Your Goal Grade
| A Work | B Work | C Work |
-Misses one class or less, or completes make-up work for excused absences -Annotates all readings thoroughly -Makes substantive comments in discussions -Completes all assignments on time (or has an approved extension request) -Work demonstrates intellectual engagement, care, effort, and growth in response to feedback -Collaborates substantially, contributes to vision, works equally with peers | -Misses two classes or less, or completes make-up work for excused absences -Annotates readings -Often participates in discussion -Completes all major assignments on time (or has an approved extension request) -Completes most SAs on time -Work demonstrates care, effort and growth in response to feedback -Collaborates equally, completes required work | -Misses three classes or less, or completes make-up work for excused absences -Completes most readings -Sometimes adds to discussion -Completes all major assignments on time (or has an approved extension request) -Completes at least four SAs -Meets minimal expectations on assignments; shows limited growth in response to feedback -Completes required collaborative work |
First-Week Introduction
I believe that the goals I have chosen for this semester will be perfectly line up with the work done in Research Teams. Collaboration with different communities will be the majority of the work that I do with Heartlands. The development of an understanding for different worldviews will be a result of the interviews and/or questionnaires that I conduct for my Data Collection. Verbal explanations of central messages will be completed with the Final Presentation. However, my last two goals will be determined based off of my dedication to assignment deadlines, which I am prepared for this semester. Data Collection is the one thing I am most excited about, because it is something that allows me to go outside the classroom and finally implement my plans. With that being said, I am slightly nervous for that aspect of class, simply because I am still not fully confident in my plans for the semester. In order to get through the difficulties of the assignments ahead, I plan on having regular conversations with my teacher throughout the week to make sure that I stay on the right track.
Midterm Introduction
Over the course of this semester, I have faced several challenges in strategic planning and difficulties in finding project topics. Originally, I wanted to conduct research on local sites that partnered with community organizations for water equity issues. However, this plan later fell apart after I failed to find sites that met my objectives. I was forced to shift my entire project idea towards working with professors at SIUE to involve students in water conservation. Even though it has caused me to lose a lot of research time, I have enjoyed conducting research on my new project idea so far. The process has proved to be a lot simpler than my original topic. All of my work so far has consisted of creating surveys designed to ask about views on community organizations, building a list of professors that teach courses related to ecology and water equity, and sending these surveys out to the professors I found. The only major I faced during this semester occurred during the process of switching my project idea. I fell behind a bit for a few weeks, and I had no idea what I was going to do for my overall project. Fortunately, I had some help in brainstorming research topics, which has allowed me to catch up in these last couple weeks. I have always done a good job at documenting my process, so if I can continue to do that, along with keeping up with data collection, I am confident that I will be able to finish this semester strong.
Final Introduction
The research that I conducted throughout this semester may not have gone as I had planned, but I would still call it a success in the end. After completely changing my plan for the research project, I had sent out surveys to multiple professors at SIUE in order to determine how willing they would be to partner up with Heartlands Conservancy. I received my responses a little over a week after posting the survey, giving me the perfect amount of time to evaluate them and prepare my product for the next semester. My work in the latter half of this semester has shown me just how much work can get done in a short amount of time. Early in the semester, I was nervous that I would not have enough time to complete every assignment. I had no clue how I was going to complete a whole research project in less than 5 months. However, even after falling behind on my initial idea for the research project, I managed to put together a brand-new plan and execute it within a little over half a semester. I plan on carrying this mindset into the second semester in order to make the most out of the time I do have. Unlike this semester though, I will make sure that I stay ahead of my project to prevent the same mistakes from happening again.
Course Goals
Goal 1 (20%)
Based on (1A): Collaborates with people from different communities
| 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 work on building surveys and/or questionnaires in order to understand common ideals between people from similar communities | I will use the Preliminary Analysis, Reflection #3, Reflection #4, and the Process Description to demonstrate my learning | Using my surveys or questionnaires to get insight on people from different local regions will show I met my goal |
Reflection #3
In this assignment, I have outlined my plans to create a survey that asks about the survey taker’s interest in working with community organizations. I also went on to explain how I was going to send these surveys out to 40 professors at SIUE in order to determine which courses Heartlands Conservancy could work with in order to get young adults engaged in water equity issues. This specific reflection is built on by later assignments that end up showing the results of the survey.
Process Description
My Process Description served as a formal introduction to my new plan to create a survey for professors at SIUE. This assignment shows my early interest in collaborating with people from different communities.
Preliminary Analysis
After building the survey, I sent them out to 40 professors and received responses from 15 of them. I have gone on to evaluate the results of the survey in this assignment. This piece of evidence proves that I have met my goal of understanding common ideals through the use of a survey.
