-Organizations or Communities of Practice at National/Federal
Level
Voices
for America’s Children
One of the organizations I have chosen is Voices for
America’s Children, because it is a network of multi-issue child advocacy
organizations. This nationwide network advocates for the improvements in the
lives of all children and their families, paying more attention to the most
vulnerable. Voices for America’s Children focus on six policy goals: equity and
diversity, health, school readiness, school success, safety, and economic
stability (Voices for America’s Children, n.d.). Voices for America’s Children ensure
that children and their families have access to health care programs; they also
helped the Head Start programs by ensuring additional money through the 2009 economic
stimulus package. This organization works with nutrition programs legislation
in order to provide meals for needy children and families (Voices for America’s
Children, n.d.).
National
Institute for Early Education Research
The National Institute for Early Education Research
(NIEER) conducts and communicates research to support high-quality, effective
early childhood education for all young children (National Institute for Early
Education Research, 2013). The institute offers research not only to researchers
and policy makers, but also to journalist and educators. Working with other organizations
the institute looks for the improvement of the quality of early education practices,
as well as to stimulate national and state discussions of early education
policy, based on current, coherent, and vital information about the field.
Frank
Porter Graham Child Development Institute
The Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (FPG)
is one of the nation's oldest and largest multidisciplinary centers devoted to
the study of young children and their families (FPG Child Development Institute, 2013 ). This institute has influenced,
with its research, how the programs have been taking care of and educated
young. The researchers have focused their investigations on projects related to
racial, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, and socioeconomic diversity, as well as developmental
disabilities; early care and education; physical and social health;
professional development, technical assistance, and implementation science; and
public policy and evaluation. Besides the research projects, the institute has
a nationally accredited childcare center that serves 80 families with young
children (FPG Child Development Institute, 2013).
-Job opportunities, skills, and experience
Data Collectors
The National Institute for Early
Education Research is seeking Data Collectors year-round.
Applicants should be graduate
students, have a BA or be upperclassman undergraduate students with a focus on
child development, early childhood, psychology or related field. Knowledgeable
about child development and developmentally appropriate early childhood
teaching practices (e.g. Teacher) preferred. Experience in classroom settings
and/or working with children highly preferred. Must be available to work 2-3x
per week during data collection period; days are flexible and must be available
to attend intensive trainings that vary between 2 days and a full week. The
successful candidate is expected to demonstrate an excellent academic record
(GPA should be 3.0 or better).
Lately, I have been interested on
the work the researchers do, maybe because I am more aware of the fundamental role
their information plays in the improvement of the education field. I consider I
have all the qualifications for this position :)
Learning Curriculum
Manager
The Learning Curriculum Manager at VTech will be
responsible for the educational quality of content and pedagogy across all
products including toys, platforms, and online content. This position will set
and recommend strategic content direction and curriculum guidelines for all
product categories, working closely with both the US and Hong Kong product
development teams to ensure the alignment with the product line’s content
goals.
Our ideal candidate will have the following experience:
-Formal training and experience in product
development/product design as it relates to the development of consumer product
goods with an emphasis on infant/preschool learning.
-Familiar with traditional and innovative strategies for
teaching, learning, and assessment in both formal and informal settings.
-7+ years of experience teaching with, or designing,
technology-enhanced learning materials in informal learning environments
(homes, museums, after-school programs) or early childhood classrooms.
-Strong writing and grammar skills a must.
-Very organized, attention to detail, and self-motivated.
-Bachelors Degree in Child Development, Education, the
Learning Sciences, or related fields is required.
-Limited travel to Hong Kong to meet with development
teams for content direction review.
I decided to share this position because I think it is an
interesting and different way to influence the education field, despite the
fact that I do not meet all the requirements, like the 7 years of teaching experience,
or the formal training and experience in product development/product design. In
case anybody is interested in this position, this is the link with the
information http://vtechkids.iapplicants.com/ViewJob-414419.html
References
FPG Child Development Institute. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.fpg.unc.edu/about-fpg
National Institute for Early Education Research. (2013).
Retrieved from http://nieer.org/
Voices for America’s Children. (n.d.). Retrieved November
28, 2011, from http://www.voices.org/
P.S. I apologize in advance for the white
background appearing in some parts of my post.
