TIME WELL SPENT

TIME WELL SPENT:It worth’s all the effort.

      Wow!!! What a journey. It is 2 long years and I can’t believe it is coming to an end now. It was like a joke when I stumbled on the program at Walden online. I saw the Early Childhood Studies program with the specialization I had always dreamt about and wanted to do since I had already started a school. I had too many fears. I was uncertain if I could cope; my time was all choked up with so many engagements – church, family, business, school, and now an online program that I had no clue about how it was going to operate. I was unsure how to finance the program. I just knew that this is what I would like to do and I kept on. I had challenges along the way, but I kept the vision alive and today, after the stress of so many sleepless nights, the day is DAWN.

 It was not easy but it was WORTH it.

3 Lessons learnt.

1. I have learnt fully that every child that appears in my class is unique and comes to class with diverse issues that I need to pay attention to because they require my understanding, support and possible necessary action. 

2. Teaching in the early childhood classroom is not just babysitting. It is serious assignment that requires continuous learning and professional development. I must be a lifelong learner to be able to combine research and practice for improvement.

3. I can be the change that I want to see. If I can develop the passion, identify others who can help join to solve the problem, and I take a lead in the vision and collaborate with others then, change is possible.

Long term goal.

As my long term goal, I look forward to being part of UNICEF and work to secure funding for quality teacher education and continuous development. Government may not be able to train and retrain the teaching work force, if we do not work together to conduct training.

Farewell:

     I appreciate all the people that made it happen. The faculties at Walden and all of my colleagues, we formed a formidable Community of Practice. I enjoyed the discussion forum, our interactions and feed backs that made the work rich and my learning exciting, and all the blog postings. Thank you for being there and cheering me on, even when it looked dark and unclear, your trust and encouragement gave me the needed push and strength. You are all fantastic people.

May you be blessed always and find fulfillment as you pursue your life’s goals and dreams. May be somehow somewhere in the world of early childhood, we will meet; it will be a great privilege. Keep on serving, be the voice for the voiceless and let us bring on the change. Remember, there is  no more time, It is NOW.

Week 6 - International Jobs and Roles

UNICEF

          UNICEF as an international organization has been involved in 190 countries and territories to promote children’s survival, protection and development. I am particularly excited about their support for children’s health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education and total protection of children from violence. To educate children is to educate the future; I am willing to find job placements that will assist me to contribute to the process of educating the children of the world and contributing to building a healthy, well developed generation. I got a vacancy for a Chief Education officer job in Beijing, China. The position is for highly skilled professional who will strategically direct, lead and manages a diverse team to support the education goals of the country. It is a leadership role that will enable the professional to work in partnership with government and other development partners to develop policies that will reform the education sector and grant equality to all.

The skills and competencies expected in this position are diverse. It includes effective communication skill and high level leadership and supervisory qualities that involve ability to build an effective team, be able to motivate and empower others. Persuasive and negotiating skills are expected which includes engaging and informative formal public speaking. I need to learn networking and collaboration in a multi-cultural environment and be an achiever.

 World Health Organization - WHO

        For World Health Organization (WHO), caring for children is fundamental because children are the future of the society, any genuine concern for their healthy growth and development is a concern for the well being of the society. Children are victims of violence, malnutrition and several infectious diseases, and WHO has taken up the challenge of effectively helping to prevent or treat those diseases. WHO directs and coordinates health matters within the United Nations and works to formulate policies to help the nations and also provide technical support to those countries and monitor their progress.

WHO advocates for early child development to be integrated in national and international policies aimed at improving population health and achieving greater health equity for all. I did not see any relevant job/role advertised on their site, but I love to be involved in such a powerful international organization that cares for young children’s health and development. I like to have a role that impacts young children and their healthy development. I love to work in communities to advocate for the well-being of mothers so that they are in a position to care properly for their children. Poverty is a big issue in early childhood, and I like to advocate for more funds for education so that all children can have equal access to quality early childhood care and education. I need leadership skills and networking skills to be effective in this role.

 Association of Childhood Education International – ACEI

      I love the Association of Childhood Education International (ACEI) and look forward to an opportunity for full participation in their programs to enable me impact the children of the world positively. This association is a global community of educators and advocates who come together to use their knowledge, experiences and perspectives to advocate for the well-being of children. They also work with educators and promote professional growth and development that influence the children from birth to early adolescence.

