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Working in Collaborative Environments: Due Wednesday April 10th
Reflective Practice in Early Learning is an important part of responsive care for children and
their families. Early Childhood Educators must learn how to engage in reflections in multiple
ways. Using reflective practice in group functions supports a holistic understanding as
educators examine their own values, beliefs and assumptions against professional ethics and
use perspective taking to consider multiple lenses from a variety of professionals who work
with children.
For this assignment, students will complete 3 reflective writings that is grounded in theory as
communicated in class through learnings and resource materials. Throughout the course,
instructors will pose a reflective question to the group that will require the individual student to
write a one-page response that demonstrates class learning and connections to the early
learning field today.
Each question will be presented at the end of the class. There will be a total of three questions
for the course. Every effort will be taken to give class time to begin the assignment. However,
additional homework may be required to complete the assignment.
Paragraphs should include the topic that you are writing about and six or more supporting
sentences that use correct English grammar and spelling. Each paragraph should end with a
concluding sentence. Students will need to proofread or find someone to proofread the writing
to catch mistakes and get full marks.
Assignment 2 Conflict Resolution: Due Saturday March 23rd
This assignment will assess the group’s understanding of how different roles and personalities
can affect conflict resolution. Students will use their base group to brainstorm how conflict
resolution might look with an assigned scenario and describe how work-based roles present in
the scenario might support or hinder effective problem-solving. The scenario will be assigned to
each group by the instructor, with the expectation that connections to conflict resolution
theories and concepts learned in class will be linked to the completed assignment. *This
assignment will have 3 required components

Component 1-Group Paper

As students work together it will be important to address the following points to effectively
demonstrate class learning:

 The group will engage in decisions about resolving the conflict evident in the assigned
scenario by consensus. It will be important for the group to decide what the outcome
will be in the problem-solving process while working towards the solution in your
assigned scenario.
  Ensure all group members agree with the problem-solving outcome to achieve optimal
success for this assignment.
 Use the theories of group development by Bruce Tuckman and William Schutz to
rationalize how your group has worked through the problem.
 The group will effectively describe the 5-step process of problem solving in the paper's
body.
 The group will clearly describe each step of the problem-solving process in a concisely
written, 2–3-page APA formatted paper. Be prepared to outline how the group
followed the problem-solving process in the body of this paper and explain why these
problem-solving steps were followed.
 It will be important to identify potential non-functional behavior that might hinder the
problem-solving process.
 Think about any power-struggles that might occur in the assigned scenario. Use French
and Raven’s basis of power to demonstrate your understanding.

Component 2 –Presentation
On the due date, each group will provide a 5-minute presentation outlining the scenario they
were provided with as well as detailing how group dynamics, group roles, group development
and issues relating to power contributed to the problem – solving process. Presentations may
take the form of a class discussion led by the group or may be a PowerPoint presentation
providing the information required.

Component 3- Completion of the Group Analysis Form

Upon completion of the group’s presentation, the group analysis form must be handed in by
the group. The Group Analysis Form is found below:

Group Analysis Form

How did all members engage in the decision-making process to arrive at problem solving for
your assigned scenario?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
What was the main problem identified in the assigned scenario? How did the group identify the
problem? How did the group show the need to solve the problem? How was each stage of the
problem-solving process communicated?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
What non-functional behaviors did the group members identify as potential roadblocks to
conflict resolution?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
How did the concept of power come into play in the assigned scenario?

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Scenarios for Assignment 1 –One of the following will be assigned to your

group:
1. At a staff meeting a discussion takes place about supervising the children during outdoor
play. One staff complains about you in front of the others when you leave the meeting to use
the washroom. The staff says, “Well, if she would do her job then I could do my job, she is so
lazy and never plays with the children!” When you return to the meeting the subject is
changed. Another staff tells you what the staff said about you.

