Time Well Spent

The journey in earning my masters has been a challenging one most times. Though challenging especially in this final course I have made it to the end. In this course I have learnt many things, but what has mostly stood out to me are the following:

• First is, it is important to have a team to work with. In this instance a team refers to your community of practice, these individuals give you insight that you yourself would not be able to recognise on your own. It is important to remain humble and not believe that you know it all, because no one ever knows it all. Just like each body part has a role to play so will the members of my community practice, each one being an expert in their role.
• Secondly is the importance of research. Research at times can be a monotonous process especially if you are not able to find the required information. Regardless, it is a very important aspect if one wants to deliver the best service possible. Quality research is essential to the process of making your service the best.
• Thirdly would be the connection of being a good leader and making that social change required. A good leader not only motivate individuals to work as needed, but they also encourage their team members to become better individuals and also better leaders themselves. A leader who can incorporate transformational leadership in their qualities not only transform those under their leadership such as team members, but also those in the communities. 

My long term goal as an educator is to first be the owner of one of the first 24 hour child care facilities. In doing this also be able to have a positive impact on the families that influences the child's behaviour.

Farewells are always bitter sweet moments, but for me I am tasting a bit more sweet than bitterness. I pray that you all continues to strive toward the mark of making a social change in your environment, in the state, country, region, or international. We have all ran this course and I just want to say thank you to everyone who would have played a part in the on-line community throughout this program, you have been good motivators. Dr. E, I thank you for directing me in the right path though I may have strayed at times, for your continual persistence in seeing the best being produced. Continue to strive for being the best that you are and that you can be, never settle for less.

Jobs/Roles in the ECE Community: Internationally

The three international organisations are:

1. International Step By Step Association
This organisation invests in children, everyday, in times of crisis, and for the future, not only in the United States but also around the world. This investment includes giving the children a healthy start, the opportunity to learn, and protection from harm. Their idea is that by transforming lives now, they change the course of their future and others. I chose this organisation because it focuses on providing a better opportunity for those children at a disadvantage, and if we can help them now we help many a generation to come.

Job opportunity that is available is that of being an intern. Being an intern gives you the opportunity to work under the leadership of an experienced staff member within a specific department. To qualify to work as an intern you must be an actively enrolled undergraduate or graduate student.

2. UNICEF
UNICEF is the leading humanitarian and development agency working globally for the rights of every child. Child rights begin with safe shelter, nutrition, protection from disaster and conflict and traverse the life cycle: pre-natal care for healthy births, clean water and sanitation, health care and education. The organisation interests me because it focuses on improving the future for the children, in helping the child they help a present and future generation in that nation.

Job opportunity is that of being an education specialist. This involves managing the Safe School Initiative project including overall coordination, oversight and development of Strategies, Action Plans and other relevant and required documents, oversee procurements and supply processes, provide technical mastery and expertise in establishing data base to keep track on schools, teachers and children as well as inventory management, in support of programme objectives. Accountable for effective planning, building capacity, monitoring and reporting of education program, in support of the Education Section.

Qualifications needed 

- Advanced University Degree in Education or related filed.
- At least 5 years of extensive experience and demonstrated ability in Project Management and overseas experience
- Competent in relational design and broad understanding of education in emergencies and schools under attack
- Extensive knowledge and skills of equity based planning, programming and applications,
- High analytical skills using diverse and complex quantitative and qualitative information from a wide range of sources,
- Demonstrates, applies and shares technical knowledge to government partners and national officials.
- Communicates effectively, both orally and in writing, to varied audiences,
- Able to work effectively in a multi-cultural and sets high standards for quality of work and consistently achieves project goals.
- Proven ability to work in harsh condition
- Experience working in the UN or other international development organization an asset.
- Evidence of previous work is a requirement.
- Excellent management and communication skills

3. ISSA - The International Step by Step Association

This organisation's focus is to ensure equal access to quality care and education for all young children from birth to 10 years old. This mission is implemented through three main pillars of action: equal access for all children; promoting high-quality and professionalism in early years services and empowering parents and communities to be part of children’s development and learning.

The organisation interest me especially in the area of empowering families and communities to be a part of the children's development and learning, since this is the main focus of my challenge for this course. 

Job opportunity 

I do not see any job opportunities with this organisation, but they do have the option of becoming a member of the organisation. 

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

The three organisations are:
1. WestEd
This organisation believes that all students should succeed in school, and that all these learners, infants to adults, should thrive within the community despite any circumstances that they may have been born into. This organisation appealed to me because it's focus is not only on children but also on adults, which would include the parents of the children being catered to. This allows for improvement in circumstances which might repeat themselves in family generations. Generational curses are broken by being able to make a difference in the lives of one household in the larger family setting.

The job opportunity that interest me was that of; Program Assistant. Skills and experience needed includes:
   Bachelors degree or equivalent experience.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office software and web/intranet environments.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills and ability to work as a team member.
• Comfortable handling multiple and shifting tasks with a number of program staff.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Tolerance for changing work priorities and deadlines and willingness to take on additional responsibilities.
• Resourceful and attentive to details.
• Interest and/or knowledge of education issues is desirable.
• Proactive in anticipating potential challenges, offering ways to improve processes, ensuring follow through.

2. Administration for Children and Families
Their goal is to seek to have children, youth, families, individuals, and communities who are resilient, safe, healthy, and economically secure. In doing this they provide avenues for parents to be assisted in their parenting skills, provide programs for children to be involved in order to be better educated. This organisation not only seeks to help the children, but the family as a unit. This is important to me because trying impact a child alone will not have the same effect as if the family unit was impacted together. The family will grow in knowledge and so would the child.

No available job opportunities.

