About Quality Care Consulting

We provide consulting and registered tier 1, 2, and 3 continuing education trainings on child development including,technical assistance in effective program and practices, diversity, equity, and social justice education; communication and collaboration, parenting education, and professional development among others. Trainings are offered on-site saving you and your staff time and money while you enhance your practice as a professional. We offer competitive group rates.

 

Call us at 608-698-7893

Email: naratqualitycare@gmail.com

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

I have a unique perception of my role in the early childhood field. I want to work in agencies or programs that enhance the lives of children and families living in stressful environments. I also have a passion for infant and toddler education. It is so rewarding to work with them. They are incredibly smart, capable, and ready to learn! In Addition, I want to ensure parents and teachers are taught the skills, and knowledge needed to provide healthy home environments both emotionally and socially. Someone once said that “children do not come with instruction manuals”, as a field, I believe we need to do more work in supporting and partnering with families, so they can provide the support and nurturance that enable children to live happy and healthy lives and become later one productive members of our human experience.

Therefore, my passion is to work with programs that work to improve child development through strengthening the developmental niche and teacher education and professional development. Some of the National Organizations that appeal to me are ARC Community Services, Early Head Start, and the Wisconsin Strengthening Family Initiative, and Wisconsin Early Childhood Association. These organizations provide comprehensive services for children, teachers, families, early childhood programs. 

I have seen two positions that have sparked my interest this week. One is an early childhood educator at a College, and the other one is an Early Head Start Program Director. Completing a Master’s degree will qualify for the teacher positions because it is a minimum requirement for both. The Early Head Start Program requires knowledge of the Head Start performance standards. Does anyone know where I can find those standards? Are there significant differences between the performance standards and state licensing? Would I need training for it or do I just get the book and study it? Please share your insights.

Exploring Roles in the ECE Community: Local and State Levels

The three local communities of practice that appealed to me the most are the: (a) 4-c Community Coordinated Child Care, (b) the Wisconsin Early Childhood Collaborative Partners, and (c) the Wisconsin Early Childhood Association (W.E.C.A). I chose these organizations because they all advocate for children, families, and early educators. Additionally, each organization has an interactive website where they provide resources, trainings, and advocacy opportunities. The 4-c and W.E.C.A provide ongoing trainings, affiliate meetings, and annual conferences that connect teachers, parents, and leaders in the field. The Wisconsin Collaborative Partners brings current research and statewide policies to practitioners. It also links early educators and families to the K-12 school system. I have been interested in being more involved in advocacy and social change in the field. I have joined our local National Association for the Education of Young Children affiliate. I believe joining the abovementioned organizations will help me connect with professionals who share my passion for improving the lives of children and families and provide me with the platform and resources needed to be an effective advocate. Some of the job opportunities that interest me are all related to parenting education and professional development. I have been drawn to these positions because I would like to work with parents and educators in providing healthy and safe developmental environments. I have the competencies to be selected for these positions. However, most of the positions require an advance university degree in child development, early childhood, or social work. I hope, completing my master’s in early childhood studies, will give me an edge. For more information on these programs visit: http://www.4-c.org/ http://www.collaboratingpartners.com/ http://wisconsinearlychildhood.org/

Reflection on Adult learning Theories

Learning per se has been a much-debated subject throughout history. In fact, renowned adult education experts tell us that learning is a complex topic that has fascinated thinkers as far back to the times of Plato and Aristotle (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007). The need to learn, for whatever reasons, has incited more adults to engage in schooling and training in the last two decades. With this increasing adult learner population, the need to understand how adults learn has been highlighted in their educational success. This week, as I explored some of the major adult learning theory, I found the ones that resonated with me the most were the social cognitivist, constructionist, and humanist perspectives. I was glad the aforementioned theories addressed some of the holistic, social cognitive and individual aspects that relate to learning.

 I share the view that there is a reciprocal causation between the learning environment and culture, personality, and cognition (Bandura (1986) as cited in Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007). In the words of Bandura (1989), “Expectations, beliefs, self-perceptions, goals and intentions give shape and direction to behavior” (p. 3). Constructivism is another model that resonated with me. This theory emphasized “both individual mental activity and a socially interactive change” (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007, p. 297). I believe learning is more enhanced when the student is actively involved, whether they participate in the designing process or not. Thus, constructivism’s emphasis on individual accountability, motivation, mental processing, and a socially responsive environment deeply resonate with me.

 Finally, the holistic approach of learning from the humanist perspective also appealed to me. Merriam & Kim (2008 ) relayed the non-Western systems that acknowledge, “Learning involves not only the mind but the body, the spirit, and the emotions” (p. 76). I am often more engaged when the learning environment addresses my kinesthetic and emotional needs. Likewise, I believe in the transformational [and spiritual] aspect of learning, which ties it to personal growth and development (Rogers (1983) as cited in Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007). I want to learn things that will improve my life whether to adopt a new behavior or to change certain views and practices. Furthermore, the learner-centered learning aspect of the humanistic approach also resonated with me in the sense that learning has to be relevant and responsive to the learner’s needs.

 While I view some learning styles to be more congruent to mine, the awareness of the various learning theories challenges me to broaden my thinking in order to help adults, other than me, learn successfully. More than anything, the different theories offer a repertoire of strategies and perspectives readily available educators can use to respond to the needs of my adult students. Ultimately, each one of the theories can bring about successful learning if educators choose one that is most responsive to the student’s needs. Looking forward, I have grasped the importance a learner-centered approach that necessitates knowledge of the individual students and the creation of relevant learning opportunities.

For more information about adult learning theories, consult the following references:

Bandura, A. (1989). Social cognitive theory. In R. Vasta (Ed.), Annals of child development (Vol. 6, pp. 1-85). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.

Merriam, S. B., & Kim, Y. S. (2008 , Fall). Non-western perspectives on learning and knowing. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education(119). doi:10.1002/ace

Merriam, S. B., Caffarella, R. S., & Baumgartner, L. M. (2007). Learning in adulthood: A comprehensive guide (3rd ed.). San Francisco: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Adjourning My Communication and Collaboration Course: The Journey and My Hopes for The Future

What a journey this has been! I knew I was going to learn ways to effectively communicate and collaborate to enhance both my professional and personal lives. However, I did foresee that I would have to rethink what I thought was communication. While I used to think of aspects of communication such as logic, presentation, and argumentation, I learned that effective communication starts with effective listening. I learned the skills, dispositions, and cultural competency required for effective communication and mediation. More importantly, I had the chance to put those concepts into practice by applying that knowledge to real-life scenarios.

Through this process, my colleagues and I have shared ideas, resources, and given each other insightful feedbacks. They have been tremendous in bringing in new perspectives, raising through-provoking issues, and I will miss that collegiality very much especially from those whose majors are different from mine. Additionally, I would like to thank Dr. Meyers for all the support and feedback that truly added to my professional growth. You can find me on LinkedIn, please feel free to join my professional network. I wish you all the success and let us go out and make a difference in the lives of children and their families. Thank you, thank you, and thank you!