I've seen a child care course that is online from PCDI college. Does anyone know if this is a legit course ? It's about $800 so want to make sure it is worth it before making that type of investment. Thanks
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I've seen a child care course that is online from PCDI college. Does anyone know if this is a legit course ? It's about $800 so want to make sure it is worth it before making that type of investment. Thanks
I am not sure what province you are in but I would make sure that the Ministry that over sees 'childcare regulations' for your province has this college and its course on their list of approved courses that 'meet the standards' ... I know in Ontario that there are fast track course in Early Childhood and so forth offered at places like Trios and other private colleges that are NOT equivalent in the licensed settings ~ so anyone holding them gets paid at a 'non ECE rate' ... aka they are a big ole waste of paper and $$$ as far as furthering their career :(
BTW if these are courses you are taking just for your personal use to assist in your self employed business that's totally different ... but if you are taking them in hopes of working in a regulated setting where you 'need' Early Childhood Education designation .... my guess is they do not meet equivalency .... most accredited ECE programs are a full two year or three year program and the only way you could fast track that is if you've taken similar accredited courses to apply towards the new degree.
Thanks Reggio! I was thinking of taking something that would help me with my buisness. I have a BA with minor in education but not ECE. Parents ask about it all the time. I also don't have any children of my own so I think these two factors are effecting not filling up. The parents that I have registered at the moment didn't ask about it. They were more interested in experience which I do have quite a bit which helps but I'm just frustrated bc it's been over a year now and still not full.
There is a program called the National Family Child Care Training - it is three levels and offered on line or in groups through some childcare associations. There are also courses at some colleges specificaly for home daycare. St. Lawrence in Kingston used to offer it for one example.
Thanks playfelt! I located in alberta. I will look into it.
Yes here in Ontario our local Early Years program offers an awesome 'home childcare training course' which is a great resource for newbies and something that a provider can show perspective clients about their 'training' cause you get a little diploma.
I have peers who have taken this course online ~ I am not sure if you have to be a resident of Ontario or not?
http://www.thechildcareproviderconne...com/online.php
I would get tarred and feather if I said this anywhere near my professional association but I do not think you NEED your ECE to be great in this field ... sure it can help cause it gives you a basis for child development and so forth but only if you can 'transfer that theory into your practice .... aka lots of ECE are book smart and can talk and awesome talk but they cannot APPLY that to the classroom or work with children .... the fact is that most of what you need to know to thrive in this job are common sense ability to 'reflect and have empathy for children' that you either just HAVE or you do not and the rest you kinda need to 'learn on the job' anyway cause no amount of textbook can prepare you for the real life reality of children ;)
BTW ~ I do not have any children of my own ~ IMO being a great childcare provider / early learning provider has nothing to do the skills you would gain as a parent anyway cause they are two different skill sets that one is using dealing with 'other peoples children' verses 'your own' ... honestly I have worked with ECE who are amazing in the classroom with 'other peoples kids' and are truly horrible parents with spoiled rotten demon spawn children and I always shake my head and think 'hmmm how come you can manage 24 strangers kids to be well behaved members of society but your own 2 have you bawling in the corner like a whipped puppy?' .... two different skills sets cause IMO they would never accept behavior from 'daycare children' that they accept from their own ~ they would nip in the bud but when you are with the kids day in and day out 24/7 it is hard to always be on your 'A game' and nip things in the bud and kids exploit that knowing if we just push hard enough at mommy she will get tired and give in ;)
I am actually enrolled in the PCDI course and find it pretty good. I`m not doing it to become licensed however, I enrolled because it was a course I wanted to take. Just a heads up, if you pay in a lump sum they take 125 or 150 off the total price. I think I only paid about $650.
That being said this course is actually offered through the American Ashworth College and if you enroll through Ashworth not PCDI the price is cheaper for the same course. I was pretty ticked after I paid for everything and found out I could have gotten it cheaper if I enrolled through a different website. If you enroll through the Canadain site however you recieve a tax slip for the cost of tuition that is able to be used as a tax deduction.
