Week 5 – Final Reflection

Final Reflection

[CLOs: 1, 2, 3, 4]

The primary goal of your last assignment is to reflect on what you have learned about yourself as a learner as a result of this class and how you will use this knowledge to succeed in future courses. Reflecting on your thoughts, actions and feelings and making appropriate connections will help you plan for your future success.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/czrxBmQo8RY
You may view a written transcript of this video or click the “CC” button on the video player above.

Directions:

Review the Model Essay  downloaddocument in the online classroom. Use the sample as a guide to complete your own. Then, in a five-paragraph essay that is three to four pages in length, address the following:

• Paragraph 1: Your identity as a learner has a major impact on how you engage in learning. How can awareness of your Learning Patterns, skills, and experiences help you be successful in your degree program and beyond?
• Paragraph 2: Soft skills are not only present in a career setting as discussed in Chapter 5 and the Week 5 Instructor Guidance, but are also utilized in personal interactions. By developing your soft skills, you are working toward becoming a more intentional learner.  Based on your future goals, prioritize the five soft skills in the order you think will be most critical to your future success and describe why.
• Paragraph 3: Review the following articles: Becoming a critic of your thinking (Links to an external site.) and Critical thinking in everyday life (Links to an external site.) and consider the six developmental stages of critical thinking. Where do you most often fall in the process? How could further developing your thinking enrich one of your many roles (i.e., parent, employee, friend, spouse, etc.)? Using the self-assessment in Section 4.2 in your textbook, choose one behavior and explain how it can help you further develop your critical thinking. Finally, describe how critical thinking can contribute to academic integrity.
• Paragraph 4: Metacognition refers to your internal talk or, as Vygotsky described it, “learning to direct one’s own mental processes with the aid of words.” Throughout this course, you have engaged in a metacognitive forum that challenged you to think about how you processed the learning from the previous week. Describe how you approached the metacognitive forums. How did your approach change from week to week? How was value added to your learning process by participating in the metacognitive forums? Explain how continuing to complete these reflective sentence starters can enrich your learning.
• Paragraph 5: Reflect on the past five weeks. What were your expectations when you began this course? Were they met? Why or why not. If you could change one thing about this course, what would it be? Considering the course content, online learning platform, and interactions with your peers and instructor, what advice would you give to someone who is just starting this course to maximize their learning experience.

This assignment must be double spaced, written in Times New Roman 12-pt. font, and submitted to Waypoint as a Microsoft Word document. Carefully review your essay before you submit and take some time to honestly complete steps 1 through 5 of the Metacognitive Self-Check  download. This is a self-evaluation and you don’t need to submit it.

Late Policy: Waypoint assignments (Personal Learning Profile, journals, final assignment) are due on the specified days in the course. Waypoint assignments will be subject to a late penalty of up to 10% per day up to three days late. If Waypoint assignments are submitted after 72 hours past the due date, instructors can give a penalty up to and including a grade of 0 for the assignment.

Week 5 – Discussion 2

Your initial discussion thread is due on Day 3 (Thursday) and you have until Day 7 (Monday) to respond to your classmates. Your grade will reflect both the quality of your initial post and the depth of your responses. Refer to the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric under the Settings icon above for guidance on how your discussion will be evaluated.

You may view a written transcript of this video or click the “CC” button on the video player above.

Prepare: To prepare for this discussion, watch the video above and review how to decode from Chapter 3, Section 3.3 in your book.

Reflect: Think about the different jobs you’ve held. These can include volunteer work or managing your home or family responsibilities full-time. Reflect on the tasks or responsibilities you had.

Write: Pick one position you’ve held and address the following in a minimum of 250 words:

• List the title and briefly describe the job. For example, “I have worked as a Special Education Instructional Aide at an elementary school from 2008 to now. As a 1-on-1 Instructional Aide, I provide personalized attention to the student and help them with social and academic skill development.”
• Describe the three tasks or responsibilities you most enjoyed. Decode each task or responsibility that you listed by identifying the Learning Pattern(s) required to successfully complete it.
• Describe the three tasks or responsibilities you least enjoyed. Decode each task or responsibility that you listed by identifying the Learning Pattern(s) required to successfully complete it.
• Consider all the tasks or responsibilities required of the job. Knowing what you know now about Learning Patterns, was (or is) this job a good match for your Patterns? Why or why not? Remind us of your Learning Patterns by listing the level of use.

Respond to Peers: Review your classmates’ posts and respond to at least two of your peers. Consider addressing the following questions in your response. Did anything surprise you about your classmate’s description? Assess the responsibilities your peer listed and the Learning Patterns associated. Do you agree with their assessment? Would you be a good match for this job? Each response should be a minimum of 50 words. 

Week 5 – Discussion 1

Your initial discussion thread is due on Day 1 (Tuesday) and you have until Day 7 (Monday) to respond to your classmates. Your grade will reflect both the quality of your initial post and the depth of your responses.

