Tracy: Exploring roles in the Early Childhood Field

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Exploring roles in the Early Childhood Field

Three agencies of community of practice that appeal to me and why include:

A local community college called Baker College. This appeals to me because I really want to be a college instructor. I would love to work at a college with a preschool center because I don't want to have to give up that portion of my career to be able to do the other one. I have a very hectic life so this would maybe allow me to make my own schedule. I would like to teach onine but after the big change at Walden am thinking about changing my mind about that. The change has been difficut for us but am sure it is much more diffficult for a professor trying to handle upset, confused students and grade papers.
The second community of practice includes a new program called Great Start to Quality. It is Michigan's attempt at the Race to the Top Grant. We did not receive the grant the first time around so are putting programs in place to be more competitive for the second time around. It is a rating system that preschool centers participate in to try and receive a high as rating as possible with a maximum of 5. Parent's can look on-line and see the rating that a preschool program received. This will make the quality of our preschool centers very high and the education of young chilren will be monitored and imporved greaty. It is a great new program and I would like to be a part of it. Assessments are a big part of it and I love doing assessments.
The third community of practice that appeals to me is the local MiAEYC organization. Most importantly I think that belonging to an organization is important for my professional career and it also provides a great resource for me when I need information for papers and other research products.

A couple of the jobs that interest me are listed above. A couple other jobs would be a literacy coordinator/supervisor for all the head start centers in our region. This or another administrative job with Head Start would be very exciting to me. I currently do not receive health benefits or a very big paycheck, and while I love my job that will be a big reason why I leave and find a different job.

To be a college instructor I know I definetly need my Masters degree. For the other positions they prefer one but it is not requirement. I have so much other professional development, experience and other education that I think I am all set with what I would need to do the other jobs.

2 comments:

Evlyn JamesMay 13, 2012 at 8:45 PM
Tracy,

I found each of your community of practice to be quite interesting. They constitute a great blend of giving back to the community and at the same time seeking to remain abreast of the developments in the field. That combination is worthwhile because as we give out, we must bear in mind that information is constantly being updated so we must align ourselves with institutions that will assist us to remain abreast of the latest developments.
ReplyDelete
Replies
BrittanyTMay 13, 2012 at 9:42 PM
Tracy,

I am intrigued by the organizations you chose. And I think that being a college professor would be an incredible job! I have always wanted to do that as well but here in Georgia, it is now unheard of for any college instructor to have anything other than a PhD. This discourages me because I am already in severe debt for my undergraduate and graduate degrees...so taking on more debt for a PhD makes me nervous right now. I know there are jobs out there that pay well and would appreciate my education but finding them is near impossible. I wish you the best of luck!
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

"My Connections to Play"

Two quotes:

Vygotsky - "Children use private speech in play to regulate behavior"

"Creative play is a central activity in the lives of healthy children."
Almon, K. (2002) The vital role of play in early childhood
education. Gateways, 43.

My family, especially my mom, was very supportive of play. She recognized its importance. My sister and I loved to play with our friends. She would take us to the community pool and parks and we would play all day. When we got a little older we got a trampoline and jumped on it for much of the day. We had a playroom above our garage in Tennessee and we played there for many hours even though it got very hot at times. My sister and I loved to play with dolls. My mom always said she would be my best friend and as we got older did not encourage many outside friendships. I think that hurt our social skills a little. Now we talk every once in a while, have very different lives and see each other about 2-3 times per year. Even though we are still very close and had many years of play as children, we have drifted apart. My dad was really good at playing with us also. He took us on our boat all the time and encouraged more of the rough and tumble type of play. Both my mom and taught us to be resourceful and take care of ourselves, almost to a fault.

As I attempt to write my blog assignement I feel play has changed a great deal since when we were younger. We would go all day without seeing the inside of our house and find things to play with. All three of my boys are sitting around my table asking me questions and saying they are bored. I live about 2 blocks from one of the most beautiful lakes and beaches in the country and 1 block from an elementary school playground. There are children all over this neighborhood to play with and they are asking me what they can do. Where have I gone wrong in this scenario? They have come to rely on me as their "social director" and I have probably enabled that. Play is very different. I am going to cancel cable and hide the playstation and nintendo ds's for the summer. My kids are older and possibly beyond help. I hope that young children will be pulled away from the computers, tv and other electronic devices. I hope they will be in a safe place to be able to venture out and make friends. Parents need to be more confident in their childrens ability and need to become independent players. I think sometimes parents protect their children and don't let them make mistakes at an early age.

I have included pictures of my boys below at the beach. This is what we love to do these days. This was on a spring break vacation. My youngest sons favorite toy was a palm branch he found the first day. Again, an item from nature that I didn't have to purchase that entertained him. Nice!!