Content Review

1. In Chapter 1 of Diversity in Early Care and Education, Janet Gonzalez-Mena introduces the concept of transformative education and discusses the role of dialogue. Review the information presented on pages 25–26 (including Point to Ponder 1.9). Using an example related to the care of infants or toddlers that you have read about or observed in the first four weeks of this course, explain what the terms transformative education and dialogue mean, as well as how these concepts relate to each other.

2. Differences between individuals’ concepts of time, which are shaped by culture, can lead to conflicts. Review the information on time concepts presented on pages 38–39 of Diversity in Early Care and Education and then review the information on outcomes to cultural conflicts addressed on pages 54–56 of the text. Describe one or more conflicts that may arise between an infant/toddler professional and a family member if the two individuals have different views on time. Then, using this example, compare and contrast two or more of the five outcomes described on pages 54–56, and explain the advantage(s) of one outcome over the other.

3. On page 56 of Diversity in Early Care and Education, Janet Gonzalez-Mena refers to the challenge issued by the National Association for Education of Young Children (NAEYC) for infant/toddler professionals to move beyond dualistic thinking toward holistic thinking. Using an example related to the care of infants or toddlers, explain what holistic thinking means and describe how it presents a better alternative for addressing the needs of everyone involved.

ASSIGNMENT 2

Application: Applying Knowledge of Culture and Family-Centered Care to Practice in Infant/Toddler Programs

In this course, you have learned a great deal about the often abstract and complex subject of culture and how it can influence behaviors, interactions, and communication in infant/toddler programs. Imagine that you now have an opportunity to share what you have learned in this course about culture and family centered care and education with other infant/toddler professionals. What information would be most valuable for professionals who will be working with infants/toddlers and their families?

In preparation for this assignment, consider the key insights you have had or the most important ideas you have encountered in this course. The following is one example: It is important for infant/toddler professionals to learn directly from families rather than make assumptions about their values and beliefs based on cultural stereotypes. You may wish to consult the Learning Resources and the assignments you for each week to guide your thinking.

For this Application Assignment, describe 10 key insights or major ideas from this course that you would most like to share with infant/toddler professionals to help them build culturally responsive relationships and environments. For each key insight or major idea, include the following:

• Explain why it is significant to a professional’s work with infants/toddlers and families and may help build culturally responsive relationships and environments.

• Provide one or more specific examples from the Learning Resources and assignments to illustrate how the key insight or major idea could be put into practice in an infant/toddler program. Be sure to cite your sources.

Assignment length: 2 pages

Draft a one-page spreadsheet showing financial history and projected performance for the company have chosen. The rows should include revenue, expenses, calculated profit, and calculated profit margin. The columns should be years: two years of history, plus three years of your reasonable future projections. Include a few sentences of key assumptions and conclusions. The spreadsheet must have accurate calculations and the cells of the spreadsheet should show your calculation formulas. Your spreadsheet should look professional on screen and when printed (including a heading and meaningful number formatting). Submit this assignment as an Excel spreadsheet file, not a PDF document.

Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

•  Show two years of financial history including revenue, expenses, calculated profit, and calculated profit margins.
•  Show three years of future financial projections for revenue, expenses, calculated profit, and calculated profit margins.
•  Show calculation formulas in cells where appropriate rather than “inputting” numbers.
•  Identify key assumptions and conclusions regarding financial projections.
•  Present data in a professional manner with headings and meaningful number formatting.

The company need to analysis is “Nordstrom Inc.”

I have put two examples files which you can read at the top of the Spreadsheet the Fundamental Statistics. You will need some of these depending on the project. This is a project only so the CFs and all analyses will be for the project. Some analyses must include the entire company. But CFs are project related and NPV is project related. 

The situation: Suppose that you are the new HR Director at HSS (the case study presented in our Course Resources under modules) and you have already made a presentation to the CEO and the Board of Directors on the need for HR planning and and enhanced strategic role that HR must play in the organization. After that presentation, and having read the research on managing human resources strategically that you have presented (assignment 2 literature review), the CEO confides that she has been thinking about how the senior staff in the organization are recruited and selected. As a result, she has asked you to propose new recruitment and selection methods for the senior level employees.

Deliverable:

The CEO’s directive to you is to prepare a short (approximately five-page double spaced) proposal that includes at the least:

1.  A cover memo to the CEO providing an overview of the task assigned and a summary of your proposal

2.  A description of at least three recruitment approaches that could be considered

3.  A description of at least three selection approaches that could be considered

4.  A cost/benefit analysis and comparison of the approaches of both the recruitment and selection approached

5.  Metrics the organization could use to evaluate the effectiveness of the on-going recruitment and selection of senior level employees. Propose at least three metrics for the evaluation (include the time frame for your evaluation period such as six months after entry into the position).

6.  Your recommended approach and your arguments/justification to defend your choices.

7.  A conclusion section that includes a summary of the approaches recommended, the benefits and any other aspects to the proposal you want to highlight.

Notes: Use topic headings to organization your presentation, include in-text citations for statements of fact, and provide a reference page if in text citations are used in the proposal, use professional level language and writing.