National ECE Associations and Job opportunities that interest me!

National Associations that I would like to be affiliated with in conjunction with my challenge, what do academics look like in preschool and how can teachers be equipped to explain why play is important?  I am finding that this is a challenge for teachers and they need to be equipped with the words to explain academics in relation to play.

·         Green Hearts is a non-profit organization that’s mission is to reconnect children and nature. They are a resource that preschools can use to help regain the connection.  The reason I chose this organization is because it aligns with my goals to help preschools make the jump to allow their students to go outside. Green Hearts is a resource and is a nationally well-known organization throughout the nature preschool world.

http://www.greenheartsinc.org/Our_Services.html

·         National Childcare association is an organization that is on a mission: "The Mission of National Child Care Association is to promote the growth and safeguard the interest of quality early childhood care and education focusing on licensed, private providers of these services". (National Childcare Association , 2015) This national organization is important to me because this organization will be helpful in trying to make sure the policy makers do not put regulations in place that would make it difficult for children to have free play outdoors. 

http://www.nccanet.org/

·         The Council for professional recognition is a national organization that is a global community of educators and advocates uniting knowledge, experience, and perspectives in order to exchange information, explore innovation, and advocate for children.  This is important in regards to my challenge of teachers understanding that by having the professional background of studying early childhood they can then be prepared to implement learning through play. 

http://www.cdacouncil.org/resource-center/early-childhood-organizations

Job opportunities that interest me and the qualifications needed.

      Director of Educational Program, Private School with Preschool Division

Preferred Qualifications: • Master’s degree in early child development, early care and education or related field • At least six years of demonstrated leadership in a similar position responsible for advancing the quality of early care and education services • Deep understanding of research on best practices regarding the development and delivery of high quality early care and education • In-depth knowledge of adult development and learning (theory and practice) as they relate to professional development in the early care and education sector • Knowledge of Louisiana’s early care and education system • Strong collaborative leadership, management, supervisory and motivational skills • Strong analysis and planning background. 

      Location: Cincinnati, OH, US

The School of Education in the College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services is seeking an Instructor Educator faculty position for the Early Childhood Education and Human Development program. The main responsibilities of this position will be to coordinate the practicum and internship field experiences in the Early Childhood Online AAS and BSEd degrees, teach online undergraduate courses in preschool education and infant and toddler childcare, and develop online curriculum for BSEd degree. Other responsibilities in the online programs include: marketing and promoting degree programs, overseeing online ECE programs, managing accreditation, developing new and innovative online courses, and coordinating and supervising adjunct instructors.

Minimum Qualifications: Master’s degree in Early Childhood or highly related field. Quality Matters certification. Experience in teaching and developing online courses in early childhood. CDA professional development certification. Two or more years’ experience teaching ages birth to five. Experience with NAEYC accreditation for preschool programs.

Desirable Qualifications: Demonstrated leadership with early childhood professionals and in early childhood associations on state and national levels. Certified Program Administration Scale assessor for early childhood programs. Skills in Universis, Blackboard, Kaltura and other online learning technologies.

      Health, Education & Social Programs

Early Education Services

Home-Based in Region XI

Job Description:

ICF seeks an experienced Early Childhood Education (ECE) Systems Specialist to support coordination and collaboration between OHS and OCC within the region. This position is home-based within 50 miles from the Regional Office located in Washington, D.C.

Key Responsibilities:

* Work closely with the Head Start Collaboration Office, the State Advisory Council, the State Head Start Association, Child Care, and other early childhood providers and community partners to plan and implement initiatives such as state-wide Quality Rating Systems and State Early Learning Standards, as appropriate.

* Collaborate with ECE entities involved in State and local planning to better meet the needs of low-income children from birth to school entry, and their families.

Participate on regional teams collaborating and linking with Child Care Resource and Referral networks, Head Start and child care programs and other organizations as appropriate to ensure all national priorities are being addressed within the region.

Professional Skills:

* Experience with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) required.

* Excellent verbal and written communication skills required.

* Strong analytical, problem-solving and decision making capabilities.

* Team player with the ability to work in a fast-paced environment.

* Ability to work with all levels of internal staff, as well as outside clients and vendors.

This job posting was found on NAEYC’s job forum.  A great resource for job searches.

http://careerforum.naeyc.org/jobs/?page=2

Community of Practice

Locally we have a Kindergarten Readiness Forum that is sponsored by United Way Success by six- Local professionals meet at a round table once a year to discuss new topics and issues in the early childhood.  This community of practice appeals to me because I want to stay current on topics related to Kindergarten Readiness.  I like being the voice of learning through play and playing a role in what we think is quality in the early childhood field.

NAEYC is a Community of Practice that I find appealing.  Their goal of quality and developmentally appropriate practices is a great collaboration of individuals that truly understand early childhood and give teachers resources on important everyday topics.  I think being a part of this COP is an opportunity that I could not pass up and I hope to grow my relationship with NAEYC and OAYC (The Ohio affiliation)

ODE- The Ohio Department of Education- I would like to be part of this COP because I plan to develop mentor-ships in the early childhood field.  I recently have gone through the Ohio RESA program as a preschool teacher in a non-profit organization and the process was brutal.  Finding a mentor and paying for one was something I do not want to have to do again. I want to become a preschool mentor through ODE so I can help mentor other preschool teachers that may be going through the same process.  This COP will also be connecting teachers with resources and developing strategies that are developmentally appropriate and understanding what academics look like in preschool. 

