iLEARN, iDO, iTEACH...

The first deeply felt learning I experienced in this course is that we are all passionate about something different, but even though we have different passions, we are all still passionate about the health and welfare of children and families. We are all advocates and want to make a positive difference in children's lives. That is encouraging to me. 

The second deeply felt learning I experienced in this course is that hard work pays off. Even though I was prepared for the hard work it was still difficult to get through at times. But with the help of colleagues and our instructor, I was able to complete this course with a tremendous sense of accomplishment. 

The third deeply felt learning I experienced in this course is that I could actually become a leader of a Community of Practice. I truly believed by the end of the course that this was an attainable goal. I feel that not only have I been taught who to pick, but I have a confidence now about actually going about creating one. 

That is why I am making that my long term goal, to create a Community of Practice that will advocate for children and families within my community. 

I want to wish all of my colleagues and Dr. Teri a joyous farewell. It has been a rough year and a half and we made it! We were able to complete something that took hard work, determination, sacrifice, diligence, time management skills, and passion. I am proud of all of us and I wish us all the best of luck! Please feel free to keep in touch with me :) I would love to hear how you are making a difference in the lives of children and families every year!!

Take care,
Cortnee :)

The first international organization that appealed to me is fhi360. They are "a nonprofit human development organization dedicated to improving lives in lasting ways by advancing integrated, locally driven solutions" (FHI360, 2013). They want to help all people around the globe and that is what interests me. I think organizations like this are invaluable to the world we live in. They are truly doing what is important and making a huge impact. 

The second international organization that appealed to me is Save the Children. This organization is geared to children as opposed to all people like fhi360. They reach out nationally and internationally. What I like most is that they "work with other organizations, governments, non-profits and a variety of local partners while maintaining our own independence without political agenda or religious orientation" (Save the Children, 2013).

I was able to find a job that interested me as well with Save the Children. It is a Specialist in Early Childhood Development. The job requirements include: Masters in early childhood development, education, or related field; Three to five years prior early childhood development program design/implementation experience; Experience in developing countries preferred; Experience in materials development to support ECD programming; Excellent communication skills; and Willingness to travel 30-40% time. (Save the Children, 2013). 

The third international organization that appealed to me is United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF. UNICEF is probably one of the most recognized internationally known organizations that help people all over the world. "UNICEF is the driving force that helps build a world where the rights of every child are realized. We have the global authority to influence decision-makers, and the variety of partners at grassroots level to turn the most innovative ideas into reality.  That makes us unique among world organizations, and unique among those working with the young." (UNICEF, 2012). 

I was able to find a job with UNICEF I was interested in as well. It is the Early Childhood Development Specialist in Kenya. The job requirements include: Advanced university degree in any of the following:  Social Sciences, Public Health, Education, or other fields related to the work of UNICEF; Eight years of relevant work experience at the national and international levels in social development, management, monitoring and evaluation, including specific experience in ECD; and Fluency in English and another UN working language. (UNICEF, 2012). 

A national organization that appeals to me is Zero to Three. This particular organization has been the one I have been most influenced by throughout my educational journey. I have enjoyed everything I have read from them with regard to the early childhood education field. They seem to understand the needs of children and families and advocate for them. The job opportunity that I am interested in is Development Manager, Proposals and Grants. The skills and experience I would need to competently fulfill this job include: research and cultivation; proposal development; demonstrated knowledge of Foundation and government application processes and contracts management and government funding streams and cycles; from 5 to 7 years of documented development experience/accomplishments focusing on identification and attraction of both public and private funds; Knowledge of early childhood issues a plus; experience in proposal writing and development for private and government grants and contracts; excellent communication skills, both written and verbal; proficient with Microsoft Word; ability to learn ZTT’s content issues quickly and as needed; ability to work collaboratively in a team-oriented office; ability to work independently with a minimum of supervision; ability to build relationships with a variety of people, from Program and Policy staff to representative from foundations and government agencies; strong organizational skills; must be creative and a self-starter; and Bachelor's degree in related field. (Zero to Three, 2012). 

Another organization that appeals to me is MDRC. "Created in 1974 by the Ford Foundation and a group of federal agencies, MDRC is a nonprofit, nonpartisan education and social policy research organization dedicated to learning what works to improve programs and policies that affect the poor" (MDRC, 2013). I chose this organization because they are about research. I thought it would be interesting to work for a company that digs into the why's of the real issues. I believe research is one of the best foundations we have for knowledge in our field. The job opportunity that I am interested in is Research Assistant. The skills and experience I would need to competently fulfill this job include: BA/BS in developmental psychology, economics, public policy, sociology, or related social science field; demonstrated interest in social policy issues affecting low-income children/families; basic understanding of quantitative and qualitative research methods; excellent attention to detail and ability to multi-task; comfortable working independently and as part of a team to accomplish goals in a fast-paced environment; strong writing and communication skills; proficiency in written and oral Spanish a plus; previous experience working in a nonprofit or as a research assistant is a plus. (MDRC, 2013). 

