TIME WELL SPENT

Hello fellow Bloggers!


As I come to the end of this two year journey with Walden University, I feel not only a sense of accomplishment, but I feel like a different person.  I have grown more than I ever thought possible and I have developed career goals that I had not considered before.  I have realized that I am much stronger than I gave myself credit for and that I really CAN DO anything I set my mind to.  That being said, Walden University has taught me the importance of research in early childhood.  They have taught me about the many issues and trends that exist, and what true appropriate practice really looks like.  I view the entire field of early childhood from a different lens now.  One that wants to advocate and make change.  My capstone project inspired me to get a parent educator position and I intend to make a "Stop the Stress" campaign come to life in my district.  My goal is to implement this project the next school year and we have already begun the process.  It is going to be a dream come true to watch this parent education program implemented in a district that so desperately needs it.  I look forward to watching the results unfold as I advocate and make a difference in the lives of the children and families of my community.


I want to take this time to congratulate and thank all my fellow classmates and colleagues for all their insights, advice and collaboration because without you, I would never have learned all that I have.  I also want to thank all my instructors for sharing their knowledge and passion for education with me and being the inspiration for me to become more than I ever thought I could be.  This has been a wonderful learning experience and I will take all that I learned from each of you into my future work in education and advocacy. 


Good luck to everyone in their future endeavours, it's been a pleasure working with and learning from all of you!


I leave you with an image that reflects what this experience has meant to me, I am a teacher, but so much more!

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community Internationally

So, throughout this last course in my Master's, we have been asked to explore different job opportunities that may be available in the future should we have a desire to change it up.  This week, we went international and I must say that for a woman that's only been in the U.S.A., I certainly would love the chance to travel overseas and work for a different organization doing something to advocate for children, so after my research, here's what I found that was of interest to me and please feel free to click on the link which will bring you right to the Employment Opportunities Page of the websites:


1)  UNICEF: http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_vacancies.html
First, there's UNICEF, which everyone should be familiar with.  Their mission reads: UNICEF is the driving force that helps build a world where the rights of every child are realized. We have the global authority to influence decision-makers, and the variety of partners at grassroots level to turn the most innovative ideas into reality.  That makes us unique among world organizations, and unique among those working with the young.


The Job Opportunity I was most interested in was: Child Protection
You play a key role in the design, implementing and monitoring and evaluation of Child Protection programme(s). Key areas include Child Protection from violence, exploitation and abuse, Development and advocacy for Legal and Social Policy Reform, Strengthening National Protection Mechanisms.


In order to apply for a job with UNICEF, you must create an electronic profile, then search vacancies within your community or abroad if you choose to, then you will get a listing and can apply with a letter of interest, application and resume.




2)  SAVE THE CHILDREN: http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6226565/k.BFEA/Working_at_Save_the_Children.htm?_ga=1.91319450.1869933801.1402780004
Second is Save the Children  which people may be familiar with because you can sponsor a child for a monthly fee and help that child and their family.  Save the children's mission is to give children in the United States and around the world what every child deserves – a healthy start, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm, especially when disaster strikes. They advocate and achieve lasting change for millions of children. They save children’s lives.
The Job Opportunity that I was most interested in was: Director of Child Protection based in Africa.  Job Description: The Child Protection Director who will be based in Kisangani (Orientele Province) in the DRC will be responsible for the provision of expert advice, analysis and technical support to the provincial and country offices on policies, operational strategies, with regard to the strengthening of national child protection systems. S/he will provide technical leadership and ensure effective coordination with strategic partners on Child Protection, including PEPFAR implementing partner.


In order to apply for a job with Save the Children, you must create a profile, fill out online application and provide numerous documentation including resume, background experience, reference letters, passport.




