ECE 430 Week 5 Discussion Questions

ECE 430 Week 5 DQ 1&2

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ECE 430 Week 5 DQ 1&2

1-

In the Week 5 Case Study: Dispositions/Closure, we learn that the parents of Mrs. Ashland's student nominate her for Golden Apple Award. In their nominations the parents express what she has done for their child and each child’s storyline is wrapped up through these explanations.

After reading Week Five Case Study, imagine you are a judge on the panel who determines which teachers receive the Channel 6 Golden Apple Award.  As you do with each submission you receive, you need to analyze the letter you received about Mrs. Ashland using the dispositions of effective early childhood educators (Chapter 9) and NAEYC’s Statement of Commitment to determine if she possesses the necessary qualities to receive the award.  Defend your position to recommend or decline Mrs. Ashland for this award by clearly identifying which dispositions she does or does not possesses and whether or not she displays the characteristics stated in NAEYC’s Statement of Commitment.

Guided Response: After completing your own review of Mrs. Ashland’s submission you are required to meet with at least two other members of the panel to collaborate on your findings. Respectfully critique your fellow panel member’s decision about Mrs. Ashland’s nomination by providing at least two pieces of evidence as to why you agree or disagree with their decision.

2-

In Chapter 10 of the textbook, the author goes into depth about the importance of quality educators and leaders in early childhood programs. In fact, Krogh (2013) states, “NAEYC, Zero to Three, and other professional organizations consider the quality of program administration in an early childhood program to be strongly linked to the success of the program” (Chapter 10 Summary, para. 1).  Krogh also discusses key roles and characteristics that high-quality educators demonstrate.

For this discussion, imagine you are applying for a position at a high-quality early childhood education program.  As part of the application process, you must submit a resume and cover letter.  It is important that you have a compelling cover letter. To write an impactful cover letter, you need to address the questions listed below. Starting with these questions will help provide a clear and concise message for the person reading your cover letter.

• Why are you interested in the early childhood education position? Consider what makes the position, organization, or setting interesting to you.

• What three skills or competencies related to the NAEYC Standards do you possess that match the skills the employer is seeking in a candidate?
  • You can find these skills by viewing the job description. These specific skills are the reason every cover letter should be unique for each job for which you apply.

For this discussion, you will explore the components of a cover letter, reflect on your most relevant skills, and assess what action steps you can take to make your cover letter stronger.

• The Cover Letters resource contains step-by step instructions for creating a cover letter. Formatting suggestions and tips regarding how to highlight your best skills and qualifications as well as how to tailor your letter for specific job you wish to apply are included.

• For more in-depth guidance for writing a cover letter, please watch the Creating a Compelling Cover Letter webinar.

In your initial post

• First, identify a position on www.indeed.com that interests you as a potential early childhood education job opportunity. Using the job description, identify three skills or qualifications as related to the NAEYC standards that match your background and type them out.

• Next, using the format suggestions from both the webinar and cover letter sample, develop your cover letter.  In your cover letter you should include why you are interested in the position as well as a  a three- to four-sentence paragraph that communicates the three matching skills and/or competencies you would like to highlight for the employer. The goal is to tailor the body of your cover letter to the position you seek.

• Paste the link of the job description you are interested in and your cover letter that you have written for this job application into the discussion forum so you can obtain feedback from your classmates.

Guided Response: Respond to at least two of your peers by providing feedback on how their three key skills will help them to achieve their career goals. In addition, provide at least one suggestion for how they might emphasize their relevant skills.