Farwell

This journey has been so tremendous that it is hard to narrow my learning down to just three areas.  As my knowledge began to deepen in the field of Early Childhood it really began to open my eyes regarding current trends and issues.  One issue that I was not aware of was how great the struggle of providing quality care for children truly is.  Working in the pubic school system I have not had a lot of exposure to low quality educators, as all the educators that I have worked with hold at least a Bachelor’s Degree, if not a Master’s Degree.

This appears to not be the case in our public childcare centers as many of the articles that I read, as well as the discussion posts that I have participated in, indicate that many early childcare providers do not possess college degrees or formal training.  In addition they lack skills of how to manage children with behavior disorders or those who are experiencing developmental delays.

Becoming more aware of this serious problem sparks my passion to provide Professional Development Trainings for childcare providers within my community.  In addition I feel that it is important to work with my local Child Development Services, CDS to strengthen relationships between childcare centers and available trainings and resources. 

Working towards educating others about children seems like the perfect place to start now that I will be receiving my Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Walden University.  Becoming involved in creating and designing training courses to help support teachers who are struggling is something that I am truly dedicated and passionate about.  By informing others we can begin to change the look of preschools and build better, more prepared early childhood educators.

Another area that my knowledge has also grown in is that of the lack of inclusionary child care.  I knew that this was an area of concern for parents across the country. However, I did not truly understand the impact that not receiving high quality pre-school education alongside of their peers, has on these students with developmental disabilities and delays.  As I began to research this area I loved studying the laws behind this issue and now have a better understanding of what drives the decisions for where children with disabilities are placed for early childcare.

As I became more familiar with IDEA, I was really taken back by how loosely it was worded and how it allowed for private childcare centers to make decisions about inclusionary childcare, based on the cost and convenience.  This was shocking to me as there is not a clear definition of what a center deems to “cost too much.”  This is decided by each center independently leaving the opportunity for childcare centers to refuse to care for children who may require more support or supervision.

Clearly, as educators we all know that these children will require early intervention and continued assistance throughout their elementary years.  Is it really fair to take the opportunity of attending their local childcare center alongside their peers away from them?  These children already struggle throughout life to fit in and meet the standard.   By making the child and the family feel welcome we can begin to change the invisible line of separation that already exists for these children and their families.

The third issue that I have deepened my knowledge in is the numerous organizations that are working towards changing the future of early childhood education.  Some of these organizations I was aware of such as NAEYC, CEC, Dept. of Education, CDS and others however, I never realized how many organizations advocate for Early Childhood Education.  With every paper and discussion post I continued to become aware of new organizations that support this area.

In addition to learning about these organizations I have now also created a resource list with these organizations listed as well as their contact information.  As I begin my career working towards inclusionary childcare, being aware of the support that I can gather from these organizations is priceless.  I am truly so happy to begin connecting to my COP and look forward to joining them in moving towards high quality, affordable childcare for all children.

Obtaining my Master’s Degree from Walden University as well as the knowledge that I have gained has prepared me to begin working towards my goal.  My biggest goal is to change the look of childcare centers in my area so that they are better able to care for children with special needs.  My plan includes opening my own inclusionary childcare center in which we care for 45 children ages 3 to 5. 

These children will be both typically developing children and children who are experiencing developmental delays, behavior disorders, Autism and more.  By creating the correct environment all children will be able to learn together and be cared for together.  In addition it is my intent to make sure that therapy services are available to those who need them.  Now having the knowledge of grants and funding that is available will assist me in opening this type of center, while keeping it affordable for all families who wish for their child to attend.

Once my center is up and running I will begin to offer inclusionary trainings to other teachers within my community with the hope of obtaining a greater buy in.  Having a model will allow other centers to observe and understand how this type of care can be achieved, without disrupting the overall program.  As new preschools in my area open it is my goal to begin to see the overall structure change along with the attitude towards caring for all children.

Dear Dr. E. and my fellow colleagues,

This journey has been incredible and the knowledge that I have gained from all of you will stay with me for years to come as I move foreword with my career in Early Childhood Education.  Sharing our experiences together each week has deepened my understanding and knowledge of current issues and trends in early childcare.  In addition your information has expanded my understanding of what direction Early Childhood Education is moving in and what other states across the country are doing to move in the right direction.

As we begin our separate journeys I will forever remember the kindness from my colleagues as well as the continued encouragement from Dr. E.  The weekly guidance and support that I received from each of you through discussion post and blog comments was very valuable and created opportunities for professional growth and self-reflection.  For this I thank each and every one of you and wish you the best as you move towards your passion of advocating for young children and their families.  Thank you for all that you do for children and I hope that our paths will cross again in the future as we advocate and make changes for early childhood education.

