Welcome Literacy Activities for Infant and Toddlers Participants!
On Tuesday, January 26, 2016, we will begin to explore Literacy Activities for Infant and Toddlers that Lead to
School Readiness. Early years are crucial for learning. We will investigate the factors that prepare young children for a
successful educational journey. Together, we will explore how to “build a brain” through the support and nurturing of
young children’s early language and literacy skills. As an early childhood educator, you will become the expert on how
to enable young learners to stretch their capabilities. I wanted to give you a quick introduction, give you your first
assignment and make sure that you know how to get to the blackboard course so we are all ready to go!
My name is Kathy Kashner and I am a STARS Technical Assistant Consultant for the Northeast Key along with
being a Professional Development Instructor for Community Education at Northampton Community College. During the
past 20 years, I have worn many “hats” in the early care and education field including; classroom teacher, center
director, trainer, and mentor. I am a wife of 14 years and a mother to three beautiful children (nine year old twinsboy/girl, and a four year old boy). We also have an adorable geriatric beagle (she is a rescue and we are unsure of her
age, we think somewhere around 12 years old). I enjoy Philly sports, but only because my husband was born and raised
in the Philadelphia suburbs. I enjoy gardening and taking walks with my family.
You will not have access to Blackboard or your course until the session begins on January 26, 2016.
When you have access to your course site in Blackboard, the objectives and other information will be available to
you through Blackboard.
Your course uses Blackboard for your course site. You may access Blackboard from the NCC home page at
http://www.northampton.edu by clicking the ‘logins’ area and then choosing ‘Blackboard/Online Learning’ or you can go
directly to http://northampton.blackboard.com . Please note this direct link contains no www and ends in .com rather
than .edu.
Blackboard Login Procedure:
Your Blackboard logon is your Lifelearn student ID#. That ID# begins with ll (two lower case Ls) and then
usually 4 or 5 digits. Your initial Blackboard password is your Lifelearn ID #. If you previously used Blackboard and
changed your password, use your current password instead.
When you log onto Blackboard, you may change your password if you desire. Also, please verify/change
your e-mail address. Instructions on how to do this are in the Blackboard Manual accessed from the NCC Online
Learning website. You can access and print a manual by going to the NCC Online Learning website at:
http://www.northampton.edu/onlinelearning. From the left hand menu, click on Current Students > How to Get
Started Using Blackboard to see instructions on using Blackboard.
You can email requests for technical assistance to helpdesk@northampton.edu.
Here are some tips for success in an on-line class:

Time matters. Set up a schedule for reviewing class assignments, including time for reading, researching, writing
and participation in discussion forums.

Feedback systems. You will get feedback directly through discussion forums. If you feel you need additional
feedback, please email or call me.

Networking. Sharing knowledge with each other is a valuable experience and an opportunity for

Savor the differences. This online training will have value-added features that you would not experience in
a traditional face to face workshop, such as access to the internet, the use of technology and practice in
communication skills when you’re working in groups from a distance.
more meaningful and enhanced learning.
Please feel free to contact me at any time if you have a question about this training or specific
assignments. I welcome your questions.
A first assignment for you is to go login to your blackboard account and click the “Literacy Activities for Infant
and Toddlers that Lead to School Readiness” link. Hopefully, you're in! If you are having problems on January 26th,
please contact the help desk at 610-861-5413 or helpdesk@northampton.edu. You can begin to explore the buttons on
the left-hand side of the page, including the “course home” button, which lists any new announcements and places to
go if you need help. Now go to the "start here" button and explore the documents that explain the Blackboard system,
technical requirements, student responsibilities and assessment criteria. Please remember that this is not a graded
course, but your participation is required to obtain and earn your professional development certificate at the end of the
course.
When you are ready, you can begin to navigate the “discussions” button, where you will be sharing ideas and
exploring questions. Some of the discussion questions will be available at the beginning of this session, and some of
the discussion questions will be available as the course progresses.
The idea behind this 24/7 professional development session is to be able to access it at your convenience.
Please do, however, check back often on discussion boards so you have an opportunity to see, respond to and interact
with other’s responses. Ideally, you can have a conversation with other participants through the discussion board.
Please note; Don’t wait until the end of the session schedule to join the discussion boards. Think of how difficult it might
be to join a face to face conversation just as everyone is about to wrap up and leave.
A certificate of participation for 3 hours will be provided in the PA Registry System under My Learning Path –
My Transcript once the sessions is completed and closed; which typically will happen within the week after the workshop
completes on February 9, 2016.
Please reply to this email so that we are sure that email communication systems are working.
I look forward to working with all of you in our journey of exploring building a brain. Thank you and have an
outstanding rest of your day!
Kathy Kashner,
Lead Consultant
Northampton Community College