| 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
Throughout my time at SIUE, I have developed many skills that have contributed to my success and work ethic. This semester, I plan on strengthening my communication skills and collaborative skills. Learning how to take feedback and apply it while also listening to constructive criticism. I want to improve my research and writing skills. While also developing better public speaking skills this semester walking into this semester with an open mind so I can take away skills that will strengthen me for the future.
Midterm Introduction
Throughout this semester, I have been working towards developing our final project. Within my group, we have been building a foundation of research, planning, and ideas. At the beginning of this course, I focused on the key parts and understanding of our project. I gathered sources and explored different methods of research to help strengthen our project. As the semester continues, I plan on finalizing our project and my individual contributions.
Final Introduction
Goal 1(25%)
1a. Demonstrates ability and commitment to collaboratively work across and within community contexts and structures.
| 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? |
| Engage in community meetings and meetings with partners Participate in small group work Ask and include partner and stakeholder feedback | Reflections Notes Group work Final/Dissemination plan Research Faculty Visit | Aligning my final project with the stakeholders’ needs Community partner feedback Work reflects group work and shared responsibility. Showing collective decision-making. |
Goal 2 (25%)
9c. Based on 9c: Implements solutions to address multiple contextual factors.
| 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? |
| Create a pathway and communication with group members to discover the root of the problem Using healthy communication skills to ensure that I’m able to implement solutions and address different factors Brainstorming solutions and being open-minded in group collaboration and research Create an effective consensus Mapping out cause and effects, and dissecting factors of the problem | Partner Visit/ Discussion Collaborative group work and research Emplace contribution Reflections Site Visit | Our meetings with our partners and visits will highlight my ability to communicate efficiently while also addressing multiple factors or issues that might arise during discussions to grow and address different factors. My collaborations will show how open-minded and intellectual I am when addressing and hearing different factors. While also being mature & respectful of other solutions, during in-class & group discussions, I will be attentive, respectful, and engaged when discussions are happening to show my commitment and ability to work collaboratively. Our Emplace project will give me the space to build upon others’ contributions openly. My reflections will show the breakdown of how I address multiple contextual factors within the source. |
Reflection 2
I want our project to be able to reach anyone with similar issues because I know the citizens of Cahokia Heights aren’t the only residents in a community dealing with a water crisis. Even if we can’t directly help other residents in other communities or areas, I want our project and website to be a tool and guide they can use. A resource to help with their situation, or even a resource to inspire college students like us, or anyone to use their voice and knowledge, just like we are. If more people know about these issues and they’re able to reach others, we’ll be able to bring more attention to them and get more people to pay attention. For the project, our stakeholders will be Heartland’s Conservatory. At the beginning of the fall 2025 semester, I was interested in partnering with other organizations to consider them as potential stakeholders. If we can get in contact and make a connection with these other organizations, they will also hopefully be potential stakeholders in this project & if not stakeholders, they can be used as a guide or resource. Currently partnering with Heartland as our stakeholder were able to use their guidance to shape how we move when communicating, reaching out, and creating different things for the residents of Cahokia. We were able to use their feedback and connections to improve our website, ethics, and collaboration skills. A potential stakeholder I was looking at was a grassroots organization based in the southern Illinois area. This organization does work in St. Louis, East Saint Louis, Believe, and other surrounding areas. This organization has also partnered with SIUE and the Kimmel Hub for volunteer tasks and community service for the students. If this stakeholder were a part of our project, I believe we could collaborate with Heartland to organize an event that can impact the community or draw more awareness to the issues. Also, I believe they can help us shape our website into something bigger and better, making it a widespread resource for many.
Goal 3(25%)
5b. Accesses information using effective, well-designed search strategies and appropriate sources.
| 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? |
| Analyze writing and integrate better research skills Identify audience-appropriate sources Research secondary sources to support group work | Individual contributions Reflections Research choices Support research sources Class Work | Sources are relevant and credible Research supports central messages Intentional evidence and search strategies |
Reflection 3
The process of giving and receiving feedback can always be different and look different for me depending on the assignment. Sometimes I believe I can be too critical when giving feedback to others. Giving feedback and receiving it can be crucial. You have to know how to take creative criticism and change things based on the feedback received without feeling any type of way. When giving feedback, especially in our group, I always look at their work and the effort that’s put in. Mostly, the feedback is just grammatically incorrect or just changing minor things around. When receiving feedback, I don’t let my emotions or personal feelings cloud the feedback that I receive or who I receive it from. I analyze my original piece of work and then analyze the feedback that’s given to me and decide what needs to be changed. Sometimes, depending on who gave the feedback, I take in all the feedback that was given to me and then talk to them and ask what I can do better. When giving feedback, I make sure it’s meaningful, honest, and specific, trying to point out areas that need change without being too critical or rude. Focusing on not just what can be improved or changed, but how it can be improved so that the same mistake isn’t made more than once. In order to give better feedback, I can focus on being constructive and not vague. Give a good and clear description and explanation of what needs to be changed or what can be done better. Making the feedback feel collaborative instead of having one feel as though I’m just talking to them or being rude. To improve how I engage with the feedback I receive, I can practice cognitive listening skills instead of being defensive and quick to respond, actually listening and processing what’s said, so I can get a clear understanding. Asking clarifying questions so I can reflect and fully understand before I respond, and also so I can know what direction to go in from now on. Feedback is essential when it comes to any work, especially in CODES, as it can help build a productive, engaging, and respectful experience.
