Time Well Spent

When I began my program at Walden I thought of myself as a good teacher. I had definite beliefs about education. I had a desire to be an advocate but did not have any idea how I could make that happen. My experience with Walden has helped me to grow into a person able to narrow down advocacy efforts into a manageable goal. I have a plan to put my belief system into action. I look forward to growing The Alliance for the Best Start of Young Learners into a collaborating group focused on providing access to high-quality early childhood education for all children.

When I began my program I also believed that I knew much about quality early childhood education. The amount of knowledge that I have gained in this area is extensive and invaluable. I have leaned about secure attachment, the importance of free play and self talk, the many advocacy agencies already in action, and the importance of equity in education. Through the assignments and resources, I was able to define my mission for advocacy and create a plan to put into action. I have become more prepared to run my own early learning center. I have learned how to design training materieals to present to my staff.

I take away from this experience many assets, the biggest being the valuable resources to which I have been exposed. I will use these resources continually to fuel my personal and professional growth. I will also use them to help my staff grow.

My major long-term goal is to implement my advocacy group with the mission of attaining access to high-quality early childhood education for all children. I am very passionate about this challenge and am determine to see it come to fruition. I also have the goal to grow my business into a model for many other learning centers across the nation. Keep on the look out for The Alliance for the Best Start of Young Learners and Best Start Playschool.

I am very grateful for the instructors who have guided and molded me into more of a professional. I have looked back on my writings at the beginning of the program and have determined that a big part of my growth has been the improvement in my writing skill. I owe this improvement to Dr. Davis who did not let me get away with mediocre work and helped me to find a way to view the comments that I had been missing all along. I want to say thank you to all of my colleagues that offered encouragement, advice and pushed me to answer hard questions that helped me to grow. I have appreciated the acceptance that I have felt with all people involved with my courses.
I would love to continue corresponding with and learning from colleagues and instructors. The best way to contact me would be by email: beststartplayschool@yahoo.com. I will also be developing a website under the best start playschool name.

Link to a Wordle describing my experience with Walden and my collegues: http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/5927056/Patricia 


        

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

In the world of early childhood education reform, three national organizations stand out: National Association for the Education of Young Children, Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families, and Voices for America's Children.
  
NAEYC was founded in 1926 with the mission “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, n.d.) This organization is an invaluable resource to early childhood education professionals. They provide many opportunities for professional growth through their conferences, meetings, periodicals and books. They also support the mission of high quality early care and education by influencing public policy and setting high standards for accreditation.
Job opportunity:

Accreditation Coordinator

"NAEYC is seeking an Accreditation Coordinator to support the work of our Accreditation System by assisting program staff, NAEYC assessors and other stakeholders in understanding and interpreting the standards, the criteria and the system as a whole. The Coordinator provides information and technical assistance on the accreditation process, policies procedures via phone and e-mail to our customers.
Responsibilities include working with program administrators, assessors and decision makers throughout all aspects of the accreditation process. Coordinators review materials submitted to identify any procedural errors and measure program compliance with our standards and monitor the performance of assessors to ensure reliability is maintained in all assessment procedures and protocols, while providing support to assessors in their role.
BA in Early Childhood Education/Child Development, 3-5 years experience in the field of early childhood education and a sound understanding of its practices is required. Experience with high quality programming and NAEYC accreditation is a plus. Excellent oral and written communication, analytical, MS Office and database skills are required. Must be able to meet deadlines, work in a team and in a fast-paced environment. Some travel may be required. Salary $38-41K with excellent benefits." (NAEYC n.d.)

The Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers and Families was founded in 1977 with the mission “to promote the health and development of infants and toddlers… by translating research and knowledge—specifically information about the kinds of early experiences that help children thrive—into a range of practical tools and resources for use by the adults who influence the lives of young children.” (Zero to Three, 2011). This organization is a very good resource to keep educators, parents and policy makers abreast of changes and new research in early childhood education issues. They work to educate families and educators and to influence public policy.

