As part of my Capstone Project, I was given the opportunity this week to imagine a national/federal dream team as part of my exploration of jobs and roles that peek my professional growth and inspire me in the ECE field. There are three national organizations that I would like to involve in my community of practice, or my dream team as I work to support preschool teachers in responding to rapidly changing demographics and families with multiple languages and ability needs in their programs. The research this week only solidified my goals to work with and along side these organizations to provide teacher training, professional development, and the best possible opportunities for all young children and their families living in the United States and beyond. We all deserve the dreams that high-quality early childhood education offers for ourselves, our children, our communities, our countries and our planet.
At the top of my list is NAEYC, National Association for the Education of Young Children http://www.naeyc.org/. They are at the forefront of connecting practice, policy and research in this country. They not only reach the most preschools and childcare centers in the nation to provide accreditation, assessments, as guidance of DAP and best practices for young children, they also provide family support through connections with other national and federal agencies. As well, they also provide many professional development opportunities and an Early Childhood Career Center on their website. Of the jobs I found posted, many appealed to me including Early Learning Support Specialist and National Early Childhood Coordinator for The Sciencenter Discovery Museum. Although I am interested in working with NAEYC especially through presenting at their national conference, the other two jobs would also involve professional development and preschool teacher trainings.
Second on my dream team list is Zero to Three, National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families http://www.zerotothree.org/. Their mission is to give all young children a strong start through nurturing relationships that provide optimal development. They support parents, professionals and policymakers in making educated decisions and following best practices for infants and toddlers. They offer education and support for behavior and development, maltreatment, care and education and public policy. They also offer a Career Center, professional development and hold an annual conference in its 30th year through the National Training Institute. If we're going for our dreams, I would love to someday be the keynote speaker one day.
The third is Early Head Start http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/tta-system/ehsnrc as they are serving low income, immigrant and multi-cultural families by providing care in the education and development of infants and toddlers. I would love to be able to partner with federal government through this agency to provide professional development, training and support to Early Head Start teachers who face considerable challenges as they respond to the needs of many different types of children and families. I would like to design a professional development opportunity for these teachers and caregivers to introduce practical strategies, such as incorporating Baby Signing into their programs, to aid in the development of cognitive, social/emotional relations and behavioral, and linguistic/literacy skills for infants and toddlers in both their home and school environments and transitions between the two. There is currently no conference listed for this entity of Head Start, and I think that makes a valid point as to the need to recruit more professionals to aid in trainings, seminars, and other professional development opportunities centered around the needs of those serving this specific age group.
Others I would also like to include are The United Way, The REACH Center, The Children's Learning Institute, and The National Center for Learning Disabilities.
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Carpooling: Combining Our Talents & Efforts in ECE Through Communities of Practice
"No one can go it alone" --Grace Gil Olibvarez, Mexican American social activist attorney.
Not one child, one parent, one family, one teacher, one program, or one agency can successfully function alone, in isolation from others, and achieve optimal results in the early childhood field. In ECE, we recognize the strength in numbers, the importance of sharing, and the need for collaboration within communities of practice. The following is a list of communities of practice within my own city and state that appeal to me and my future goals in becoming a successful early childhood consultant.
1. Texas Association for the Education of Young Children (TAEYC)
The TAEYC in connection with the NAEYC is the leading, most influential agency in the ECE field. From licensing standards, public policy making and T.E.A.C.H. programs, they are "committed to promoting professional development and evidence-based best practices in early childhood education" (TAEYC, (2015)). Each year, the TAEYC holds a statewide conference to provide professional development, networking and empowerment to ECE professionals. One possible job opportunity for me would be to become a presenter at one of these conferences or (if I'm dreaming big) a keynote speaker. I would likely present a presentation on increasing social/emotional intelligence for infants and toddlers or a presentation on incorporating anti-bias work into your classroom. To be successful, I must possess an aptitude for public speaking, a specialized knowledge base in these areas, and confidently display an attitude of appreciation, encouragement and empowerment for other preschool teachers.
2. Texas Head Start State Collaboration Office
According to their website (CLI, (2015), "Texas is the first state in the nation to formally house and pair up nationally recognized experts in early childhood education with the Head Start program". The Children's Learning Institute and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston have combined efforts to house this entity. "The Head Start State and National Collaboration Offices (HSSNCOs) exist 'to facilitate collaboration among Head agencies...and entities that carry out activities designed to benefit low income children from birth to school entry, and their families'" (CLI, 2015). Their areas of emphasis include early childhood development, Pre-K -school entry, language and literacy, neurological development, public policy, parent education and special needs among others. Several programs that appeal to me within this organization are professional development opportunities and teacher training opportunities through CIRCLE CDA Training, Developing Talkers/Hablemos Juntos and Training, and Texas School Ready (TSR). This appeals to me because I want to help provide affordable, accessible, quality teacher training and professional development workshops to empower and improve the teaching practices of those working with the most disadvantages groups in society. Through the Texas Head Start Collaboration Office, I can learn about opportunities to become a presenter at different state and local conferences. The special skills I would need include a more complete understanding of the Head Start and Early Head Start programs and the challenges their teachers face.
3. The South Austin Rotary Club
After reading the recommendation of the Rotary Club as a community of practice from another colleague's blog, I began to research this entity locally. I was delighted to find that next week a lecture will be given on Project Schoolhouse. Project Schoolhouse focuses on community partnerships to school and water systems in rural Nicaragua. According to their website, "Many children have neither school nor water, but one without the other is an incomplete solution. A quality learning environment can make the difference between learning and not learning. 443 million school days are lost each year due to water-related illness" (Project Schoolhouse, 2015). There are opportunities to volunteer, donate, and advocate for the program. This appeals to me because of my experience traveling in under-developed countries and because I also have a friend in Nicaragua seeking to improve financial opportunities for tribal women through women's art co-ops. Currently, Project Schoolhouse is looking for volunteers to assist in a PR/social media campaign, and I feel that with my current contacts, could assist them in disseminating information and recruiting other donors and volunteers.
