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

I have looked into many different organizations when researching for my Inclusion capstone project. I wanted to focus on special education students fitting in and being just as accepted as their typical peers.

One of the national organizations that I thought would be a huge help for the students that I want to work with is the National Inclusion Project. (http://www.inclusionproject.org/) This organization did not have any specific job opportunities listed but I found many different ways to donate and support their program. You can help a child go to an inclusion camp called Let's all Play. During the holiday seasons you can wrap presents to help raise inclusion awareness. To be able to help and donate your time you just need to be aware of the local activities that you can help volunteer.  You can donate in different amount increments and make a one time payment or a recurring donation to help the project. This is a organization that I want to find ways to held and donate my time.

Another organization that I found to help me in my journey is the Kind Foundation. (http://www.kindfoundation.org/) This is an organization that helps aid teachers and parents when working with developmentally delayed and learning disabled students. This was another organization that is not hiring at this time or is not advertising an open position. I did however find a place to donate in any amount. You can sign up to volunteer at an of their events as well. In order to be apart of this organization you would have to have an awareness for students with these types of disabilities. You would also have to be willing to collaborate with other teachers and parents about meeting the needs of these young children. I would love to find a local meeting where I can collaborate with teachers and parents in my area and help the young children.

With regards to the education of young children, The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is always at the top of my list. (http://www.naeyc.org) They work for the young children to make sure that their voice is heard and we are working for the child. All of the jobs that are available though NAEYC are located in Washington DC. In the Executive office the have a position for a Quality Enhancement Coordinator. This person would support all new and ongoing projects. They would have to be an administrator and assist the director for these projects. To be qualified for this job you have to have a B.A. Degree in International Development or something related. It is highly recommended that you have knowledge of Middle East/North Africa.  I think that working this job with the NAEYC would be a once in a lifetime, being able to travel and work with different people on many different projects that support children. What an amazing opportunity! 

References:

Kind Foundation. Retrieved from  http://www.kindfoundation.org/

National Association for the Education of Young Children, (NAEYC). Retrieved from
     http://www.naeyc.org

National Inclusion Project. Retrieved from http://www.inclusionproject.org/

Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

For my capstone project I want to take a look into inclusion and dispelling biases of children who will not interact or play with children that have different ability levels. I think that this is a topic that hurts so many young children because they do not feel included in the classroom.

When taking the time to research my topic and find resources to help me I can across three great organizations that I feel would be extremely helpful to my studies. The agencies that I would enlist help from would be: Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (CHADD), Nevada PEP, and Families for Effective Autism Treatment (FEAT).

I chose to pick CHADD and FEAT because I see an increasing number of children with ADHD and autism in the classroom. These students are ofter times misunderstood for behavior problems and not taken for who they really are. I believe that this organization can help these students learn coping behaviors in the classroom and also do lessons with myself and the other students in my classroom. I could not find job opportunities for either of these organizations, but they did have multiple volunteer options.

The reason that I chose Nevada PEP is because I want families to also feel incorporated in this process of including all students and coming together as a community. This organization is very helpful and has tons of resources that can help everyone in my classroom feel welcome and special.
Nevada PEP has a job opening for a Family specialist. I think that this would be a great role to help support and train families. I would teach them how to support their child and their individual needs in the community. In order to take this job I would need a little more background knowledge on the opportunities available to families.  

References

"CHADD - Nationally Recognized Authority on ADHD." CHADD - Nationally Recognized Authority on ADHD. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2014. http://www.chadd.org/

 "Las Vegas Autism Support | FEATSONV.ORG." Las Vegas Autism Support | FEATSONV.ORG. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2014. http://featsonv.org/

 "Welcome to Nevada PEP." Welcome to Nevada PEP. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Mar. 2014. http://nvpep.org/

Reflecting on Learning

Going through the past 8 weeks,  I have learned about how to build an anti biased classroom. I have thought about and reflected on different situations and conversations that could happen in my classroom and how I would deal with the situation. My biggest hope is that I walk away from this course an even more anti biased role model for my students. I am able to talk with them and help explain to them that we should be grateful for each others differences and abilities. My hopes are that I can dispel any biases that my students might have and teach them to be respectful to everyone.

I want to give a big thank you to my colleagues that have been supporting me the past 8 weeks. You have helped me unveil my biases and reflect on my own person views. You have also helped me come up with amazing activities that I can do with my students to help them also become anti biased individuals. Good luck with your future journey!