3)  INTERNATIONAL CHILD RESOURCE INSTITUTE:
http://www.icrichild.org/volunteer-opportunities/
Third is the International Child Resource Institute whose mission is to create a world in which all children and families are able to fulfill their greatest potential.  They work toward that goal by focusing on Early Childhood Care and Education, Maternal and Child Health, Children’s Rights, Grassroots Community Development, and Rights of Women and Girls.
Although I could not find a paid job opportunity on their site, there is a volunteer section that I have provided the link to where you can volunteer and work on fund development, research/writing, and office administration.  You must be available for three months at a time also and be flexible to travel.  This opportunity might be tough for someone like me, but not when I retire which is why I chose this organization. 


In order to apply for this volunteer opportunity, click on the link above, then follow the instructions on the volunteer page which will direct you to the office of human resources.


I LOOK FORWARD TO EMBARKING ON A JOURNEY OF THIS KIND IN MY FUTURE!!!

National/Federal Organizations and Communities of Practice

In researching national and federal organizations that could be good additions to our Community of Practice and that I could see myself working for, I found the following:


Children's Defense Fund - whose mission is to "ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities".  They have a position available as an Executive Director responsible for developing efforts to build teams for advocacy and manage operations that require a minimum of 7-10 years experience working in the early childhood field and a Bachelor's Degree. http://www.childrensdefense.org


Zero to Three Organization - whose mission is to "provides parents, professionals and policymakers the knowledge and know-how to nurture early development and ensure that all babies and toddlers have a strong start in life".  They have a position available as a Program Associate who is responsible for supporting the Head Start Program Directors all over the country to ensure that proper development is taking place in early childcare settings.  This position requires a B.A. and a lot of knowledge in computer applications, aside from experience in the early childhood field. http://www.zerotothree.org/


Association for Early Learning Leaders - whose mission is to provide excellence in the field of early childhood care and education by promoting leadership development and enhancing program quality.  This association has a training program for anyone interested in becoming a presenter, all you have to do is submit a letter of interest with your resume and workshop topics of interest and you could gain a position presenting workshops to early childhood educators.  http://www.earlylearningleaders.org


All of these are jobs within this field that is of interest to me.  Check out their websites for more information!


                                                                     Ms. Janet

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community

Some of the jobs that foster the well-being of children, families and the early childhood field as a whole can be found in the following agencies:


State of New Jersey Department of Children & Families
The DCF Office of Advocacy assists the Department in its mission to ensure the safety, permanency and well-being of children and to support families by providing information, referral and advocacy services. -  There are many employment opportunities here such as Teachers, Directors of Programs, and Managers.  B.A. & Preferred M.A in social work or related field is required plus experience is preferred.  The website can be accessed at: http://www.state.nj.us/dcf/about/employment/dcf/ 


State of New Jersey Division of Youth & Family Services. 
This is the office for child advocacy and protection.  They provide: Child protection, case management, foster care, adoption services, family support, services through community providers and information and referrals for families.  One particular employment opportunity that is always available is that of a Family Service Specialist.  This is something that I was very interested in doing before I got into teaching and still think about doing in the future.  It requires a B.A. or M.A., preferably in Social Work, but a related field is acceptable.  They also require that you attend a 12 month service training course while working your first year.  More information can be obtained by visiting: http://www.state.nj.us/dcf/about/employment/dcpp/


State of New Jersey Department of Human Services.
This office is responsible for planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluation social service programs serving families and children.  A job opportunity that is available now is that of a Program Specialist Trainee which works directly with families to help those of low economic status with employment and child care.  More information can be found by visiting: http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/involved/employment/


All of these State agencies share the common goal of helping families and children and I would be happy to join any one of them.

Capstone Project Time

Hello everyone, and welcome to my blog!  This is finally my last class of my Master's Degree in the area of Early Childhood Education and Teaching Adults.  I am overwhelmed with joy over all that I have learned and what the future holds.  I look forward to the next couple of weeks with all of you on our final venture together.....


Good Luck to Everyone and CONGRATULATIONS on making it this far!


                                                                                      Ms. Janet

GOOD- BYE Communications Course....

Just want to say THANK YOU to all my colleagues in this Communications Course.  It's been a great learning experience to share ideas and insights with you and from you.....feel free to keep in touch through this blog or email me at:  janetcoloma@verizon.net.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL.....

