When I Reflect About My Collegial, Professional Learning Community

For the first part of this blog I will share about three consequences that are related to me being a part of a caring collaborative learning community for my professional growth and development. 

• The first consequence is that as I continue to further my knowledge and understanding about the field, I am held to a higher standard, due to the respect, ethics, and care that I have for myself, the children and families, and the field. So this means that I cannot be a participant of any harmful practices that violates the ethics and standards that are embodied by the early childhood education profession or myself. 
• The second is that because I am a part of such a caring collaborative learning community I will find myself constantly thirsting and striving for excellence in this my professional, personal, and educational career. 
• The third consequence is that because I am a part of a caring collaborative learning community I will be even more  eager to share my learning and skills those individuals who are new and just learning about the field as well as those who have been in the field for a while, but are having trouble implementing and upholding the standards, best practices, ethics, and commitment of the field. 

• One goal that I have as a result of this class is to connect with a local advocacy group here in my state and to become more actively involved with that group/organization. However, before that is even done I will do more to  correct the wrongs that I see occurring on a daily basis. I will do this by remembering that although I maybe one person, I still can make a difference, one child/family at a time. 

To each of my colleagues, although this is the end of the class I would like to wish each and everyone of you much success on your personal, professional, and education goals. May each of you continue to work to make a positive lasting impression on the children, families, and communities that you work, live, and serve in. 

Early Childhood Systems Today: Moving Toward Coherency

For this week, I am putting together my ideal early childhood system and I will be introducing a hypothetical family that is in need of comprehensive services. To begin my hypothetical family is African American that consist of a mother and her three children. The mother is about 26 years of age and her children range in age from 5-10. The mother is in need of a child care program that can deal with her five year old son's aggressive behavior. Mom states that she first began noticing the aggressive behavior when the boy was about 3 years old. After speaking with the mother, I also find out that her son has been having trouble in his preschool class, she has spoken with her regular pediatrician on numerous occasions and he has dismissed the behavior as typical age related tantrums and that he will out grow them. However, mom consistently expressed that she believes something more is going on with her child. At this point her biggest concern is finding child care for her son that will be able to help her obtain the necessary resources to get her son help for his behavior. She fears that if left un-addressed he will miss out on valuable learning experiences that will aid in his grow and development.

As an added noted, I chose this type of situation, because in my own experiences as an early childhood professional, children with severe behavioral issues are often overlooked, disliked by teachers because of their behavior, considered to be bad or even stereotyped. However, this is not often the case, there really could be some underlying mental or health issues that are causing the child to behave in this manner. So as an early childhood system, families such as the one above can rest easy knowing that there's a system of programs and services put in place to offer her help and assistance to the best of their abilities. This will be good news to a parent whose may be feeling overwhelmed with frustrations, because she cannot find help for her child.

The Political Will to Improve Early Childhood Systems

In my work as an early childhood professional, I have had the grand opportunity to work with many children and families. I have heard numerous stories of struggle, hurt, and victory. It is these stories that I am reminded of as I continue to work with children and families. These story compel and encourage me to be even more compassionate and caring to those that are being served and as I worked on their behalf, I did it with eagerness, because although, I am one person, I was still making a positive impact.

 As I reviewed the methods being used by some of the early childhood advocacy organizations, I was particular moved by the current campaign of Voices for America's Children called  The Power of $1 Campaign. This particular campaign touched my heart, because just as I am one person striving to make a difference in the lives of children and families, many others are striving to do the same. This campaign allows random concerned individuals to be able to make a difference in the lives of children and families by donating  one single dollar, four quarters, ten dimes, twenty nickels, or one hundred pennies.

 By taking the time to give their $1, the funds generated will be used to help the Voices for America's Children organization continue the work they do on the behalf of America's children and families. Having available funds is important to the work that is done by advocacy organizations. It takes money to travel back and forth, to and from legislative meetings, to host community forums,  to print and mail out informational flyers, and to publish reports, etc. It might seem like it's only one dollar, but that one single dollar will make a huge contribution in the effort to make positive changes in policies/legislation that affect children and families.