“A growing number of people and organizations in various sectors are now focusing on communities of practice as a key to improving their performance.” (Wenger, 2006). 

·        

 Jobs that would peak my interest:

 College instructor for a master’s degree in early childhood with an emphasis in environmental education.

Skills needed- strategies for working with adults, communication skills, a passion for early childhood, and a willingness to accept new ideas, and knowledge of environmental practices for early childhood.

·        

 A consultant for local preschools - teacher trainings. 

Skills needed- prior experience working with preschoolers, a vast realm of stories from experience, hands on examples, listening skills, and people skills.

·       

  A parent consultant - helping them find a quality preschool

Skills needed- Prior experience working with families and preschools, administration background a plus, people skills, knowledge of local preschool programs and understanding of different learning styles. Helping parents find the preschool that best fits their child.

Resources

Wenger, E. (2006).Communities of practice: A brief introduction. Retrieved from http://www.ewenger.com/theory/

 

Capstone

Welcome everyone,

I am looking forward to collaborating with you and working towards completing my Capstone Project!
Good Luck Everyone!

 

"For me taking children outdoors and feeding their natural curiosity is the most authentic way to learn."

Ending my communication class but hopefully not ending my communication with my colleagues

As my communication class comes to an end, I hope that my communication with my cohort will continue as I journey through the rest of my courses. I wish all of my colleagues the best of luck as they venture through their own journeys. I have attached the link to my schools page for anyone who would like to stay in contact after we part and go our separate ways.  I hope to continue to stay in contact because I feel that we have in common goal together in the early childhood field.  I can only hope that one day our paths will cross and give us an opportunity to work together collaboratively on a project for the vision of early childhood.

http://www.cincynature.org/teacherschoolprograms/


 

Team Work

    When I consider the adjourning stage and think about which groups are the hardest to leave, the personal connection is what stands out the most.  When I spend a lot of time with a group of individuals and we connect on a personal level, adjourning is harder.  When I am in groups that collaborate, work hard together, and do this in a professional manner, these are the hardest projects to adjourn from.  There is almost a sort of let down or sadness after it is all over.  This is why adjourning in a way that you feel you are not walking away forever is important.  Exchanging information and blocking out time to stay connected in one way is important. 

     I feel that adjourning from the group of colleagues will be a positive adjournment. We have developed skills together and therefore will always share a commonality.  I also feel that this group of individuals is part of my professional connections.  I plan to keep in contact with those whom I have met.  I hope that others will keep my information to use me as a reference when needed.  Adjourning is an essential stage of teamwork because it is a celebration and a way to recognize all of the hard work that has been accomplished. “As the project manager, it is important that you arrange for a celebration to recognize the team's accomplishments. This will close the project on a positive note. Plus, you never know when you will work with some of these same people on a future project you are leading. They'll remember the recognition and appreciation you showed them on this project.” (Audi, 2010).

Reference

Abudi, G. (2010). The five stages of team development: A case study. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html

 

Conflict Resolution

 

Finding equilibrium in everyday life can be a challenge. Sometimes conflict occurs and it can be harmful to the people around you and to yourself.  Having the ability to control your emotions can be a powerful tool.  When I think about a recent conflict with a co-worker, I realize my emotions are a factor in the resolution not going as well as I expected.  My own biases of my opinions, set my emotions in a tail spin, and this is when voices may be raised or words may be said that should not be said.

The center for non-violence communication explains how communication can affect relationships, if strategies are used to ensure conflict and is handled in a civil way.  One strategy I have implemented when faced with conflict, is to remove myself from the situation before saying something I regret.  This can help me to calm down and find a balance before confronting someone.  I also have been trying to focus on the issue rather than my position on the issue.  Finally, I have tried to implement the idea of staying focused on the present no the past.  These tips are helping me deal with everyday conflict at home with my son and with colleagues in the work place.

References: 

The Center for Nonviolent Communication. (n.d.). The center for nonviolent communication. Retrieved from http://www.cnvc.org/

• • Foundations of NVC
  • NVC Model
  • NVC Concepts

Communication

This week in our communication class we were to take self-evaluations in regards to anxiety and verbal aggressiveness.  Then, I asked two acquaintances to evaluate me in regards to anxiety and verbal aggressiveness.  The evaluations from my self-evaluations and their evaluations were quit similar.  The scores came back within a few numbers different from each other and ranged within the same brackets.  It revealed that I show mild signs of anxiety in communicating and it stated that I am not concerned with communication.  This would be an accurate statement that I feel towards communication. The evaluation of the verbal-aggression reflected that I am respectful of others and their opinions without attacking them verbally. This I feel is also an accurate statement of how I feel I communicate with those whom may disagree with me. 

As I studied this week’s information in communication, I realized I truly did not understand what the words self-concept, self-esteem, and self-efficacy truly meant.    I now understand that self-concept is when you truly understand yourself in terms of your strengths and weaknesses.  Self-esteem is the way you feel about yourself, and self-efficacy is the prediction of your success in situations (confidence) (O’Hair & Wiemann, 2012).  I have realized that over the past five years I have increased my self-awareness, self-efficacy, in understanding what my strengths and weaknesses are.  I have also realized that when you are working in a field that hones in on your strengths then you seem to have more self-confidence and the ability to complete the job at hand comes naturally, providing self-confidence.  I try and help my own children learn what their strengths and weaknesses are because my hope is that they chose a career that capitalizes on their strengths.

References

O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). Real communication. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.