support early childhood policy development with the aim to build a solid foundation for a child’s lifelong learning" (UNESCO, 2015, para 3). They sponsored a world conference in early childhood care and education where discussions of challenges in the field of early childhood and possible ways to approach these problems were discussed. From there, they designed a framework for early childhood care that can be followed so all children around the world have the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential.
I am interested in being part of this organization because of they believe in the educational rights of all children and look towards finding possible solutions to problems. Like our challenges that we are addressing for our capstone project, they also approach challenges and look for solutions. They have an open position as a Programme Specialist (Education). It requires the minimum of a Master's degree or higher with 7 years of experiences at the national and international level in the field of education. While I do not yet meet this qualifications, it is a future possibility. Skills required include:
-
Results – based oriented with ability to persuade and influence.
-
Ability to work in multitasking manner and well under pressure.
-
Familiarity with the work and general functioning of international organizations and/or the United Nations System.
References
Free the Children (2015). Jobs: Coordinator, Educational and Youth Programming. Retrieved from http://www.freethechildren.com/about-us/careers-job-postings/?cc=show&id=5235379
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). 2015. UNESCO Careers. Retrieved from https://careers.unesco.org/careersection/1/jobdetail.ftl
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). 2015. Mission. Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/early-childhood/mission/
World Forum Foundation (2015). Curriculum Initiative. Retrieved from http://www.worldforumfoundation.org/working-groups/curriculum/
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