Time Spent

Time Spent

This course has been a challenged for me.  I have learned so many things throughout this course.  I learned to challenged my thinking by going into dept and improving my writing skills.  Dr. Terri has given me inspiration to not give up.  At one point in the course I felt like I had to withdraw from school.  With prayer and a email form Dr. Terri, I continue my goal and was determined to try harder.  I learned to read the assignments several times because stating on my work and understanding the assignment before you start. I struggle with the APA format in week 1 and week 2.  I do not know why this was a struggle for me because I did well in prior courses with my assignments in APA format.  Maybe I was nervous by this being my final course.  I am glad that I did not give up and I made it. 

 

 

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.

Walt Disney

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.

Harriet Tubman

A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.

Colin Powell

 My future goal is to educate adults in the Early Child Field.  I would like to start me education career at a Community College and then teach at a 4 year collage.  As I complete this course I know that I am one step closer to my journey. 

Song that plays in my head........I Made It Through by Marvin Sapp

 

Good Luck To You ALL....I have enjoyed reading your blogs

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three International Organizations

Three Organization That Appealed to Me and Why I Chose Them

 

The organization listed below are organizations that I have looked up in other courses in the past.  I was interested in theses organization and thought it would be great for me to go back and see how they have changed and developed throughout the years. 

 

1. UNESCO’s, “Early Childhood Care and Education" website: UNESCO’s is an organization that focuses of the importance of children’s education and their development across the world. Child advocates from across the world work with each other to implement ideas and come up with ways to improve areas in the early childhood program.  There were short term Opportunities for jobs on this particular organization.  It was noted that the organization has permanent staff and that the organization does hire   temporary services (Appointments of Limited Duration and Consultancies )to enable the sector to deal with a short-term overload of work or to bring in outside expertise as needed.

2. Harlem Children’s Zone’s website

 

The program works with children and families in the critically first years of life. The early childhood programs provide their services free to the public, which is possible because people donate money to the organization. HCZ has been around since 1970's and has offered education, social-service and community-building programs.  Job opportunities that are available are

 

The Baby College, which teaches best-practice parenting to parents of children from 0-3 years old.

 

 HCZ runs Birth to Pre-Kindergarten programs to get children on track early. Children then attend one of two HCZ Promise Academy K-12 charter schools or are supported by HCZ staff in the seven public schools in the Zone.

 

HCZ also runs innovative middle and high-school after school programs for local public school students.

 

HCZ's College Success Office supports HCZ's students - many of whom are the first in their families to attend college - so that they can successfully navigate the new challenges and responsibilities they face.

 

Harlem Children's Zone, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Submit your resume online or fax resume and cover letter addressed to The Human Resources Department at: 212 926 9120.

3.  Save The Children Organization:  Save the Children is the leading independent organization creating lasting change in the lives of children in need in the United States and around the world. Recognized for our commitment to accountability, innovation and collaboration, our work takes us into the heart of communities, where we help children and families help themselves. We work with other organizations, governments, non-profits and a variety of local partners while maintaining our own independence without political agenda or religious orientation. Save the Children creates lasting change for children in need in the United States and around the world.

1. Children are protected from harm through physical and psychosocial assistance.

2. Children learn and develop with age-appropriate care and education

3. Children are healthy and well-nourished

4. Children thrive in food-secure and economically viable households

Job opportunities

Volunteer Opportunities

Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in over 120 countries, including the United States. Be an Advocate for Children   Advocating for children is one of the most powerful institutions in the world — the U.S. Congress.   There are many ways to get involved: Join our network of advocates and receive our monthly eNewsletter. Take action on current critical issues affecting children. Participate in our Advocacy Summit in Washington and online. Read about the Aid Effectiveness Team's efforts to promote Foreign Assistance reform. Learn about legislation and our advocacy campaigns and how you can help. Understand what advocacy is and the techniques to be more effective. Speak out for children: advice on writing to your elected officials and newspaper editors.

