| A Work | B Work | C Work |
– Misses one class or fewer, or completes make-up work for excused absences – Annotates all readings thoroughly – Contributes deeply to discussions – Completes all assignments on time or has approved extension – Work shows engagement, care, effort, and growth – Collaborates substantially, contributes to vision, and works equally with peers – Abides by the CODE of Conduct and classroom norms | – Misses two classes or fewer, or does make-up work for excused absences – Annotates most readings – Often participates in discussion – Completes all assignments on time or has approved extension – Work shows care, effort, and growth – Collaborates equally and completes required work – Abides by the CODE of Conduct and classroom norms | – Misses three classes or fewer, or does make-up work for excused absences – Completes most readings – Sometimes adds to discussion – Completes all major assignments and at least five SAs – Meets minimal expectations on assignments; shows some growth – Completes required collaborative work – Abides by the CODE of Conduct and classroom norms |
First-Week Introduction
For one of my final semesters in the CODES program, I wanted to focus on goals that would highlight writing assignments and presentations. My first goal is all about showing an understanding of reading assignments in writing, which is where my reflections will be used as artifacts. My second goal will revolve around contributions to group projects, so the Emplace Contributions, Dissemination Plan, and Author Bio will serve as my major artifacts for that particular goal. Goals #3 and #5 will mostly relate to literary texts read in class, so the reflections will be the main pieces of evidence that I will use to support these two goals. Finally, my fourth goal will focus on developing strong central messages, allowing for the Final Presentation to serve as the main artifact. Part of me is nervous about these major assignments, like the Emplace Contributions or Dissemination Plan, just because I want them to turn out perfect. However, I think learning to develop better communication skills throughout this semester will help me do my part for my group in a way that allows us to submit more cohesive assignments.
Midterm Introduction
Throughout the first half of the semester, the biggest obstacle that I have been faced with is truly learning how to work with a team of people. Working in a group has always been a struggle for me, not only in college, but even back in high school. My communication skills have not always been good, making it difficult for me to successfully collaborate with others. It has not been easy working with my team this semester, there have been a few bumps along the way, but it is getting better. I am getting my individual assignments completed while also working towards the completion of group assignments such as the Emplace Contribution. The only thing I have not made much progress with yet is updating my product. However, I plan to get in touch with Anna soon in order to get advice on what I might need to add or remove from the product. Beyond that, my main goal now is to finalize the group project before the day of the presentation.
Final Introduction
Looking back on this semester as a whole, I am proud of the progress I have made in my overall project. One thing that I wish I would have done differently is submitting my assignments on time. I recognize that my timeliness was not always the best throughout this year, and it is something that I intend to work on in the future. I learned that collaborating with a group of people for a larger project requires a lot of compromise and consistent communication, which is something I have frequently struggled with in the past. In the future, I would like to prioritize both timeliness and collaboration skills, because I have seen how difficult school is when I do not focus on those two abilities. I know I have a lot to work on, but I am confident that I have the potential to go far in college if I put in the right effort.
Course Goals
Goal 1 (20%)
Based on (13A): Demonstrates a thorough understanding of context, audience, and purpose.
| 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 will demonstrate my ability to complete writing assignments in a way that acknowledges my primary audience for my product | Reflection #2, Reflection #3, Reflection #4, Reflection #5 | Each reflection I turn in will address how my current progress on the group project is contributing to a greater connection to Heartlands and professors at SIUE |
Reflection #2:
In my quest to make a brochure that accurately depicts Heartlands Conservancy, I reached out to Anna to ensure that the information displayed was accurate. This interaction fully demonstrates my growing connection with Heartlands.
Reflection #3:
Throughout this assignment, I described how the ability to give and receive feedback from members of my group is important for our individual projects to neatly fit together into the group project. As a result, learning how to take criticism is important for connecting Heartlands with professors at SIUE, since that is the whole point of my individual project.
Reflection #4:
In this reflection, I mentioned potential factors in the development of my individual project. For example, I recognized that asking Anna for her advice on my final product could result in changes to my project. Similar to the second reflection, this shows my growing connection to Heartlands throughout the semester.
Reflection #5:
I talked about how my collaboration skills were necessary to complete my project this semester. These abilities were crucial to creating a stronger connection between Heartlands and professors at SIUE.
