First Week Introduction
For this semester, I’m definitely looking forward to this class and what it has to offer. One goal that I plan on putting to use in this class is civic engagement, judging how I was last semester. I feel I need to step more out of my comfort zone and start actively engaging in open discussions with my peers. One of my strong suits, as of now, is problem solving. I’m not a confrontational kind of person so I’m really quick with trying to come up with as many solutions as possible so that work gets done in a timely manner.
Midterm Introduction
During the first half of the semester, I’ve learned a lot about how to do research and how to really understand the bigger picture behind my topic. At the beginning I wasn’t too confident about how to find good sources or how to connect everything back to our group project. But as I started looking deeper into the water and sewer issues in Cahokia heights, I began to get the hang of what direction was best for me. I learned how to find reliable information from places like the EPA, HUD, and the army corps of engineers, and how each one plays a different role in fixing the city’s problems.
A big skill I’ve gained this semester is knowing how to break down complicated information and explain it in a way that actually makes sense. Some of the government reports I read were full of technical terms, but now I can pull on the main ideas and relate them to my research questions. I’ve also gotten better at organizing my notes and writing clear summaries, which has made the assignments a lot easier to manage.
Final Introduction
N/A
Civic engagement (25%)
- I will be able to take what I pulled from assigned readings and express to my peers what conclusions and ideas I was able to get from what I pulled. (1b)
| What will you do to learn the content/ develop the skill? | What examples will you add to the portfolio to demonstrate your learning? | What characteristics of the chosen examples demonstrate you have met your goal? |
| A way to show that I am using this skill is by actively engaging in our future open discussions. I can share with other students what I pulled from certain readings and why it stood out to me. | reflections In class discussions Group meetings Presentations | These examples show that I’m growing in how I communicate, think critically and work with others. |
Reflections allow me to think critically about what I’ve learned from the readings and connect those ideas to broader social or community issues. This demonstrates self-awareness and responsibility, which are key of civic engagement.
In class discussions give me the chance to express my interpretations and listen to different perspectives. By sharing what I pulled from the readings, I contribute to a learning environment and practice respectful conversations.
Group meetings show civic engagement through teamwork and cooperation. Working with others toward a shared goal reflects how people engage and solve problems within a community.
Presentations demonstrate the ability to communicate ideas clearly to an audience, helping others understand and reflect on different viewpoints or issues. The skill is very important for engaging others in community context.
Critical and Creative Thinking (25%)
- I will take risks when it comes to our assignments as well as different approaches when it comes to learning new information. (2b)
| What will you do to learn the content/ develop the skill? | What examples will you add to the portfolio to demonstrate your learning? | What characteristics of the chosen examples demonstrate you have met your goal? |
| I can take different approaches when it comes to conducting research, and figure out what best suits me when it comes to jotting down annotations from our readings. Just step out the box and figure out what works best for me in this class. | Essays Reflections Group Projects Annotations Readings | These examples show that I’m improving my research and study skills by experimenting with new methods and finding what works best for me. |
essays and reflections push me to go beyond summarizing informations and instead form my own opinions and interpretations.
Group projects allow me to collaborate with others, share ideas, and find creative solutions as a team.
Annotations help me experiment with different ways of organizing my thoughts and highlighting what stands out to me from the readings.
Readings give me the foundation to think critically by analyzing concepts and connecting them to broader ideas.
Information Literacy (25%)
- I will be able to find information that best aligns with given research questions. (5a)
| What will you do to learn the content/ develop the skill? | What examples will you add to the portfolio to demonstrate your learning? | What characteristics of the chosen examples demonstrate you have met your goal? |
| To ensure that this skill is being properly put to use, I will be sure that the information is being pulled from websites that end in .gov, .org or .edu. I tend to trust those sites a bit more than .com. I will also make sure that the information does a good job by addressing the questions, to where it makes sense. | Group Projects Reflections Assigned Readings In class assignments | These examples show that I’m developing strong research habits and becoming more intentional about how i find and use reliable information. |
Group projects allow me to research with others, compare sources, and decide which information is most accurate to our topic.
Reflections give me space to think about how I found my information and whether it effectively answers the research questions.
Assigned readings help me recognize what credible sources look like and how to use evidence correctly in my own words.
In class assignments give me practice applying these skills in real time, making sure I can quickly identify trustworthy sources and connect them to class discussions.
Oral Communication (25%)
- I will be able to deliver a clear message to my peers as well as include evidence to support my message. (8b)
| What will you do to learn the content/ develop the skill? | What examples will you add to the portfolio to demonstrate your learning? | What characteristics of the chosen examples demonstrate you have met your goal? |
| I know that we will be doing projects in this class. I think that it is important that your peers understand what your message is and it’s very important to have evidence to help you up to show that research that research took place. | Group projects In class assignments Reflections Essays | Thee examples highlight my growth in effectively communicating information and supporting my points. |
Group projects and presentations give me practice communicating my message in front of others and backing it up with reliable information.
In class discussions allow me to explain my ideas on the spot, respond to different perspectives and build a connection through speaking.
Reflections help me evaluate how effectively I delivered my message and what I can improve next time.
Assigned readings provide the background knowledge I can use as evidence when explaining or defending my points.
Problem solving skills (25%)
- Coming up with various of ways to solve a given problem (9b)
| What will you do to learn the content/ develop the skill? | What examples will you add to the portfolio to demonstrate your learning? | What characteristics of the chosen examples demonstrate you have met your goal? |
| I think this skill is not only important when it comes to work, but for our groups as well. To ensure that this skill is being fixed, it’s important that I understand there are many ways to work through a problem. What may work for you may not work for another person or what nay work for academic problem won’t work for the next. So, with that I have to come out with different approaches to see what best works for me. | Group projects In class assignments reflections Essays Readings | These examples show that I’m becoming more flexible and thoughtful in how I approach challenges, both academically and collaboratively. |
In class assignments allow me to practice analyzing different types of problems and testing out various strategies to see what works best.
Reflections give me a chance to think through what worked and what didn’t as well as how I can improve my problem solving approach next time.
Essays and readings challenge me to use reasoning and evidence to address complex topics or questions.
Group projects encourage collaboration and creativity when finding solutions that work for everyone.