Sunday, April 19, 2009

Dream Mentor Planning Process



Click to See: - CDMP Process Flows and Charts



The Dream Mentor Process is a method by which a continual cycle of enlightenment, enablement, empowerment and encouragement takes place at every meeting between the student and his/her Dream Mentor.

The Dream Mentor Process is not a program designed for the Dream Mentor to identify for the student which college, college major or what career a student should choose through a series of standardized tests (This can be done through the High School Counselor in the guidance department).

Instead, this program that is designed to create a roadmap:



“To help each student find their unique qualities and to identify

their hopes and dreams”


I believe every person (student) is a unique individual that has special gifts that go undetected because we never take the time to sit down and discuss them and to show how wonderful it is that God made every one of us different.

Far too many young people have low self esteem. It is my hope to change this for as many students as I can based on my experiences and those of others (Church, Teachers, Administrators, Parents and the Community).

When you look at the number of the people in the world today and the number of people who have populated the earth it is mind staggering to think about how we are all born different.

The result of this program is to aide the student to:
• Fostering academic (thinking) development

• Preparing students to be informed, caring, and productive citizens of society

• Preparing students for higher education

• Preparing students for the world of work

I hope you all will join me in encouraging our students to work towards their dreams. The key word is “work”. Dreams can become realities through discipline, planning and hard work. These Dreams are done when we are awake!


Saturday, April 11, 2009

April is "Autism Awareness Month" but for "Maddy" Autism is Everyday


Updated March 29, 2017

I was sent (Valerie) this link for a new web site. The magazine provides expert advice from respected professionals about autism and offers solutions for families.

Check it out it is really good!
4/11/09
Autism is our country's fastest growing developmental disability. Autism spectrum disorders now affect 1 in 150 children. Autism is more common than juvenile diabetes, childhood cancer and AIDS combined. Do you know that every 20 minutes another child is diagnosed with autism!

Early diagnosis and intervention are extremely important to the progress a child with autism can make.

What is autism?Autism is a neurologically-based developmental disability that affects the way a child’s brain develops and the ability to communicate, reason and interact with others.

What does it mean that autism is a "spectrum" disorder?In a spectrum disorder, symptoms and characteristics present themselves in a wide variety of combinations, from mild to severe and in any combination.

What is Asperger's disorder?In layman's terms, Asperger's is a disorder on the autism spectrum. Individuals with Asperger's disorder are often considered mildly affected by autism in the sense that there are no significant language and cognitive delays. Persons with Asperger's experience impairments in social interactions and restriction in activities.

What are the signs of autism?Parents, teachers and medical professionals may look for these behaviors:
*not responding to name;
*doesn't point to wave goodbye;
*used to say a few words, but now doesn't;
*intense tantrums;
*odd movement (twirling, flapping, rocking);
*poor eye contact;
*unusual attachment to objects or schedules;
*lining up items in a certain order.
*Having one or more of these signs indicates the need for a developmental screening.
I must add a personal note that there is a big difference working in a Private School when it comes to Autism than in the Public School. The Private School suspects any out of the ordinary behavior as being a form of Autism. The Public School does not know what label to put on children who don't conform to predetermined behavior by so called experts so they add about three or four learning disorders just to make sure they have done their jobs.

Everyday is Autism for Maddy
The facts above are commonly known to many people today about Autism because of the national attention it has received through the media. However, what is not commonly known is the day to day life of a family where autism affects every part of their life 24 hours a day.
Families with Autism do not ask for special treatment nor do they want our sympathy, they just want us to understand they have the same ups and downs as those of us without Autism in our lives. I for one learn through the writings of Maddy. I hope you will join me at the links below.
One family and blog that I have followed for the past number of years can be found at: http://whittereronautism.com/.
I would also ask you to stop by Maddy's Shop at:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6536626

To read more on Autism by qualityg you can click here --> http://qualityg.blogspot.com/search/label/ASD%20-%20Autism%20Spectrum%20Disorders

Friday, April 03, 2009

15 Questions for Process Improvements

Process Meeting Questions


1. What are the key steps in this process for a typical “Sunny Day” Scenario (The way the process should work)?

2. What are the current systems/tools used in the process/step?

3. How are the handoffs done between the activities and groups? (Email, system etc)

4. What dependencies/triggers are there in performing this/these task(s)?
· When can work begin?
· When do you have to wait to do work? and why?
· What conditions need to occur for the order to get to the next process?