JANET

Week 6- Team Adjourning

When I consider the five stages of team development, and I focus on the dissolution of a team, I can recall leaving my last job and the wonderful group of people I worked with.  It was a private school, and although I loved the location, the people, the curriculum, EVERYTHING, it was financially possible for me to stay when compared to going to work for a public school district.  That was a really tough decision for me, but I had to do it for my family.

The biggest closing ritual I guess we did was a going away party for me with my co-workers, students and their families.  They had a big party for me at the end of the year and the children made me a book drawing pictures of their favorite day with Ms. Janet.  It brought tears to my eyes.  I couldn't have asked for a better good-bye.  Seriously.  I will never forget it.

I'm sure that when I complete my Master's and say goodbye to this group of colleagues, it will be difficult too.  I feel that we have collaborated and learned a lot from each other.  We are in all parts of the world, and so we've brought many different sides to discussions, but I know that many of us will stay in touch and use each other as references in our future endevours.  I think adjourning is an essential part of team development and dissolution mainly because we can reflect on our successes, thank one another for the great ideas that we brought to the table and feel the accomplishment of having reached a goal and reached it together, as a team! 

I'm sure going to miss everyone when this comes to an end, but it's a joyous ending for sure!

Conflict Resolution -

Conflict Resolution, ahhh, those two words that everyone knows but everyone hates.  Nobody likes conflict, at least I don't think they do.  Not only is it draining on you but it's draining on those around you.  I can remember a conflict that I had just a week ago, and it's very personal so I can't really share the details in case that person is reading my blog, but let's just say it was two strong personalities arguing their side of an issue that has created great distance between the two people for years and years.  The issues at this point aren't important anymore, it's the distance that stands.  We are strangers because of life's past events and because responsibility can't be taken and apologies aren't happening, we are getting NOWHERE.

I must take responsibility for being on the attack.  I wasn't violent, but very verbally aggressive, and I regret that very much but the circumstances of our conversation or argument created a hostile environment for both of us and it should never have taken place at that time.  Tension was high, stress was tremendous as we were losing a close family member, and I guess that's a time where families get together and things just seem to happen.

Looking back now, I know I have some repairing to do, I need to be more relaxed when this person approaches me again.  I need to listen and see if our conflict has a resolution.  It's so far beyond repair for me that I have to come up with a compromise that I can live with and work toward a better relationship in the future because our past is our past and really cannot be changed.  It's going to take a great effort on my part and I don't even know if I'm ready, but I am willing to be open to the possibility of moving forward once responsibility and acceptance is received.  I am going to try hard to practice the 3R's because it's the only way I think I can really try to resolve this conflict once and for all.....only then can we begin to heal.

What I learned about me

Well, this week I am writing in three entries because I suffered a great death in my family, the woman I loved more than anyone in the world, My Mother!  And it's been tough getting back to work, so here goes.

For Week 4:

After taking the quizzes to learn about myself as a communicator, I was most surprised to find that my husband's score for me was EXACTLY the same as the score I got for myself in the Verbal Aggressiveness and Listening Style profiles.  I was shocked because he (like most husbands) always says I don't listen enough, and I've been accused on more than one occasion to be a little loose with my words, so I was PLEASANTLY surprised to find that our scores were the same and that I am not imagining to be someone that I am not.

This week, learning about myself gave me a clearer picture of the area that I need to work on more; listening.  I am all about problem solving, so I know I'm guilty of trying to solve everything instead of really listening to people.  I learned that being empathetic begins with being a good listener and it helps build relationships.  I think that's an important part of any relationship, even with a strange.  I also learned that I am programmed to make judgments on appearance alone, and although it stems from past experiences and from media portrayal, I have to keep a close eye on my perceptions and judgments to make sure I'm being fair and equal to others.  Very interesting week.....

