Communities of Practice

            This week my blog assignment was to chose three organizations &/or communities of practice, either state or local that appealed to me. Over the last several years, as I have learned about organizations that support early childhood I have joined them. So as it turns out I happen to be a member of each on of the organizations that I have chosen for this blog. I have no doubt that Dr. Embree and my peers are very aware of both the National Association for the Education of Young Children  (NAEYC, 2015) and Zero to Three (Zero to Three, 2015).

            Many states also have State organizations affiliated with NAEYC such as Oregon Association for the Education of Young Children (OAEYC) and California Association for the Education of Young Children (CAEYC) each State holds their own yearly conference, which is wonderful for those members that are not able to attend the National Conference. I quickly came to trust and depend on the resources and information that I am able to get from this community of practice. The website holds a ridiculous amount of resources, articles, suggested readings, professional development opportunities, training opportunities and this is just the tip of the ice berg. You can have online communication with individuals and when you are able to attend a conference it is magical. At conference there are members from literally all over the world, sessions on just about every subject of early childhood and a whole floor of venders where you can try out manipulative, games and education resources before buying. It is a fabulous experience that feeds my passion for working with young children and always gives me new inspiration.

           Zero to Three is a more recent find of mine (8 years ago) and is just as useful and awesome as NAEYC only the focus is even more confined to children 0-3. I have not run across any state chapters but I am aware that they hold National conferences yearly (I have not been able to attend any just yet). This organization too has a multitude of great information and resources from pregnancy, nutrition, education, attachment, development, early intervention, sleep, and just about any other support or concern you might have. If you have a question they will be able answer it or guide you to where you can find the answer. I live in a tiny rural town. Until I met the local supervisor of our Head Start I had no one to talk to about my profession. Many of my peers at Walden have heard me say that when I moved to this tiny place I was offered a job at the county Mental Health where I soon discovered that they would not see any child under the age of fourteen because they did not believe that a child any younger would benefit from therapy! About three years later we had a director change and this new director still not believe that a child could be helped. However, by then the State was requesting that Counties step up their services to include young children and he allowed me take that piece on. Two years ago we had another change in directorship and this director was a previous therapist that I had worked with for years and had just recently had his first child arrive. He has fully supported my work and his helping find a home that we can purchase so that all of our children’s services will be separate from the adult services.

            The last organization that I present to you is The Early Learning Hub (Oregon’s Early Learning Hubs). I have been a part of this community of practice since it’s inception. It took a year for the group to move through the stages of cooperation, to coordination and a second year towards collaboration. The Early Learning Hubs are a mandate by the State meant to increase education, awareness, and resources to families surrounding the health, development, and education of the young children in the state. What I especially enjoy about this organization is that I can see how we are affecting the local community; it feels good to be able to help make change and to be a part of the decision making on just how this will be unfolding.

            For the job opportunities portion of this assignment I would have to mention a job title that my Director has developed, Supervisor of Children’s Programs. Which is pretty awesome coming from an agency that wouldn’t even give a child a second look seven years ago. The prerequisite is a Masters degree, which I will have completed soon.

Being perfectly honest the only other job or title that I would love to have is that of a Certified Play Therapist. From my research I would have to hold a masters in Psychology as well and at this point in my life that is not going to happen. I am about to turn 58 and am maxed out on loans to get this far. On the up side, I never imagined that I would have been able to earn both my Bachelors and Masters in my later years. I made a conscious decision when choosing my field of study for my education. Early Childhood has been my passion since I was in Kindergarten. I am content and proud of my accomplishments.

NAEYC, (2015). The national association for the education of young children. Retrieved

     From www.naeyc.org

Oregon’s Early Learning Hubs, (2105). Oregon’s early learning hubs. Retrieved from

     http://oregonearlylearning.com/other-priorities/community-based-coordinators-of-

     early-learning-services-hubs/current-early-learning-hubs

Zero to Three, (2015). Zero to Three. Retrieved from www.zerotothree.org