5. What items are required to perform the work (Inputs)?

6. Who provides these inputs?

7. What do the participants of this process produce (Outputs)?
8. Who produces these outputs?

9. To whom (Customer) do the participants of this process deliver their outputs?

10. Describe some of the typical “Rainy Day” scenarios in this process
(Typical process break-downs).
· Why & When do they occur?

11. Where and Who has the Process Objectives, Goals and Documentation?

12. How long does each step in the process take, and why?

13. What type of performance (Process & Quality) measures are tracked on this process?

14. What controls are currently in place? (Visual controls, quality control, approvals, etc)

15. Who is the Process Owner?

Wake up Detroit or Is It Too Late? Update --> Holy War?


Governor Granholm says ...

"I would expect and hope that whoever is in the chair after that (the election) would engage in outreach to the entire state and that it goes both ways -- that the state reaches out to the city of Detroit,"

"We are only as strong as our largest city. And we have all got a vested interest in ensuring that Detroit succeeds."

qualityg says…

For years I have been hearing public policy makers say, “The state of Michigan is only as strong as the city of Detroit” - WRONG

Please understand that improvement in a part (Detroit), even the largest part taken separately from the whole (Michigan) will not result in improvement. As you can see the Governor and many others public policy makers have it backwards. I used to think they were afraid to say it correctly, but maybe they just don’t know about systems thinking.

Perhaps it's like everything else no one wants to be labeled or take on the tough issues because of the "R" word. People would rather sit back and not say anything because of being branded. You can go to a Detroit City Council meeting and try to speak over shouts of being racist or being told to get out or looking like those people in the suburbs or your just a "Tom."Last time I checked there were over 250,000 non-black citizens (Caucasians, Hispanics, Asians) living in the city in Detroit. Who represents them on the council?

Just this past week Detroit held a primary for Mayor to replace the biggest buffoon in the History of Detroit's politics that was sent to jail a few months back for a host of crimes. The following is from the Detroit Newspapers

"Although Detroit's schools have been decimated, entire neighborhoods are dilapidated, political corruption is epidemic, and crime rages on, only 15% of the electorate bothered to vote. It's hard to imagine what it will take to motivate voters in Detroit to take back their city. While new leadership is on the horizon, the same apathy that led to the collapse of a once great city still prevails."

The state is about to take over the Public School System who just fired the lady they just hired at the beginning of the school year for trying to make the tough decisions.
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090227/SCHOOLS/902270391/1409/METRO

The city is in such debt that when offers to help come outside of Detroit to buy (and still be part owner) an undersized building called Cobo Hall that can no longer handle large conventions and events like the International Auto Show (Formally known as the Detroit Auto Show) The "R" word is raised again and then the Detroit City Council wants the Federal Stimulus Money to be used to keep the building solely in Detroit's hands.

From the Detroit Free Press - Conyers, Watson and Collins suggested using federal stimulus money to fund the expansion and upgrade of Cobo.
"This is about what is best for my constituents, the residents of Detroit," Conyers said after the vote.


Collins went further, saying Detroit should get the stimulus money directly, "bypassing the racist extortions of the state of Michigan."
Granholm said she was disappointed by the council's vote and noted that Cobo's expansion would not be eligible for federal stimulus funding.


http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009902270317


The partnership group which includes Wayne County (Detroit Resides) will expand Cobo to a world class convention center to handle any kind of huge auto show.

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009902250319

qualityg says ...

I'm so afraid! NOT - 80% the Detroit City Council are incompetent!

Update 3/6/09

I turned on my TV at 5:30 am this morning and as I walked to get a cup of coffee I heard a woman singing/ranting the song "Onward Christian Soldier." It turned out be a Detroit Councilwoman. Across the table from her sat Councilwoman Martha Reeves (of the Vandellas).
She too is part of this lunacy.

Better yet watch this Video -http://apps.detnews.com/apps/multimedia/player/index.php?id=3226

Updated 4/3/09

When will these people go away and let Detroit try to revive itself with good solid leadership. It's a toss up between the Detroit City Council and the Detroit School Board as to who are the most incompetent.

City Council - See related related articles on the right hand sidebar:
http://www.detnews.com/article/20090403/METRO01/904030349/1409/Kenyatta+calls+for+censure+of+Conyers

School Board - Went from 100+ million dollar deficit to now over 350 million dollars
http://www.detnews.com/article/20090403/SCHOOLS/904030397/1026/DPS+manager+reveals+vision+to+fix+deficit

Unfortunately, this week Detroit is hosting the NCAA College Basketball Championships and these Bozos are competing for TV time and Newspaper space again showing the world "The Demise of a once great American city."