Their unique vision is that every child in every nation will have access to a quality education that will prepare children to become responsible and engaged citizens and ready them for life in a changing world. This is no mean vision; if this is achieved then the future of the world is colorful and really bright. It is good to be a part of such noble goal. I did not see vacant positions advertised but I can be involved in the Education for All project, research and agency efforts leading to child’s rights and reforms.

References

WorldHealthOrganisationhttp://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/topics/child/development/en/index.html

Association of Childhood International - http://www.acei.org/

www.unesco.org.

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

I am attracted to three organizations:

1.      Center for Child Care Workforce

All the personnel in the early childhood education and care profession are in the business of shaping the future. The future is so important that it cannot be ignored. Many other things can wait but building and caring for young ones with intent and purpose cannot wait, they are in our hands right NOW, The Center for the Child Care Workforce caught my attention and I desire to partner with them. They are concerned for the welfare and due compensation of  professional and so they champion policies, training s and research that are relevant to the development of early childhood care. They are the voice for the workforce. I hope I can be involved as an administrator/trainer to ensure that policies match with practices and professionals are adequately trained and challenged to provide quality services to our next generation.

2.      The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER)

This is a researched based organization. They conduct research and influence high quality and effective childhood education in many meaningful ways to support policies and offer assistance to educators, journalists and researchers. They monitor and evaluate national and state educational goals. The Institute is immersed in research, and I look forward to playing major role as Research Executive to support the Institute in new research and analysis of current trends and issues of early childhood.

3.      National Association for the Education of Young Children

This is a strong and committed advocacy association for young children professionals. Every child deserves the best. They have issued several position statements on every issue pertaining to early childhood education and professional development of personnel. They have processes of accreditation and discipleship. I can fit into many roles and will like to get involved not as a policy maker, but create time also for the children. Professionals gather to share ideas, they are interested in professional development and also manage the process. of in-service training.

References

o    Center for Child Care Workforce. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.ccw.org/

The National Institute for Early Education Research  - http://nieer.org/

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

EDUC 6990 - WEEK 2: Exploring Roles in ECE

For my blog discussion this week, I researched some agencies and I found many that are working in the interest of quality education and general welfare of children. I am particularly interested in these three:

1.      UNICEF – United Nations Children Fund.

         UNICEF works in the interest of young children to give them a strong foundation. This organization is a driving force that helps to ensure that the rights of every child are realized. The mission and vision of this world organization is to influence decision makers to turn innovative ideas into reality and work with others to ensure that children overcome challenges of poverty, violence, diseases, abuses and discrimination. UNICEF believes that nurturing and caring for children are the cornerstone of human progress. They advocate for measures to give children the best start in life, because proper care at the youngest age forms the strongest foundation for a person’s future. I appreciate their unique role in ensuring the health and development of children. They can be my community of practice because of my desire to see children receive their best and are influenced by competent hands in the field. UNICEF has been working in Nigeria since 1953 to support the government of Nigeria to implement programs and policies for the realization of children’s rights.

2.      ACEI – Association of Childhood Education International.

          Their mission is to promote and support the optimal education, development and well-being of children worldwide, and to influence the professional growth of educators and the efforts of others who are committed to the needs of children in a changing society. With the vision  to ensure that every child in every nation will have access to quality education, I resonate with them because quality education is performed by quality personnel. They influence professional growth of educators and ensure adequate training and support. They have no job vacancies advertised but I presume that my role will be to support the development of training materials to support the personnel who will prepare the children to become responsible citizens..

www.acei.org   

                  

3.      Education International.

      Education International is the voice of teachers and other education employees across the globe. It comprises of a federation of 401 associations and unions in 171 countries and territories and represents some 30 million educators in education institutions from early childhood to university. Their activities include funding, and seeking professional development for teachers as they mobilize for quality early childhood education and quality teaching to yield maximum benefits for the children and their families. Education International is in my country, as an umbrella body to provide leadership, funding and professional ethics for Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), I can fit into any role as a professional in the field but will like to influence the quality of teaching and learning.

www.ei.ei.org

All of these organizations can form my community of practice as I look into the quality of trainings available to teachers in the early childhood field. Educational International in particular create opportunities for teachers and educators to further develop and immerse themselves in quality work.