Job opportunity:
Senior Web Strategist - "This position leads the evaluation and implementation of web-based tools; the use, maintenance, and support of existing tools, and the technical implementation of custom web content ." (Zerotothree, 2011)
 
Knowledge and Skills:

 

At least 8 years of documented experience in Website development, and/or digital marketing, technical project management and production experience and understanding of current Internet technologies, protocols, and standards;

• Advanced knowledge of hand-coded HTML, CSS, XML, JavaScript and other Web-based programming languages;

• Experience in administration of HTTP, TCP/IP and FTP protocols;

• Advanced experience with content management systems, preferably Convio, cross-browser and cross-platform issues, and optimizing Websites for mobile delivery systems;

• Digital graphic design experience (i.e. Flash, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Dreamweaver);

• Demonstrated ability to provide work direction to others including professional service providers;

• Demonstrated reliability and consistency with attention to detail and a sense of craftsmanship;

• Excellent problem solving ability and strong work ethic;

• Outstanding verbal, written and graphic communications skills;

• Knowledge of early childhood issues a plus;

• Outstanding organizational skills and demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines;

• Development of successful e-commerce programs and online educational media;

• Experience working with non-profit organizations;

• Ability to work collaboratively in a team-oriented office;

• Ability to work independently with a minimum of supervision;

• Ability to build internal and external relationships with representatives at all levels;

• Demonstrated ability to work remotely if required

Voices for America’s Children is a “nationwide network [that] speaks up for kids and puts children on government’s agenda.” (Voices, n.d.). This organization offers membership into local affiliates. Educators from across the nation meet regularly to discuss the best practices associated with early care and education and devise plans to affect public policy. They have been a leader in campaigning for legislation that supports early childhood education.

Job opportuntiy:
Executive Director: Children's Leadership Council "who will play a significant role in leading, supporting and guiding coalition work focused on improving public policies affecting children and increasing federal investment in children and youth from birth to young adulthood. " (Voices, 2011)
Knowledge and Skills:
 

• Has excellent verbal and written communication, coordination, and consensus building skills

• Is a sophisticated advocate and can effectively work with, support and energize CEOs, Executive Directors and staff of national and state organizations, sister coalitions, foundations and other diverse audiences

• Has at least 6 years experience working in the policy arena

• Has the ability to create a personal connection, prioritize important issues and be a creative strategic partner in the development of both the policy focus and the overall future of the CLC

• Has experience in participating in or supporting multi-organizational coalitions at the state or federal level (experience in coalition building is a plus)

• Can manage and organize multi-step decision making processes that includes substantial committee work

• Is knowledgeable about the policy landscape for children and youth from birth to young adulthood

• Understands federal policy and the federal policy process in Congress (Hill experience is a plus)

• Experience managing contracts preferred but not required

• Is skilled in the use of the internet, and other related technologies to support communication and group work (experience with Convio is a plus)

• Master’s degree preferred but not required  



References
National Association for the Education of Young Children. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.naeyc.org/
 
Voices for America’s Children. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.voices.org/

Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.zerotothree.org/

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

The organization that I am most excited about joining is Voices for Children San Antonio. (http://www.voicesforchildrensa.org/)A major goal for this group is to expand early childhood education in my state. I feel that the experience that I gain from joining this group will help in making a difference in my community. I am excited about the knowledge and connections that I will gain by networking with this group. Their mission is in-line with my goal of providing preschool education for all children in order to assure school readiness and creating a love of life long learning. In order to become a member I will need to be passionate about early childhood education and be able to make the time committment necessary to advocate for change.
 
I plan to join my local chamber of commerce (http://lytlechamberofcommerce.com/) Being a member of this group will allow me access to influential people who may join in my goal of providing high quality early childhood experiences for all children. In order to be a member I will need to be a business owner.

A third organization that I will be a member of is one that I will launch myself. This organization will join parents, caregivers and early childhood professionals. We will meet regularly to discuss needs of early childhood education in our community. I will need organizational and leadership skills in order to organize and launch this group. I have demonstrated these skills in the past through the organizations I have operated as a leader and through the professional positions that I have held.