This metacognitive forum is intended to help you develop intentional learning practices. It is an opportunity to think about how you processed the learning from the previous week. You are welcome to reference any of the required or supplementary materials, videos, or instructor guidance, as well as anything in the text that was not covered in the discussions.

Complete the following sentence starters to create your post:

• One new or interesting thing I learned last week was… I found it interesting because…
• One thing that went well for me last week was…
• Something I could have done differently last week was… This week I will…
• After reading the materials and completing last week’s assignments, I’d like to learn more about…

Your initial post is due no later than Day 1, and it must be a minimum of 150 words (including the sentence starters). You will not be able to see the posts of your peers until you have posted in this forum. Respond to at least two other classmates by Day 7. Each response should be a minimum of 50 words. This is an opportunity for peer-to-peer support. If you notice a classmate is struggling with something that you can help with, use your responses to support them. Helping your classmates will not only benefit them, but it will also help to solidify your own knowledge.

Week 4 – Journal

Critical Reading and Writing

[CLO: 2, 4]

Chapter Four of your book describes the acts of critical reading and critical writing as thinking critically while reading and writing. This week, you will be enhancing your understanding of yourself by becoming a critic of your skills. You will engage in a journal activity to guide your exploration and processing of your approach to reading and writing.

To prepare for this journal, critically read Chapter 4, Sections 4.3-4.6 and think back to your early experiences with reading and writing, then read the article How to Study and Learn (Part One) (Links to an external site.). Download and complete the Week 4 Journal Critical Reading and Writing template  downloadand respond to each question. Save the completed template to your computer and upload it to Waypoint. Be sure to double check that it was properly saved and uploaded successfully.

Late Policy: Waypoint assignments (Personal Learning Profile, journals, final assignment) are due on the specified days in the course. Waypoint assignments will be subject to a late penalty of up to 10% per day up to three days late. If Waypoint assignments are submitted after 72 hours past the due date, instructors can give a penalty up to and including a grade of 0 for the assignment.

Week 4 – Discussion 2

Your initial discussion thread is due on Day 3 (Thursday) and you have until Day 7 (Monday) to respond to your classmates. Your grade will reflect both the quality of your initial post and the depth of your responses. Refer to the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric under the Settings icon above for guidance on how your discussion will be evaluated.

Prepare: Critically read Chapter 4 of your textbook. Then, pick one adult in your life you regularly interact with and guess their level of use for each Pattern. If you prefer, give them the LCI using these instructions  download. Note: This version is appropriate for individuals ages 16 and up.

Reflect: A heightened awareness of the similarities and differences between yourself and others around you is a critical component in the process of becoming an intentional learner. Reflect on how this individual’s Learning Patterns are similar to or different from yours.

Write:In a minimum of 250 words, address the following:

• For the person you chose, identify the level of use (Use First, Use as Needed, Avoid) for each Learning Pattern and describe how they use it. Specify if you are guessing the level of use or if you gave them the LCI.

• Remind us of your Learning Patterns by listing the level of use.
• Provide an example that demonstrates how Learning Patterns led to positive interactions or created friction between you and the person you selected. Applying what you know about Learning Patterns, how do you now view the incident?

Respond to Peers: Review your classmates’ posts and respond to at least two of your peers. Share what you learned about how you can interact with others whose Patterns differ from your own. Provide additional advice on how your classmate could improve or maximize their communication with the person they have identified. Each response should be a minimum of 50 words.

Week 4 – Discussion 1

Your initial discussion thread is due on Day 1 (Tuesday) and you have until Day 7 (Monday) to respond to your classmates. Your grade will reflect both the quality of your initial post and the depth of your responses.

This metacognitive forum is intended to help you develop intentional learning practices. It is an opportunity to think about how you processed the learning from the previous week. You are welcome to reference any of the required or supplementary materials, videos, or instructor guidance, as well as anything in the text that was not covered in the discussions.

Complete the following sentence starters to create your post:

• One new or interesting thing I learned last week was… I found it interesting because…
• One thing that went well for me last week was…
• Something I could have done differently last week was… This week I will…
• After reading the materials and completing last week’s assignments, I’d like to learn more about…

Your initial post is due no later than Day 1, and it must be a minimum of 150 words (including the sentence starters). You will not be able to see the posts of your peers until you have posted in this forum. Respond to at least two other classmates by Day 7. Each response should be a minimum of 50 words. This is an opportunity for peer-to-peer support. If you notice a classmate is struggling with something that you can help with, use your responses to support them. Helping your classmates will not only benefit them, but it will also help to solidify your own knowledge.