Cultural Diversity Communication Strategies

After learning all I have about communication the last few weeks, I have self-reflected and seen the differences in my communication with people from different cultures.  I do believe that I communicate differently, especially with the parents of my students.  I feel that I speak slower and I try to use very proper Spanish.  I know that's from own hang-ups about being corrected for my "Cuban slang Spanish" through the years.  I also find that I give a lot more detail on my Spanish directions to the parents because I feel that they just don't understand my directions most of the time, such as with homework assignments.  This has been from my previous experiences with Spanish-speaking families.

Some strategies that I could use when communicating with them more effectively is to withhold judgment and get a deeper understanding of them, instead of using my past experiences as my impression of ALL Spanish speaking families.  I also need to model things for them instead of giving so much direction so that they have an example to follow (when asking for family-made projects) and lastly create a better expectation of their abilities because I'm sure I could come off as coddling as compared to my English speaking parents who I just explain things to once and have an expectation that they know how to follow directions.

It's hard to be free of bias, especially when previous experiences have shown me to communicate a certain way with different people.  It's something that I am aware of and something that I know I must work on for the rest of my career.  It all begins with educating myself, so I'm ready to put this to practice!

Thanks for visiting my blog!

Jeannette

Communications in Mute

"Trophy Wife"

For this week's assignment, I chose to watch the show TROPHY WIFE which I knew nothing about.  First I watched it in mute, paying close attention to the non-verbal communication, then I watched it with the volume on and boy were my assumptions of what was going on way off.....

First of all, I assumed that the husband in the show lived with two wives and that those two wives were good friends.  The truth was that his ex-wife is always hanging around his house and his new wife really doesn't care for her much.  When the volume was on, they were very sarcastic to one another which in mute seems like genuine friendliness.  Very interesting!

Second, there were two other women in the show who had a couple of scenes together and I thought they were lesbians who were fighting, just because of the way they looked at each other and the closeness of their proximity in their interactions.  Well, again, truth is they just met and they weren't very nice to one another because one was a doctor who thought very little of the other, a mere bartender. 

If this had been a show that I normally watch, like Modern Family, I wouldn't have the same assumptions because I know the casts relationship with one another and it would have been easy to figure out what was going on in the episode, even on mute.

So, my biggest A-HA moment of this assignment was how SARCASM looks like genuine friendly interaction when you don't hear what is being said.  I have always hated sarcasm, and now hate it even more.  hahahahaha

Hope you enjoyed this post!  I for one, now picked up another show because Trophy Wife was actually a pretty funny show...(with the sound on!)

Janet

Communication - Blog 1

I consider my principal to have great communication skills.  She is very knowledgeable about early childhood education and helps to make all the teachers.  She always listens to our questions and concerns and validates our feelings.  That, in turn, makes us feel heard.  I would definitely like to be more like her because although she may have a strong opinion about something, she never forces it on us, instead is open-minded and listens to our suggestions.  I think that is a very important part of communication.  It's listening as well as giving your point of view.  It has to be two-sided.

Professional Hopes and Goals

As I conclude this class of Diversity and Culture and Social Equity in Early Childhood Education, I would like to express my thanks to Dr. Johnna Darragh Ernst for all her guidance and support and for asking just the right questions to make me critically think!  I would also like to thank all my colleagues for their comments and probing questions and especially for all the great ideas that were shared throughout this course.  It has been a wonderful learning experience for me.

When I think of working with children and families who come from diverse backgrounds, my one hope is that I am worthy of giving them all the understanding, respect and welcome that they deserve and that I make a positive difference in their lives.  I want them to feel included and equal in my classroom and for them to walk away with a smile each and everyday because they are an important part of my life.

Lastly, the goal that I would like to set for the early childhood field is to INCREASE the training that educators receive in the areas of culture, diversity, social justice and equity so that teacher are prepared to welcome and respect these families they come in contact with because it is crucial to the development and the self-worth of the children they will teach.  Not only do new upcoming teachers need more training, but those working in the field for years need professional development in these areas.  It should be mandated because it is that important!