Goal 2 (30%)
Based on (12C): Works independently toward goals by contributing and meeting deadlines.
| 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 will thoroughly complete individual assignments given throughout the semester | Reflection #2, Reflection #3, Reflection #4, Reflection #5, Author Bio, Dissemination Plan | Each piece of evidence will be turned in on time |
Reflection #2:
Each reflection I submitted was turned in either at the time first given in the syllabus or at an adjusted time given by the professor.
Reflection #3:
Each reflection I submitted was turned in either at the time first given in the syllabus or at an adjusted time given by the professor.
Reflection #4:
Each reflection I submitted was turned in either at the time first given in the syllabus or at an adjusted time given by the professor.
Reflection #5:
Each reflection I submitted was turned in either at the time first given in the syllabus or at an adjusted time given by the professor.
Author Bio:
My personal biography was turned in on or before the given submission date.
Dissemination Plan:
My group’s dissemination plan was submitted on the date given in the syllabus.
Goal 3 (30%)
Based on (11A): Evaluates texts’ scholarly significance to apply reading to other contexts or issues.
| 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? |
| My writing assignments will reflect my understanding of the material covered on the Emplace website | Emplace Contribution 1, Dissemination Plan, Reflection #1, Reflection #2, Reflection #4, Reflection #5 | Each assignment I turn in will reference material from the Emplace website |
Emplace Contribution 1:
Emplace’s collaboration with CODES is all about engaging in local communities. My project involved me collaborating with professors at SIUE to connect students with water conservation efforts from Heartlands. This is my attempt to connect my mission with their mission.
Dissemination Plan:
This assignment was meant for my whole group to explain the purpose of our project as a whole. We all described what we believed the goals for this group project were, which do align with the goals mentioned on the Emplace website.
Reflection #1:
Throughout this assignment, I gave a brief history on my work the previous semester, which involved the development of an early version of my product. I mention my work with community partners such as Heartlands Conservancy, and that ties into the idea of supporting local organizations that are making a difference in my community.
Reflection #2:
In the first paragraph, I briefly described what my finished product would look like. I also went in depth with who the products were for, one being Heartlands and the other being SIUE professors. Both are groups of people who exist within my community, which goes along with Emplace’s goal of positively impacting local communities.
Reflection #4:
In my fourth reflection, I mainly focused on interactions with my community partner and how those interactions could help shape my project as a whole. This goes along with the idea of collaborating with organizations to benefit the community.
Reflection #5:
In the second paragraph, I reflected on what I have learned as a part of the CODES program. I also looked back at the work I accomplished with my group, specifically the final project where we discussed our collaboration efforts with Heartlands Conservancy.
Goal 4 (10%)
Based on (8C): Develops clear, innovative central messages with significant supporting materials.
| 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 will use my work in the group project to show how I have learned new information throughout my research | Dissemination Plan, Final Presentation | Each assignment will show what I have learned up until that point and how it contributes to my overall project |
Dissemination Plan:
In this assignment, I mentioned one ethical concern for the group project, which was not pressuring young adults into water conservation. This is one main thing that I have learned about projects such as ours throughout the course of this semester.
Final Presentation:
One thing that I mentioned in my presentation was talking about Heartlands’ connection with CODES in the brochure for professors at SIUE. I talked about how this could build credibility for Heartlands in the eyes of the professors. This is an example of what I have learned about what it takes to form a connection between two organizations throughout the semester.
Goal 5 (10%)
Based on (4A): Adapts and applies a deep understanding of multiple worldviews, experiences, and power structures while initiating meaningful interaction with other cultures to address significant global problems.
| 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 will use newfound knowledge to contribute to my understanding of my audience | Emplace Contribution 1, Dissemination Plan | Each assignment will explain my newfound understanding of my audience up until that point |
Emplace Contribution 1:
In this assignment, I mentioned the need for professors at SIUE to truly understand Heartlands Conservancy and their mission, which was later reflected in my final product. This alone shows my newfound understanding of my audience for this project.
Dissemination Plan:
My team and I discussed how young adults are not properly educated on water conservation, which is why we want to try and involve them more. We all realized that our audience has a lot to learn about water conservation, so we made it our priority to help them learn more about organizations such as Heartlands.