Reflection #4
This reflection explores specific responses to questions asked in the survey, which the Preliminary Analysis did not go into detail about. My deep evaluation of the survey results proves that I have met my goal of collaborating with people from different communities.
Goal 2 (10%)
Based on (4A): Develops a deeper understanding for different worldviews and life experiences
| 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 the results of my data collection to look at the perspectives of those who may have a different outlook on the world than I do | I will use Reflection #4 and the Preliminary Analysis to demonstrate my learning | Receiving a wide range of opinions from my data collection will show that I met my goal |
Preliminary Analysis
After sending out the surveys to 40 professors, I reviewed the 15 responses that I did receive back. I went into detail about the results in this document. This proves that I have met my goal of using data to see different perspectives on the world.
Reflection #4
In my fourth reflection, I looked into specific details in my survey responses as I was still waiting for more respondents. This extra evaluation shows my newfound understanding of separate worldviews.
Goal 3 (10%)
Based on (8C): Verbally explains and supports central themes and messages
| 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 presentations to show how my knowledge on certain topics has developed throughout the semester | I will use the Second Partner Meeting and the Final Presentation to demonstrate my learning | Showing a true understanding for lessons learned in and outside of a classroom setting through verbal communication will show that I met my goal |
Second Partner Meeting
Weeks into the semester, as I began to build a plan for my research project after first presenting my idea to Heartlands, we had our second meeting with Anna. In this meeting, I explained my early plans for the project, to which I received positive feedback for. My second meeting with Heartlands shows that I have met my goal of using presentations to show how I have gained new knowledge from my research.
Final Presentation
My final presentation to the community partners, along with my several practices of this presentation beforehand, proves my ability to verbally explain the findings of my research project.
Goal 4 (30%)
Based on (12C): Meets independent deadlines and completes assignments on time
| 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 complete my personal assignments and my portion of group assignments on time | I will use the Implementation Plan and all five Reflections to demonstrate my learning | Having fully complete and submitted assignments throughout the semester will show that I met my goal |
Implementation Plan
As a contributing factor to the overall group project, I included the Implementation Plan for my project to the Google Document that is shared between my group members. This document also includes the research question and stakeholders for our topic. I was able to complete this assignment at the same time as my group members, showing how I am able to finish my portion of group assignments on schedule.
Reflection #1
This first Reflection outlines my original plan to look at local sites in order to display them to young adults at SIUE. This assignment was turned in before the deadline, showing that I can also turn in individual assignments on time.
Reflection #2
As I continued to look for local sites in and outside of the Heartlands Conservancy website, I wrote Reflection #2 to reflect my finding. Once again, I managed to turn this assignment in before the official due date.
Reflection #3
Reflection #3 was written as I was in the middle of switching my plans from researching local sites to creating surveys for professors at SIUE. This piece of evidence demonstrates my continuous effort to meet deadlines.
Reflection #4
This reflection served as an evaluation of the results of my survey and a preparation for the Content Assignment. This is another example of me successfully turning in assignments on time.
Reflection #5
This recent assignment discussed my plans for the Content Assignment. The due date for this assignment was the end of the semester, which I was able to meet, proving that I have met Goal #4.
Goal 5 (30%)
Based on (13B): Expresses understanding of a topic in writing
| 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 explain my newfound understanding of topics explored in and outside of class | I will use the results of the Data Collection and all five Reflections to demonstrate my learning | Displaying my knowledge of my individual topic and topics discussed in the Reflections will show that I met my goal |
Reflection #1
My first Reflection of the semester, which was written at the beginning of the semester, was formulated in and outside of a classroom setting, with the help of my research professor. The ideas that I came up with for data points, such as what the average adult can contribute to a local site, display my understanding of the overall research topic.
Reflection #2
At this point in the semester, I was still looking into local sites that worked on water conservation issues. In this Reflection, I grappled with the issue of finding sites that young adults would be interested in volunteering at, which demonstrates my understanding of what this research project is supposed to accomplish.
Reflection #3
After changing my entire research plan, I wrote this Reflection in order to document my current process. I planned my new project in a way that gives Heartlands a product to use in the future, which shows that I do understand the ultimate goal of my research.
Preliminary Analysis
In this assignment, I analyzed the results of my data collection a couple weeks after first sending out the survey. This proves that I met my goal of explaining my newfound knowledge of certain topics.
Reflection #4
Reflection #4 was a continuation of the evaluation I started in the Preliminary Analysis. This in-depth examination of the results shows that I have met my goal of explaining new information.
Reflection #5
In my final reflection, I use the results of my data collection to plan for my Content Assignment, showing my ability to apply newfound knowledge to class assignments.