 

References

http://www.hcz.org/home

http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php

http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.8D6E/Official_Site.htm

 

 

 

Organization for Econom

Federal/National Organizations

The first organization that I chose is Sunny Days Early Childhood Developmental Services.   The organization  was founded in 1994 and have over a thousand of practitioners providing services to children.   Children are provided services that are needed during early intervention such as Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Physical Therapy and Psychological services. 

Occupational Therapist Job.  I chose this particular job because the organization provide early intervention services for babies until they are 3 years old. 

Occupational Therapist Job - OT (Delaware) -- $62 - $75 Hourly
 

Job Description Sunny Days Early Childhood Developmental Services, Inc. is a nationwide provider of early intervention services (birth - 3). We provide a full range of services, including Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy and Psychological services. As a leading nationwide provider of early intervention services, Sunny Days is committed to superior service. Our employees are provided with the on-going training and support that they need to continue to be leaders in the field of Occupational Therapy. Job Requirements Minimum Qualifications: A Current Delaware Occupational Therapist License Professional Liability Insurance B.A. or B.S. Desired Qualifications: Early Intervention Experience Pediatric Experience Home Based Service Delivery Experience Masters and/or Doctorate I do not qualify for this job but I do meet some of the desired qualifications.

http://www.indeed.com/q-early-childhood-jobs.html

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHER EDUCATORS

I chose this particular job because this my future job.  I would like to teach adults in the Early Childhood Field.  As a social worker I educate and counsel adults and children.  I would like to be in a learning environment in the classroom setting to provide students with an understanding and knowledge in the early childhood field.  The program goal is to provide students with a broad understanding of theoretical perspectives, methodologies, and content knowledge appropriate to the professional early childhood educator. The Early Childhood Education instructor provides advising services and acts as a liaison between the program and its university and community partners

Salary placement is subject to current contract depending on education and experience.

Initial salary placement would normally be at step 3; $44,003/yr

 

Requirements

Master's degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Human Development, or Education (with an emphasis in

Human Development, Early Childhood Education, Child Development) or closely related field with at least 24 graduate credit

hours in relevant Early Childhood Education coursework and one year of successful teaching experience with young children from birth to age 6 and one year of successful teaching experience with adult learners

 I qualify to apply for this position. 

NAEYC Mission Organization

NAEYC's mission is to serve and act on behalf of the needs, rights and well-being of all young children with primary focus on the provision of educational and developmental services and resources.  

 NAEYC has3 broad goals:

Improving professional practice and working conditions in early childhood education.
Supporting early childhood programs by working to achieve a high-quality system of early childhood education.
Building a high-performing, inclusive organization of groups and individuals who are committed to promoting excellence in early childhood education for all young children.

 A job within this organization is the: Director of Early Childhood Programs

 I chose this particular job because I have thought about applying for a director's job on many occasions.  Setting goals and implementing programs would be something that  I think I would be good at. 

 Under the Direction of the Director of Learning Services, plans and administers the district's early childhood program. Sets goals and implements programs; provides purpose and vision for the program; oversees professional development for all staff; communicates a clear vision for the program to ECP staff, parents and other stakeholders.

 

Salary $40,000.00-$50,000.00

Requirement 4 Year Degree

Bachelor's degree in ECE, Education, Special Ed or related field; at least 5 years related experience; Must have a Large Center Director letter from CO Dept of Human Services.

 http://www.naeyc.org/about/mission

 

Smart Start Program, Work First Program & Early Childhood Instructor

 

Smart start is a statewide nonprofit organization.  The services of the organization are  based on the county needs.  There are 77 local partnerships throughout the state that are administer funding programs.  The funds are used to improve the quality of child care, make child care more affordable and accessible, provide access to health services, and offer family support.  Smart start strives to reach all children in North Carolina.

 

To become a board member an individual must be elected.  The individual have to live in the county,  be a parent or employed in the county.   

