Written Communication Rubric 3.1

The learner will organize and express ideas clearly through written communication in a manner appropriate for the intended audience. 

 

I set two SMART goals for this writing core skill. My first goal I set was to improve my research and writing skills. My second goal was to be able to write a strong and effective research paper. ENG 111, 112, and PSY 150 and 241 are the main classes I focused on these skills. For this artifact, I chose an essay from my PSY 150 class last semester. This was a five to seven-page research paper in APA format on any topic relating to Psychology

 

I chose this artifact for this core skill because I feel as if this is one of my stronger research papers. This research paper was based on the attachment issues in adoptive and foster children. In this essay, I really emphasized the issues that many adoptive and foster children who have bounced around from group home to group home.  I  really wanted my readers to understand the many emotional and physical issues children can encounter and how to avoid causing permanent attachment issues. It is not that I struggled with this essay, it is that I struggled with having the motivation to write this essay. However, I told myself if I write a page a day, I will have the essay done in approximately five to seven days. I stuck to that method and I had the paper done in a week. I, then, took a week to revise and edit my paper. After going through the paper three times, I eventually had a well-written paper to turn in. 

 

After editing this essay multiple times, I had a nicely written research paper. I have learned that motivation and concise writing is the key to a strong research paper. My writing skills still need some work. however, I feel as if my writing skills now are much better than they were during my first semester at SPCC. When writing a research paper, it is very important to do some research before actually writing the essay. After learning a bit about the topic, an outline can be made. I found an outline to always be very helpful when writing essays. It gave me the chance to write out all my thoughts on the topic and then put turn them into paragraphs. Allin all, I feel like I met my goals for this core skill. Now that I have these skills, it will help me in the future as a Special Education teacher.

 

Oral Communication Rubric 3.2

The learner will organize and express ideas clearly through oral communication in a manner appropriate for the intended audience.

 

I would consider myself a very sociable person and I do not have a difficult time interacting with others. However, my first year at SPCC, I was terrified to speak in front of audiences. I still managed to do it, just not effectively. My first SMART goal I set was overcoming my fear of speaking in front of audiences. My second SMART goal was learning to speak effectively in front of audiences. When speaking in front of audiences, I had a hard time looking directly at the audience and I was very fidgety. I noticed myself looking and reading off of the powerpoint instead of speaking like I understood the topic I was presenting on. I would constantly use the word "um" or "uh", I would even lose my train of thought. Another thing I noticed myself doing was speeding through the presentation. I have taken many classes where I had to present a project or give a speech in front of the class. These classes include COM 231,  ART 111, HIS 112,  PSY 241 and ENG 232. COM 231 required many speeches. ART 111, HIS 112, PSY 241, and ENG 232 consisted of a presentation on a certain topic. COM 231 was one of the first classes I took at SPCC where I had to give a speech in front of the class.

 

For this core skill, I chose a speech that was given on the Dangers of Online Dating. It was a five to seven-minute informative presentation.  This speech was one of the first few speeches given in COM 231. I worked very hard on this presentation in order to succeed in this class. I had a powerpoint that had a few bullet points on each slide to remind me about each point I needed to cover. My presentation was very informative and allowed the audience to get a better understanding of the dangers of online dating. I also gave insight into the positive impacts of online dating.

 

I feel as if this speech was not as effective as my speeches given later on in COM 231. I was still nervous when giving my presentation, but I feel as if my speaking skills have improved tremendously. As a Special Education teacher, effective speaking skills will definitely benefit me in the long run. 

 

Intercultural Competence 3.3

The learner will develop awareness, knowledge, and behaviors necessary for intercultural competence:  to positively influence personal identity and personal choices, to enhance communication in cross-cultural contexts, and to enrich understanding of how culture influences interactions with individuals, groups, and organizations.

 

 

I started to notice I needed to have a better understanding of different cultures after being exposed to the many different religions and cultures throughout educational and social life. My parents have a lot to do with my intercultural competence as well. I have always been taught to be open-minded and accepting of everyone around me. This really encouraged me to learn about the different world religions and so I decided to register for REL 110. Throughout this class, I have learned so much about many different religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, and so on.  Throughout REL 110, My professor, Jim McAlhaney, has brought in religious speakers such as those who practice Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, etc. to give our class their personal religious journey. I wish I would have had the chance to explore other cultures by going to other countries and experiencing what their culture and food was like there.

 

To further my intercultural competence, I decided to set two SMART goals. My first goal was to have a better understanding of at least one different religion and culture from my own. My second goal was to apply my understanding of this religion and culture by demonstrating my open-mindfulness. For this artifact, I chose to use a writing assignment I completed in REL 110.  This document is a writing assignment of two questions based on Buddhism.

 

This assignment really opened my mind to Buddhism. I was able to get a better understanding of the Buddhist religion. This assignment asks two questions: "Explain Buddhism's perspective on why human life is dukkha (suffering) and how we can overcome it" and "Once, when Buddha was asked whether God existed, he replied that he did not know, but that he considered such questions fruitless. Given what you know about Buddhism, why do you think he would claim this?"  I put a lot of effort into giving effective responses for this assignment. I feel like through this assignment I was able to get better insight and perspective into the Buddha. 

