Time Well Spent- My Final Farewell and Thanks

This course and this program as a whole have educated me about best practices for providing effective physical, cognitive and emotional support for the healthy development of the children in my care. Not only has this program educated me, it has ignited my passion for this field and has confirmed my professional purpose. This course in particular aided me in building upon this passion to create a challenge and envision a way in I could help improve this challenge and impact social change.

I learned, as a result of this program that being the best educator I could be is not enough. To create change and truly support the children and families in my care, I and all of us as educators have a responsibility to advocate for those who cannot. There are many injustices in this world to rectify them and to create change someone needs to stand up and exclaim that what is being done, what has been done or the current status quo are not right.

I also learned the importance of collaboration. Throughout the discussion forum comments, we were able to challenge one another, seek clarification and question things that may have been overlooked. I was inspired by my colleagues and their drive, passion and motivation and found that this pushed me.

Finally, this course and program made me look at current practices and examine whether they were truly meeting the needs of every student and every child. It gave me a path to pursue and directed me towards a way to achieve these goals.

A long term goal that I have for myself is to one day inspire others the way that the anti- bias work of Louise Derman-Sparks and Julie Olsen Edwards has inspired me. Currently I have been considering continuing my educational journey with a Ph.D. in special education. My Capstone focused on Aboriginal injustices in the classroom, I am also very passionate about anti- bias education and diversity concerning children with special needs and exceptionalities. Whatever I do decide, and whatever path I take I just want to ensure that I am providing the best care and education as a teacher. I want to remain optimistic and passionate about this field even when I become overwhelmed, discouraged or frustrated.

I want to thank all of my professors at Walden University and each and every one of my colleagues for their support and encouragement throughout the past two years.

I thought that I would end this course, the way that it began by choosing adjectives to describe my journey and this experience.

Blog Week 6- Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

“The emotional, social and physical development of young children has a direct effect on their overall development and on the adult they will become. That is why understanding the need to invest in very young children is so important, so as to maximize their future well-being” (Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development, 2011).

The first International Early Childhood Education Community I decided to focus on this week is The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). UNICEF appealed to me as an organization because they focus on assuring equality for children. “UNICEF promotes the rights and well-being of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere” (UNICEF, 2015). Their website outlines numerous programs that UNICEF provides supporting children around the world. They improve children’s lives, providing health care and immunizations, clean water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency relief, and more. The UNICEF focus is to build a world where the rights of every child are realized. (UNICEF, 2011). 

Job Opportunity: Education Specialist (Early Learning)

Under the general guidance of the Senior Education Advisor, the incumbent will provide technical expertise and guidance in early childhood development specifically in early learning and school readiness through inter-sectoral and inter-disciplinary approaches.

Job Requirements:

Advanced university degree in Education, International Development, Child Development, Social Sciences or a related technical field.

Eight years of relevant work experience at the national or international levels in education programme planning, management, monitoring, and evaluation, with a specific focus on early learning.

Knowledge and experience of (I) The global development context; (ii) Global developments in education; (iii) Policy dialogue in education; (iv) Education systems and sector planning; (v) Education and policy sector analysis; (vi) Rigorous programme management in education; (vii)  Engagement with partnerships; (viii) Strong understanding of gender in relation to education.

Fluency in English required. Proficiency in another UN language (i.e. Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish) would be an asset.

I believe that I would be right for this job in many ways and fulfil most of the requirements. I have been donating to UNICEF for many years and have also participated in several of their fundraisers. I would love to be involved with an organization such as UNICEF because they are true advocates for children and families living in unjust circumstances in dire need of support.

The second international organization I chose to investigate is the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI). The ACEI has a commitment to “support and advocate for access to education, equity in educational settings, quality educational content, and the child’s right to education” (ACEI, 2015). This was my first time encountering the ACEI and I believe that it is a great organization because its goal is for all children to be successful. “ACEI members have acted as social change agents,  involving themselves in various critical societal issues in their efforts to ensure that children around the world are protected, supported, and educated in ways that allow them to reach their full potential” ( ACEI, 2015).

Job Opportunity: Although there were no jobs currently listed or available at the ACEI I was still very excited about their vision and passion for the education of all children and will continue checking to see if anything comes up in the future.

Job Requirements: The ACEI’s slogan “Bright Futures for Every Child, Every Nation” would be important to appreciate and support if I were to work for their organization. I believe that this demonstrates that in order to work for the ACEI I would need to be an advocate for children and their education and passionate about the importance of this endeavor. I also believe that as an international organization appreciation and awareness of multiculturalism and diversity would also be crucial.

The third International Early Childhood Education Community I decided to research is The Division for Early Childhood (DEC. The focuses on the optimal development of young children (0-8) who are at risk for developmental delays and disabilities. “The DEC started in 1973 by a group of volunteers who cared deeply about the development of young children with special needs” (DEC, n.d.). The DEC holds professional development international conferences, they have e-newsletter, and they have subdivisions across states.

Job Opportunity: There are many jobs listed on the website. One that really stood out for me is that of the Early Childhood Researcher.

Job Requirements: The job requires experience with quantitative and qualitative data analysis, instrument design, data collection, early childhood development, and early childhood programs. Must have substantive expertise in a field such as education, public health, special education, early childhood development, or human services. Outstanding writing, speaking, and project management skills and the ability to work collaboratively are required.

The job also requires a Ph.D. in education, early childhood education, child development, developmental psychology or related field. This was a bummer when I read this requirement because although I have a lot of experience and feel as though I would be prepared to work in this role I would not be qualified as of right now without a Ph.D. Again, this is another website that I will continue looking back on to see if any other opportunities present themselves.

It was a great experience this week to see so many international organizations with children at the heart of their commitment. From UNICEF’s commitment to each and every child having equal rights to basic necessities, to the ACEI and their concern with global education for all children and the DEC’s concern with all children especially those with various exceptionalities and disabilities having the right to meaningful education.

References

Associate for Childhood Education International. (2015). Retrieved from http://acei.org/about-us/about-us

DEC. Division for Early Childhood. (2014). Retrieved from http://careers.dec-sped.org/jobs/6950452/early-childhood-researcher

Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development. (2011). Importance of early childhood development. Retrieved from http://www.child-encyclopedia.com/importance-early-childhood-development

UNICEF. (March 30, 2015). Retrieved from

 http://www.unicef.org/about/who/index_introduction.html