Parent, Family, and Community Engagement

For this blog I will be dealing with the foundational  strength of Head Start by reviewing a video of testimonials from individuals whose lives have been greatly impacted by Head Start whether in the role of parent, teacher, or community member. I will begin by describing the professional and personal significance that I drew from these videos. The first video that I watch was the testimonial of Melinda G., she shared about how Head Start has played an critical role in helping her to become the early childhood professional that she is today. I listened to her share about entering the Head Start program as a young newlywed who was looking for a early childhood program for her four year old relative. She talked about how through the encouragement of a teacher at the Head Start she was convinced to return to school to further her education. She felt empowered by the teacher realizing that she has a real natural when it came to early childhood and because someone noticed her talent she was empowered to return to school and to become more active in the Head Start program through volunteering and then through employment. Her story is a great example of how taking the time to care can help someone catapult them into their destiny. I felt connected to this story, because my own story is very similar. My eldest son attended this private preschool that was created to offer quality early childhood programs to at-risk and low income children. It was during our time in the program that I was encouraged by the teachers to return to school to seek a degree. I took the advice and hence began my journey. I returned to school and was offered a position with that particular preschool as a team teacher. Although, I no longer work there I still stay closely connected to the preschool through volunteering and participating in school events.

As early childhood professionals, the public, policymakers and government officials listen to the stories of these individuals they should value the the hope that has come from each story. They should value the stories, because it shows that Head Start is not just a place for children to find help, but instead it gives hope and help to the entire family. It is done as teachers take the time to listen to families as they express their needs and their desires to improve the quality of life for their families. The public should value the stories that have been heard in that it shows that children and families that utilize services provided through Head Start are engaging positive programs and are learning skills that will help to be productive citizens. Policy makers and government officials should value the hearing the stories, because it shows that all the government funding that is being used by Head Start is not going to waste and that it is making positive impacts in lives of children and families. 

Quality Programs for all Children

For this blog, I will be blogging about how I hope public opinion will change over the next five years. I really hope that the way people view early childhood will change for the better over the next five years. I hope that they will begin to change their opinion about early childhood, by reading and understanding that their is a significant amount of research out there about the benefits of early childhood. I hope that people's opinion will change as they begin to be open minded about the fact that ALL children deserve the right to have a successful start by having the opportunity to attend a quality early childhood program. I hope that as the opinions change for the better about early childhood education, ALL children will have the chance to attend, because more classrooms and programs will have been created. I believe that as children attend quality programs, they then to fair better better in future endeavors. Those endeavors include excelling in academics, relationships, employment, and decreased criminal activity. I also hope that the public opinion will change about the importance of incorporating programs and services for families into early childhood program. What the public needs to understand is that making sure children have access to much needed services that will help them to promote their growth and development.  So over the next five years I hope that the public will have a more positive opinion of the benefits of early childhood.

Early Childhood Public Policy and Advocacy & Me

For this blog, I will share about why I chose this subject this specialization, why I feel advocates are essential in the early childhood field, and what I wish to learn about public policy and advocacy.

• Why I chose this specialization? I chose this specialization, because during my tenure as an early childhood professional I have worked with numerous children and families from diverse backgrounds. However, majority of my work has been with children from low income families and neighborhoods. So as I worked with these children and families, I learned about some of the issues that were affecting them. Some of the issues I would hear them talk about were the inability to find higher paying jobs, the lack of quality education for themselves and their children, the need for affordable quality child care, and adequate affordable housing. With all of these issues affecting children and families, I thought if would be beneficial to learn about whys I can help better situations for them.

• Why I feel advocates are essential in the early childhood field? I feel that advocates are essential in the early childhood field, because we are the ones that have to work with the children and we are also aware of issues that affect children and families, because we often times hear first hand from parents and guardians about the hardships they are experiencing. Early childhood professionals also have connections with community resources that can be of assistance by partnering to offer services for children and families in need. I believe that advocates are essential, because they can help work for better conditions in the early childhood field. When I say conditions, I am mainly referring to better pay for example. 

• What I wish to learn about public policy and advocacy is how to influence policy that promotes better conditions for children, families, and early childhood professionals. By understanding how to be an effective advocate, I will be able to create and promote change that will be beneficial to many of the children and families that I serve. There are so many things that I see that I would like to change, but understanding where and how to begin is critical to whether or not positive change can occur. 

