IT'S SO HARD TO SAY GOOD BYE

Hello everyone,

I would like to take the time out to recall a few things that I learned from this course.

1. The more you read, the more knowledgable you are.
2. You can do anything that you set your mind to do.
3. Change doesn't happen through words alone, actions speaks louder than words.

One long term goal that I have for myself is to start a Community of Practice with individuals who are interested in making a social change in the early childhood field. We will then work together to improve the lives of others one at a time.

I really am passionate about the challenge in which I formulated in this course. I plan to get together with others to start making a difference in the lives of military children and families.

Dr. Teri,

I have to admit, I wish that I would have had you as an instructor earlier. You really taught me a lot of new and interesting things. Because of you, I am more proficient in APA writing. However, I must agree that the best is saved for last. Thanks for being so supportive and understanding.

This class was challenging but well worth every bit.

To my colleagues,

Thanks for being there to help guide me through this course. Through your feedback and positive communication, many assignments became doable. Thanks for sharing your thought, concerns, suggestions and feedback.

I wish you all  nothing but luck, love, and prosperity as you  close one chapter and open another.

WE MADE IT! WE ALL HAVE SOMETHING TO BE SO PROUD OF!

Now lets continue with the mindsets that we have for advocating for children.

Congratulations to you ALL!

~Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally~

1. The first international organization that caught my attention is the International Step by Step Association (ISSA).  “ISSA is a membership organization that connects professionals and organizations working in the field of early childhood development and education” (International Step by Step Association. n.d.). This organization gives you the opportunity to collaborate with others in the same field. It was appealing to me because it can be used as a resource. There are programs the are beneficial for educators and parents as well. It includes books and tools, it builds professional development, information sharing and networking (Community of Practice can be utilized here), and annual conferences and other events. This appears to be a good organizations to be a part of.

There are currently no job opportunities but the opportunity to join as a member or friend is there.

2. The second organization that was appealing to me Save the Children. “Save the Children is the leading independent organization creating lasting change in the live of children in need in the United States and around the world” (Save the Children. 2011). Their overall goal is to help children not only academically but mentally, socially, financially, and with their overall well being. When their are disasters around the world, this organizations steps in with food, medical care, and education. This is appealing to me because I am always looking for ways to help children. Helping them academically is one thing but helping them to live and survive is another. Working for this organization will allow me to be able to participate with both. 

Job opportunities in which I am interested in with this organization is the  

Headquarter positions which is located in Washington D.C. This is perfect. I am             currently in the D.C. area and the job opportunities here are a plus. Program and                   policy work in the areas of U.S. programs, Child Protection and HIV/AIDs, Education and Child Development, Health and Nutrition, Hunger and Livelihoods and Humanitarian Response is the job that I am most interested in. This job will allow me to make a positive change in the lives of others.

3. The third organization that resonates with me is Plan. “Plan's vision is of a world in which all children realize their full potential in societies that respect people's rights and dignity” (Plan. 2013). The mission of this organization is to provide quality education to children who are deprived from the basis needs. The organization also strives to ensure the communities basis needs are met. There are several job opportunities but non which are located within the United States. I would love to have the position as the Program Support Manager but it is located in Tanzania.

References:

International Step By Step Association. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.issa.nl/index.html 

Plan. (2013) Retrieved from http://plan-international.org/about-plan 

Save the Children. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.8D6E/Official_Site.htm

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

Appealing Jobs at the Federal Level

Head Start is a federal organization that prepare young children for school. Children who usually attend are from low income families. 

This organization appeals to me because it promotes early learning for the families who may not financially afford to send their children to school. Quality programming take place where the teachers do their best to meet the needs of the children.

There are two positions that were currently posted. The first position is an Assistant Center Manager. “The Assistant Center Manager of Head Start supports the Center Manager in planning, organizing, implementing, and coordinating services of the child development center.   The Assistant Center Manager supervises the transportation staff and extended day teaching staff, and is expected to act in the absence of the Center Manager.  The incumbent is expected to create and maintain a strong working relationship with parents and represent the Agency positively to the community.  The Assistant Center Manger of Head Start is responsible for supporting the Center Manager in the growth, compliance and quality of service of the Center” (Head Start, n.d.). 

This position requires that you have a BS degree in early childhood education. 

