Due Date: March 8
o This assignment should be posted on your blog.
Assignment Specifics:
o Tell a story. Reflect on a time in your life when your beliefs were formed, tested, or changed. Think of school experiences, family situations, relationships with others. What has contributed to forming your daily life philosophy?
o Keep it brief: Tell your story in a minimum of 350 words.
o Name your belief: If you can’t name it in a sentence or two, your essay might not be about belief. Also, rather than writing a list (of things you believe), consider focusing on one core belief.
o Be positive: Tell me what you believe – NOT what you DON’T believe. Use first person (I), rather than third person (We). Your essay should be about you.
o Be personal: Write in words and phrases that are comfortable for you to speak. Find the words, tone, and story that truly echo your belief and the way you speak.
Taken from NPR, “This I Believe” Essay Writing Instructions
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4538138#
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Major Topic Assignment: Learning Profile
In this assignment, I am asking you to keep a learning journal/portfolio. During the semester, I would like for you to reflect on not only what you are learning, but how you are learning it. What connections are you making between the topics throughout your readings and your own life experiences? What are you observing about your habits (strengths and weaknesses) as a learner? Do you see yourself as part of a learning community helping other students to make connections or to see things from another perspective?
Although it might feel a bit unnatural at first to reflect on your own learning, each semester I have had a great response from students at the end of the course. Many have said that this was one of the most beneficial activities that they completed, as they rarely had taken time to think about themselves in this way.
Specifics: Write a minimum 1600-word paper that incorporates your responses to each of the following elements (200 words per response to the elements noted below):
Due Date: March 8 (Thursday), 2007. This is our last day of class.
Elements to Include in Profile Each of these questions should be answered in a minimum of a 200-word paragraph:
1. An overall summary of the common themes you read in the text.
2. An analysis of what you feel are your strengths as a learner. What activities seem to come easily to you? What class activities, content (ideas, theories, factual knowledge), or skills do you think you could help a student new to this class learn?
3. An analysis of what you feel are your weaknesses as a learner. What capacities did you notice in other learners that you wish you had? What tasks seemed to give you the greatest difficulty or to take up the most of your time? Which of your skills and capacities do you think need most work if you are to get more out of a similar course in the future?
4. A summary of your learning in this class. What can you do now, and what do you know now, that you couldn't do and didn't know when you first came in to this course? Also, what was your most important realization concerning the subject matter of the course? Why did you judge this to be of particular importance to you? What was the most important skill you learned? Again, what was it that was so significant about this skill?
5. An assessment of the merits and relevance of the assignments that were used in this course. What readings, presentations and activities in class, did you find particularly relevant for your life? Please say specifically what it was about these that was so meaningful. What topics did you believe were not as relevant or meaningful for you?
6. An analysis of how well the course worked, from your perspective as a learner. Of the content we covered, what should be dropped (and why), what should be kept at all costs (and why), and what should be added (and why)? Of the methods and activities we used in class, what should be dropped (and why), what should be added (and why), and what should be kept at all costs (and why)? Of the way in which your work was evaluated, what should be dropped (and why), what should be added (and why) and what should be kept at all costs (and why)? What would be the most important advice you would give me on how to design, conduct, and evaluate the course the next time it's offered?
7. A summary of what you think students who take this in the future should know about how to survive and flourish in this course. Some themes that you might consider writing about are: 'What I know now about this course that I wish I'd known when I came in'. 'The three most important things you should make sure you do to keep your sanity in this course'. 'The words that you should hang on a sign above your desk about how you make it through this course'.
8. A reflection on how your experiences as a learner in this class will affect the way in which you live and work. What things will you do differently in your life (and/or work) as a result of spending the past few weeks learning new skills and knowledge? This goes beyond thinking about the course topics specifically...and relates more to the general way in which you have gone about perceiving new ideas, incorporating them into your life, completing assignments, interacting with your fellow classmates, your instructor, etc.
Brookfield, Stephen. Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers,1995.
Although it might feel a bit unnatural at first to reflect on your own learning, each semester I have had a great response from students at the end of the course. Many have said that this was one of the most beneficial activities that they completed, as they rarely had taken time to think about themselves in this way.