TANF Program-North Carolina Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.  This program is designed to help families to provided for themselves and their children.  Parents attend classes to become self-sufficient and learn about responsibilities.  The program have helped adults obtain employment as well as housing.  The overall goal of the program is for the family to be able to maintain responsibilities in life within two years.  Three strategies that are focused on are 1. Diversion: Keeping families off welfare by helping them cope with unexpected emergencies or setbacks. 2. Work: Shortening the length of time that families are on Work First Family Assistance by making work mandatory and by limiting how long a family can receive cash assistance. 3. Retention: Helping families to stay off public assistance by encouraging them to save and by helping to make sure they really are better off working than on welfare.

Qualification to become a caseworker is an associate degree in human services or 2 years experience in human services.

The Robeson Community College Early Childhood Department prepares individuals to work with children from birth through eight in diverse learning communities.  Instructors teach online and in the classroom settings.  The  faculty  provides high-quality instruction and prepare graduates to work with young children in a variety of settings. The program goal is to provide students with a broad understanding the early childhood field.

 

Qualifications to be an Instructor

Master's degree in early childhood-education, development, or related field; doctoral degree preferred

  College level teaching experience or equivalent staff development required

 Must be able to problem-solve and find solutions to challenges

Must be able to work with teams and independently in a fast-paced environment and meet project deadlines

  Must be able to communicate effectively with a variety of both academic, professional, and lay audiences in print and presentation formats

  Awareness of, and preferable experience in, understanding and meeting the needs of all learners and their staff and caregivers; including children with special needs, children living in poverty, and children from diverse cultures and backgrounds

 

I choose this 3 particular fields because I would like to be part of each organization.  As a Social worker I am able to work with the Partnership for children as being a child advocate.  My future plan is to be a board member and continue to help children in the community.  I have already worked as a case worker in the TANF program helping families become self-sufficient.  Working in this program made me realize that I wanted to do so much more.  That is why I decided to be a social worker in Child Protective Services.  As a worker in Child Protective Services I realized that I have a passion to educate adults about their children.  My next level is to be an instructor at a community college level.  Every day I am one step closer to completing my goals.   

References:

http://www.ed2go.com/robesoncc/

http://www.ncdhhs.gov/dss/workfirst/index.htm

http://robesonpartnership.org/

 

 

Practical Application in the Early Childhood Field (EDUC - 6990 - 1)

Hello Classmates,

I look forward to reading your blogs.  I am excited about this last course.  It has been a journy for me as I try to continue my education, work, being a wife and mother.  It seams to good to be true knowing that I am a few weeks away from having a Masters Degree.  I always knew that I would have a 4 year degree but never thought about obtaining a Masters.  I am just wondering how many of you are planning to attend the commencment ceremony?  I see that we have a diverse class and that we have classmates from different states.

LMDS-WD by LMC

Worlde

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Farewell Classmates

This past eight weeks have been a challenged as I continue my education, daily activities working, being a mom, wife and a baseball coach.  I enjoyed reading blog posts and posting as well.  I realized after the second week that I was supposed to be posting in group 1 but I continued posting in group 2.  I enjoyed this class as well as learning from each of you.  Hope to see you all in a future course.  Congrats to all of you that are graduating, 

Week 6-Blog

Are high-performing groups hardest to leave?

I think that they are because you have worked with the group and have become successful getting the job done.  Separating from a group that has worked work makes it difficult to depart. 

Which of the groups that you participated in was hardest to leave?

The hardest group for me to leave was my unit in CPS.  We were a close unit and have worked together for a while.  We looked out for each other and helped each other out when needed.  Our unit split when the supervisor stepped down and we were divided into other units.  It was hard for me to adjust because the new unit and supervisor did things totally different from what I was use to. 

How do you imagine that you will adjourn from the group of colleagues you have formed while working on your master’s degree in this program?