The first two groups I will be a member. The third group I will operate as president/leader.
 

My Own Capacity

The major impact that fuels my passion is the necessity for all chidlren to have access to high quality preschool education.

Special skillls that I have include the knowledge of child development, a passion for meeting the needs of all children, and connections with local policymakers.

The major resource that I have is a childcare business in my community. This will give me many opportunities to connect with children, parents and community leaders in order to affect change.

I hope to become more knowledgable about the specific avenues to take in order to start/join advocacy efforts. I feel like the more I learn about how the policy making process goes the better I will be at becoming an advocate.

My Role as an Advocate

My motivation for becoming an advocate is my passion for providing preschool education for all children. Research has proven that children who have high quality preschool experiences are mroe prepared for school. It is essential to recognize that all levels of advocacy are important in order to make a difference in the lives of children. all effors are imporatant from the smallest donation to serving as president of an organization.

In order to become a community leader in advocacy it is essential to be able to make a significant time commitment. It is also crucial to have resources backing you, such as money, materials and volunteers. In orde to be a state leader it is important to have the means to communicate with policymakers and progrom designers.

In order to motivate others you need to be able to educate them on the importance of your mission. It is also important to network with those who have the same passion as you do.

My advice for those who would like to become an advocate is to find something that they are passionate about and make sure that they are willing to put in the time that is necessary to adovocate for a cause.

Profile of a Volunteer

Volunteerism is an area with which I am VERY familiar! Ever since a very young age I have seen the value in being a volunteer. My experience ranges from being a young girl watching my mother volunteer as a classroom mom, brownie leader, church group leader, and softball coach. It is no surprise that that I grew up to perform many of the same roles.
As a teenager I served as a Sunday School teacher and Junior 4-H leader. These activities were fun for me because I was able to pass on my knowledge and talents to younger children. As I grew older and began my family my volunteer activities extended to Girl Scout Leader, Softball and Basketball Coach and 4-H Leader. Yes, all at the same time :)
These experiences were very rewarding for me at the time because they kept me involved with my own children and many of the parents and other leaders were uplifting. But, the true reward came when I would learn about the successes that the young ones I served where experiencing. These are many but I will only focus on a few.
One experience was reading about a recycling project that a few of the girls who were in my Brownie and Junior Girl Scout troop completed in our community. They set up a recycling drive and drop off center at our local fire department. These girls personally manned this drop off spot and arranged pick of recyclables. This is has been passed on to other troops over the years and is still going strong. The reason this is rewarding to me is because the passion for recyling began with discussions and personal commitments during our meetings when they are young.
Another experience involves a little girl who I chose to be on my softball team. This girl was one of the last to be picked because it did not appear that she had a talent for softball. When coaching you see alot of children that their parents want them to be involved with sports or activities but thier hearts are not really involved. Well this little girl had heart. She always gave her best effort, she just didn't have the skills to be successful. I spent some extra time with her, often before and after practice. We worked tirelessly on proper form when throwing, catching and batting. She improved immensely during that season, but I was not sure she would continue playing. Well, a very proud moment happened several years later when I attended my daughter's varsity game and this girl was on the opposing team. In our area softball is a very competitive sport and it is not easy to make the team. While watching her play I could see her using some of the tools that I had taught her so many years ago. During the game her mother came over to me and thanked me for working with her and helping her with skills so that she could follow her dream of playing softball. I know that others along the way had a lot to do with her improving, but I wonder what would have happened if she wouldn't have had the person to take the time when she was eleven to show her proper form.
Volunteering is exhausting and time consuming, but VERY rewarding!!

Using Social Media To Get Connected

My experience with social media is limited to having a facebook page where family and friends post pictures, comments and events.

There are some social media tools that I feel would be very advantageous to advocacy efforts. The ability to creat an event and to post daily (hourly) information are two tools that could help get the word out to many people at once.

I would begin using social media to advance my advocacy efforts by creating a page for the issue and inviting all my "friends" to join the site. I would keep this sight current with information and events. I would encourage my members to invite their friends to join.