Specifics: Write a minimum 1600-word paper that incorporates your responses to each of the following elements (200 words per response to the elements noted below):
Due Date: March 8 (Thursday), 2007. This is our last day of class.
Elements to Include in Profile Each of these questions should be answered in a minimum of a 200-word paragraph:
1. An overall summary of the common themes you read in the text.
2. An analysis of what you feel are your strengths as a learner. What activities seem to come easily to you? What class activities, content (ideas, theories, factual knowledge), or skills do you think you could help a student new to this class learn?
3. An analysis of what you feel are your weaknesses as a learner. What capacities did you notice in other learners that you wish you had? What tasks seemed to give you the greatest difficulty or to take up the most of your time? Which of your skills and capacities do you think need most work if you are to get more out of a similar course in the future?
4. A summary of your learning in this class. What can you do now, and what do you know now, that you couldn't do and didn't know when you first came in to this course? Also, what was your most important realization concerning the subject matter of the course? Why did you judge this to be of particular importance to you? What was the most important skill you learned? Again, what was it that was so significant about this skill?
5. An assessment of the merits and relevance of the assignments that were used in this course. What readings, presentations and activities in class, did you find particularly relevant for your life? Please say specifically what it was about these that was so meaningful. What topics did you believe were not as relevant or meaningful for you?
6. An analysis of how well the course worked, from your perspective as a learner. Of the content we covered, what should be dropped (and why), what should be kept at all costs (and why), and what should be added (and why)? Of the methods and activities we used in class, what should be dropped (and why), what should be added (and why), and what should be kept at all costs (and why)? Of the way in which your work was evaluated, what should be dropped (and why), what should be added (and why) and what should be kept at all costs (and why)? What would be the most important advice you would give me on how to design, conduct, and evaluate the course the next time it's offered?
7. A summary of what you think students who take this in the future should know about how to survive and flourish in this course. Some themes that you might consider writing about are: 'What I know now about this course that I wish I'd known when I came in'. 'The three most important things you should make sure you do to keep your sanity in this course'. 'The words that you should hang on a sign above your desk about how you make it through this course'.
8. A reflection on how your experiences as a learner in this class will affect the way in which you live and work. What things will you do differently in your life (and/or work) as a result of spending the past few weeks learning new skills and knowledge? This goes beyond thinking about the course topics specifically...and relates more to the general way in which you have gone about perceiving new ideas, incorporating them into your life, completing assignments, interacting with your fellow classmates, your instructor, etc.
Brookfield, Stephen. Becoming a Critically Reflective Teacher. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers,1995.
Major Topic Assignment #6: Academic Dishonesty
Instructions: Refer to pages 258 - 260 in your textbook, 'Academic and Personal Integrity'. In a 250-word paragraph, share your reflections about this article. An additional article of interest is an academic integrity survey report from Simon Fraser University. It relates to first-year students perception of academic integrity in high school, which can be relevant to students' behavior and attitudes in college.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Major Topic Assignment #5: Community Service
Instructions: In this assignment, I am asking you to plan a way that you could serve your community by addressing a need. You are not going to implement the actual project. Instead, you are going to write up a plan of action that will benefit a particular situation in your community. The following steps could get you off to a good start:
- Take a look around your community. This could be your school, your neighborhood, your city or a larger area such as a state, nation or the world.
- What needs can you identify that might be? Some broad areas to consider would be the environment (trash, for example), low literacy levels, hunger, under-age drinking).
- Use your textbooks; look at issues that are covered in the local media; talk with the students in your room. At this point, do not restrict or eliminate any suggestion. This is the brainstorming phase.
- Next, examine each idea. Will it solve a real need that is not already being met in some other way? Will both you, as well as those being served benefit from the process? Is it possible to do considering the limitations and the resources you have available? Talk with your instructor, fellow students, agencies and other members of your community or campus.
- Now, write up your plan in a 250-word paragraph.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Major Topic Assignment #4: Butler Resources
In a 250-word paragraph, give a brief synopsis of your student's situation as described in your case study (choose from one of the four below). Then, research the Butler website and introduce at least THREE resources offered at Butler (or in the surrounding community - El Dorado) that address the student's problem given in your case study.