Profile of a Volunteer

One of the person's that admire for her continuous volunteerism is my co-worker named Gina. This young lady devotes a great deal of the time volunteering for numerous organizations. In her most reason volunteer efforts she participated in the Linking Hands for Life hosted by the National Foundation for Transplants. This  event celebrated organ donors and the organ recipients. As a volunteer for this event she coordinated with other organizations to place volunteers at various stations at the event. She also volunteers for the United Way of Greater Memphis as well by offering her service at local events by passing out flyers, manning tables, and serving.

I feel that her work has positively impact others in that by taking time from her busy schedule she has shown others that she really does care about what is going on with them. It is not all about how much money we can  spend or give, but through offering her time she continuously shows others that she cares.

As I observe her volunteer efforts, one thing that I have learned or can take away is the concept of simply being available. If I make myself available, I will be able to step up my volunteer efforts.

Using Social Media to Get Connected

In today's world it seems like social media is one the most frequently used technological resources. The use of social media helps millions of people all around the world to stay connected to love ones in various parts of the world, it is used to help spread awareness about an urgent cause, it is even used to promote businesses and organizations, and it is used to help long lost friends and relatives reconnect after many years of being apart. My past and present experiences with social media is that it has been a great way for me to stay connected to my family that lives in different areas of the country. It has also helped me to reconnected with old classmates as well. I have also used social media as a way to share with others about a cause that some of my friends support. For example, one of my friends who is affiliated with a literacy organization wanted to spread the word about a free book give away for children, so she was able to spread the word quickly using Facebook and their share option. With this option all of her friends were able to share the flyer to each of their pages. So this allowed many children and families to attend this free book giveaway.

I fee that social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube lend themselves to effective advocacy in that they are really user friendly apps and easy for the young and old to operate. They are also three of the most used apps as well. So if used as an advocacy tool many people will be able to learn about a cause that is near and dear to the heart. It's a great platform for this day and age.

I would use these tools to educate others by using random pictures of children and families and putting facts across the pictures. I have noticed this type of thing being done on Facebook. I notice that expressions will be made on pictures expressing a particular statement. So I would just take note of this idea and use it to spread the word about issues affecting children and families.

As my colleagues what suggestions would you offer me as I try to use social media to educate others?

Advocacy Messages

For this blog, I found advertising campaign messages that I felt were inspiring to me. The first advertising ad that I found to be inspiring was the Every Beat Matters Campaign which is a campaign strategy by the Save the Children organization. This ad was inspiring to me because children's actual heartbeats were used to inspire a very popular song in an effort to bring awareness to the need for children to have healthcare. The link to the website is http://www.everybeatmatters.org/.

The next ad that I thought was very inspiring to me because they took a simple everyday saying such as "No Baby" and turned it into an advocacy campaign to bring awareness to teenage pregnancy. This whole campaign was centered around the high number of teen girls that were pregnant at this one particular neighborhood high school in Memphis, Tn. Through this campaign teenage girls are taught about abstinence, safe sex, and how to effective use birth control to prevent unwanted teenage pregnancies. The girls are also mentored about staying focused on education and so on. The link to the "No Baby" website is http://www.nobaby.org

I believe that both of these messages are effective in creating action, because they use techniques that appeal to the senses. The Every Beat Matters Campaign, created a catchy song using the heartbeats of children. The website videoed the meaning behind the song and how it was created which was a great strategy to use, because if you're like me understanding the meaning behind the material is important and it opens the mind up to issues that we are often unaware of or don't really realize the severity of an issue and people were moved to action, because as they purchased the song, the proceeds were donated to the cause. The "No Baby" Campaign also used a catchy phrase to help spread the word about their cause. This "phrase spread like wildfire as it was broadcast over the radio, news, commercials, and billboards. More people were made aware of this issue once the news team aired a story about the high rate of teenage girls that were pregnant at Frayser High School. This news story moved many to action and the "No Baby" Campaign was created. Due to the way their messages were broadcast, I believe that they were effective in motivating people to take action.

My Own Capacity

The issues that fuel my passion as it relates to young children and their families are the issues such as the lack of help for the working poor. These poor individuals work relentlessly each and everyday at a job that pays low wages and often times cannot qualify for government assistance. The fact that young children have to attend childcare programs where the teachers lack the experience, knowledge, and skills to properly care for them fuels my passion. Low-income children not having access to quality childcare as their counterparts in the more privileged areas fuels my passion. The lack of accessible resources within in the community is another thing that fuels my passion. Many times families do not have the transportation to get to resources that are far out. They need access to resources that are within reach so that they can better help their families.