Again, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE!!!  GOOD LUCK IN YOUR FUTURE VENTURES....


Jeannette Coloma

Welcoming Families from aroud the World

Imagining that I was in my current job as a preschool teacher and that I was going to have the opportunity to welcome and teach a child of a family from Ethiopia, which I know nothing about, I would do the following things to be culturally responsive to them:

1)  Learn all I could about the cultural beliefs of Ethiopian families, including their traditions, customs, etc.

2)  Try to discover commonalities or experiences that we share or that would be shared by this child and the rest of the class.

3)  Develop and use vocabulary of greetings and common key phrases in their language so they can feel welcome.

4)  Meet with the family with an interpreter so I can find out all I could about the family and the child.

5)  Create lessons that would introduce this new child's heritage and culture to the classroom

I think these preparations would help the child and his/her family feel like I was prepared for their arrival and eager to include him/her into my class.

The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudic and Oppression

I was stumped when trying to recall a time that I felt discriminated against for being a Hispanic woman, but then it came to me....being a WOMAN has me dealing with bias all the time.  I work in an urban setting where I have to park my car in a very "male loitering" block every day.  I deal with the issue every morning and again every afternoon.  CONSTANT OPPRESSION!!  It's the same group of men, whistling and giving me sexual looks and comments and it's very irritating.  At first, I remember feeling embarrassed and ashamed and I would even question what I was wearing to try to not get their attention, but I quickly realized that it didn't matter and it wasn't me, it was them.  At this point, I almost don't hear them anymore but I always walk quickly.  I wait in my car sometimes to see if they go into a store or something and I never, EVER make eye contact.  In order for this to change into an opportunity for greater equity, they would have to really see how I feel which I don't think is ever going to happen.  They don't have any respect for women and it's absolutely disgusting.  Maybe if I turned around and started crying one day and told them how awful they make me feel in the morning, it would spark something......but no thanks, I won't be engaging in any type of conversation because ultimately I don't think it would get me anywhere.....I'm just going to continue avoiding, even though I know it's the wrong thing to do.

Practicing Awareness of Microaggressions

This week, I took the time to really observe my surrounding looking for microaggressions that occur all the time.  The main one that stood out for me was beyond obvious and I have to share it.

At lunch today, I overheard a group of people that were on their way to pick up food.  It was a group of men and women, about six of them and there was one black man in the group of whites.  When deciding what to order, the one guy said to the black guy "We're thinking Popeyes cuz we know you brothas love fried chicken."  and they all started laughing.  The black guy laughed too, but I couldn't help but wonder if he was just laughing on the outside or if he was genuinely un-offended. 

What I do know is that although it seemed unintentional and they were all clearly friends, it was an insult nonetheless.  I felt bad for the guy and thought how bad that sounded out loud.  It was nuts!  This example was clear as day, but I now know that I am more in tune with the racism that goes on around me and I am aware of the damage it does on a persons self-image, self-esteem and self-worth.  We really have to stop the madness and start thinking more before we speak....only then can change begin!

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

I decided to use social media for this blog entry and posted the question "What is your personal definition of culture and diversity?'  I thought this would be a great way to get different perspectives from a lot of my family and friends of different genders, races, class, etc.  Here's what I got:

Culture:  1) Origin, customs from our place of birth, foods, behaviors, beliefs & traditions.
               2) Something you grow up with...events that make you who you are.
               3)  The beliefs and traditions of one's nationality, how they dress, behave, eat, and speak.
               4)  Rituals and beliefs passed down from generation to generation

Diversity:  1)  Acceptance of the cultural differences in everyone.
                  2)  A mixture of different cultures, a melting pot.
                  3)  Blending in with different cultures, living together and sharing traditions, melting pot.
                  4)  Different mixes of things and people.

I think these definitions were definitely part of what I have learned in this course so far, especially the definition that number 3 gave of detailing how people dress, behave, eat and speak as being a culture.  Not only your background.  I agreed with all of their definitions and particularly liked "the melting pot" used by two different people when defining diversity.  It's a good way to think about all cultures blending or mixing together to form this diverse world we live in.

