Time Well Spent

I have come to the end of my journey of completing my Master’s of Science in Early Childhood Studies (MSECS). I have enjoyed my journey. I have to admit there have been some challenges alone the way, but the challenges have increased my love for the field.  There were so many lessons to learn from this program. I was able to learn how important quality early childcare/ education can positively affect the future of children, their parents and most of all the community.  Changing the world begins with one child at a time. I have heard that statement often, but it was not until I entered the program that I was able to see the truth in the statement.  I am not a parent, so there I learned more about children from the early courses.  I was able to learn the important role of a child’s environment. There are so many things in a child’s environment which can affect development everything from chemicals to people. I also learn to appreciate collaboration. Working with others in the community and other early childhood professionals are important for those who want to advocate for children and their families. The community of practice is needed for me and others in our work with children and their families.

My long term goal is to start a school. I want to have a series of school which will provide quality education to all students regardless of their socio-economic status.  I understand affordable quality early childhood education is needed, yet it is hard to provide because of the economy.  My goal is to provide the quality regardless of the economy and in spite of the challenges.

I want to thank all of my instructors for the information they shared with me as a student. I thank them for giving me all of the tools I need to start and succeed as an early childhood professional.  I was able to see the importance of child advocates because of my instructor and the courses. Each one of my instructors has given me something I can take with me into my journey as an early childhood professional.

I know this is the end of the journey for my colleagues and me as students of the MSECS program at Walden University. I am hoping this is not the end of our journey together. I look forward to continue work with you in our early childhood professional journey.  I look forward to collaborations with many of you. I am sure I can benefit from having most of you as part of my community of practice.

I can at the end of this journey and I have so many emotions at the moment. I am proud because I have successfully completed the program. I am sad because I am closing a familiar chapter in my life. I am happy and geared because I am opening a new chapter in my life. I am overly excited because I am graduating from the program. The excitement is because I was able to complete this journey without any major health setbacks. In one day, I will say goodbye to Walden University as a Master’s student and saying hello to Walden University as Doctoral scholar.  

Jobs /roles in the ECE Community Internationally

I have always heard of the UNICEF and I was familiar with the organization helping children all over the world, but I was not familiar with everything. When it comes to education, UNICEF focuses on providing basic education and gender equality (UNICEF, 2014). Their priorities are: early childhood education and child readiness, equitable access, quality of education and child-friendly schooling, innovation in education, and girls’ education and gender equality (UNICEF, 2014).
 The job listing and requirement
Education Specialist (Capacity Development), P-3, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Vacancy No:  E-VN-2014-001367
Duty Station:  Phnom-Penh
Country:  Cambodia
Region:  EAPRO Job Level:  P-3
Position#:  00017370
Application Close:  03-Jul-14
Contract Type:  Long-term Staff (FT)

Purpose of the Position
Under the guidance of the Chief of Section, the incumbent is responsible for coordinating and facilitating the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation Basic Education programme component results, with particular focus on strengthening capacities at national and subnational levels to deliver basic education services in the context of ongoing Decentralization and Deconcentration reforms and a sectorwide approach in the education sector.

Key Expected Results
Under the supervision of the Chief of Education, the Education Specialist will be responsible for the following key areas:

1. In collaboration with Government, manage and monitor the Education Capacity Development Partnership Fund (CDPF) including budget management (CDPF is a large multi-donor fund to develop the capacity of the Ministry of Education on planning and management); provide technical support to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport on institutional development and education planning and management.

2. Manage relations with CDPF donors and ensure contractual accountabilities are met including progress and final reports; work with Government and donors to design next phase of CDPF taking stock of learning; coordinate closely with other development partners to ensure harmonisation.

3. Coordinate international and national CDPF Technical Advisers based in MoEYS ensuring coherence and sustainable capacity development and management of consultancy firms.

4. Oversee the institutional twinning contact between the International Institute for Educational Planning and MoEYS as well as NGO contracts related to the CDPF; oversee the procurement of supplies in accordance with UNICEF procedures; manage the visibility of CDPF within Cambodia and internationally sharing information about good practice and results through various platforms.