3. The Erikson Institute
The Erikson Institute seeks to prepare child development and family service professionals for leadership. They do so in providing academic services, community service and engagement. This development in professionals is so that they are able to improve the life of children and families. The reason for choosing this organisation is because like they other two I chose it focuses on the development of the family unit and how its development will have a positive impact on the community.

Job opportunity is Assistant Director. Qualifications include:

Excellent interpersonal and written/verbal communication skills balanced with excellent organizational and administrative skills.
Ability to work as part of a team in a fast-paced work environment.
Ability to work with people from a variety of diverse backgrounds and with diverse characteristics, including culture, race, language, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, social class, and abilities.
Ability to use technology to improve communications and services.
Familiarity with student information systems and relationship management software.
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent required; Master’s degree preferred
Minimum of two years of full-time experience in a higher education setting required, preferably in registration and student records, academic advising or enrollment management.
Demonstrated ability to foster collaboration across diverse groups of constituents, including students, faculty, academic advisors, alumni and other staff.

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

In Barbados there are very limited organisation that purposefully come together to work on behalf of the children in society. Below are the three that I found interest in;

PAREDOS-
This is an organisation that that seeks to assist parents in parenting their children. These parents mostly include those who are underprivileged, teenage mothers, or any parent who is seeking assistance in know how to raise their child. This organisation interest me because, my challenge is based on parents being able to leave a positive legacy for their children, and in doing so I will be seeking to overcome the barrier between teacher and parent, ad be able to get parents more involved in their child's education. PAREDOS' purpose is directly dealing with parents and parenting and therefore if I can become involved in this organisation, then I would have a better opportunity of reaching more parents.
A job opportunity in this organisation right now would be more voluntary work. This voluntary work would include speaking in certain environments, such as seminars or just a session on parenting. The experience required is minimum.

VARIETY The Children's Charity
 This organisation's goal is to raise funds for the sick, disadvantaged, and disabled children in Barbados and in the Eastern Caribbean. What interest me in this organisation is the impact that they have on the children, and being involved would be a great opportunity. Though being involved may not directly mean interacting with the children, but knowing what little I am doing can have a great impact on the children's lives. In this organisation volunteering is my better option, I could also become a member of the charity with a annual fee. No experience is required.

H.O.P.E for Children

This organisation provides food, school uniforms, school supplies, hygienic supplies and other essentials. Recently they have increased their programmes to ensure that the children have a progressive and productive future. I was drawn to them because they not only focus on the physical needs but also in developing the children into responsible adults. Voluntarism is the option of being involved, and no experience is required.  

References
Parent Education for Development in Barbados
http://www.paredos.net/ 

Variety the Children's Charity
http://varietybarbados.org/

H.O.P.E for Children
http://www.hopeforchildren.org/

Final Blog

As we say our good byes from this course, I would just like to say a thank you to everyone who would have supported me through their comments on my blogs or discussions, allowing me to view things from a different light.

As our journey continues on different paths, let us remember what we learnt about communication it will not only help us professionally but also in our personal lives. Adhere to the Platinum rule!

Feel free to leave your comments and any contact information you wish to share.

Adjourning

The adjourning stage takes effect when the project the team has been working on is coming to an end, and the individuals of that team will be going on their separate endeavors. As it has been said; some people come into your life for a season, a lifetime or a reason. The reason of those individuals on the team would be to achieve a main goal and purpose. Just like in life it is hard and difficult to say good bye to friends and those you have become fond of.

Within a team saying goodbyes become difficult because everyone has become accustom to working together, and knowing who like what, what ticks off a person, how to work around their differences. Moving on to a new group/team means the process of getting to know a person has started over. It is also difficult on entering a new team at times, because there may be comparisons between the new team members and the previous one worked with. A mind set of meeting new people, and getting to know and accept them is what needs to be in place when adjourning  from a team. One team in which I was apart of that I found difficult to say good bye was that of when I was in university doing my bachelors degree, there was this one group project that was being worked on. At the end of the semester we did not want go our separate ways because though it was a challenging assignment we all had fun working along making it the best done assignment. Also because we knew we would probably not have the opportunity to work together on a group again made it even more difficult because usually group assignments are no fun.

I do imagine adjourning from my colleagues being a bitter sweet moment, more sweet than bitter for me. My reason for it being more sweet than bitter is because I would have my Masters, no more long days and nights of studying, and fortunately technology allows for us as colleagues to stay connected as it is doing throughout our studying currently.

Conflicts

During this past week I have been working beside this particular colleague. I am a bank teller and at times we switch the station that we sit at. So during this week, this particular colleague would ask me questions of what she should do in a situation and most times she asks if I am sure, and still end up doing her own thing which at times is not the best solution. One day I told her if you are going to ask my opinion and still do what you want, just stop confusing me by asking me, she did not reply to that statement.

 

Although I do believe that she has the right to take my opinion or not, I somehow still find it as a bother for her to question me to end up not taking my advice. Two strategies that i believe would be beneficial in this situation with be that of connecting with the universal needs and values, and using cooperative strategies. 

Connecting with the universal needs and wants allows me to understand what my colleague truly want from me when she asks a question or for my opinion in a given situation. She might just need confirmation on what she is doing, or she is just seeking a vast amount of views in order to choose the best one. Either way I have to be understanding of the fact that asking me a question does not mean she will use my response. 

In using cooperative strategies, we can both come to a solution where I am only question where absolutely necessary. With this strategy though I still have to be cognizant of what may be necessary in her opinion may not be necessary to me, So with this strategy I too have to apply the platinum rule of "do to others as they themselves would like to be treated". In the fact that I would still have to answer her necessary question even if I do not deem it as necessary. 

Conflict and communication can be deemed to go hand in hand, for the simple reason of everyone communicating for their benefit. A little compromise and cooperative communicating can go a long way in having effective communication.