1. I know this is going to sound cheesy but through my learning experience I have become a more focused and passionate person about the work that I do. Not to say that I did not have passion at the start, but I can say that I got caught up in the woes of teaching. I was more cautious then confident at the start of this program. I was very introverted as a professional and had a very nearsighted vision of my professional development in the field. I now have a vision for myself and how it fits in the early childhood education field.
2. I am now more aware and educated on the topics, issues and trends that impact early childhood. It may be embarrassing to say again but I had a very local view of the issues that associated with the early childhood field. I was under the impression that the program I currently work for was a program of higher quality, I understood the fact that early childhood is always underfunded but I now have a source of understanding as to why and I am now the master of my own fate. I have the ability to seek out my own professional development and research rather than waiting for it from my school or district.
3. The last thing I learned about were communities of practice. They are the best way to build up and help an idea or project progress. They are built on a common passion and stand upon good communication and collaborative skills. All which I have gained better experience using through this program. Thinking of working with a bunch of people on a project, to me, seemed like a bit of a nuisance but after reading the article by Wenger, I realized how to create a group of dynamic professionals to bring perspective, a fresh eye and experience on a topic.
A Farewell Message, or Not.
This program has opened my eyes to the early childhood field and also to how much I can do for young children and their families. I want to first thank our professors for creating a comprehensive program that lit the fire under us, while also holding us accountable for our role in the early childhood field. Here at Walden we created a learning community that nurtured each others learning and I am so appreciative! I want to especially thank my colleagues in this course because of their insight and the AHA moments you all created for me throughout this class. The discussion boards were always full of so much new information and perspective. I am a different kind of professional because of this program. I have a vision for myself, the ECE field and I now know what I can do to make changes in my program. You have all made this experience priceless for me. Thank you!
-Alyssa
Alyssa,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that this program definitely opened up my eyes to what early childhood education is truly all about. There is more to it than teaching our young children. We have to understand the different fields within early childhood education. My goal is to work on the administrative side of early childhood education where I can be a part of making the decisions about the curriculum. Walden has been very inspiring to me in making the decision to change professions to ECE. i owe all my future success to Walden and definitely will come back and share my accomplishments with the University.
Quintel
Alyssa,
ReplyDeleteWe have shared a lot of classes together and I have learned from your discussions and blog post. I agree that this has deepened my passion for early childhood. There are so many ways we can make a difference in this field and make effective and positive changes. Thank you for all you have shared throughout this journey. I wish you all the success in the world!
Shonda