Here is the link to the Ashworth page. http://www.ashworthcollege.edu/progr...career-skills/ It literally is the exact same course. Once you register you don't even use the PCDI webpage, you log in for you assignments on the Ashworth page.
I don't think the certificate/diploma that I will recieve at the end will help me in any regulated/licensed setting but it was for my own personal development that I took the course. Plus parents really like to hear that I am enrolled. It seems to prove to them that I am more serious about this as a business and I'm not just "babysitting" some kids while I stay at home with my own son.
I'm currently taking the free online course through the childcareprovider connection. It's the same course as the one offered in the Early Years Centres. I'm taking Level 1 online because our centre is only offering Level 2 this year. I'm taking Level 2 with the centre. I already have a bunch of degrees and I've raised three children, so parents didn't feel a need to ask about ECE, but I felt this course would be a nice orientation to the business of child care. So far, it is unbelievably simplistic, but since I am a university professor, I realize my expectations of a course are different. It does have lots of good information though.
LOL I hear ya Treeholm ~ I took the Home Childcare training when I switched over even though I already had my ECE and additional degree in Human Resources and 17 years in the field ... but it was a different 'wing' of it and I felt it could not hurt to have as much resources behind me as possible!
The funniest part was the first test. There were some questions to answer, and it appeared to me that they really wanted you to just give them the same answer they gave already a few pages previously. I kept thinking "this can't be right." They would tell you on page two that there are three things to know about something, and list them. Then, on the test, they would say, "What are three things to know about that?" I thought, well, I can't just copy the answers they already gave, so do I need to come up with three new things? And what resources should I use for that? I called a friend who had taken the course... she said, "you just give them the info they just gave you... and take off your professor hat, you are trying to make this way too hard." and she laughed at me.... I was all worried about plagiarism... surely I need to put this in my own words... try re-wording something when the answers are things like "safety, cleanliness, comfort." How about "security, hygiene, and environmental ease...." yeah, I gave up and just put down the answers they already gave me.... I'm such a nerd...
LMAO ... I would have struggled the same way with that 'overthinking' the answer cause it cannot be that obvious ... but sadly many curricula are not designed to get you to 'think for yourself' but rather just regurgitate the thoughts of someone else on the matter about what is 'right' .... this is why I have a hard time in some classroom settings because educators do not like when I 'debate' an answer with them on a test cause IMO there are LOTS of ways to approach things and therefore no 'right or wrong' answer to much of life ;)
Opps I was reply to Treeholms test answer Littlefeet ~ you posted while I was typing I am not laugh my ass off at your troubles with your daughter sleeping ... I empathize I cannot cry it out with wee ones either :(
Reggio: I agree completely. I teach critical thinking skills, and if students question me, I take that as a sign of success. I tell them to question everything, including what I tell them LOL
I would have :wub: 'd you as a teacher .... my sister is a Professor of Philosophy and also teaches Ethics and a few other fun 'thinking outside the box' type courses and I love having discussions with her about the education system ... she is often saddened at how little University students are able to 'think' these days and these are students 'choosing' to take these courses so you'd think they would 'get it' also saddened by the fact that they are 'shocked' when they fail the course cause they are so use to being passed through the system in our school systems!Quote:
Originally Posted by treeholm
Thanks Reggio. I love my students, and particularly those who don't just blindly accept what I teach them. I've stayed friends with a lot of them, but most of them are the "rebel" types. Love the ones with spunk, and I feel the same way about children. Love the nice, quiet ones too, of course, but I've always had a soft spot for the ones who question everything... I'm still like that LOL.
You are all AWESOME:yes: at the resources and personal experiences that you share/provide for everyone! Thanks for sharing. I am going on 19 years in the field. I started to get my ECE a few years back but once I became pregnant the fatigue was too much for me to take night courses and unfortunately I didn't return to the program and sadly I don't know if I want to at this point. I am willing to take a course to better myself but I just don't know what. I will look into the links that have been shared.
I've been looking for something to take as well. Anything I find through colleges where I am requires you to do a practicum in a daycare. Having my own day home makes that very difficult. I have looked at this link and it seems pretty reasonable. I only want to do this for my own sake.