This question is hard for me because the class is an online course.  However I have become very responses to certain people doing the discussion and blog assignments.  I try to discuss to different people weekly but it is hard because some of the group colleagues always have some interested to read in their posts.  I have taking a break from my studies so I have had the chance to meet new colleagues throughout my learning experience in the master’s programs. 

Why is adjourning an essential stage of teamwork?

This stage is very important because it gives you a chance to reflect back to what you have done both good and bad.  Saying good bye to others and working with new people gives individuals the chance to work with others and learn from them away.  

Conflict at Work

I had a conflict with my supervisor this week.  The disagreement occurred over placing kids in kinship care.  I felt that the children should have remain in the home with the parents and my supervisor felt as if their was still domestic violence in the home in front of the children.  Her decision was based on an anonymous phone call that informed her that the parents were fighting in the home early that day.  As an investigator I went out to see the children at school and they denied that there was fighting in the home.  I felt that the children would have told me because I have been working with the family for a while now.  To make a long story short the children were placed in kinship with a relative.  My supervisor used her power dynamic that left me no choice and I had to do what she told me to do. 

Surveys

I would say that my results from the surveys were well off from my own results.  My results were that I was an effective listener and did not appear to nervous when speaking in public.  I chose my husband and a close friend of mind to take the surveys.  My husbands results viewed me as the total opposite.  That made me feel that I need to take a look at myself to see if I needed to change something.  However my close friends results were identical to mine.  That made me feel a little better about myself since my spouse had me out there in left field.  The surveys made me think long and hard about myself and how I viewed myself. 

Communication

Communication

I would say that I communicate differently everyday in my life. When I am at work, I am a social worker and with that I have 3 hats that I wear. We are taught in training that we have to role play and switched hats accordingly in this field. There is the tough hat that lets the individual know that you are not playing with them and there will be consequences taken if certain things are not done. Then there is there is the nice hat. I try to wear this hat more than the other two. The nice hat is when I give it my all and go the extra mile to help the families. Then there is the hat that has the best interest for the child. The advocate hat, meaning keeping the child best interest at heart and at the same time in a safe environment. That includes removing them from their homes if I have too.

When I am around my friends, I can say that I communicate differently from when I am at work. I can be myself and say whatever I want to say. I do not have to think about what I am saying and worry about the tone and the effects of what I say. When I am with my husband and kids, I communicate differently as well. There are just certain things that I would not say around my husband that I say to my friends. With my children, I always try to be positive even when I am upset with them. They can feel the nonverbal body language. Sometimes I do not have to say one world and they k now that they are in trouble.

Thinking about this week topic made me look deep inside myself. At first I thought that maybe I am bi-polar…….LOL But the fact is we all communicate on a daily basis about how we communicate is based on who you are and maybe where you are at.

Communication

 

Communication

I watched a reality show called Bad Girls on the BET network. I watched this show because my friends and coworkers are always discussing what happen on the shows. The first 10 minutes on this show, I observed three woman talking and laughing. I assumed they were talking about how bad they were because of the title. I assumed that they were laughing about all the bad things that they have done. I observed their body language as trying to pretty, sexy and bad at the same time. I observed the hand gesture and neck rolling to be a negative conversation that is about something that they could not agree on.

When I turned the volume up and continue to watch the show. I listen to how the three woman talked about another girl that they were trying to get out of the house. I listen to them talk about how the other room mate think she is better than the rest of them. I observed them imitating her and laughing at the same time.

My aha...came in when the other roommate came in and just hit the other girl up side the head. They did not see it coming. Communication can be good and bad sometimes and may put you in situations that you never thought you will be in. I picked this particular show because the Reality shows is the hottest shows out on BET now. There are so many sitcoms out that are based on real life. I felt as if the assignment was the perfect opportunity to give me a chance to watch it.