 

Having a better understanding of this religion allows me to be more understanding of others beliefs. Knowing more about other religions reminds me that everyone is different and that doesn't make them "wrong", it makes them unique in their own way. My new understanding of other religions and cultures allows me to connect with others more easily. I am now able to have deeper and more effective conversations with those of other cultures. This core skill relates to my program of study because acceptance and understanding are needed when teaching special education children.

 

TECHNOLOGY 3.4

The learner will choose and utilize appropriate technologies to access, organize, and analyze and communicate information.

 

Growing up in a society that revolves around technology, it is hard not to use it. Technology goes further than social media (SnapChat, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, ETC). Even schools revolve around the use of technology. Assignments are no longer turned in on paper, but through MOODLE, TURNITIN, EMAIL, ETC. Teachers no longer say, "everyone take out a piece of paper and pencil". it is now "Everyone pull out your laptops and log onto MOODLE". However, do not think I am talking negatively about technology. I believe that technology is very beneficial in our society today and technology continue to advance every day. My first SMART goal was advancing my technology skills. I have always been exposed to technology, but it wasn't until I got to SPCC when I started to really depend on technology to get my assignments completed. My second SMART goal was to somehow create a professional website based on my education and career. AND this would be my ePortfolio!! I was first introduced to the ePortfolio my first semester at SPCC in CIS 110. I didn't see the benefits of the ePortfolio until I started to seriously work on it. Initially, I was dreading the thought of having to complete my ePortfolio. However, I am now starting to enjoy creating my ePortfolio. 

 

Truthfully, I never took the ePortfolio seriously until the 2016-2017 school year. I realized that this website could potentially benefit me in the future and immediately started working. CIS 110 did give me a jump start on what the ePortfolio was about. When I decided to start seriously working on the ePortfolio, I already had a layout of what I could do. However, I have changed the theme of my ePortfolio multiple times until landing on this particular theme. I had a lot of fun learning my way around this site and what looked good and what didn't. Good thing, I had plenty of time to change my mind a few times. 

 

While creating this website, I was starting to see the benefits of it. I realized that when applying for a job as a Special Education teacher, later on in the future, I could use my ePortfolio as a way of showing my educational accomplishments. This ePortfolio is a great way to start my professional image and I look forward to adding onto it throughout the rest of my educational career. 

 

 

Analysis and Interpretation 3.5 

The learner will apply the basic principles of interpretation and analysis to synthesize information. 

 

For this core skill, I decided to use an analysis from ART 111. I took this class my second semester at SPCC because I wanted to grow an appreciation for art. I have always liked art, I just have never taken the time to go to a museum or really ever research more about it. I thought if by taking this class, I would have the opportunity to learn more and really appreciate the essence of art. My first SMART goal for this core skill was to learn and have more appreciation for artwork. My second SMART goal was to not only appreciate art but to form an effective analysis of a piece. 
 

This assignment was our final paper for this class. We were required to go to a local art museum, take a picture with a sculpture or painting, and analyze it. The assignment was a two to a four-page paper analyzing a piece of artwork. I decided to go to the Mint Museum of Art in Uptown Charlotte. There were several pieces that were interesting, but there was one in particular that really stood out to me. The piece that caught my eye was a sculpture known as “Cover Up”  by Bob Trotman. This sculpture was created in 1947 and has a deeper meaning behind the piece. The sculpture is neutral colored, however, I feel as if this adds to the message the artist is trying to portray. 

 

Looking back at this assignment, I wish I would have been more descriptive and provided a deeper analysis. I do stress the expressionism in the sculpture and talk about what I feel the sculpture is trying to portray. However, this assignment was my first college art class and I feel like I learned to appreciate and effectively analyze art by the end of the semester. With that being said, I accomplished my SMART goals for this core skills!

 

Problem Solving 3.6

The learner will apply the basic principles of mathematics and/or scientific inquiry to identify, interpret and evaluate and solve problems.

 

This core skill is based on the basic mathematical skills and ability to identify a problem and solve it. Instead of using a research paper from one of my English classes, I decided to use a project from MAT 152; This project is a hypothesis test. It proposes if the weight loss supplement, alli®, is good for weight loss. The supplement claimed for every two pounds lost, alli® helps lose one more. Using my problem-solving skills, I dug deeper to find out if this weight loss supplement was really worth the buy. This project was not simple; a lot of research and knowledge of hypothesis testing was necessary to find the outcome. Although I struggled with this project some, I managed to accomplish my SMART goals. My first SMART goal was to have a better understanding of basic mathematics and problem-solving. I have always struggled with math and I figured this was an appropriate goal to set. My second SMART goal was to now use those mathematics and problem-solving skills effectively. I thought the hypothesis testing project fit well with this core skill. 
 

My professor, Edward Snyder, pushed us to make this hypothesis testing as plausible as possible. He wanted the class to use real-life situations for our hypothesis testing. Professor Snyder wanted us to recognize the importance of using a plausible situation. People may actually wonder the reliability of the supplement alli®. No one wants to put money into a product that will not benefit them in the future. This assignment shows the proportion of successes and the conclusion of the entire testing is that what the site claims is true. Through mathematics and problem solving, I was able to successfully test a hypothesis.
 

I feel like this project helped me reach my problem solving SMART goals. Although I still struggle with mathematics and problem solving, I feel that through the classes I took at SPCC, I am slowly building my skills up. This assignment taught me a lot about making sure a proposal is solid and plausible.