EDUC6990 Week 6 - International Job Roles

The International Association of Special Education, IASE, (International Association of Special Education, 2012) is an international association of professionals dedicated to special needs services and quality of life.  The organization includes teacher educators, teachers, therapists, family members, counselors, and others with associated disciplines.  This agency is looking for volunteers to work in Bangladesh, India, Malawi, Mexico and Tanzania on service projects.  The volunteers needed are in a range of areas from therapists, teachers, office personnel, and other related professions.  In Bangladesh they are searching for volunteers to work from October through March to train staff and volunteers in the field of disabilities, to organize a self-help movement among the disabled people, to analyze the social and economic plight of the disabled, and to conduct social survey.  Each country has a set of needed volunteers with related positions and varying requirements.  This web site has a translate selection on the main page, and can be translated into sixty six languages!  The publication section includes yearly journals with a multitude of information.

The European Agency for Development in Special Education Needs (European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education, 2012) is a self-governing and independent organization which collaborates in the area of education for the special needs person.  The agency is working on a number of projects related to inclusion, educational quality and teacher education.  Results are available for viewing.  There are no positions currently available.

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2012) provides leadership on an international level to enhance learning for all populations.  They set educational standards, provide information, advocate for education, dispense information, and provide leadership for educational reform.  They have a theme based website, with a variety of topics.  I was especially interested in the topic “Strengthening Education Systems”.  This topic included early childhood education and inclusion, with subtopics on child soldiers, children with disabilities, street children and more.  The website offers a six booklet toolkit on inclusive education, with details on many topics such as the creation and management of inclusive classrooms.  UNESCO currently has an opening for a Social Media and Web Coordinator in the area of Education Research.  The position is in Paris, and pays $73,226 US dollars per year.  This person must have a master’s degree in information technology or other related discipline.       

United Nations Children’s Fund - UNICEF (UNICEF, 2012) is a forceful organization which has the global authority and partners to influence decision-makers in the area of rights.  They believe that caring and nurturing for children is of the utmost importance.  UNICEF was created for the purpose of improving children lives by fighting against violence, disease, poverty and discrimination.  UNICEF is active in over 190 countries.  UNICEF has many types of positions.  The Junior Professional Program is for persons 28 to 32 years of age with a Master’s Degree and two years of experience.  The NETI program is a mid-career program which accepts Junior Professionals with 15 months experience or mid-career professionals.  Senior Professionals are highly qualified persons at the height of their careers.  A senior position requires an advanced degree and a minimum of ten years of relevant experience.  At this time, NETI applications are being accepted.  Junior openings exist in Japan, and senior positions are open in New York and Oman.  The salaries and requirements vary. 

References

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization - UNESCO. (2012). Education. Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/inclusive-education  

International Association of Special Education – IASE. (2012). www.iase.org

United Nations Children’s Fund - UNICEF. (2012). Unicef. Retrieved from www.unicef.org/index.php

 

European Agency for Development in Special Needs Education. (2012). Teacher Education for Inclusion Across Europe – Challenges and Opportunities. Retrieved from www.european-agency.org/publications/ereports/te4i-challenges-and-opportunities/TE4I-Syntheses-Report-EN.pdf

EDUC6990 - Week 4 - Employment in National/Federal Early Childhood Agencies

My passion is early childhood inclusion.  I found several national agencies which appealed to me due to their interest in early childhood inclusion.  These agencies are all valuable resources in all teaching areas, and also provide information on inclusion.

The Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, 2012) is a center located in North Carolina devoted to studying young children and their families on both a state and a nationwide scale.  This Institute is currently working on more than 80 projects which are related to early care, education, developmental disabilities, social health, physical health, professional development, and diversity.  The National Professional Development Center on Inclusion is a part of the Frank Porter Graham Center.  The Institute shares their generated studies with the general public, and publishes their works in professional journals.  The motto of the Institute is “Advancing knowledge. Enhancing lives.”  The Institute hires about 300 staff, specialists, researchers and students.  Positions are available for a variety of skill and experience levels.  While there are no openings at this time, I feel this would be a great place to work!