Goal 4(25%)
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? |
| Revise assignments based on feedback received Identify the audience for dissemination and emplace Apply writing skills by focusing on support materials, style, and tone | Dissemination draft Final Dissemination Group emplace contribution Reflections Small Group Work | Focused central message tailored to a set audience Supporting examples and evidence Audience awareness |
Scrolly telling outline
- Begin scrolly telling a brief story on a person living in Cahokia
- As a group we were inspired by Flooded & Forgotten, and we then did research with archives, newspapers, and oral histories (describe this process!)
- We decided to make a resource website
- Go into history of Cahokia (Lindell’s pictures from archives)
- Juju- Connect with the people(natives) of Cahokia Heights/ East Saint Louis. Hearing personal testimonies of the struggles with water infrastructure.
- Nadia- provide a created map that showcases different categories of businesses that support the residents’ basic needs.
- Jada – including government funded agencies that provide funding, restore property damage, health aid, and all a rounded much needed resources for the residents of Cahokia heights. Showcase agencies that I think best suite the needs of the residents of Cahokia.
- Sa ’Dae – Creating a list of resources to educate residents on the resources available and the accessibility they have for each resource. Connecting them with grassroots organizations that can provide benefits to the community.
- Keith’s piece on landlord-tenant relationship dynamics in Cahokia and tips on landlord-tenant laws and what to do if your right are violated as a tenant. Give anonymous examples of landlord-tenant relationships from the survey.
- Conclusion
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Goal 5(20%)
12b.Facilitates collaborators’ contributions by building upon their contributions and noticing when someone is not participating and inviting them to engage.
(For some reason, it won’t let me edit these two boxes, but I do have it written down)
| 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? |
| Build upon classmates’ ideas and facilitate ideas Encourage peers to collaborate during workshops and meetings Reflect on group participation Facilitate when participating in group work | Dissemination plan Group work Group planning Class work Class/Group Particaption | Reflections that show participation Balanced representation of group members and ideas Share ideas and maintain a respectful tone and attitude when working with others |
- What is the purpose of your work?…what is the format of the group project? What individual products does this project consist of and in what forms?
The overall purpose of the project is to gain exposure to the community of Cahokia Heights who are dealing with a water equity crisis that creates issues in a variety of domains such as residency, access to healthy foods, and public health.
The purpose of my individual project is to find government funded agencies that provide resources for communities in need, specifically those that have a main agenda of restoring property, provide funding, health aid and could help with any issues that the residents of Cahokia Heights are currently facing. – Jada Parker
The purpose of my individual project is to help residents who rent their homes in Cahokia. Because of the lower economic status of the Cahokia community and frequent flooding, renting a home in Cahokia can be complicated. There is data from a survey conducted about landlord-tenant relationship dynamics and helpful information for tenants in the area. — Keith Hawkins
The purpose of my individual project is to give Cahokia Heights residents resources that can be used through different aspects of their lives. I’ve compiled a list of grassroots organizations and non-profit organizations that offer resources for residents in Cahokia Heights and the surrounding area. -Sa’Dae Cooper
The purpose of my individual project is to give the residents of Cahokia Heights a constructed list of local businesses. With the lower economic status of Cahokia Heights along with the underfunding; businesses are being shut down, and residents are not being made aware.
The purpose of my project is to give insight on the history of the water crisis, the affection it has on the residents and what has been done to help solve the problem most people in cities in Illinois doesn’t know anything about this and I want to spread more attention, show the residents so we would see people and not just numbers. I also want to bring attention to this problem so that other organizations or people would like to help the residents and city – Lindell Blount
The purpose of my project is to give a native perspective on Flooding and the aftermath of water infrastructure. Creating a Q&A for residents and future residents living in the area of Cahokia Heights. It also created the opportunity to prepare for future flooding and the issues with it. I want to create the space to not only inform but also help residents who face these struggles. -Julez Hill
- Who is this project made for?
We are creating this project for our community partners Heartlands Conservancy and Cahokia Public Library but mostly for residents in Cahokia Heights.
This project is created for the residents of Cahokia Heights, the library, our community partners
- Why is it important?
This project is important because it is a way to not only provide much needed resources to the citizens of Cahokia Heights, but also to educate our other stakeholders. To let them know that this is something that we are looking into and we are aware of the issue. We want to spread awareness so that the community can start seeing results.
- What ethical considerations?
We should keep in mind that we are discussing a sensitive topic that is Cahokia community members’ everyday lives. Try our best to not make the story about trauma and sympathy for farming.
- What working practices will you adapt?
Some working practices that can be adapted are periodical check-ins on the website. A good habit can be to set goals on adding information to the website periodically to have a consistent rate of improvement throughout the semester.
- What are the specific avenues of distribution that will make it so your project reaches relevant stakeholders and communities?
- Internet
- Social Media
- Presentations
- Meetings