According to Goble and Horm (2010), "The quality of an early childhood program is directly related to an individual teacher’s professional development". Not all teachers have the opportunity or interest to seek graduate levels of education in early childhood education. However, all teachers must seek to improve their teaching knowledge, practice, skills, awareness, and relations to their students, families, and coworkers. It is my goal to assist and empower these teachers to be their best and to serve young children and families in the best possible ways. By combining my interests, experience and efforts with other communities of practice such as the entities listed above, I hope to be able to reach my own professional goals in early childhood consulting while at the same time helping others to achieve theirs. We're in this together--let's coordinate and share the ride!
References:
Texas Association for the Education of Young Children (TAEYC)
http://www.texasaeyc.org/index.htm/
Texas Head Start State Collaboration Office
https://www.childrenslearninginstitute.org/programs/texas-head-start-state-collaboration-office/
Project Schoolhouse
http://www.projectschoolhouse.org/
Goble, C.B., & Horm, D.M., (2010), "Take Charge of Your Personal and Professional Development, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
Not one child, one parent, one family, one teacher, one program, or one agency can successfully function alone, in isolation from others, and achieve optimal results in the early childhood field. In ECE, we recognize the strength in numbers, the importance of sharing, and the need for collaboration within communities of practice. The following is a list of communities of practice within my own city and state that appeal to me and my future goals in becoming a successful early childhood consultant.
1. Texas Association for the Education of Young Children (TAEYC)
The TAEYC in connection with the NAEYC is the leading, most influential agency in the ECE field. From licensing standards, public policy making and T.E.A.C.H. programs, they are "committed to promoting professional development and evidence-based best practices in early childhood education" (TAEYC, (2015)). Each year, the TAEYC holds a statewide conference to provide professional development, networking and empowerment to ECE professionals. One possible job opportunity for me would be to become a presenter at one of these conferences or (if I'm dreaming big) a keynote speaker. I would likely present a presentation on increasing social/emotional intelligence for infants and toddlers or a presentation on incorporating anti-bias work into your classroom. To be successful, I must possess an aptitude for public speaking, a specialized knowledge base in these areas, and confidently display an attitude of appreciation, encouragement and empowerment for other preschool teachers.
2. Texas Head Start State Collaboration Office
According to their website (CLI, (2015), "Texas is the first state in the nation to formally house and pair up nationally recognized experts in early childhood education with the Head Start program". The Children's Learning Institute and The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston have combined efforts to house this entity. "The Head Start State and National Collaboration Offices (HSSNCOs) exist 'to facilitate collaboration among Head agencies...and entities that carry out activities designed to benefit low income children from birth to school entry, and their families'" (CLI, 2015). Their areas of emphasis include early childhood development, Pre-K -school entry, language and literacy, neurological development, public policy, parent education and special needs among others. Several programs that appeal to me within this organization are professional development opportunities and teacher training opportunities through CIRCLE CDA Training, Developing Talkers/Hablemos Juntos and Training, and Texas School Ready (TSR). This appeals to me because I want to help provide affordable, accessible, quality teacher training and professional development workshops to empower and improve the teaching practices of those working with the most disadvantages groups in society. Through the Texas Head Start Collaboration Office, I can learn about opportunities to become a presenter at different state and local conferences. The special skills I would need include a more complete understanding of the Head Start and Early Head Start programs and the challenges their teachers face.
3. The South Austin Rotary Club
After reading the recommendation of the Rotary Club as a community of practice from another colleague's blog, I began to research this entity locally. I was delighted to find that next week a lecture will be given on Project Schoolhouse. Project Schoolhouse focuses on community partnerships to school and water systems in rural Nicaragua. According to their website, "Many children have neither school nor water, but one without the other is an incomplete solution. A quality learning environment can make the difference between learning and not learning. 443 million school days are lost each year due to water-related illness" (Project Schoolhouse, 2015). There are opportunities to volunteer, donate, and advocate for the program. This appeals to me because of my experience traveling in under-developed countries and because I also have a friend in Nicaragua seeking to improve financial opportunities for tribal women through women's art co-ops. Currently, Project Schoolhouse is looking for volunteers to assist in a PR/social media campaign, and I feel that with my current contacts, could assist them in disseminating information and recruiting other donors and volunteers.
According to Goble and Horm (2010), "The quality of an early childhood program is directly related to an individual teacher’s professional development". Not all teachers have the opportunity or interest to seek graduate levels of education in early childhood education. However, all teachers must seek to improve their teaching knowledge, practice, skills, awareness, and relations to their students, families, and coworkers. It is my goal to assist and empower these teachers to be their best and to serve young children and families in the best possible ways. By combining my interests, experience and efforts with other communities of practice such as the entities listed above, I hope to be able to reach my own professional goals in early childhood consulting while at the same time helping others to achieve theirs. We're in this together--let's coordinate and share the ride!
References:
Texas Association for the Education of Young Children (TAEYC)
http://www.texasaeyc.org/index.htm/
Texas Head Start State Collaboration Office
https://www.childrenslearninginstitute.org/programs/texas-head-start-state-collaboration-office/
Project Schoolhouse
http://www.projectschoolhouse.org/
Goble, C.B., & Horm, D.M., (2010), "Take Charge of Your Personal and Professional Development, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
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