The Head Start Center for Inclusion is an agency which studies inclusion.  This agency tries to increase the effectiveness, confidence and competence of the personnel that work in Head Start programs.  This site has free online training modules on inclusion available for teachers and trainers.  There is currently a position open for a “Birth to five education/disabilities director” in the state of Washington.  Education required is a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education, experience required is three years as a preschool teacher plus five years as an education supervisor of ten or more teachers as well as five years’ experience with budgets of $120,000 or more.  

The National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators, 2012) has a position statement which details recommended requirements for early childhood teachers in public school settings.  Public school education of three to eight year old children is improved with stronger early childhood certification and endorsement at the state level.  This agency accepts advertisements for employment positions of the members.  Currently, they are advertising for a Day Care Teacher in Baltimore, MD at the Good Samaritan Hospital.  This position requires a Bachelor’s Degree, three to five years of experience, and excellent verbal and writing skills as well as excellent organizational skills.

The National Association of Special Education Teachers (The National Association of Special Education Teachers, 2012) is a national organization of members dedicated to providing assistance and support to current and future teachers of special education.  This site has a wealth of employment information such as average special education teacher salaries by state and career fact sheets.  They have several positions advertised.  One is for an Accessibility Manager in Dover, NH.  This person must have a Master’s Degree in Education, training in Universal Design for Special Education and Learning, and a minimum of ten years of experience in special education or accessibility.

References:

Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute. (2012). About FPG. Retrieved from www.fpg.unc.edu/about-fpg

Head Start Center for Inclusion. (2012). Abstract/Mission/Goals. Retrieved from http://depts.washington.edu/hscenter/abstract-mission-goals 

National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators. (2012). Position Statements, By-Laws, and Policies. Retrieved from www.naecte.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30&Itemid=43  

National Association of Special Education Teachers. (2012). What is Early Intervention? Retrieved from www.naset.org/earlyintervention2.0.html

EDUC6990 - Week 1 - Local and State Organizations – Job Possibilities

I have the advantage of living within a fifteen minute drive of the state capitol of Pennsylvania.  Therefore, many state positions are in the local area.  The following are positions available in the capitol city of Harrisburg, PA, with the exception of the position with NAEYC.  This opening is in Washington, D.C., which is within commuting distance.    

               The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL, 2012) is an agency which is overseen by the Department of Education and by the Department of Public Welfare.  This agency partners with many other agencies in a collaborative effort to create an early education system for children in early childhood and young school-age children.  The agency is dedicated to providing young children with the educational building blocks they will need for lifelong learning.  As an employee of OCDEL, I would have a voice in determining educational practices and setting educational requirements in the state of Pennsylvania.  OCDEL is now hiring master degree graduates in a Pennsylvania Management Associate Program.  This program provides extensive training on the job.  The work assignments are rotated through many different agencies in order to allow the participant to learn information from each agency.  In this way, OCDEL is creating the leaders for tomorrow.  They are creating persons knowledgeable in a variety of areas, and trained to enter into collaborative decision making.     

               The Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA, 2012) is a non-profit organization specializing in early childhood care and education programs.  PACCA advocates for young children and their families, and promotes inclusive education.  PACCA has an Early Care and Education committee that meets four times a year.  This community of practice would offer an excellent opportunity to have a voice in educational practices, and would be an excellent committee to join.  As a voluntary member, you would not enjoy employment benefits, but you would be making a difference.  A master’s degree is required to join this group.

               The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC, 2012) is looking for a person to accept the job of Accreditation Coordinator.  This position requires a Bachelor’s Degree, experience in the early childhood field, and experience with NAEYC accreditation.  The candidate will work with early childhood programs in all fields of the accreditation process.  This position would give a qualified person the opportunity to interface with quality early childhood programs on an individual basis.  NAEYC is an agency which is dedicated to the quality of the educational program and developmental services in the early and young childhood environments.

