Time Well Spent

Well, this is it, my very last assignment for my Master’s program! I cannot begin to express, in words, what I am feeling right now, but I will do my best. The last 16 or so months of my life have been a complete blur and I am looking forward to finding my old routine, or perhaps a new one. After taking this Capstone course, I am feeling relieved, joyful and most of all accomplished. I am the first person in my family to earn their Master’s Degree and my friends and family have been so great in sharing their kind words of congratulatory remarks. I took on this program in September of 2011 while working full-time. The beginning courses made me feel at ease as they were manageable. When I began this last semester taking two courses alongside my full-time job, I literally thought that there was no way I was going to finish this program successfully. With the support of Dr. Teri, my peers and my work colleagues, I was able to get through these last two courses. I have learned so much about myself throughout this Capstone course. I have persevered through the most stressful of times and I am proud of myself and my fellow classmates. I have always been nervous about online programs and was worried that I might not feel as accomplished in earning an online degree as opposed to a degree from a traditional college. Regardless of the setting I was in, I feel absolutely accomplished and am happy with my decision in choosing Walden University. In the future, I hope to become the division chief for Child and Youth Programs for all of Air Force. This is a long-term goal that will take lots of work but I feel confident that I can achieve it. I would like to close out my blog my saying thank you to Walden University, all of my professors, specifically Dr. Teri and most of all thank you to my classmates. You all have taught me so much about the early childhood field and what else is out there in terms of careers and programs. I am so pleased that we all share the same passion for working with children and I do believe that because of people like us, children do have a brighter future. Good luck to everyone in their endeavors and please keep in contact!

International Jobs and Roles in the ECE Community

Looking for International organizations in the Early Childhood Field was an exciting adventure. I was fortunate enough to grow up overseas and know the joys of working internationally. When I was in High School, I was a part of the Junior United Nations team where we traveled to the Netherlands to meet at the actual United Nations and do a mock meeting. It was a once in a lifetime experience. I was first exposed to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in the beginning of this Master’s program in my foundations course. UNICEF is the driving force that helps build a world where the rights of every child are realized. UNICEF believes that nurturing and caring for children are the cornerstones of human progress. I believe that UNICEF is such an admirable organization because they really focus on the child as a whole. From education, to sickness prevention, they focus on it all. There were several open vacancies on the UNICEF website that were short term positions. One specifically was an Education Specialist in Sierra Leone. The position will be used for the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the national education sector systems strengthening component of the Basic Education program. The qualifications for this position include an advanced university degree in any of the following: Social Sciences, Public Administration, Business Administration, Education, or other fields related to the work of UNICEF. Knowledge of Rights-based and Results-based approach and programming in UNICEF, knowledge of UNICEF program policy, procedures and guidelines in the Manual, knowledge of Mid-Term Strategic Plan (MTSP), five years progressively responsible professional work experience in social development, project administration, monitoring and evaluation, some at the international level, fluency in English and another UN language as required and knowledge of local working language of the duty station an asset.

            I also looked into the Save the Children organization. This organization is the leading independent organization creating lasting change in the lives of children in need in the United States and around the world. The position I found interesting within this organization was the Information and Documentation Specialist, Education and Child Development. The Information and Documentation Specialist is the point person for Education and Child Development program documentation and dissemination.  S/he writes, edits and designs promotional and informational materials for internal and external audiences; coordinates reporting on specific projects; acts as liaison to the Resource Mobilization Department; updates education information on the external / internal websites; coordinates information sharing within headquarters and with the field; and provides technical content support for proposals, reports, and surveys.  The position is based in Washington D.C. Requirements for this position include a Master’s Degree, with at least 5-8 years’ work experience in education and/or child development, a background in communications, strong writing, editing, and analytical skills, strong publication design and layout abilities, flexible and able to effectively manage multiple tasks among subsectors, with frequently competing deadlines, strong willingness to learn new skills and commitment to Education for All, and PC skills including MS Office, Excel, PowerPoint, and Publisher (SharePoint is a plus).

            Lastly, I looked into the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. UNESCO strives to build networks among nations that enable this kind of solidarity by mobilizing for education: so that every child, boy or girl, has access to quality education as a fundamental human right and as a prerequisite for human development. One position I found particularly interesting was the Director of the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development. Qualifications for this position include an advanced university degree in education and/or social sciences, experience in administering and developing research and training programs in fields related to peace education and education for sustainable development (ESD), and experience in resource and partnership mobilization.