5. Manage and consolidate the national study on the Out of School Children Initiative and coordinate Cambodia's contribution to the regional primary learning metrics initiative

6. Contribute to donor reports and monitor and report on Output indicators and Monitoring Results for Equity System indicators

Qualifications of Successful Candidate
- Master's Degree in Education, International Development, Economics, Social Sciences, or related field.*
- Five years of relevant work experience related to education in low or middle-income countries.
- Experience working in the UN or other international development organisation.
- Experience of education planning, management and policy issues in Ministries of Education as well as capacity and institutional development an asset.
- Experience of managing EU grants an asset.

*A first university degree with a relevant combination of academic qualifications and experience may be accepted in lieu of advanced university degree

Competencies of Successful Candidate
- Strong analytical skills as well as quantitative and qualitative data analysis and development of policy recommendations
- Strong drive for results setting high standards for quality work
- Strong interpersonal and team working skills and capacity to work effectively in a multicultural environment and build partnerships with line Ministries and development partners
- Strong project and budget management skills including monitoring and evaluation
- Strong writing and analytical reporting skills
- Knowledge of the planning, financing, sector review and policy development processes of national Ministries of Education (UNICEF, 2014)



Reference
 United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). (n.d.). Retrieved from. https://careers.unicef.org/sap/bc/webdynpro/sap/hrrcf_a_posting_apply?PARAM=cG9zdF9pbnN0X2d1aWQ9NTM5N0I2NkIwRTEzMzhGNEUxMDAwMDAwOUU3MTBGMEYmY2FuZF90eXBlPUVYVA%3d%3d&sap-client=100&sap-language=EN&sap-accessibility=X

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: National/Federal Level

Three of the national/federal organizations of practice that appeal to me are: National Education Association (NEA), National Black Child Development Institute ( NBCDI) and National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The reasons are:

The  NEA Mission appealed to me because the mission is:

“The National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest professional employee organization, is committed to advancing the cause of public education. NEA's 3 million members work at every level of education—from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the United States” (NEA, 2014).

Another organization of practice which appeals to because of their mission is NBCDI. The mission of the group is to take on and work with leaders, policy makers etc. about issues which directly have an impact on Black children and their families and more….(NBCDI, 2013)

The third organization is NAEYC which mission is “serve and act on the behalf on the needs, rights and well-being of all young people” (NAEYC, 2014). There are many jobs available in the surrounding counties here in Georgia.  The jobs range from teaches to principals. Most of the jobs available in the surrounding area are for elementary teachers. My ideal job is own a school. I want to advocate for children and their families any way I can. I want to be a person who can help children who would normally “fall through the cracks” of the average system. I want to help and advocate for students who are like I was. I was told I had a learning disability. During that time, I was a student who was told I would never go to college because I was not smart enough. I was told that by teacher. My mother worked with me and encouraged me and of course I was able to complete high school, college and I now have two advanced degrees. I decided that no other child should have to experience the negativity I did. I want to be there to encourage each student and to help the students and their families.

Reference

National Black Child Development (2013) Retrieved from http://www.nbcdi.org/

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/

National Education Association (2014) Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/home/19583.htm

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

There are so many groups available for early childhood educator and all other educator. Many of the organizations are available to help educators and future educators. There is a wealth of information that can be obtained through these organizations. The organizations provide a community of practice. The communities will help one grow professionally.

            One of the organizations in which I am interested in becoming a part of is the National Education Association (NEA). The mission of the NEA is to advocate for education professionals and to unite their members and the nation to fulfill the promise of public education to prepare every student to succeed in a diverse and interdependent world (NEA, 2014).  

            Another group that I would love to become a part of is the National Black Child Development Institute because they are an organization dedicated to the success and well-being of Black Children. The organization advocates for education, the care and health of black children and their families.  They focus on the strengths and needs of the black community. They provide publications, programs, training, etc related to early child care and education and more. Their mission: “For more than 40 years, the National Black Child Development Institute (NBCDI) has been at the forefront of engaging leaders, policymakers, professionals, and parents around critical and timely issues that directly impact Black children and their families. We are a trusted partner in delivering culturally relevant resources that respond to the unique strengths and needs of Black children around issues including early childhood education, health, child welfare, literacy, and family engagement. With the support of our Affiliate network in communities across the country, we are committed to our mission ‘to improve and advance the quality of life for Black children and their families through education and advocacy’” (NBCDI, 2013).

