Time Well Spent

I must first say that am not sure if am happy or sad! I think it has come to a sweet bitter moment. I am happy that I have achieved my biggest educational goal and that it is over. Congratulations colleagues, we did it!! I must let you know how proud I am every one of you, and of myself of course. We embarked upon this journey not knowing for sure what it would be like but with a community of practice that shared a similar vision, I want to say with heartfelt gratitude, thank you! There is no way that I could have succeeded with all the challenges had it not been for your advice and suggestions and words of encouragement and your help. Your shared wisdom, full support and inspiration took me through some hurdles when I thought it was the end. I want you to know that I am truly grateful.

On another important note, I would like to take this time to thank my instructors. You took us seriously when we began, even when you realized that some of us needed a little more than others. You made yourselves available, some even beyond classroom time, and guided us through with challenges that we would not have approached ordinarily. You saw more than we thought we had in us and challenged us to discover our strengths and face our weaknesses, using them as opportunities to grow. Your positive encouragement and insightful feedback have helped me to become a better writer, sharpen my critical thinking and to realize that I can face the challenges of life and not be afraid of failure. Over the twenty two or so months, I had hiccups along the way, but it was during this class that I had the most personal challenges, almost everything that could happen in my family did. At times it was hard getting the assignments done. I could have been experiencing burnt out syndrome with all that I had to face. Dr. Johnna, thank you for your understanding and exercising patience and tolerance when you recognized what was taking place. I thank everyone from the bottom of my heart.

One very important insight that I have learned over this course, and in this class in particular; is that I need to have people around me that sees my vision and believe in me. Here in my class I have found a great community of practice who supported and informed me, having the same vision for social change and advocating for it in the early childhood field. The journey was long, but it was made easier because of the source of help and strength that we were for one another, today we are stronger and wiser and are armed with knowledge ad insights that gives us some degree of expertise in our specialized area of study. I hope that as we continue to grow in the field, we will become advocates and experts who will guide new professionals. Mentors that will guide others to get up, stand up, and speak up for families and children and whole communities to demand and benefit from quality education and services.

As I reflect on this life-changing journey, I see a different person in me, in terms of the knowledge and experience that I have gained, I realize that the expert I thought I was, is a far cry from who I have become. I realized that the course was not easy but challenging, forcing me to think and operate beyond my capability. I also realized that there were others like me, my colleagues were facing similar challenges, but with the help of the professors with their support and open line of communication, help was a click away whenever we needed it. I discovered a little more about who I am, apart from the caring, compassionate and nurturing individual that I am, I am an advocate who is determined to be an agent of change in the lives of young children, one child at a time.

Before I started this Master’s program, I was very conservative with how I felt about different issues in the field and the work place. Throughout the program I have learned that I have a voice to speak up on behalf of those who depend on me as a professional in the field. Each course led me deeper into understanding my calling as I read and researched, and interact with materials. I    discovered new goals in the early childhood field, becoming more focused on becoming an agent of social change.

My Walden experience is life changing and, my connections are lifelong. That is why I would like to stay connected with everyone, you will always be my support system. Please do stay in touch I may be reached at:

Smcfarlane59@gmail.com

678 830 9615

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

The international websites that appeal to me are; Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI), Children’s Defense Fund and, Division for Early Childhood (DEC).

ACEI is a charitable organization whose mission is; “to promote and support the optimal education, development, and well-being of children worldwide”. This organization was first started as the International Kindergarten Union (IKU) in 1892, and was established by educators who were worried about the training and professional preparation of kindergarten teachers. In 1931, the National Council of Primary Education joined with the IKU, hence the name change to the Association for Childhood Education (ACE). Then in 1946, the need for advancing childhood education throughout the world was realized, thus association for childhood education became the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI). (http://acei.org, 2014).

The association’s focus area for all children in the world includes; access to education, equity in educational settings, quality educational content, and the child's right to education.

ACEI’s main purpose is to promote international and intercultural understanding through much dialogue while showing respect to all people. The members of this organization have pledged to be agents of social change, addressing critical issues in society, in an efforts to ensure that children everywhere are protected, supported, and given the educational opportunities that may help them reach their full potential.

The second organization website that I chose is Save the Children Fund (SCF). As you open the website the most touching statement pops out at you, it reads; “Every child has the right to grow up happy and healthy. The SCF invests in childhood – every day, in times of crisis and for our future”. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. By transforming children's lives now, we change the course of their future and ours. Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with a staff of more than 14,000 people working in over 120 countries, including the United States. SCF says that their aim is to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children, and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives by improving their health, education and economic opportunities.

Career opportunities- One position that I found available, for which I feel am qualified is: Education Specialist, Head Start. The job requirements and skills are a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, 3 years’ experience supporting teaching staff, supervision skills, strong interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills.

The third organization that I found that touched my heart with the work that they are doing is The Children Defense Fund (CDF). Their mission of ‘No child left behind’, 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. The CDF has a campaign going against child poverty: ‘Ending child poverty now’. It was alarming to me when I read a statement that said, “report shows that by investing an additional 2 percent of the federal budget into existing programs and policies that increase employment, make work pay, and ensure children’s basic needs are met, the nation could reduce child poverty by 60 percent and lift 6.6 million children out of poverty” (CDF, 2015). It is heartbreaking to learn that we are reported to have the second the second highest child poverty rate among 35 industrialized countries despite having the largest economy in the world. You can read more about this at: http://www.childrensdefense.org/#sthash.NGXijjHW.dpuf

References

http://www.acei.org/

http://www.childrensdefense.org/   http://www.childrensdefense.org/#sthash.NGXijjHW.dpuf

http://acei.org/global-action/worldwide-teacher-shortage-regional-and-global-implications#sthash.6ABqjHg1.dpuf.