Case Study #1: ‘An Unplanned Pregnancy’
Jessica is an 18 year old freshman at Butler. At the end of the summer, her boyfriend said that he wanted to date other people when he left for a college out-of-state. She was devastated. They had dated all through their junior and senior years of high school.
That summer, she’d really believed that they had a future together and imagined the fun that it would be to drive down on the weekends to see him at college. Now, she imagines him dating and going to parties where he’d meet other girls. It is tearing her up inside. Every day, she plays CD’s of songs – ‘their’ songs. She drives around the lake outside of town, tormenting herself recalling happy memories of being together. On top of everything, her parents recently informed her on the phone that they are getting a divorce.
About 2 weeks ago, she woke up feeling like she had the flu. The thought of eating anything makes her feel more nauseous. Every morning, she grabs her backpack and skips the cafeteria. Even the smell of her roomate’s perfume is overpowering and she can’t stand to study in their room. So, she has started to study in the campus library. One night, while researching a paper for her Marriage & Family class, she ranacross an article about pregnancy. Suddenly, many of the fears she’s been denying and pushing to the back of her mind came bursting forth. She feels an overwhelming panic at the thought that she might be facing the unimaginable.
___________________________________________________________________
Case Study #2: ‘Sexual Orientation
Jordan is an 18 year old student attending Butler on a cross country scholarship. Tall and good-looking, he never lacked for attention from girls or dates when he attended a large high school in a city about 3 hours away. Nonetheless, he never could keep interested in a girl, despite how much attention and affection she’d send his way. In fact, he rarely thought about girls. Running was his life and the other interests that he had, along with keeping up with schoolwork, occupied his time.
Jordan’s hometown – actually a huge metropolitan area – was very liberal and open to diverse lifestyles and cultures. The spring of his graduation, a new Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual student support group had formed on his high school campus. As a student council officer, he had read their brochure when he was stocking the information rack outside the school office. It did not come as a surprise to him that the open-minded nature of his high school would encourage such a support group.
However, attending school in this small midwestern town is a totally different experience. There is absolutely no acceptance of differences in sexual orientation. In fact, he feels extremely intimidated by the conservative atmosphere. His family had always attended a Unitarian Universalist church and his congregation openly welcome people of different cultures, viewpoints, and sexual orientation. On the contrary, life in the dorm and in the male locker room at his college is full of gay-bashing jokes and innuendo. As the semester goes by, he feels himself retreating more and more into himself and spends little time with his teammates. Life is getting lonelier for him with each passing day.
__________________________________________________________________
Case Study #3: ‘Online Sexual Harassment
Stacey is an 18 year old college freshman attending Butler. She is from a small town in an adjoining state.
The other day, while checking her email, she noticed a message with sexual overtones. Since she had no idea who sent it, she dismissed it from her mind as one of the many irritating emails like that which are generated online. However, last night, she received one from the same address and it truly alarmed her. It indicated specifics about her – the car she drove, the building she came out of when she left her night class, etc.
Ironically, she is enrolled in an online women’s studies course and they have been discussing sexual harassment. She has really enjoyed the openness and dialogue between her instructor and classmates. One afternoon, she is in the computer lab and overhears two other girls complaining about receiving emails of a similar distressing and sexual nature. A male student in the lab begins to laugh and tells them to ‘lighten up’ – and tells them that they should be flattered that they have ‘secret admirers’.
___________________________________________________________________
Case Study #4 – ‘Failing Classes’
Brook is an 18 year old freshman at Butler. At his high school, he had been an average student. When he did’t do as well in a class, he usually knew that it was his own fault for not studying and turning in his assignments. He always felt like he was a lot more capable than he was able to demonstrate.
Nonetheless, his first year of college was proving to be more and more challenging. He made it a point to get to every class and tried to take notes, but he never was sure if what he was writing down were the most important point. What made it even more frustrating was watching his roomate – who rarely cracked a book in their dorm room – gloat over the A’s and B’s that he was making in some of the same courses that Brook was taking.
Despite all that, Brook woud make an attempt to read his assignments – particularly the night before a test. However, he couldn’t seem to concentrate and he’d find his mind wondering to plans for the weekend and imagining the fun he’d have at parties. Actually, the drinking and partying was coming close to being the only positive at Butler.