                                                                                                            Best Regards,

                                                                                                            Michelle

A  Always

U  Unique

T  Totally

 I   Interesting

S  Sometimes

M Mysterious

Autism is not a word to feared. It’s a child to be loved.  Four Sea Stars

Please remember the importance of these children participating in early childhood education along side of their peers.  The opportunity that each and every one of you can provide for these children can impact their lives in ways that will forever change their future.  Thanks you for all that you do for children.  Michelle

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

The first international organization that I chose was that of UNICEF.  This organization has resources and experiences in 140 countries.  With a worldwide effort focused on the betterment of education for all children, not just those who live in wealthy countries.  By collaborating with others they are able to identify what academic areas need to be strengthened and then work to design innovations to address the issue and provide solutions.

One particular project that they are involved in is that of bringing literacy levels to an acceptable rate in Brazil.  By developing innovative educational models they are able to improve learning outcomes of children while advancing their agenda of international equity.  This program takes a holistic approach in order to improve reading and writing outcomes of students.  Previous statistics show that 25% of students leaving the 5th grade in Brazil were not reading proficient.  Clearly, we can do better for these children.

One job that I found most interesting was that of Education Sector Analyst.  This individual is responsible for advising the Ministry of Education and its partners on its next plan for 2015-2016.  Some of the requirements of this position are passion and dedication to education.  In addition the applicant must hold a Master's Degree in education or Economics.  This position also requires 5 years of experience in educational data collection, strong analytical and written skills, as well as computer skills and the ability to work with multi-cultures.

Most of these skills I do posses as I have worked in public education since 1994 and have much experience in collecting educational data.  In addition I have en endorsement in ESOL, which has provided me with the education of how to work with multi-cultures.  I posses strong analytical, communication and written skills and posses a strong commitment to education, which includes passion and desire to make a difference for others.  However, I would need to develop skills in sector analysis and how to look at this type of data, as I do not have experience in this area.

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), http://unicef-innovations.org

The next international organization that I chose was that of Save The Children.  This organization works towards saving children every day, placing a great emphasis on protecting children and ensuring that they are given a future.  This organization currently assists 120 countries including that of the United States of America.  Some of the services that they provide include education for children that otherwise may not receive one.  Believing that education is the road to each child’s future is its mission.  

Part of their education plan includes education for parents, caregivers, community volunteers and teachers.  By teaching these individuals to truly engage with children bonds can be established that then lead to learning.  Often, this type of training is provided when a community is experiencing a crisis and the focus may not be on educating their children, rather just survival.  Giving this type of support during these trying times is very appealing to me and this is something that I find very fascinating and to be a true statement of their commitment and dedication in ensuring that children are cared for.

One position that I found of particular interest was that of Learning Research Specialist, which is through the office of the Department of Education and Child Development.  This position provides support to country offices to expand access to quality learning outcomes.  In addition she is primarily responsible for the implementation of Early Childhood Care and Development ensuring that all programs have access to quality educational resources.

This position requires that you are a problem solver, have the ability to take the initiative and work independently and be willing to travel up to 30% of the time.  It also requires a Master's Degree in Education or Economics and at least 3 years in research and computer proficiency. 

Most of these skills I do possess however, my research skills are not consistent and this is an area that I feel I need to further my education in and take additional classes. Travel is something that I would love to do, as this would allow me to assist children not just directly within my own community, but around the country.

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

The last international organization that I found interesting was that of USESCO.  This organization takes a different approach than others by finding ways to support education.  USESCO seems to focus more on a global approach working towards equality civilizations, cultures and people. They work towards building human rights and mutual respect while reducing poverty.  Their goals are broad and encompass the entire world, not just chosen countries. This organizations mission includes irradiating poverty, developing intercultural dialogue through education, science, culture and communication.

USESCO advocates for education for all children at The World Education Forum and have obtained political commitment from 164 governments regarding education.  It is the responsibility of this organization along with others to ensure that these communities and agencies are working together to ensure that they are meeting their commitments.

Taking this global approach is very interesting as it allows you to see the issue from a completely different view.  Advocating for change is something that I truly have a passion for and I can see myself enjoying working on a forum, such as this.  In addition I have passion for human rights and equality and feel that this is an area that I also could contribute in.

One position that I found was that of General service Staff.  This position assist in the areas of education, science, culture communication and information.  It requires a post secondary degree and fluency in either English or French.  They are looking for individuals with integrity, respect, professionalism and diversity.  This position has various levels depending on the applicant’s years of experience in the educational field.

I do believe that I do posses all of the required qualifications for this potion however, the additional desired qualifications such as experience in Arabic, Russian, Spanish or Chinese are areas that I do not have any experience in.  Although, not listed I also believe that this position would take good communication skills and a willingness to work to others due to the diverse nature of the responsibilities. 

