Colleagues, Professors, and what I take away from the program

Deeply felt learning from this program

This program will be significant in my endeavors and disposition as an educator or a professional in the field of early childhood education. I have been able to learn the following important aspects:

·       The essence of having a community of practice in your endeavors. A community of practice should involve persons whom share the same passion or concern for something they are undertaking. This community will enable them interact and share ideas and challenges. It helps in developing one’s practice through methods such as problem solving, discussing developments, seeking the experiences of others, reusing assets, visiting other members, requests for information, coordination and synergy, mapping knowledge and identifying gaps.

·       The methods of content presentation/instruction in the classroom. Some of the notable methods are lecturing, simulations, use of visual aids, student presentations, formative assessments, class discussions, small group discussions among others. It is imperative for the educator to establish the best method to meet the needs of his/her students. The method used should be used to promote active learning in the classroom. It is possible to use more than one method of content presentation in the instruction process.

·       The aspect of technology in the field of early childhood education. Technology is an important aspect in our day to day learning. In fact, this program helped me formulate my capstone challenge that involves how best we can use technology to impact the field of early childhood education. The curriculum should be designed to include the technological trends in our society. Particularly, technology shouldn’t be used in isolation; it should be used in line with the appropriate traditional mechanisms of learning.

·       The program informed my understanding on the uniqueness of adult learning and development as compared to the other forms of learning. Adult learning has characteristics such as the need to know, learner’s self-concept, orientation to learning, readiness to learn, motivation, autonomy, and learning by experience. Adult learning is perceived to be experiential, transformative and self-directed.

Long-term goal

My long term goal is to become a prolific early childhood professional either as an educator or child policy maker. In my endeavors and dispositions I would seek to promote children education and development. I would thrive to help students especially from the impoverished families to develop and enhance their abilities and skills.

Farewell message to my Instructors and colleagues

To instructor/Instructors: “I take this opportunity to thank all my instructors who have guided me through this significant program. I am impressed by the dedication and commitment you had in instructing me and my colleagues through this program. You taught, not just what I had to be taught, but also what you thought we needed to learn. You ensured that there was ample atmosphere that eased the learning process making it more interactive and active. You have been an inspiration to me to become a prolific early childhood professional. Thank you for the knowledge that you have imparted on me and my colleagues. In my endeavors, your teachings and guidance will be always with me. Thank you once more. So long for now, we may meet again in the future.”

To colleagues: “Finally, we are completing our journey. Everything that has a beginning has an end. We have been through thick and thin while undertaking this program. From the bottom of my heart, I wish to thank you all for being such a great, interactive, and focused team. My interaction with you has been awesome. We have shared a lot, discussed on various aspects of this program, replied each other’s post, offered positive criticism, and guide each other accordingly. In fact, you have been my community of practice. Let’s keep the fire burning out there. In your respective endeavors and dispositions, may you succeed and remember the sky is never the limit: achieve greatness. Farewell, my colleagues we will surely meet again. “

Images that reflect what my experience and learning in the program means to me

A Wordle that illustrates my experience/learning in the MS ECS program

My Favorite quotes

a.)   “Free the child’s potential and you will transform the whole world” by Maria Montessori.

b.)   “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men and women” by Fredrick Douglas.

c.)   “A teacher affects eternity; He or she can never tell where his/her influence stops” by Henry Adams.

d.)   “The Purpose of education is to replace an empty mind with an open one” by Malcolm Forbes.

e.)   “Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results not attributes” by Peter Drucker.

f.)    “Early childhood education is an urgent educational, economic, and moral imperative. Without it, we face a long-term national economic security crisis” by J Pritzker.

A Very Special Shout Out!!!!!! to Dr. Horton, you are an encouraging, motivational, and passionate individual any student who has you for an instructor will be truly blessed with what you bring to the table for them to learn. I am grateful to have had you for the last part of this journey. Thank you for your knowledge and encouragement. SB

My photo and/or contact information

Contact Information: Name: Sheila Dash Brantley

 Phone: 252-267-0080

Email: sheila.brantley58@gmail.com