Halfway through the second month of school, he had mostly D’s in all his classes. He was in danger of losing his work study job on campus, which was paying for most of the costs of going to college. If he lost this source of financial aid, that would force him to confess to his parents that he was close to flunking out of school. His dad, a successful attorney, and his mom, and elementary teacher, had always told him that not going to college was not an option. They were convinced that a business degree would serve him well and had planned for years that he would attend their alma mater. However, Brook was failing so miserably in school that he couldn’t even imagine making it through 2 years at Butler, let alone tranferring to a university.
On top of everything, he was stopped last night for a DUI after he’d left an off-campus party. Staring disbelievingly at the ticket and court summons, he realized that conversation with his parents was going to come sooner than he’d planned.
Case Study #1: ‘An Unplanned Pregnancy’
Jessica is an 18 year old freshman at Butler. At the end of the summer, her boyfriend said that he wanted to date other people when he left for a college out-of-state. She was devastated. They had dated all through their junior and senior years of high school.
That summer, she’d really believed that they had a future together and imagined the fun that it would be to drive down on the weekends to see him at college. Now, she imagines him dating and going to parties where he’d meet other girls. It is tearing her up inside. Every day, she plays CD’s of songs – ‘their’ songs. She drives around the lake outside of town, tormenting herself recalling happy memories of being together. On top of everything, her parents recently informed her on the phone that they are getting a divorce.
About 2 weeks ago, she woke up feeling like she had the flu. The thought of eating anything makes her feel more nauseous. Every morning, she grabs her backpack and skips the cafeteria. Even the smell of her roomate’s perfume is overpowering and she can’t stand to study in their room. So, she has started to study in the campus library. One night, while researching a paper for her Marriage & Family class, she ranacross an article about pregnancy. Suddenly, many of the fears she’s been denying and pushing to the back of her mind came bursting forth. She feels an overwhelming panic at the thought that she might be facing the unimaginable.
___________________________________________________________________
Case Study #2: ‘Sexual Orientation
Jordan is an 18 year old student attending Butler on a cross country scholarship. Tall and good-looking, he never lacked for attention from girls or dates when he attended a large high school in a city about 3 hours away. Nonetheless, he never could keep interested in a girl, despite how much attention and affection she’d send his way. In fact, he rarely thought about girls. Running was his life and the other interests that he had, along with keeping up with schoolwork, occupied his time.
Jordan’s hometown – actually a huge metropolitan area – was very liberal and open to diverse lifestyles and cultures. The spring of his graduation, a new Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual student support group had formed on his high school campus. As a student council officer, he had read their brochure when he was stocking the information rack outside the school office. It did not come as a surprise to him that the open-minded nature of his high school would encourage such a support group.
However, attending school in this small midwestern town is a totally different experience. There is absolutely no acceptance of differences in sexual orientation. In fact, he feels extremely intimidated by the conservative atmosphere. His family had always attended a Unitarian Universalist church and his congregation openly welcome people of different cultures, viewpoints, and sexual orientation. On the contrary, life in the dorm and in the male locker room at his college is full of gay-bashing jokes and innuendo. As the semester goes by, he feels himself retreating more and more into himself and spends little time with his teammates. Life is getting lonelier for him with each passing day.
__________________________________________________________________
Case Study #3: ‘Online Sexual Harassment
Stacey is an 18 year old college freshman attending Butler. She is from a small town in an adjoining state.
The other day, while checking her email, she noticed a message with sexual overtones. Since she had no idea who sent it, she dismissed it from her mind as one of the many irritating emails like that which are generated online. However, last night, she received one from the same address and it truly alarmed her. It indicated specifics about her – the car she drove, the building she came out of when she left her night class, etc.
Ironically, she is enrolled in an online women’s studies course and they have been discussing sexual harassment. She has really enjoyed the openness and dialogue between her instructor and classmates. One afternoon, she is in the computer lab and overhears two other girls complaining about receiving emails of a similar distressing and sexual nature. A male student in the lab begins to laugh and tells them to ‘lighten up’ – and tells them that they should be flattered that they have ‘secret admirers’.
