New Year! - November 22-26, 2010

Hello readers, this is my final blog post for Communication Techniques, Early Childhood Education Year 1. This semester has been very challenging and also a great learning experience. One of my goals that I have for the New Year is to enjoy next semester as much as this one. This year I have met great friends and also very knowledgeable people, who have helped and guided me throughout my learning. Next year I hope that I can succeed in my studies as much as I did this year and also enjoy new experiences such as Field Placement. This is my goal for the New Year, thank you readers!

Blog Wars! – November 15-19, 2010

Blogs, blogs, blogs. Are they talking over all other forms of communication? Personally i do not think that a blog could replace agendas, due to that fact that some families do not have computers or internet access at their home. Yes, blog are the newest technology of posting information, and do seem like an ideal method for teachers and parents/guardians to communicate. We all know that kids might forget their agenda or “loose” it somewhere. But if we do being to use blogs to communicate what will be next? Tweets to everyone’s phone, facebook pages, and then texts and so on, where will it end and will privacy and professional lines be crossed? What if a parent didn’t get along with another parent and a full out fight happened on your blog, you would be held responsible because it is your blog. I personally thing agenda blogging is a horrible idea and would never use a blog in a child care centre or kindergarten classroom.

Take Responsibility For YOUR OWN Actions! – November 8-12, 2010

In my opinion the most important Generic Skills Learning Outcome is #11, take responsibility for her or his own actions and decisions. I think that this is the most important Generic Skills Learning Outcome because it not only applies to the Early Childhood Education Course, but to everyday situations people deal with throughout their entire life. Be responsible for your own actions, if you are acting inappropriately or recklessly you need to face the consequences. And it is very understandable that yes, people do make mistakes. But you still need to take responsibility for what you did, whether it was right or wrong, and this is what we are teaching the children of today. Knowing that Durham College is obligated to ensure ECE graduates are able to demonstrate ALL the vocational, generic and general education skills helps me understand why we have assignments in this course that require us to analyze and evaluate information from a variety of sources, write or present your research, and use MLA formatting because that is what we are going to be required to do as an ECE. We need to be credible, respected, authoritative within our career, and even just in life, so I do believe that the requirements are justified.

FREE PARKING is not what I paid for! – November 2/3, 2010

Parking at Durham College! I am a full time student at Durham College and the parking is ridiculous. Each day I come to school and I feel like there are no parking spots available for me. I usually end up parking in the farthest row and its not the longer walk to the building, or how cold it is outside, but the fact that I feel uncomfortable walking alone to my car late at night. Even if I have a class at 8:00 a.m. I still am parking so far away, where there are usually no people around, no light posts, and no walkways. Now that it is entering the winter months it gets darker earlier and earlier! So now I’m stuck feeling like I need to run to my car every night when I’m done my classes. Recently I have been noticing that the “gate” where you need to swipe your card to get into the parking lot has just been open. So how come everyone is now able to get into my parking lot, park in the close parking spots, and not pay a single penny? I paid $500.00 for my parking and i do not feel like i am getting my money’s worth, but rather ripped off and wonder, what is the point of having these fees if people are now parking anywhere they want? 

Durham College Adventure! Oct 26, 10

Starting from the Campus Bookstore located in the Gordon Willey building in room A125 you will walk to the B-wing on the first floor on your left. Once you get there you will go out the doors across from the Security and Parking Information desk and continue walking along the sidewalk, passing a large circular monument on the lawn. Eventually you will reach an intersection and will turn left. Continue walking straight until you reach the Founders 1 parking lot and within the parking lot there will be the Simcoe Building. There will be a construction zone on the right side. You will walk along the construction zone, but please be cautious and careful. There will be a set of doors with a wheel-chair accessible entrance which you will enter. Congratulations! You have reached the K-wing of the Simcoe Building, please proceed down the hallway and you will reach room K9.

Hope you had a safe trip!

I outlined your trip in magenta for a visual reference.

Learning is GOOD! Oct 20, 2010

Today we were taught how to properly use MLA style referencing and why we should reference in the first place.  Referencing gives credit to ideas, work, or innovations of the creator. It makes you and your work look more professional and credible to the reader and allows you to avoid plagiarism or fraud. There are two places where you can obtain referencing information depending on the material, which can be located within the text body known as Parenthetical references (in text citations) or a Works Cited page which is a thorough list of all sources used. Many people find it challenging to know when and what you are supposed to cite within your work. But in today’s class we learned that you do not have to cite common knowledge and if you’re unsure if you should cite information or not you always should just in case to avoid plagiarism. Lastly we learned that there are many resources available when trying to cite information such as the MLA Guide at the DC/UOIT library, on the online MLA library guide, the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers in the bookstore and library, and also SALS (Student Academic Learning Services) has Writing Specialists available to help students with their future references!

SALS- Student Academic Learning Services. -October 12/13, 2010

If you are having difficulty or find you are struggling with homework, assignments, or studying for tests the Student Academic Learning Services also known as SALS is a great place to help you accomplish your goals. As a student at Durham College you are eligible to register for a peer tutor, have 15 hours of tutoring per subject (which you are allowed 2 per semester), and only costs you $5 for registration fees. SALS also offers workshops throughout the semester to help students, if you cannot make it to a workshop or it is full you can make an appointment, and you can even ask for a workshop yourself. At the SALS centre they try to provide a quiet and productive learning environment in hopes to ensure students reach their maximum learning potential. They also have various learning tools or guides posted available for your use such as tips sheets, outlines, and bibliography or works cited help sheets. SALS is full of great resources and their most valuable resource would be the people there to help. Leslie Linstrom who is a Writing Specialist, Eric Gustavsen an ESL Specialist, and John Hayes a Learning Skills Advisor are just a few to mention who are there to guide you and answer any questions you may have. So please don’t hesitate when you need assistance, all you need to do is ask and help will be provided in one way or another.