Specials skills that I believe that I have is my ability to serve others. I have a desire to help others and I do not mind rolling up my sleeves to help others find a happy ending. I also have the ability to make friends and allies quickly. My friends and family tell me that I am one person that has never met a stranger. I believe that all people have some good in them and it just takes open-minded people to see past the shortcomings. My awareness about free and public resources is also a skill that I possess. I utilize the internet daily and I make it a useful tool in my work with children and families.

The fact that I work for the government is a tool that I feel is beneficial, because I am able to learn about resources and upcoming programs that will be available to the community and state in general. Also in this capacity I am always networking and meeting new people from various agencies and organizations.

As I continue to learn  and grow from participating in this course, I hope to obtain the knowledge and know how that will make me an effective advocate for those causes that really tug at my heartstrings. I also wish to gain the ability to affect policies and even create new policies that will benefit others. I know that as I continue to learn in this class this will eventually happen.

Motivations, Strategies, Resources, Leadership, and Advice

As a young girl growing up in the hood, I saw a lot of children that were lacking their basic needs. Although, we didn't have a whole lot, we managed to have our basic needs met. As I continued to grow from a child til an young adult I continued to see this lack of necessity, but now from a different point of view. It was now seen through the eyes of a young single un-wedded mother, me. I not only observed, but I experienced some of these issues of lacking myself. However, I soon found work and I was determined to provide a better life for my child. So I landed a job in the local daycare and I saw an even bigger need as children came to daycare unkempt and hungry. So this is why I wanted to advocate for young children, because children should not have to go without whether their parents can provide or not. 

I think that it is important to advocate at the micro level, because people in our communities and city as a whole need to be made aware of the issues that are affecting many children and families right next door to them. I feel that if we can begin work at home (our communities) then we can unite as a powerful force to bring others on board. At the macro level, it is important to advocate at this level, because in my opinion this is the level where we can make the biggest difference. At this level, laws and policies go into effect that can reach a great number of children and families and also at this level, laws and policies can go into effect all across the nation reaching even more children and families. 

To be a community leader on early childhood issues, I believe it takes someone that is knowledgeable about the field and one who is aware of the way children grow and develop. This individual must also be aware of the issues that are affecting the children, families, and early childhood professionals in his or her community. Understanding what the need is and where the need is is very important as they advocate for change. Advocates must be aware of the fight that they are fighting, meaning they are familiar with the community and have seen or experienced first hand some of the issues that are burdening families and/or the community as a whole. 

In order to be a state leader, I think that this individual will need resources at all levels. He or she will need to be connected to educators, parents, employment agencies, housing providers, medical professionals and so on. All these individuals will be needed in my opinion in order to make a lasting difference in resolving the early childhood issues. Children come to school in need and if we are to make the field a better place we need to heal the people by helping to address needs at the foundation of the family.

I use general conversation to engage others about the issues that I am concerned about. I begin with small talk all the while, building up for my big moment to transition the conversation to a new topic. 

Advice, I would give is to make sure you are well aware of the issues facing the field and the children and families that you are advocating for.

The Road to Advocacy

Okay, here I go again. I'm back into the swing of things furthering my knowledge as I learn about ways to become a better advocate for change. In my daily on the job duties I encounter many people and these people are children, parents, staff, owners, and directors for example. I often times have to listen to their frustrations and concerns. With this in mind, I really wanted to enroll in a course that would help me to be a better advocate for the children, families, and the providers that I serve. So my hope for this class is that I will gain new knowledge and insight that will help me to better advocate for the individuals that I serve. So here I go wish me luck.

Time Well Spent

As I prepare my final blog of my Master’s program, I would like to share about three deeply felt learning from this course. The first thing is the need for me to continue to educate myself in the field of early childhood. I feel that this is important, especially if I am going to work with and on the behalf of young children. Plus continuous learning helps me to stay abreast of the latest research and best practices that work well with children.  The next thing that I learned is that field is still in need of more quality early childhood professionals with more and more mothers having to return to work to help provide for the family, more children are entering childcare programs all across the country and they are in need of quality, knowledgeable early childhood professionals that can rise to the call. Lastly, the need to embrace the families that we serve is another thing that I learned. Embracing the families will be the greatest way for us to help the children that we serve.

One long term goal that I have for myself is to bring to reality my capstone project. I really would one day like to put this challenge and response into action, because there is a need for such programs to exist in my community.