My Family Culture

If I had to be evacuated to another Country and I could only take three items with me, other than a change of clothes, it would be:

1)  My Childhood Memories Scrapbook
2)  My grandmother's ruby earrings
3)  My wedding ring

I would explain that these things have special value to me.  My childhood memories scrapbook is a book I put together that has many pictures of my three children, my husband and myself through the years.  This is dear to my heart because I plan on passing it onto them when they grow up.  My grandmother's ruby earrings are an heirloom that she left me when she passed away and I plan on passing that on also from generation to generation.  It is one of my most prized possessions as it came from someone that I loved so much.  Lastly, my wedding ring is a symbol of the love my husband and I share and the commitment that we've made to eachother.  I've never EVER taken it off since he gave it to me and there's no way I would leave it behind.

Now, if upon arrival in this new country I was told that I could only keep one of these personal items, I honestly don't know what I would do.  Each has it's own sentimental value to me.  Each is equally important.  I guess if I had to, HAD TO pick one, it would be My Scrapbook.  I would have to keep that because it has pictures of my three pregnancies, and baby shots, etc., it's irreplaceable and it's something that they have to see when they grow up.  I'm sad just thinking about it!

I realize through this exercise this week that I am very attached to things that are emotional and that I want to pass on to my children.  I think in any culture, family is important and children are at the center of that.  I guess I'm very attached to things and am looking forward to sharing things with them in the future from my past.  Very interesting.....  I love learning about ME!  hahaha

Thanks for reading my post!

Jeannette

When I think of Research...

The biggest insight that I gained from taking this course is that I can really be a researcher!  Thinking back to the inception of this class, I was very scared of just the thought of research, let alone actually understanding it piece by piece.

My ideas are now more positive because, like anything else, I have learned about the different aspects of putting together a research simulation and feel more positive and confident as a potential researcher myself.  It's all about need, value, support, validity and ethics.  I learned that if I take my time and take the appropriate steps, I can actually help the field of early childhood.  It's a great feeling.

I now know that conducting research is not only about my beliefs, but about the people being researched and its effect on them.  I now understand about risks ad extraneous variables that must be taken into consideration before anything else.

One challenge that I had during this course was remembering the new vocabulary and terminology that I read about, especially the differences between research style like quantitative vs. qualitative.  It was easiest to understand when I compared them side by side, in chart form, and when I finally understood that one is to understand "how" something works and the other is to understand "why". 

Lastly, I would like to express my greater appreciation for all early childhood researchers because I see how much work goes into designing, developing and interpreting a good research study and I commend them all for their contributions to the field that I love so much!

It's been a great learning experience over all and I look forward to what is to come...

Good Luck everyone!!

Jeannette

Research Around the World

I looked into the Australian equivalent to NAEYC at http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org which opens up a world of information about early childhood education in Australia.  You can click on several links that take you to many newsletters, articles, journals and much, much more.

I learned through this website that Australia has created and begun to implement new standards in education.  "The new national standards will ensure all children have access to good quality learning experiences early on in life", but they are just beginning stages of their implementation and assessment.  I think this is a great thing because we know from our own standard implementation that we have a guide to follow to make sure that children are developing correctly and that they are ready for what is to come.  This was a new insight for me because I've always assumed that like the United States, Australia would have already had a set of national standards in place.  Just goes to show you that research goes a long way.  I also learned that Australia has a series of books called "The Everyday Learning Series" that people can subscribe to that gives them a choice of many hardcover or online books for $14.95 that include topics such as sensory learning, meaningful conversations with children, helping children grow, bullying, making most of your environment, responding to emotional needs and many others.  These books are a wonderful tool or parents and educators alike.  I am a parent educator in my school and I was very happy to have come across this resource because I am going to ordering some of these books to help put together presentations for our parents in the upcoming school year.  CHECK IT OUT!  The link even gives you chapter descriptions and samples .  You will love it.!