October 2012 Our "Amazing Words" Hats
I look
back over my master’s journey, and I can’t believe I have made it through such
a huge accomplishment. I feel very
blessed to have been able to have had the opportunity to learn so much
information, feel like I have all the tools necessary to make a positive change
in the early childhood field, and have unconditional support from my
family! I have learned many things from
this program, but the top 3 include:
- Learning about the importance of anti-biased education- Prior to this program, I had never had a course about this topic, and it allowed me to really take a look at my current feelings and practices. I feel much more responsive to others’ differences now! Having this knowledge will help me in my career as I work with young children, families, and other educators.
- Professional connections- I have never had so many connections with so many people from around the world and with so many backgrounds. I have learned through this program that having and maintaining these connections can truly help me become a better professional in the early childhood field.
- Play is essential- This is not news to me, but after completing my Capstone on this project, I can see how truly important play is in development. The many studies I came across during my research clearly showed this importance for all children. I was continually shocked to see reports that showed how many early childhood programs, particularly kindergarten, had shown a large decrease in play as well as some programs completely eliminating recess.
My
long-term goal for the future is to advocate for more “play” at the
kindergarten level in my school, as well as my school district. After completing my Capstone, I now feel that
I have the proper tools to do this!
I
wanted to thank all of you for your feedback, ideas, and support during this
journey. I would love to stay in contact
with you in the years to come to continue sharing ideas and offering support. You can look my up on Facebook under “Kristen
VanVleet”, or contact me via email at kristenvanvleet@hotmail.com.
I
will leave you with a picture of me and my girls. As much as I have enjoyed learning so much
over these last two years, I have these two cute faces waiting for some more
mommy time!
Good luck to you! I hope you are successful in advocating for more play in kindergarten. They definitely don't get enough.
ReplyDeleteKristen,
ReplyDeleteI love the route your passion has taken you. Your girls seems as if they are truly an inspiration to you. I am so glad I can now spend more time with my 3 year old son. Seeing how proud they are of you is really fulfilling.
Janille
Kristen, yes we made it through. It was a pleasure to take this journey with you. I pray that all of your hearts desires come true for you.Continue in your passion of "play" it is an important concept for education.
ReplyDeleteKristen,
ReplyDeleteI too value the connections I have made through this program. Looking at things from other perspectives helps us become better people and better educators. I also had never heard of anti-bias education. This is something I want to explore further because I want each child in my classroom to feel a sense of belonging.
It's interesting how we both ended up doing our capstone project on play. My goal is to advocate for play as well. I wish you success in the future and I'm sure you will achieve your goals! Take care.
Kristen, Best wishes with our future endeavors!! I enjoyed reading your blog. It was very inspiring.
ReplyDelete