To my colleagues and instructor, I would really like to thank each of you for your continued support all through-out this program. It has been a long and tough journey, but thank God we made it. I wish each of you the best in all of your endeavors and my God keep each and every last one of you and you continue to go forth in your professional careers.

International Jobs/Roles in ECE

For this week’s blog, I will share about three international programs that appeal to me and why I chose them. I will also share about available international jobs and the skills and experiences that I must possess to competently fulfill these roles.

The first organization that appeals to me is the UNICEF, which use to stands for the United Nations Children Fund. This organization offers services and programs that shed light on the need for help and support for children all over the world. I also chose this program, because they place great emphasis on advocating for early childhood programs for children all over the world. This organization also presses the issue of making sure that children have access to clean drinking water and immunization that can prevent them from succumbing to childhood diseases and other deadly communicable diseases.

The second organization that caught my eye is the Save the Children works avidly to protect young children across the world from violence, abuse, and neglect. This is done as they reach out to other organizations including them as a part of the community of practice that can help to improve the children’s conditions for the better. They offer a realm of services to children and families in the areas of health, safety, educations, and emergency preparedness.

Lastly, the International Step by Step organization is a program that stood out to me in that it gives early childhood professional the opportunity to connect with other early childhood professionals and organizations. In order to take advantage of this opportunity, one must become a member of the organization. Their main focus is to place emphasis on the importance of children having access to quality early childhood worker. Their work is done globally.

Located on the UNICEF’s website the job of Educational Specialist, is to evaluate programs for gender inequalities and other issue that may pose inequality for children globally. If I am to do this job, I must be knowledgeable in the best practices that work well with children. Since it relates to ending inequalities, being knowledgeable about the Anti-Bias curriculum is extra important as I strive to help end gender inequality. Being a good communicator is also a much needed skill that I must possess as well as the ability to work to within the group.

Another job that interests me is that of the Program Specialist for Early Steps to School Success. In this position, I would be required to guide and train others as they implement reading programs and other early childhood programs to vulnerable young children. If I am to possess this job, I will need to be able to possess good leadership skills. The ability to multitask is another skill that will be useful in this role. Being able to research geographical locations to start up new programs is something that is a skill that will be useful to this role. Good written and verbal communication skills will be needed relay messages to the other early childhood professionals

Exploring ECE Roles

For this blog, I will share about the three organizations that appeal to me and the reason why I chose them. I will also share about potential job opportunities that I would like to pursue, as well the skills and experiences that I would need to competently fulfill each role. The first organization that appeals to me is the State of Tennessee Department of Human Services. The mission statement for this organization sums up the goal of the organization which is to help child and families. When families contact this organization they can find a wealth of services that will help them to meet the needs of their families. Such services include resources for food, medical care, educational and employment skills. This organization also welcomes diversity as they provide information in numerous languages. The next organization that appeals to me is the National Association for the Education of Young Children. This organization appeals to me because as an early childhood professional I can rely on this organization to keep me abreast of the latest practices and changes occurring in early childhood. Plus they are one of the leading experts on early childhood education. The third organization is Lebonheur Children’s Hospital this organization appeals to me, because they work hard to find the latest medical breakthroughs that will help to save and preserve the lives of children. Under this one roof families can find a slew of medical services and outreach programs that are dedicated to the well-being of children and families.

A position that is available is under the LeBonheur Community Health and Well-being Department. They are seeking a supervisor for their Healthy Families Unit. In order for me to fulfill this position I must possess a Master’s degree in Social Work, Counseling, Child Development, or  Sociology. I must also possess knowledge about issues affecting children and families including child abuse and neglect. I must also have supervisory skills. The next position that I would be interested in is that of the Field Supervisor 2 position. This position allows me to work closely with childcare providers all across the county ensuring that they are complying with the rules and regulations set forth by the State of Tennessee. If I am to meet the requirement of this position I must be knowledgeable about the rules that govern the childcare programs in Shelby county as well as the policies that accompany these rules. The position of NAEYC Assessor is another position that appeals to me. This position appeals to me because it would give me the opportunity to network with other childcare providers across the United States as I help childcare providers obtain the accreditation through NAEYC. To be gainfully employed in this position I must be knowledgeable about the NAEYC Standards and Criteria as well as being knowledgeable about using assessment tools.