- If any extra information is needed please feel free to read my previous blog post and visit the SALS website.

http://www.durhamcollege.ca/EN/main/places_to_go/places_to_study/student_academic_learning_services.php

To Write or Present? That is the Question! - October 4&5, 2010

Writing a research paper has many pros and cons which should be taken into consideration before deciding to use this method to share your information. The negative aspects of writing a research paper include; word limit/restriction, structure requirements and small issues such as spelling and grammar. However there are positive aspects to this which are; there is no need for memorization of material, nor is there any need for visuals or additional work other than the paper and the research itself. In the case of presentations the cons would be the creative measure that has to be taken in order to captivate the audience and keeping them engaged and involved. The pros are; there isn't an extreme need for writing and sentence structure, and for those who are "people persons" they have a chance to interact with those watching the presentation. If I had the choice I would choose to write a research paper. This is because I feel as though I am a more effective writer than speaker. I don't have enough confidence in my public speaking abilities therefor I don't think I could put together an appealing visual display of my research and present it effectively.

STOP the spread, one germ at a time! - September 29, 2010

Illness within childcare centres/schools is not an issue that should be taken lightly. There are many procedures and concerns involved in keeping children healthy, that all child care providers should be aware of. These procedures include; knowing common symptoms of illness to prevent outbreaks, how to administer medication properly, germ prevention (proper hygiene, hand washing, use of disinfecting solutions), administering a healthy lifestyle through nutrition and physical activity, informing parents of health changes and recommending medical attention, and encouraging parents to have children vaccinated. All of these things are important and need to be evident in all childcare environments. Without these precautions being taken the safety of the children and workers is at risk which is unacceptable when it takes such little effort to prevent illnesses.

Academic Resources are GOOD! Sept 22, 2010

       During my first week of classes at Durham College it came to my attention that they offer amazing academic support. The Student Academic Learning Services (SALS) tries to support students with their studies and encourages them to succeed. They offer various services for students depending on their needs such as academic writing services, clinics, ESL academic services, learning strategies, peer tutoring programs, and even workshops. If you are interested feel free to stop by and have a look they are located in the Gordon Willey building (right above the Learning Commons) in room SW201, open Monday to Friday 8a.m. – 5p.m. This is a great opportunity for everyone at the college and should definitely take advantage of this wonderful resource. For any further information needed about SALS just check out the link posted below and it should have all the information you will need.

http://www.durhamcollege.ca/EN/main/places_to_go/places_to_study/student_academic_learning_services.php

     

                     Good luck with all your studies!

Toronto Zoo Photos!

 The Sting Rays!

 Polar Bear! burrrr....

 Ape!

 Tiger!

 Peacock!

even though my last name is bird.. birds actually scare me a little! shhhhh...

Me and My Adventurous Trip! - Sept 15, 2010.

Hello! Welcome to my very first blog and I hope you enjoy reading my posts. I should probably start off by introducing myself and tell you a little bit about me. My name is Megan Bird, my birthday is on December 9^th, 1991 and I was born in Oshawa, Ontario. I'm currently taking my first year of ECE at Durham College, but it's not my first time here. I previously was taking General Arts and Science Pre-Health last year and decided it wasn't quite my thing. I also live in the country with my parents James and Lydia, and my three big doggies! Ben is our Golden Retriever, Mocha is our Bernese Mountain Dog, and Jed who is the youngest of the bunch and is a Bloodhound and they all are weighing in over 120 pounds. I also have an older brother by eight years named Jamie who is in the Army and recently just came home from Afghanistan. Last but not least I have an adopted sister named Jocelynne who is the same age and is currently going to school in Elmira, New York on a hockey scholarship. I love to be active and just finished my Intermediate Girls Box Lacrosse league with the Clarington Green Gaels this August. On my spare time I like to relax by being a bit artsy, drawing, painting, you name it and I’m a huge movie buff as well. One final fun fact is my background is Polish and Irish so at my house it’s usually a good time and lots of great food!

Now onto my most memorable summer moment would probably be going to the Toronto Zoo. Honestly it was probably one of the funnest things I have done in a really long time. We got to go see the Sting Ray exhibition which was fantastic, once you walk in they ask you to remove any jewellery on your hands and wrists and thoroughly wash your hands and arms up to your elbows to remove any lotion, perfume, dirt, etc. Then they had a huge area which kind of looked like a very shallow swimming pool up to your waist where you were able to  put your hands in and pet the Sting Rays as the swam by and maybe splashed the water. We also proceeded on to see some Polar Bears, Peacocks, and Tigers we also went into the Butterfly Sanctuary where you walk into this building filled with trees, flowers, waterfalls and the butterflies can be free and even land on you. We eventually got to watch an Elephant Performance Show were the trainers shared some interesting facts and even got one of the elephants to spray water from her trunk! My last stop at the zoo was the Gift Shop where I got to buy my own sting ray and bring him home. Now that`s an amazing and memorable day of summer.