ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

• MEd (Research), University of Cambridge
• BSc (Hons) Applied Social Sciences; Polytechnic of North London
• PGCEA (Health Visiting), University of Surrey

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• UKCC Registered Health Visitor (PNL)
• UKCC Registered Field Work Teacher (PNL)
• UKCC Registered Health Visitor Teacher (PNL)
• UKCC Registered Sick Children’s Nurse (Hospitals for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street, London)
• UKCC Registered General Nurse (The Middlesex Hospital, London)
• UKCC Registered Midwife (Forth Valley, Scotland)
• Obstetric Certificate (Queen Charlotte’s Hospital for Women, London)
• Certificate in Tropical Medicine (University of London)

CAREER HISTORY

• 1999-2000: Programme Manager (Childcare and Education), Cambridge Regional College
• 1995-1999: Senior Lecturer and Course Leader of BA Early Childhood Studies, Suffolk College
• 1994-1995: Senior Lecturer and Course Leader of DipHE (Nursing) Child Branch, Suffolk College
• 1992 - 1994: Senior Lecturer Course Leader ENB Post Registration Research Methodology Courses and Dip HE Community Health Programme, Riverside College (Thames Valley University, West London)
• 1989 - 1991: Paediatric Staff Nurse, Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow, UK.; Practice Nurse G.P. Surgery, North Harrow, U.K.
• 1983 - 1989: Health Visitor/Field Work Teacher, Harrow, U.K.
• 1982 - 1982: Clinic Staff Nurse and Visitor for the Elderly, Harrow Health Authority, U.K.
• 1980 - 1982: Primary Health Care Worker with Save the Children Fund, Gorom Gorom, Burkina Faso, West Africa
• 1980 - 1980: Staff Nurse, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, London
• 1977 - 1978: Staff Nurse, Great Ormond Street Hospitals for Children, London

I have had the great pleasure of being employed as Programme Leader of the BA Early Childhood Studies at UEL since 2000. I have had an extremely varied and interesting career which has contributed to my passionate interest in the field of Early Childhood Studies. I was extremely fortunate to programme lead the first full-time Early Childhood Studies degree between 1994 and 1999. As far as I am aware, I am the only person who has co-ordinated the development of two such degrees.

During the past five years, I have been active in several areas within UEL and the Cass School of Education. This has included the post of Lead in Teaching and Learning (LILT) for the School (2002 - 2004); membership of the School Management Team (2002 - 2004); membership of the School Research Group (2001- 2004). At present I remain a member of UEL’s Academic Board. I am also active within the local community as a member of Barking & Dagenham Early Years Partnership and three Sure Start evaluation projects. My involvement in Education and Training with both Barking and Dagenham, and Newham, has helped me to retain my links with early years policy and practice. During the past two years I have been invited by Barking & Dagenham to contribute to their staff development programme and have been employed by them to update staff knowledge and understanding regarding several aspects of child development and child health. I was also asked by Barking & Dagenham for my involvement in the DCFS funded Language and Literacy project which included sessions on how professionals and practitioners can support the diverse language and literacy needs of children within the Borough.

International project co-ordination has been one of my interests for the past 10 years, during which I have co-ordinated student exchanges to France and Holland. As the project co-ordinator (Europe) for the EU: Canada Student Exchange Programme I am able to utilise all my previous experience in the field of Early Childhood. Securing the bid for € 133.000 has meant a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity for the funding of second year undergraduate students to study and gain academic accreditation in Canada for one semester. It has also helped to increase my own knowledge and understanding of similar programmes in Higher Education in other parts of the world.

• Programme Leader, BA Early Childhood Studies

• BA Early Childhood Studies
• MA Early Childhood Studies

BA

• Introduction to Early Childhood Studies
• Issues in Child Health
• Fieldwork in Early Years Settings
• Practice in Early Years Settings
• Children, Culture and Globalisation
• Research Project Supervision
• International Perspectives on Childhood and Health

MA

• Issues and Controversies in Early Childhood and Child Development

I am presently undertaking an EdD at the Institute of Education, London. Work during the past four years has included a research study entitled 'Professionalism and the Early Childhood Studies Graduate' and an Institutional Focused Study entitled 'Transformative Learning: A Case Study of an International Exchange between Canadian and European Early Childhood Studies Students'. I will continue with this research and hope to complete the EdD by December 2007. My other areas of research interest are reflective learning and reflective teaching in higher education.

Woods, M; Thurtle, V; Silberfeld, C. (1999) A Report on the Post-course Destination, Reflections and Career Aspirations of the Early Childhood Studies Students who Graduated from University College Suffolk in 1996 Journal of Further and Higher Education Volume 23:1 London : Carfax Publishing

MEMBERSHIP OF PROFESSIONAL AND ACADEMIC BODIES

1. United Kingdom Central Council (UKCC)
2. MSF/HVA (Health Visitors Association)
3. Higher Education Academy
4. HVA Special Interest Group on Education and Training
5. Early Childhood Studies Degrees Network
6. Institute of Health Promotion
7. Association of British Paediatric Nurses
8. Association of British Paediatric Nurses - Nurse Teachers’ Group
9. Health Prom (formerly the UK/USSR Medical Exchange Programme)

MEMBERSHIP OF VALIDATION/PERIODIC REVIEW PANELS

1. 2007 - University of Wolverhampton
2. 2006 - Manchester metropolitan: BA Early Childhood Studies
3. 2005 - University of Hertfordshire: BA/BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies
4. 2003 - Canterbury Christchurch University College: Foundation Degree in Early Years
5. 2001 - Anglia Polytechnic University: BA (Hons) Childhood and Youth Studies
6. 1995 - South Bank University, London: Diploma in Higher Education (CFP & Child Branch)

PROJECT LEADERSHIP

1. 2002-2006 European co-ordinator for EU: Canada Co-operation in Higher Education Student Excahnge Programme between three HE institutions in Canada and HE institutions in England (UEL), Sweden and Finland

PROJECT EVALUATION

1. 2000-present:Member of the three teams evaluating Sure Start projects in Barking and Dagenham, U.K.

EXTERNAL EXAMINING (current)

1. BA Early Childhood Studies, Canterbury Christchurch University, U.K
2. BA Early Childhood Studies, Oxford Brookes University, UK
3. BA Early Childhood Studies, Bishop Grossteste University College, UK