References

http://www.naeyc.org/ National Association For the Education of Young Children

www.acei.org;  

www.ei.ei.org

Capstone - EDUC- 6990 Practical Application

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to this course. I hope we all have  rich experiences as we navigate through the capstone course to complete the process of becoming knowledgeable professionals in the early childhood education field. There are many issues confronting the field, as you choose the area of challenge that resonates with you, I wish you success in the bid to become the change that we all expectantly look forward to. Happy blogging.

WEEK 8 – COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION

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Time to say GOODBYE.

       It is the final week of our communication course and it has been so good. I have seen myself learning from all of you my dear colleagues in unique ways. Communication is a vital aspect of our work as early childhood professionals and if we will work out miracles and make seemingly impossible situations become possible through collaboration with other stakeholders – community, families and young children, we must learn effective communication skills.

       In these few weeks, we have worked together to sharpen our communication skills. I really want to thank every one of you for being responsive and willing to share so freely. I am emotional about the fact that this is our last course together before we proceed to our specialization, even though we are online colleagues, we have linked together closely in discussions, blogs and our responses to posts, I am having it hard to say goodbye.  My intended specialization is Admin, Management and Leadership.    Thank you so much. I wish you all success in your future courses and hopefully catch up with you at other courses and early childhood conferences worldwide. I really look forward to such an opportunity.

        Although I intend to take next term off to allow me to face some other pressing issues that will not allow me enough time for online study within the first quarter of 2013, I wish to keep in touch with you all. My personal e-mail is moodunayo@yahoo.com. Thank you and God bless you all.

WEEK 6 : Teem Work and Adjourning

Week 6 - Communication and Collaboration.

        Anytime you connect with someone to work together, you have formed a team. Whether we admit it or not, there is an emotional and physical connection that takes place. I have been fortunate to be part of many teams and groups since childhood or college days, as a Girls’ Brigade, Scripture Union Pilgrims Group, through official office teams and now my professional online learning group. As a Church leader, I have led teams and groups to work on special projects and assignments. Each time the assignment is over, we generally celebrate our achievements of job well done and we dismiss the group and focus on the next line of assignment. I did not know the importance of adjourning in a group.

        I strongly believe that an effective high performing team will be the hardest to leave, this is essentially because the team members have connected together in positive ways, they had brainstormed and gone through some hardships to arrive at the success of the team, so there is a positive link between the individual members that will not be easy to pull out because the group has become a major part of their identity. There is clear vision, mutual respect and trust and the team members have invested time and energy in to the purpose of the team. Working with people builds new relationships and when we learn from each other and contribute together to achieve results, there is great fulfillment. According to Abudi (2010) in the "adjourning" stage the project is coming to an end and the team members are moving off into different directions. This stage looks at the team from the perspective of the well-being of the team.

      As I think about the group and the aspects I found difficult to adjourn, I remembered my team at Haggai Leadership Institute in Maui. We had been together for four weeks, did projects together and worked intimately as a team, even though we came from about 23 different nations, we had connected together very strongly for world evangelism. When it was time to depart, we realized how close we had become. There was valedictory message, closing dinner and celebration of friendship, photographs and speeches; it was a powerful connection that is still making impact on me till today.

       I imagine that adjourning from my colleagues will be not be too easy. As online colleagues, we have formed teams and friendship in a way that is not very visible but quietly there is a relationship. We have discussed and shared ideas in some ways that have linked our hearts together. I agree that a Performing team will keep in touch with each other as they have become a very close knit group and there will be sadness at separating and moving on to other projects independently (Abudi, 2010). Even though I will be happy to be through with the program, I am unhappy to miss my colleagues. Adjourning is important because nothing lasts forever, even life will end one day and so we need to move on to other things and focus on our next goals. It will benefit the organizations we work for and help us to grow up professionally if we can end a team and start to transfer the knowledge to something more significant.

Reference

Abudi, G. (2010). The five stages of team development: A case study. Retrieved from http://www.projectsmart.co.uk/the-five-stages-of-team-development-a-case-study.html