Academy for Educational Development. (2011), http://www.aed.org/en/index.htm
 

Exploring roles in the ECE community

As I began to explore the various organizations and the roles that they played within my community I began to understand the importance of collaboration between them.  Clearly, not one organization can achieve the desired change without the support of each other and their desire to work together.  Within my state quality early childhood education as well as people who are willing to move forward with change are greatly needed.  It is my intention to be connected to many of these local agencies and some I already am.  However, there were three that were of particular interest that supported my passions.

The first is that of FDLRS, The Florida Diagnostic & Learning Resources System.  This is an agency that is funded by the state and services are provided through a local county area office.  Some of the services provided by this organization include diagnostic, instructional and technology support.  These services are designed to provide support for the local school district's ESE programs as well as providing support for students and families.  In addition they provide training for staff and direct instructional support.   As a Special Education Teacher my goals include working with children with special needs and providing early detection so that early intervention services can be implemented in the critical years.  FDLRS - Home www.fdlrs.org .

The next organization that I found to be of interest is that CDS, Child Development Services of Florida.  This organization works to support Head Start as well as informing parents about available program options.  In addition they provide funding for local families who are struggling to pay for child care services. They also provide mental health services for children who are experiencing difficulties.   Families who are experiencing financial difficulties can qualify for additional services for this organization such as utility bill assistance and food assistance.  Supporting children who are from a low SES is also something that I wish to focus on, as it is my belief that these children can be successful if they are simply taught to believe in themselves.  Discover CDS, Childhood Development Services for Florida .discovercds.org.

The last organization that I chose was that of the NAEYC.  This organization provides support for children birth through eight by connecting practice, policy and research.  It also publishes the latest research and trends in early childhood education.  In addition it gives a voice to children who otherwise would not be heard.  It sets program standards as well as developmentally appropriate practices to be followed.  This organization clearly supports my desire to stay informed with the latest research and standards.  By being involved instead of being on the sideline I can further my desire to advocate for these children. National Association for the Education of Young. www.naeyc.org  

Living in Florida, in the Tampa Bay area there is a great need for childcare and childcare related services.  My local FLDRS has positions open for resource teachers that administer developmental tests to determine if a child has a developmental delay.  These positions require a master's degree in Early Childhood Education as well as a Bachelor's Degree in Exceptional Education.  In addition it requires 3 years of teaching experience with special needs students.  Upon completion of my Master's Degree, I will meet all or these qualifications and will be closer to my goals of early detection of developmental delays.

My experience includes working in Special Education for 20 plus years and I believe that these skills will assist me in helping to detect developmental delays and therapies that may be needed.  Parent meetings and staff development are also my areas of strengths and these skills will assist me in staffing children for ESE services and providing parent information.    

                                                                         

Reflection Michelle Holmberg

As I reflect on all that I have learned during this course I must say that my colleagues have played a very big part of that learning process.  As I read your blogs each week it gave me insight to various areas of child development.  It made me begin to look at and consider others points of view knowing that this is truly what forms effective communication.  Reading about others collaborative experiences and events that may have occurred has better prepared me for future collaboration.  As I read the discussion postings each week I felt that this helped to deepen my learning experience as often I would find things that were posted that I had missed during the reading or perhaps interpreted in a different way.

Over the past few weeks you have been kind enough to offer your suggestions and personal learning experiences.  This has allowed me grow in my understanding of communication skills and working collaboratively towards a common goal.  We have exchanged ideas with one another forming a network of early childhood educators that will touch many young lives in the future.

Moving forward in my early childhood career I wish all of you the best in your future goals.  I look forward to continuing to follow your blogs and share in your learning process.  As leaders within the early learning process is crucial that we stay connected so that we can continue to promote awareness of the importance of early childhood education.  This is a field that has a long way to go but I am so pleased to see that there are so many dedicated people such as yourselves.  Without us they do not have a voice and this is something that we can never forget.

Adjourning Phase Michelle Holmberg

Prior to this assignment I never really gave much thought about how I had adjourned groups that I had been members of. As I thought about the various groups that I had participated in over the years I thought of my college groups, my work groups, parent groups, and many others.  One thing that I immediately noticed was that how each of them adjourned had been in a different manner based on the what I believe to be the relationship amongst the team members.

As I think back to being in college and all of the times that I met with my peers to complete group assignment or tasks I recall always encouraging one another that it was getting closer with each class and that we together would make it through.  Our focus was a common goal and we helped each other to achieve it.  Thinking of work groups this also varies depending on if I am meeting with my ESE team which is made of up many people of my grade level team which is just a few of us.  My grade level meetings adjourn with jokes and well wishes and maybe some comments about personal events that may be coming.  Our ESE meetings typically end with going over the list of who we will look at the following week and who is responsible for collecting each needed piece.  This becomes a very stressful  time as we are all quickly writing down what we are responsible for and hurrying onto our next responsibility.

