Time Well Spent

Where do I begin? I have learned so much that it seems difficult to choose only three deeply felt learnings. I would say that the most important message that I learned is how important it is to respect other’s culture and diversity. I had always been taught to respect others and have enjoyed experiencing diverse cultures, but never to the level of seeing how they add to our own “tapestry of life”. Joseph (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011) inspired me with this, “Diversity is not about how we differ. It is about embracing one another’s uniqueness”. Embracing the uniqueness of others allows endearing relationships to form.

Secondly, I have learned how to make deeper and more meaningful connections to those issues in the early childhood field for which I feel passion. Through researching those topics, writing about them, citing scholars who understand the issues, and discussing such topics openly with our peers I have gleamed knowledge that has added depth to my enthusiasm about important issues. Our passion is the driving force that helps us become the voice for others and to advocate for worthwhile change.

My third deeply felt learning is that I am more aware of whom I am and that I can accomplish much as I connect to others with the same passions. Coming together with others makes our quest stronger and more meaningful. I love what Eleanor Roosevelt (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011) said, “We must do things we think we cannot do. The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” I believe in myself and can therefore believe in others.

My long term goal is to awake each day with more passion, added desire to inspire others, and the fortitude to be someone that changes the world one step at a time. I know that I can be the example that others look to for guidance as they work with children. I can be a leader of change as I live my beliefs.

Just in case you were not able to view what I posted on the "Good-bye Wall", I have added it below.






These are pictures of “Balance Rock” near where I live in Idaho. It reminds me of how important it is to maintain balance in my life. Sometimes taking risks keeps our balance in check, like getting a master’s degree.

It takes many forces to keep that rock in balance as it has taken many forces to help me maintain balance as I pursued a long held dream. I owe many thanks to my husband for his support, my sister for her encouragement, my students for loving me, to all of you for imparting your knowledge, wisdom, and advice, and to our dear instructor, Dr. Teri, for her unrelenting patience, genuine common sense, and for knowing how to keep us on track. I wish you all well and hope that we many cross paths again.

Some other quotes that resonate from my heart:

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.” Nelson Mandela (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011)

“No one has yet fully realized the wealth of sympathy, kindness, and generosity hidden in the soul of a child. The effort of every true education should unlock that treasure.” Emma Goldman (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011)


Reference:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2011). Merging vision, passion, and practice [Multimedia]. Retrieved from http://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/2dett4d/Walden/EDUC/6990/01/mm/ec_pres/index.html

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

This week’s assignment opened my eye to how blessed we are to live in a global world where we can be connected from a small rural community in Idaho to international countries. I am in awe of how much I still have to learn about the planet I live on.

UNICEF
The first international organization that I would like to talk about is UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund. I have always been in awe of this organization for advocating in almost every part of the world with focus for the betterment of children. Their areas of expertise include child survival and development, basic education, children HIV/AIDS, child protection, and policy advocacy and partnerships. They serve 191 countries ranging alphabetically from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. Their employment board lists forty-three job opportunities. Of those forty-three openings, three were in the field of education. They require advanced degrees in education or related degrees and ask that you speak English along with another UNICEF language related to the country the position is dedicated to.

ISSA
ISSA (International Step by Step Association) was founded in 1999 in the Netherlands. They provide networking which links professionals and groups who are associated with early childhood development and education. They are affiliated with countries from Central and Eastern Europe to Asia, Asia, and Americas. They help programs who advocate for policy reform that affects children and families. ISSA offers resources and support to professionals in the early childhood field. Such organizations are import for spreading the word that children are important. There are currently four new employment postings. None of which I was interested in, and none of which I qualified for. They ask for extensive knowledge of the culture you would be working with along with knowledge of education practice at an international level. None of my searches led me to other positions within the organization.

UNESCO
I loved reading UNESCO’s mission. “UNESCO’s mission is to contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information.” They are specialized as a part of the United Nations. Although they do not advertise for employment opportunities at this time, they hire individuals based on their background knowledge of global trends. Professional ranking for employment with UNESCO includes junior, middle, and management. Junior professionals implement programs and projects, middle ranking employees oversee small teams, and management professionals direct particular divisions. It all sounds complicated, but exciting. This is probably one organization that I will keep my eye on.

ACEI
Association for Childhood Education International’s “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” (ACEI, n.d.). I found this organization by chance as I was working on the blog project this week. I felt appreciative of their support for educators as well as children and families. Educators of young children have a grave responsibility to advocate for children and they need encouragement and inspiration. It is important that there are organizations who advocate for their professional growth. In searching for available employment, I ran across their advertisement for internships. This would be such a great opportunity for a young student who is serious about the field of early childhood education and who is enrolled in a graduate program. This is something I wish I could have done when I was younger.

There are so many organizations locally, nationally, and internationally that influence the lives of children and families. We live in such a wonderful time that offers so many opportunities. As I think about this, I am concerned as to why we cannot seem to have bright futures for all children and their families. Alas, we must never give up trying to create the best environments for children right where we are.



References:

Association for Childhood Education International. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.acei.org/

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

United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (2011). Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/about-us/who-we-are/introducing-unesco/

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2011, from http://www.unicef.org/