            There are a number of jobs available in Georgia. There are a few opening for principals and assistant principals; however, most of the positions available are for teachers. The positions are for P-5 combination. I would like to be an educator, but my greatest passion is to start an early childhood education program. My dream is to start a school which will cater to low income families. I want to ensure that the children are properly prepared for school. I also have a passion to work with children and families with learning disabilities. I think that I would be qualified to work with these students because of personal experience. I was told I had a learning disability at a younger age. Learning was and is a challenge for me because I do learn differently from most. I will have the ability to encourage students and their families when they are dealing with the challenges of every day. I am an example that learning and education may be a challenge because our brains are different, but it is not impossible. The children and families can see that they have the same chance to graduate from high school and even college. Starting a school is a passion for the reason mentioned above. I want everyone to feel equal.

Reference

National Black Child Development (2013) retrieved from http://www.nbcdi.org/

National Education Association (2014) retrieved from http://www.nea.org/home/19583.htm.

The End of Part of the Journey and the Begining of the Next

The end of the Communication and Collaboration in Early Childhood course has come and a new journey to our specialty begins. The course  provided me with helpful information. I am looking forward to taking what I have learned about communication and collaboration into the next part of the journey. I cannot wait to apply my new knowledge. I know this is the part of my journey where some of my colleagues are moving in a different direction. I have learned from each of them because they have shared their knowledge during our discussions. I want to say thank you for the knowledge you shared.  I know many of us are going in different directions because of our specialties, but I hope that our paths cross again.

Adjourning

I have been a part of a number of groups. Most of the groups were learning based. The groups which were the hardest to leave were the groups which were high performing groups. The members were able to work things out when conflicts did arise. The groups I was a part of which were high performing were groups where the members trusted each other. Each member understood that they were important and they knew their contributions were valued. The way we would adjourn each group was by sharing words of appreciation. We would tell each group member what we have learned from them and the group. Many of us would retain our original organization forms which contain each other’s contact information. At times, a few of us would call each other outside of class. Sometime we would call to say hello; while other times for advice.

When I leave or adjourn for Walden University, I hope to remain connected to many of the colleagues I have met through the program. I would like to nurture friendships outside of Walden University.  

Adjourning allows the group to finalize everything. It allows the group to look back and reflect. The best time is it allows the group to reflect on the success of the group.

Dealing Wth Conflict

This week we were required to reflect on disagreements or conflicts we m may have had either at work or personal life. Most of my disagreements or conflicts are in my personal life. The most recent conflict was about a month ago with a friend. My friend and I had attended homecoming at our undergraduate college. We went together, but when we were on campus we went our separate ways because we had separate friends and our graduation years were different so we did not have any mutual friends. I decided to hang out at the Sigma Gamma Rho plot with my sorority sisters and he hung out with Omega Psi Phi. We agree to hang out together after we leave the last event of homecoming. Everything was going well according to the original agreement. The break down or conflict started while I was doing my homework. We agreed to go to dinner as soon as II completed my assignment. Well, a few minutes before I completed my homework, my friend fell asleep in the chair waiting for me to finish. I kept waking him up to remind him that I was almost finished and we were to go to dinner. I completed my homework and was ready to go get something to eat, but my friend was too sleepy to go to dinner. I became upset and started an argument by reminding him of our original agreement. I did not want to hear anything else because I wanted to go to dinner. When he tried to explain to me how sleepy he was because he had been up since 4:00 Am because of work and it was after midnight, I really was not hearing it. I felt that he had to stick to the original agreement. The conflict ended up being unproductive because I wanted things my way. The night ended with me ordering a pizza to be delivered to my room and my friend walking out and going to bed. This week allowed me to see where communication broke down. I was not respectful of my friend’s feelings and I was not compassionate. I did not place myself in his place. All I thought about was what I wanted and I assumed he did not want the same thing. The fact was he was tired after working and driving hours to homecoming as well as participating. All I thought about was he did not want to honor his word. This week allowed me to realize that I should not have allowed my emotions to dictate the conversation. I now know when a disagreement or conflict arises. I need to respect the other person enough to listen to what is being said or expressed. I need to imagine myself in their situation. I need to express myself in a nonconfrontational way. If we cannot agree at the moment, I need to not take it personal. I may have to step away and discuss the issue at a different time. The most important part to me is not to take things personal and not to be emotional.