Lastly, an organization closer to myself in California is Children's Council of San Francisco. "Children’s Council of San Francisco is at the heart of the child care community — connecting families to care that meets their needs, while working with child care providers and community partners to make quality child care and early education a reality for all children in our city" (Children's Council of San Francisco, 2013). The reason I chose this organization is because I thought the job opportunity sounded like something I would enjoy. The job opportunity that I am interested in is Family Child Care Quality Network Manager. The skills and experience I would need to competently fulfill this job include: Master’s Degree in Child Development or related field; in‐depth training and experience in administering FCCERS, BAS, CLASS, ASQ, and other child care assessment scales; experience in providing strength‐based,reflective case management and/or coaching; experience developing and administering child care related programs and projects; direct experience as a Family Child Care provider and/or coach; knowledge of San Francisco communities; bilingual in Spanish or Cantonese a plus. (Children's Council of San Francisco, 2013). 

Thank you,

Cortnee :)

References: 

Children's Council of San Francisco. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.childrenscouncil.org/?q=about

MDRC. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.mdrc.org/about/about-mdrc-overview-0

Zero to Three. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.zerotothree.org/

I just wanted to say how wonderful it was to work with each and every one of you in this course. It has been an honor getting to know you and I am amazed at what wonderful people you are and how invested you are to children and their families. 

Good luck on your journey and I hope to run into you again some day!

Take care,

Cortnee :)

This is something I have been thinking about a lot lately. As you know I am getting married so my "group" and "project" are wrapped in family, friends, and a lot of emotions. I have been a part of wonderful groups before where it was such a positive experience I wanted to tackle more projects together. I have also been a part of groups where I just wanted the project to be over as well. The best feeling is being appreciated and that is what I hope to accomplish with my group. 

I truly want my group (family and friends) to understand how their help putting my wedding together has meant to me. I have no idea how to portray this. I have thought about a speech at the rehearsal dinner and at the wedding. I have thought about getting some perfect sentimental gift for all involved (but can't since I am now broke ;) or just simply saying thank you to everyone. Nothing seems good enough for the sacrifices all have made to be away from family and to support me and my fiance in our plans. 

I feel that adjourning has to happen because all projects come to an end eventually. Of course, the wedding will be the adjournment, and hopefully part of the present for my friends and family to see what they have accomplished in such a short amount of time. I just pray they all understand how special they are to me and my fiance and how much we do appreciate their tenacity, their commitment  and their passion for helping us in this time. 

One of the problems we are having in our program right now is having leads that are getting different information and giving different information to each of us. We are also having a problem with them simply not answering our questions or getting frustrated with us asking them. We are a fairly new program and we are trying to set a precedent but without support that is almost impossible. 

One of the things we decided to do was have a meeting and ask questions anonymously to our leads boss. This seemed like a good idea and most of us were trying to use the three R's, even though we didn't know they were the three R's. I could tell most of us were trying to respect the conversation, reciprocate and respond in a positive manner. The unfortunate part was a few of the women were not acting the same way. They were getting defensive over things the rest of us did not even understand. I think if we had all been coming from a place of respect we would have had a truly wonderful meeting. Unfortunately not all of us understand what it means to respect, reciprocate, and respond. 

Has anyone else had this happen in their staff meetings? How can we change this? The only thing I can think of is to model the correct behavior because confronting it may only make it worse?

Thanks,

Cortnee :)

I do find myself communicating differently with people from different groups and cultures. It is easier to talk to people at work about work things because their frame of reference is the same as mine. Whereas when I go to church I have different things in common with the people there, so I communicate differently with them. I also tend to use a lot more slang when talking to my friends and family, especially because we have been around each other for so long it seems like we have our own language at times. 

Three strategies that I could use to communicate more effectively with the people  mentioned above would be to use the Platinum Rule, to listen, and to use a fresh perspective. The Platinum Rule is to do unto others as they would want to be treated. This means to put their wishes ahead of my own. I would also try to listen and truly hear what people are saying, especially in my work environment  I think with family and friends, when the need arises, I would try to hear them from a fresh perspective. I would try not to assume how the conversation is going based on how it went before. 

Thanks,

Cortnee :)

I watched a show on Nickelodeon. While watching the show with the volume off I  kept thinking everyone was upset or frustrated. There were some moments where I could tell they were happy but it wasn't until I watched it again with the volume on that I realized they were really excited and happy when I thought they were upset or frustrated. I was surprised at how differently I interpreted their feelings with the volume off. 

Thanks,

Cortnee :)

When I think of a competent communicator I think of the Pastor of my church. The behavior that my Pastor exhibits that makes him effective is the approach he uses. My Pastor uses a very informal approach to his preaching style. He is open about himself and his home life, helping the audience to see that he is vulnerable and real. He also uses a lot of props when he is preaching. He tries to engage his audience with relate-able items and stories from his life that people can relate to. In this way he is able to connect with the audience and therefore relay his message in a real and understanding way. 

I would definitely model my own communication behaviors after my Pastor because they are very effective at getting the point across. They are also important in how he connects and that is something I feel is very important when communicating with someone. Being able to relate to another person on a personal level will always bring common ground between both parties and help unite them in at least one way. 

Thank you,

Cortnee :)