___________________________________________________________________
Case Study #4 – ‘Failing Classes’
Brook is an 18 year old freshman at Butler. At his high school, he had been an average student. When he did’t do as well in a class, he usually knew that it was his own fault for not studying and turning in his assignments. He always felt like he was a lot more capable than he was able to demonstrate.
Nonetheless, his first year of college was proving to be more and more challenging. He made it a point to get to every class and tried to take notes, but he never was sure if what he was writing down were the most important point. What made it even more frustrating was watching his roomate – who rarely cracked a book in their dorm room – gloat over the A’s and B’s that he was making in some of the same courses that Brook was taking.
Despite all that, Brook woud make an attempt to read his assignments – particularly the night before a test. However, he couldn’t seem to concentrate and he’d find his mind wondering to plans for the weekend and imagining the fun he’d have at parties. Actually, the drinking and partying was coming close to being the only positive at Butler.
Halfway through the second month of school, he had mostly D’s in all his classes. He was in danger of losing his work study job on campus, which was paying for most of the costs of going to college. If he lost this source of financial aid, that would force him to confess to his parents that he was close to flunking out of school. His dad, a successful attorney, and his mom, and elementary teacher, had always told him that not going to college was not an option. They were convinced that a business degree would serve him well and had planned for years that he would attend their alma mater. However, Brook was failing so miserably in school that he couldn’t even imagine making it through 2 years at Butler, let alone tranferring to a university.
On top of everything, he was stopped last night for a DUI after he’d left an off-campus party. Staring disbelievingly at the ticket and court summons, he realized that conversation with his parents was going to come sooner than he’d planned.
Major Topic Assignment #3: Academic Plan
Instructions: In a 250-word (minimum) paragraph, discuss your plans for working towards a degree or certificate from Butler Community College. List the courses that you will need to take to complete your chosen program. If you have declared a major (from a future four-year program), an associate degree, or certificate, base your course selection on the requirements for that program. If you have still undecided, choose a program that you are interested in and base your course selection on its requirements. As you list the courses, be sure to indicate whether they are required for your chosen program, required for General Education, or optional. Finally, include your responses to the following questions:
1. Which of the courses you listed to you think will be the most challenging? Why?
2. Which of the courses listed are you looking the most forward to? Why?
3. Where do you anticipate getting academic support over the next two years (e.g., academic advisor, family, peers, instructors, online resources)?
1. Which of the courses you listed to you think will be the most challenging? Why?
2. Which of the courses listed are you looking the most forward to? Why?
3. Where do you anticipate getting academic support over the next two years (e.g., academic advisor, family, peers, instructors, online resources)?
Friday, February 09, 2007
Major Topic Assignment #2: Time Management
Instructions: In a 250-word (minimum) paragraph, describe academic, work, family, and social commitments in your life. Identify the specific responsibilities that you have in these areas. Use the time management tools in Chapter 3: Prioritize, as well as the following, to write your paragraph. Be sure to post this paragraph to your blog.
Discuss how managing your time poorly makes you feel when you fail to perform to your expectations. What are some of the consequences you suffer when you manage your time poorly?
Discuss how you felt at a time when you managed your time well. What steps can you take to ensure better use of your time on a regular basis?
Contrast how you manage your time in college with how you managed it in high school. Do you see progress in the results you are achieving? Do you feel that you are maturing in your judgment?
Discuss how managing your time poorly makes you feel when you fail to perform to your expectations. What are some of the consequences you suffer when you manage your time poorly?
Discuss how you felt at a time when you managed your time well. What steps can you take to ensure better use of your time on a regular basis?
Contrast how you manage your time in college with how you managed it in high school. Do you see progress in the results you are achieving? Do you feel that you are maturing in your judgment?
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Major Topic Assignment #1: Coping With Change
In a 250-word paragraph, describe a change (or group of changes) that you have encountered since beginning college. If nothing comes to mind, consider any change(s) that you have experienced within the past year. The following questions might guide you in your writing, once you've thought of a particular change:
1. Why is change so hard?
2. Have you ever been the person to initiate change? If so, what was it and how was
it received?
3. What is the greatest risk you have ever taken? How does it compare to the change
you described?
1. Why is change so hard?
2. Have you ever been the person to initiate change? If so, what was it and how was
it received?
3. What is the greatest risk you have ever taken? How does it compare to the change
you described?
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