I often find it difficult to leave my grade level team as we stay late after school and get so much done.   We have an agenda and each team member takes a piece of the lesson planning and begins working.  The time goes  by very quickly and family obligations slowly claim each of us and we leave one by one.   This transition can be difficult as you don't want to place too much of the work into your peers.  Making sure that we each are pulling our weight is typically how these meetings end making sure that everybody is good to go for the following week.

After this weeks assignment I see myself taking time for a moment of self reflection before adjourning.  If we can take the time to reflect on what we have accomplished we will be more focused on getting the work completed.  This will also give us a chance to come together and talk about some common ground.  I will suggest that we capture some best practices and discuss what we would like to keep and what we would like to change for next time. This will assist me in looking at the well being of the team not the other 4 steps which focuses more on achieving the goal.
Adjourning is an essential stage of team work as it gives the team an opportunity to come together once again and celebrate their accomplishments.  It also gives a time for reflection of the process as well as giving each member an opportunity to speak about their team experience.

Resolving Conflicts

This weeks assignment asked us to think of a time when we were in a conflict with a peer or other professional.  The first instance that came to mind was that of a parent who is quite angry with me due to his son's educational placement.  He was placed in  my classroom on a (DD) Developmentally Delayed ESE label, which expires at the age of 6 in the state of Florida.  From the time he entered my classroom I informed his mother through formal meetings that I did not see a lot of indicators of Autism and felt that he may not qualify for a label of Autism under the guidelines of the school district.  As the year went on I continued to remind her of this while placing her child out into the mainstream for part of the day.  I began to prepare both of them for the transition in which I expected and shared this with her.

When it came time to do the evaluations on the child in fact he did not qualify for an Autism label under district guidelines and standardized assessments, which were administered.  His speech label was changed to a label of LI (Language Impaired) and the only choice for placement was basic ed.  We once again met with the mother and explained all of this process to her.  We explained that he would be placed in basic education as we did not see the behaviors that she claimed to see at home.  She agreed and stated that she understood.

Then the child was placed in basic education and it became a whole different story.  She began calling our district office saying that I had made these changes on my own and was wrong in doing so.  I agreed to meet with the mother and she kept saying,  "But I don't understand, this is all your fault."  I continued to explain to the mother that we had discussed this information and that she should be pleased that her child was doing so well that he would be placed full-time in basic education.  This however, was not what she wanted to hear.  She began to tell us about how she doesn't discipline and he can call her whatever he wants, she just ignores his behavior.  It was quite clear that this was a home problem and being as respectful as possible, I began to tell her so.  This can be very difficult for educators of children with special needs because at times regardless of how uncomfortable it is to say, we need to say it, as the parents need to hear it.  By simply ignoring that is is an issue it will only continue to become bigger and more difficult to find a replacement behavior for.

I used compassion and began to find her resources that could assist with parenting classes and counseling for both her and her children.  This seemed to calm her as she began to see that there were community resources in which she could turn to.  I offered to contact my school Social Worker to find additional resources and assistance for her situation.  She then began to cry and it was clear that she was just frustrated with her child and could not understand how we could easily manage his behavior but, it was so difficult for her.

When working with this parent this school year, I can continue to use the 3 R's when communicating with her.  I must remember to respect her parenting skills even though they may not be the best.  My relationships with her must be reciprocal and I must take the time to truly listen to her needs and then find solutions to the issues that she is facing.  As an educator, I must remember that being responsible is doing what is best for the child, even if it means that I will be forced to have unpleasant conversations with parents from time to time.

Communication Similarities and Differences

As I read many of the post for this week it was interesting to hear about our various communications styles and how they effect our ability to communicate with others who are different than us.  As I spoke with others about my communication style it was interesting to hear others describe their perceptions and interpretations of my communication ability.  One thing that I think was surprising was how someone described how I first evaluate someone before beginning to speak to them.  They said they have seen me change how I speak to someone if I feel that they have a disability or need extra time for processing information.  I believe that I do this as an effort not to offend others who may be having difficulty communicating.  I work with students with communication and processing disabilities so I have learned to take the time to listen to someone and not rush what they are saying.  Being aware that others notice this in my is something that will help me to continue to grow professionally.

Another thing about my communication styles was how others notice how frequently I use my hands to express emotion.  This is something that I have done all of my life but have never really paid attention to.  However, I do see how this could be offensive to some cultures and I need to be more aware of my body language when communicating with others from different cultures.  By being aware of my hand movement and body language this will enhance my professional communication abilities.

One very important piece of information that I learned from one of my colleagues here in this course was the importance of being aware of your prejudices prior to speaking to someone.  By monitoring ourselves we can ensure that prejudices and schemas do not interfere with our ability to effectively communicate with others.  I was really impressed by this and feel that this is something that can benefit me professionally as I continue to expand my communication skills.