Thursday, April 19, 2012

Final Post

I have had a wonderful experience at Walden University.  It has been a great program and am so glad I am about to be a graduate of Walden!!  I have learned techniques on teaching adults that I plan to implement in a class I will be teaching starting this fall.  I look forward to using these techniques well into the future. 
My writing skills have improved dramatically since class one.  I am very proud of what I have accomplished over the last ten classes.  I was able to use the information I learned in my classes and apply it to my job.  There were many times I would go to work and tell them about the articles I read for my class.
My goal is to continue advocating for children no matter where the road takes me in the future.
I wish Dr. Ferrari and all of my classmate’s great success in the future.  I hope everyone is able to reach their goals and they accomplish great things in the early childhood field.  I want to leave with the saying below.  To me, it is important when you are working with children and adults.
                                                                Humans learn        
10% of what they read,
 20% of what they hear,
 30% of what they see,
50% of what they see & hear,
70% of what is discussed,
80% of what is experienced, & 95% of what you actively teach.

(Hannaford, 1995)

Saturday, April 7, 2012

class 10 - week 6

The International Step by Step Association (ISSA) is a membership organization that connects professionals and organizations working in the field of early childhood development and education. ISSA promotes equal access to quality education and care for all children, especially in the early years of their lives (www.issa.nl/index.html).  ISSA currently has open enrollment in a pilot online course for kindergarten/preschool teachers on child-centered education.  I chose this organization because it addresses quality programs internationally.  Quality programs are seen as a need across the world.  I was unable to find any job listing on this website but this is an organization that I think would be very interesting to work for.
Kiwanis International is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world one child and one community at a time (http://sites.kiwanis.org/Kiwanis/en/discover). Young Children Priority One (YCPO) is an ongoing community service program of Kiwanis International that addresses the needs of children 0-5 (http://sites.kiwanis.org/Kiwanis/en/discover).. All clubs are encouraged to carry out at least two YCPO projects per calendar year, though many clubs are able to do more—serving children, families, and communities (http://sites.kiwanis.org/Kiwanis/en/discover).
Young Children Priority One focuses on four key areas:  maternal and child health, child care and development, parent education and support; and safety and pediatric trauma (http://sites.kiwanis.org/Kiwanis/en/discover).  I was very impressed with this organization.  It is wonderful that an organization is focusing on the needs of children and families internationally.  Their website has a general application you can fill out but there were no specific jobs listed.  I feel this would be an interested place to be employed.
The International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, founded in 1977, is the only multidisciplinary international organization that brings together a worldwide cross-section of committed professionals to work towards the prevention and treatment of child abuse, neglect and exploitation globally (http://www.ispcan.org/?page=About_Us). This is a great organization that helps children across the world.
                                                                                                                                            
Resources

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Class 10 week 4

The Child Care Food Program Roundtable is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of our nation’s children (www.ccfproundtable.org).  We believe it is the right of every child to have access to nutritious foods and a nurturing environment that provides for an enjoyable mealtime experience (www.ccfproundtable.org).  I just paid for a membership to this organization because I am very interested in what they are doing.  I am also interested in getting their newsletter.

The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) is the leading national nonprofit organization working to improve public policies and public-private partnerships to eradicate hunger and undernutrition in the United States (www.frac.org).  FRAC works with hundreds of national, state and local nonprofit organizations, public agencies, corporations and labor organizations to address hunger, food insecurity, and their root cause, poverty (www.frac.org).   This is an important organization that I want to be part of my COP as they have done important work in Washington D.C.


NAEYC is the leading membership association for those working with and on behalf of children from birth through age 8 (www.naeyc.org).  NAEYC convenes thought leaders, teachers and other practitioners, researchers, and other stakeholders and sets standards of excellence for programs and teachers in early childhood education (www.naeyc.org).  NAEYC members include teachers, paraeducators, center directors, trainers, college educators, families of young children, and the public at large (www.naeyc.org).

Resources

www.frac.org

http://www.ccfproundtable.org/

www.naeyc.org







Job that interests me

Outreach and Training Coordinator

Position Available
The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), a nonprofit public policy, research, and advocacy organization that works to end hunger in the U.S., is seeking an Outreach and Training Coordinator to support FRAC’s afterschool and summer nutrition program expansion work; to work in selected states and cities to increase participation in the afterschool and summer nutrition programs; and to develop on-line resources to support efforts to increase participation. This position is funded as a special project focused on working with city officials. The Outreach and Training Coordinator will report to FRAC’s Director of School and Out-of-School Time Programs. The position is not a permanent position and is available for one year.
Organizational Background
The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) is the leading national nonprofit organization working to improve public policies and public-private partnerships to eradicate hunger and undernutrition in the United States. FRAC works with hundreds of national, state and local nonprofit organizations, state and local public agencies, schools, corporations and labor organizations to address hunger, food insecurity, and their root cause, poverty.
FRAC’s afterschool and summer nutrition program expansion work is part of its Campaign to End Childhood Hunger, which focuses on increasing low-income children’s access to the federal nutrition programs. The afterschool and summer nutrition programs play a crucial role in reducing childhood hunger and improving children’s health and educational achievement, but serve only a fraction of the low-income children who need access to these programs. This position will focus on using strategies that have been proven to increase afterschool and summer nutrition program participation, with a focus on outreach and providing technical support to cities, schools, and nonprofits, anti-hunger organizations, and other key stakeholders in order to drive participation growth.
Responsibilities
  • Work in target cities to increase the number of children participating in the afterschool and summer nutrition programs.
  • Effectively market afterschool and summer nutrition expansion strategies.
  • Speak at meetings, conferences, and on webinars to diverse audiences and community leaders.
  • Work with partner organizations to develop training and resources for their affiliates and members.
  • Provide technical support to state and local anti-hunger advocates.
  • Develop web-based resources for anti-hunger advocates, school officials, and other stakeholders.
  • Assist in the development of reports and outreach materials.
  • Track and analyze participation data.
  • Travel required.
Skills and Qualifications
  • Ability to meet deadlines and achieve goals.
  • Very strong writing, interpersonal, analytical, research, public speaking, and organizational skills.
  • Ability to work with a wide range of groups and individuals.
  • Knowledge of the child nutrition programs and other government programs for low-income children preferred.
  • Bachelor’s degree, plus at least one year of relevant work experience.
  • Commitment to working for social justice.
  • Experience working with cities, schools, public agencies, and nonprofits.
  • Strong detail-oriented planning and implementation skills.
  • Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
  • Understanding of hunger and poverty and their impact upon communities, families, and individuals.
Salary/Benefits
Salary commensurate with experience. Generous leave, health, retirement and other benefits.
To Apply
The position is available immediately.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Class 10 week 2

Two organizations that appeal to me are NAEYC and NYSCCRR and one community of practice is the Syracuse Regional Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS).  I am interested in NAEYC because I can stay on top of all the issues a current research in early childhood.  NYSCCRR (New York State Child Care Resource and Referral) would be an organization I would like to be included in of so I could be a part of helping solve issues in New York State.  I would also be able to know about any grants that are available.  I would also like to be involved with OCFS because I would get to network with licensors and talk about problems providers are having and how we can solve them.  I would also like to be involved in meetings where interpretation of the regulations is discussed.
I would be interested in a job as the director of a Child Care Resource and Referral agency. I would need to have supervisory experience, Master’s degree in Early Childhood, experience in training adults, knowledge of licensing regulations and the ability to network with other agencies.  I feel that after I have completed this class I will have all the qualifications required to help me obtain this job.