Communication Speaker

Someone who demonstrates competent communication skills to me is Walter Bond. Walter Bond is a motivational speaker. I went to a convention in Punta Cana in 2011 in Republic Dominican. Walter Bond was the speaker at the conference. Listening to Walter Bond changed my state of mind in regards to life, work and my goals. Walter Bond spoke on accountability, motivation, leadership and inspiration. His message was very motivating and he delivered an effective message. He talked about his life and how he became the person he is today. Walter Bond introduces new techniques that strengthen every member of your team, as well as proven strategies that integrate accountability even more deeply into your operations. He leaves the attendees motivated, inspired, and ready to take sustained action. Walter teaches every individual how to overcome objections, incorporate storytelling, and establish him or herself as an expert.

I would definitely like to be an effective communicator like Walter Bond. He delivers a positive message that really makes since. Listening to him motivated me in my life and my career. He stated that “the key to getting ahead lies in their current situation.” With that being said I would like to motivate myself and others as well.

You can Google Walter Bond or look at some of his conventions that he did on you tube.

 

Conflict Resolution

This week at work I was assigned a case and the allegations were that a 6 year old had bruises on her arm and that her bottom is always red. Well I went out to see the child and the bruises were gone. The little girl has down syndrome and speech is very limited. The child resides in the home with relatives that have guardianship over her. Child was taken from mom years ago and biological mom keeps the child every other week end. When I went to visit biological mom she had a lot to say. I was made aware of concerns that the mom had. Mom showed me a video of the child humping two baby dolls. I was very disturbed by the video. I felt that the child has seen someone having sexual intercourse at home or tv. My third guess would be that someone was grinding and humping on the child. The video was very detailed and the little girl was humping as if she knew what she doing and to get gratification. Now my question to myself and supervisor was that I know that down syndrome kids explore and tend to have higher sexual desire than other kid but this child is 6 years old. My decision is to see if the child has been exposed sexually and examined by a medical doctor. I do not think that I could close my case without a medical examiner.

The conflict comes in because the biological mom feels that her child has been touched inappropriately and that she may have been exposed in sexual activities.  The caretakers of the child feels as if the biological mom is causing problems because she wants her child back and will not stop making accusations against them. 

My intake on things is that if the medical examine comes back and say that the child has been touched and her hymen is gone, I would move the child and not allow the child to be in either home. 

Week 4-Communicating

Communication is a big part of my job and is the biggest part of my investigation.  I have to interview families and everyone that is part of the referral.  Listening and talking is what I do on a daily bases.  There are certain things that I am allowed to say doing my investigation.  I communicate with the children differently than the adults.  I ask a lot of open ended questions and I listen carefully in regards to the information that I am listening to.  This week assignment and reading confirmed how important and effectively communication and listening skills are.  I have to be careful on how I say certain things because I do not want what I say to be taking out of context and have a negative effect with the ongoing investigation. 

Communication Hats

I would say that I communicate differently everyday in my life.  When I am at work, I am a social worker and with that I have 3 hats that I wear.  We are taught in training that we have to role play and switched hats accordingly in this field.  There is the tough hat that lets the individual know that you are not playing with them and there will be consequences taken if certain things are not done.   Then there is there is the nice hat.  I try to wear this hat more than the other two.  The nice hat is when I give it my all and go the extra mile to help the families.  Then there is the hat that has the best interest for the child.  The advocate hat, meaning keeping the child best interest at heart and at the same time in a safe environment.  That includes removing them from their homes if I have too. 

When I am around my friends, I can say that I communicate differently from when I am at work.  I can be myself and say whatever I want to say.  I do not have to think about what I am saying and worry about the tone and the effects of what I say.  When I am with my husband and kids, I communicate differently as well.  There are just certain things that I would not say around my husband that I say to my friends.  With my children, I always try to be positive even when I am upset with them.  They can feel the nonverbal body language.  Sometimes I do not have to say one world and they k now that they are in trouble. 

Thinking about this week topic made me look deep inside myself.  At first I thought that maybe I am bi-polar…….LOL  But the fact is we all communicate on a daily basis about how we communicate is based on who you are and maybe where you are at.