Post Your Introduction

Discussion Participation

If you do not see the "Reply" button, or any responses, you may need to scroll down the page.

When you are the first to contribute, you will see only the "Reply" button.

Once you have added your initial post or response, choose the "Post Reply" button.

If any classmates have posted, you will see their comments, along with the "Reply" button.

The "Reply" button - as well as any responses - will be displayed at the bottom of the page.

Post Your Introduction

Welcome to class! The purpose of this discussion is to get to know your classmates and the instructor. Be sure to review the Meet Your Instructor page in our course to learn more about the instructor as well. This discussion is also an opportunity to create a LinkedIn profile and join the Ashford University LinkedIn group. Creating the LinkedIn profile and joining the group enables you to continue networking with your Ashford University colleagues in this social network of ECE professionals now and beyond graduation.

Part I (REQUIRED): Introduce Yourself!

As students enrolled in online education, you have experienced one example of how communication has become diversified. For your introduction, think about a unique way to communicate who you are to a potential employer.

Some idea starters include visual representation, video introduction, acrostic, mock interview, using a quote that defines you, writing a biography, or any other creative idea that you may have. The purpose is to be able to use this when preparing for interviews, so be creative!

Please address the following in your introduction:

Your professional goals

Your strengths when communicating with others

One favorite language or literacy experience that you will use in your classroom

When you hand in your assignments each week, they will be returned to you with specific feedback. This feedback should be used to revise the assignment for the Final Project. Please make the necessary corrections and apply them to you Final Project due in Week Five.

Part II (RECOMMENDED): Expand Your Professional Learning Community!

For the second part of this discussion, you are invited to create a LinkedIn account and join the Ashford Early Childhood Education Club. To do so, go to LinkedIn and sign up for the free account option. Once you have set up your LinkedIn profile, providing only the information that you are comfortable sharing, go to the Ashford Early Childhood Education Club page and click the "Join" button. Please review the Privacy Policy for LinkedIn, which is linked in the Course Materials for this course and in the Recommended Resources for Week One.

Guided Response: Respond to at least three of your classmates' posts. In your responses, try to make a personal connection with something your peers shared. For many of you, this is the beginning of your academic journey in the ECE Program; building relationships early in your journey will help you establish a peer support system. If you joined the club, you are encouraged to post your introduction at the Ashford Early Childhood Education Club at LinkedIn. Making connections to your peers while also having access to relevant ECE content are just a couple of the advantages of the Ashford

Early Childhood Education Club. Though three replies is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and community building with peers, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions others have posted for you. Continuing to engage with peers and the instructor throughout the week beyond the basic requirement will further the conversations and provide opportunities for you to network with and get to know your instructor and peers for more optimal engagement in the coming weeks!

Discussion 1 : Language Knowledge Article

Chapter 1 explains the attributes of language and the process of language acquisition in young children. Since this is such a crucial component to support language acquisition, it is important that we understand this fully. As teachers, we also serve as information resources for parents. Choose one of the following topics and write a short 250- to 350-word article for a parent newsletter:

Language Attributes

Process of Language Acquisition

Language and Communication

Your article should focus on helping parents understand the process of language acquisition in an informative, yet parent-friendly manner.

Be sure to support your ideas with a reference to the textbook and at least one outside source cited in APA format. Construct your initial post for this discussion as if parents were your audience.

Discussion 2 : Language Structure Poster

In Chapter 2, you will explore the complete system of language as well as the various levels of language structure. Using your knowledge of the whole structure, as well as the individual levels, create a poster you can display in your classroom that explains the different levels.

This poster can be created using Microsoft Word, or it can be hand drawn and scanned to share for this discussion. The content of this poster should be a minimum of 150 words and it should be presented on one page. It can contain text and visuals such as pictures and/or graphics.

At a minimum, please provide a brief summary of the three main levels and use your creativity as you break these down. Support the content of your poster with information from the textbook and at least one outside source. Citations must be properly formatted in APA style and be included on your poster.

Guided Response: Analyze several of your classmates' posters. Select at least two posters that appeal to you and tell your classmates how their posters helped you better understand the level of language structure.

Journal : Rapid Fire Reflection

Journals allow you to think about how the course content relates to your experiences, philosophies, and beliefs. There are no right or wrong answers; the value lies in your critical thinking. The questions below may spark some ideas regarding language and communication. You do not need to address all the questions; instead, write down your thoughts as they unfold.

You are surrounded by language and communication! Language and communication has become more expansive in our new digital world.

While these changes do open many doors, there are also new areas to reflect on. Think about your day today.

How did you communicate?

Is this different than how you communicated 10 years ago?

How about 20 years ago?

Our language and our means of communication have changed over time.

Have our rules and theories also changed?

What about our interactions and expectations?

How about the effectiveness of our communication?

How do you think the new forms of language and abundance of diverse communication methods will affect our children and youth?

What is the impact of this new communication on the "old" forms of communication?

Do you think there will be a change in the language acquisition process?

What might be the advantages and disadvantages of such a change?