 

References

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.unicef.org/

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

United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (2011). Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/about-us/who-we-are/introducing-unesco

Week 4 Blog Assignment

Week 4 Blog Assignment: Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

This week I took a look at jobs and roles in the Early Childhood Education Community at the National or Federal Level. Three organizations that appealed most to me were the United States Department of Education, the National Education Association and the National Afterschool Association. I chose these three organizations because they all three share the same goals and are all at a national level. I particularly enjoyed reading about the National Afterschool Association since I work with school-aged children and I often feel like this age group gets over looked when focusing on the early childhood field. One job that I discovered was a Educational Program Specialist for the National Institute of Health through the department of Health and Human Services in Montgomery County, Maryland. Requirements for the position are as follows:

·         Reviewing and recommending action on requisitions for curriculum equipment, furniture, supplies, and other materials.  

·         Assisting with the development and organization of program information used for a variety of purposes, to include the preparation of regular and ad hoc reports and development of annual operating budgets.

·         Participating in ongoing efforts to improve program services.

·         Monitoring approved contractual agreements and monitors contractor activities to ensure services are delivered in accordance with the terms.

·         Attending and chairing meetings, attending conferences and serving on committees

This job can be found at www.usajobs.gov

The link to my blog is: http://amandaecs.blogspot.com

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

The three local or state organizations that I chose to research are Boys and Girls Clubs of America (Alaska Branches), the Alaska Association for the Education of Young Children (AAEYC), and the Alaska Head Start Association. Although I am very firm on working for the military throughout the duration of my career, I wanted to take this opportunity to branch out and look into a few other organizations that could be of potential interest to me. I also think that it is important to be aware of other organizations in the state you live in to build communities of practice. The Boys and Girls Clubs of Alaska was an obvious choice since my current place of work is basically a military version of a Boys and Girls Club. Some significant differences between a Department of Defense organization and a Boys and Girls Club are the funding, staffing and demographics. The Alaska Association for the Education of Young Children is a local affiliate of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The AAEYC serves the needs for early childhood education professionals in the state of Alaska. The Alaska Head Start Association is a branch of the national program that is so well known amongst early childhood professionals.

One position that sparked my interest on the BGCA website was the Dragonflies Assistant Teacher. This position seeks an Assistant Teacher for a Pre-K classroom. The organization is seeking someone with at least 6 months of experience tutoring, mentoring, or supervising children.

One position that interested me on the Head Start website but was not open in Alaska was the regional field specialist. This sounded interesting because the position was a part of a regional team that assessed early childhood education practices at various Head Start locations.

Most of the positions that were available for the organizations I looked up required an Associate’s Degree or a CDA. Some also required several years of experience working in the early childhood field. I am thrilled to almost be completing my Master’s Degree, but I am so concerned about the transition I will face. All of my work experience has been primarily with children and youth ages 9 and up. I do not have a whole lot of experience working with younger children. I do, however, have a passion for advocating for all youth which I why I chose to work towards my Master’s Degree in this specific field. I hope I made the right choice.

References

www.akheadstart.org/

www.akaeyc.org/

www.bgcalaska.org/

Thank You

Wow! I cannot believe another class has come and gone! What an experience it is been having all my classmates follow me on this journey. I want to thank all of you for your kind words and  positive opinions. I wish all of you the best of luck and hope to keep in touch!

Week 6 Blog Assignment

I believe that the hardest groups to leave are the ones you have been through the most with. I worked at a job for three years with a wonderful group of people who I attribute a lot of my professional success to. They weren’t only wonderful because we eventually grew so close, but it was a great experience because we learned so much from, one another, even when the lessons weren’t so easy to learn. At the end of our journey together, I was mostly saddened because I had so many memories that bonded us. We were like a family. I feel like I will feel similarly when I complete my Master’s program. Earning my Master’s Degree has been a goal of mine for a long time now and it was something that I contemplated on completing back and forth for some time. When I first started, I was immediately reassured that I made the right decision by the support from my fellow classmates. Now that I am a little closer to finishing, I can already tell how the adjourning stage of this journey will be. I sure know it is something that I never will forget.

Week 5

When thinking about conflict resolution, several work scenarios come to mind. I have a staff of 8 who rarely take me seriously due to my age. I have had to call several meetings where this has been addressed and most of the time things get resolved through communicaton. There really is something to be said for "talking it out".