2. You are absent from work for two days. When you return to work you realize the light table
has been removed from your room. You notice that another room has it and it using it. You ask
the caregiver to return the light table and that caregiver states, “We have it and will be using it
for the next week. You shouldn’t have been away from work!” And she walks away.

3. In your room you plan each week based on the interests of children. Each week you turn in
your planning to your supervisor for approval. You do not get planning time together but each
one of you gets to work on the planning for the week at separate times. You get the program
time last and the other staff in your room doesn’t write anything down. When you ask where
her ideas are she says, “you can do it, I am tired and don’t feel like planning.” You prepare the
planning. This has happened every week for six weeks.
4. You have prepared four documentation panels for your room based on activities with the
children. Your Director comes into the room and sees them. She asks “Wow…..who did
these?” Your co-worker jumps up and says “I did them.” You are confused as you did them.
The Director looks at you and says “you should be doing things like this too. Why don’t you?”
and walks away.

5. You have been assigned by your Director to clean the storage shed. You spend one day
cleaning the shed and organizing the toys. During the next staff meeting you share with the
team a plan you created for keeping the shed organized. Everyone agrees to work on keeping it
clean. The following week, you notice one co-worker throwing things into the shed. She says to
another co-worker, “Don’t worry, she’ll just clean it again, we don’t have to.” She walks away
laughing. You notice that the floor of the shed is covered with toys that have been thrown in
there.

6. You work with a caregiver who likes to do messy activities with the children such as foot
painting, mixing sand and water together and making mud. You notice that she prepares the
activities just before going on break each day. She does not prepare anything to clean up.
Right when the children are in the middle of the activity she leaves on her break and says “have
fun with this mess!” And she walks away.

Assignment #2 Conflict Resolution GRADING SHEET

This portion must be handed in with Assignment #2 Total Mark: ____/25
The following scale will be used to determine the grade for this assignment:
Paper: Each member of the group contributed to the
decision-making process.
 Group members demonstrated an understanding of
conflict resolution.
The group effectively demonstrated the 5-step process /10
of problem solving.
Each group member contributed to the written paper.
Paper was written in APA format and was free of
spelling and grammatical errors.
Group presentation
Group outlined how group dynamics, group roles,
group development and power contributed to the /10
problem – solving process
Each group member participated in the presentation
Group Analysis Form
The group form was submitted by the group.
All questions demonstrated class learning with /5
detailed, reflective answers that incorporates group
theories and concepts taught in class.
Instructor Comments:

/25

Assignment #3– Creating a Positive Environment Due Wednesday April 3rd.

Part 1-Creating a Positive Environment – take it to the streets
For this assignment, your base group will complete a series of activities. This assignment's scope will be
adapted to meet our community's changing climate. Activities must be planned to take place in a public
area and support the creation of a positive environment and relationships. The execution of these
activities will be determined in class and adapted by your instructor. In your team, students will create
activities in each of the following categories:

1. Having a positive attitude

2. Playfulness

3. Be present in the moment

4. Celebrate others by brightening their day

Choose some activities that can be done today and DO IT!!!! Take your ideas on the "streets." See how
many people’s day you can make! How many opportunities can you create to play? Students must do at
least one activity from each of the four categories. Each team must create a power point presentation
that includes ‘selfies’ or pictures of the team engaged in each category. Presentations can include
answers to the following questions.

 What did you do for each category?

 How did people respond?
 How did you feel doing it?
 Would you do it again? Why or why not?
 What changes would you make?
 How will you create a positive environment both in your workplace and in your personal life in
the future?

Part 2 – Creating a Positive Environment in the Workplace

Each group member will individually plan a series of experiences that support the creation of a positive
workplace environment through interactions with the center's adults. This could include co-workers,
supervisors and/or families. Plan at least one activity that can be done at work from each of the four
categories listed above and DO IT!!! Each student will provide a documentation panel about what
happened in their workplace by completing the questions above for each category. Documentation
panels will be presented to the class in a gallery/PowerPoint