The Second organization that I like is Army Community Services. This organization provides military service men, women, and their dependents with resiliency programs that foster healthy development. 

There are currently no positions available where I currently reside.

Lastly is would love to work as a coordinator for Child Youth and School Services. This is a federal government. There are currently no positions available in my area. This position will grant me the opportunity to ensure that all children on the government installation are benefiting from the program. 

This position requires at least a BS degree in education and at least 3 years of experience in leadership. 

References

Head Start (n.d.) Retrieved July 27, 2013 from http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/hs/about/careers/Region3/Virginia/Assistant%20Center%20Manager%20-%20Arlington%20%20-%20%20Virginia.html 

~Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels~

 

The three organizations that I found that were appealing are Operation Military Kids, Zero to Three (National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families), and Military Child Education Coalition. The reason in which I chose these organizations are because their primary focus is supporting children from birth to youth impacted by deployments. This is my challenge for my capstone project. I am a military spouse and I work with children on a daily basis who are affected by rapid deployments.

There were no job opportunities for Operation Military Kids. However, there are three positions available for Zero to Three which are Chief Business Development and Marketing Officer, Development Manager, Proposals and Grants, and Senior Policy Analyst. Job opportunities for Military Child Education Coalition are Development Coordinator, Military Student Transition Consultant, and Parent to Parent. 

The job that interest me the most is the Development Coordinator with the Military Child Education Coalition. This position details planning and coordinating events, planning and coordinating all development activities and other duties assignment by the Director. This position gives me the opportunity to continue to provide services for the military children and families. 

Skills and experiences needed for this position is to have a minimum of a Bachelors Degree from an accredited College or University or 1-2 years of related work experience, strong organizational, planning and time management skills, flexible, resourceful, high energy and excellent interpersonal and communication skills. 

http://www.operationmilitarykids.org/public/home.aspx 

http://www.zerotothree.org/about-us/ 

http://www.militarychild.org/about-us/employment-opportunities 

Wordle

~As We Adjourn~

AS WE ADJOURN

Let me first start off by saying that I really have enjoyed each and every one of you. Though we have not met personally, the interactions that we have made with each other throughout this course have been very rewarding. I have learned to value both good and bad communication as we collaborated with each other the differences. I have learned so much from you all and I have learned from our discussions how to improve myself better as a listener as well as a communicator.

I hope to see some familiar names and faces (Blog) as I journey on through the program here at Walden. It has been nice collaborating, discussing, and blogging with you all as we shared our very own thoughts and opinions. 

My contact email is: da1trina@yahoo.com.  I am also on facebook listed as Oliver Katrina. Lets not let this be the end of the road for us. Anything that I can do to assist, please contact me. I try to have my cell phone with me at all times. (Email). 

I wish you all luck in all that you set forth to do. We are almost there (graduation). Hang in there and I hope to see you all on graduation day. 

Many blessings!

Katrina 

~Adjourning & Saying Good Bye~

Adjourning 

I know that we can can testify about the different types of groups that we have been a part of. For me, the group where we treated each other with respect and looked out for the well being of each other was the hardest to leave. Because we all worked so well together and everyone had high standards, we performed very well. Within the group, there were no cliques. We all had our own opinions and valued the opinions of others. We valued each other and especially our differences. This group was formed as a grade level. We were all second grade teachers and did everything together; lesson plans, meetings, and more.

When I had to PCS with my husband, we celebrated by going to dinner with each other and our families. There to my surprise, I was blessed with gifts from each person.

While working on my master's degree online, I have not had the opportunity to meet my colleagues and establish relationships. I know for sure that it is very hard to leave people or adjourn where there are relationships that are healthy. Adjourning may not be so hard in this case.

I must add, we people do not work together well as a team, it is easy to say good bye. I have to admit, I have been working with a group of managers where I am trying to buy my way out of. People are jealous, mean, unappreciative and have different worth ethics than I do. I can not wait until I am able to adjourn from this team. 

Adjourning is an essential stage of teamwork because it helps the team or group reflect on their accomplishment and failures as well as determine whether the group will disassemble or take on another project.(O’Hair & Wiemann, 2012. p. 257) 

Reference

O'Hair, D., & Wiemann, M. (2012). 

Real communication: An introduction. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.