               The Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (DPW, 2012) is an agency that regulates early childhood licensing.  As an Early Childhood Education Advisor you would have the opportunity to assist various charter schools and school districts as well as intermediate units in the implementation of effective, quality programs for young children up to age eight.  You would also promote collaboration between local community programs in the preschool sector.  Goals and objectives, statewide committee leadership and academic standards would also be addresses.  The requirements for the job are the completion of the Civil Service Test and one year experience in curriculum and training and four years of experience in the early childhood field.  Eighteen credits in early childhood are required.

 

References:

Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (DPW).            (2012). Pennsylvania State Civil Service Commission.  Retrieved from http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/jobseekers/11372/open_state_and_local_government_career_opportunities/590498#education

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). (2102). Employment Opportunities. Retrieved from http://oldweb.naeyc.org/about/employment.asp

Office of Child Development and Learning (OCDEL). (2012). Employment Opportunities. Retrieved from http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/employment/index.htm

Pennsylvania Child Care Association (PACCA). (2012). Membership Center. Retrieved from http://www.pacca.org/membership-center.html

EDUC6165 - Week 8 - We Made It!

We did it!  We completed the final week of class!  I have enjoyed blogging with all of you!  The stories, comments and support were interesting, educational and helpful!  I wish all of you the best as you continue your careers in the early childhood field.  If any of you would like to contact me by email or telephone, please send me an email through Walden Email with your information (Enter Tools to find Email).
Thank You and Good Luck
Mary L.

EDUC6165 Week6 Adjourning Stage

The adjourning phase of team development is the fifth and final stage.  In this stage, the end project should be reviewed and evaluated.  Projects that turned out well can be remembered for the future.  Projects that did not turn out well can be dissected, and the results saved and learned for the future.  This is also a time for the team to celebrate the various successes of the project.  Often, close knit group members will feel sad that the project has ended, and will want to keep in touch.

High performing groups are very difficult to leave.  In a high performing group, members become close knit, they become almost like a family.  Groups with a strong norming stage have members which trust, value and respect each other.  There is a strong level of peer support among group members with a strong norming stage.  When the group disbands, there is a feeling of loss, a feeling of sadness.  Persons you have become close to, trust, and respect are no longer available for group work.

Low performing groups are easy to leave.  There is not a high level of trust formed.  Neither is there a high level of commitment.  Members are not connected and feel little or no responsibility for each other.  A low performing group often never reaches the norming stage, never learns to work toward a common goal as a team.

I have experienced a variety of adjourning rituals.  Project reflection is a common ritual, which can be enlightening and educational.  Parties are often thrown at the end of a project, a place to celebrate the project, a place to say good-byes, a place to exchange personal contact information.  Parties are a very common ritual!  Sometimes, a project just ends with an event.  This is common when planning an event, such as a scout banquet.  Often, when the event ends, the team is thanked, and no further adjourning takes place.

When I graduated from high school, I felt sad to leave my group of friends.  We worked toward a common goal.  Graduation.  When I graduate from this master’s degree program, I will again feel sad to loose contact with my fellow students.  The online environment allows for a lower level of team work than a course taught in a classroom, and is not as difficult to leave.  However, I will still feel sad to no longer communicate with my classmates.  I hope to keep in touch as I begin a career in the teaching field, beginning a new team challenge, a project defined as a peer support group for those of us entering the job market in the early childhood field, another online team project.  I do not want to say goodbye, I want to start another project!       

Adjourning is an essential portion of team work, as every beginning needs an ending.  Proper adjourning sets the stage for further team work.  Team members are able to celebrate successes and learn from choices and decisions that were less than perfect.  Proper adjourning practices also give participants an opportunity to socialize, reinforcing new friendships and planning future contact.