Week 3 – Journal

Personal Learning Strategies

[CLO: 4]

As the book explains, “Vincent, Cari, and Duane all lack an understanding of how to be mindful, intentional learners. …they are not headed for success, because they lack a personalized set of study strategies. Each [student] requires skills to turn their internal thoughts (metacognition) into external actions (personalized learning techniques).” For this journal, you will explain what they could have done to be successful and identify personalized learning techniques to be more intentional learners. You will also identify personal learning techniques to help you be a more intentional learner.

To prepare for this journal, return to Chapter 3 and review Sections 3.1 and 3.4, paying careful attention to Tables 3.10-3.12. Then, download the Personal Learning Strategies Journal Reflection template  download  and respond to each section. Save the completed template to your computer and upload it to Waypoint. Be sure to double check that it was properly saved and uploaded successfully.

Late Policy: Waypoint assignments are due on the specified days in the course. Waypoint assignments will be subject to a late penalty of up to 10% per day up to three days late. If Waypoint assignments are submitted after 72 hours past the due date, instructors can give a penalty up to and including a grade of 0 for the assignment.

Week 3 – Discussion 2

Your initial discussion thread is due on Day 3 (Thursday) and you have until Day 7 (Monday) to respond to your classmates. Your grade will reflect both the quality of your initial post and the depth of your responses. Refer to the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric under the Settings icon above for guidance on how your discussion will be evaluated.

Prepare: Before responding to this discussion, click through the interactive above (Links to an external site.) and carefully review the descriptions of each step of metacognition in Section 3.2 of Chapter 3.

Reflect: Metacognitive activities, such as this discussion and the Metacognitive Forums, can help you reflect on your own learning and develop higher-order thinking. As you complete this discussion, you may realize you were not always aware of how and why your thoughts corresponded with your actions in the past. Pausing to analyze why you’re doing what you’re doing can help you improve the final quality of your work.

Write: In complete sentences and a minimum of 250 words, address the following:

• Assess your progress as an intentional learner by considering each metacognitive step: mulling, connecting, rehearsing, attending, expressing, assessing, reflecting, and revisiting.
  • Which step do you use with ease? Describe how you use it.
  • Which step is most challenging for you to use? Why?
  • Which step do you skip over or ignore completely? Why?
• Imagine someone asks, “What kind of student are you?” How would you answer? What would they observe about your study techniques? Consider things such as the following: engagement with course resources (textbook, video, articles, Instructor Guidance, announcements), how often you log in to class, participation in discussion forums, approach to taking quizzes, etc.
• Now imagine that same person asks, “What kind of student would you like to be?” List three specific things you are doing to become the student you want to be.

Respond to Peers: Review your classmates’ posts and respond to at least two of your peers. What have you learned from your classmate that can help you be the learner you want to be? What can you suggest or share with your classmate to help him or her become the learner they would like to be? Each response should be a minimum of 50 words.

Week 3 – Discussion 1

Your initial discussion thread is due on Day 1 (Tuesday) and you have until Day 7 (Monday) to respond to your classmates. Your grade will reflect both the quality of your initial post and the depth of your responses.

This metacognitive forum is intended to help you develop intentional learning practices. It is an opportunity to think about how you processed the learning from the previous week. You are welcome to reference any of the required or supplementary materials, videos, or instructor guidance as well as anything in the text that was not covered in the discussions.

Complete the following sentence starters to create your post:

• One new or interesting thing I learned last week was… I found it interesting because…
• One thing that went well for me last week was…
• Something I could have done differently last week was… This week I will…
• After reading the materials and completing last week’s assignments, I’d like to learn more about…

Your initial post is due no later than Day 1, and it must be a minimum of 150 words (including the sentence starters). You will not be able to see the posts of your peers until you have posted in this forum. Respond to at least two other classmates by Day 7. Each response should be a minimum of 50 words. This is an opportunity for peer-to-peer support. If you notice a classmate is struggling with something that you can help with, use your responses to support them. Helping your classmates will not only benefit them, but it will also help to solidify your own knowledge.

Week 2 – Assignment

Intentional Learning

[CLOs: 1, 2]

Your primary goals for this assignment are to explain the concept of learning, what it means to be an intentional learner, and identify how you have been using your Learning Patterns in everyday situations, even when you may not have been aware of them.

Directions:

In a 4-paragraph essay that is two to three pages in length, address the following:

• Paragraph 1 (Introduction): Your book defines learning as, “Taking in the world around you through your senses, making sense of it, and responding appropriately.” In your own words, explain what this means. Then, because the goal of this course is to help you become more intentional, describe what it means to be an intentional learner. Consider what you’ve read in Chapters 1 and 2 as you formulate your response.

• Paragraph 2: Now that you’ve explained what it means to be an intentional learner, identify two examples from your life (personal, professional, or academic) and describe how you approached them with intention.
• Paragraph 3: Share your LCI scores and level of use for each Learning Pattern. Do you feel the results accurately reflect your thoughts, feelings, and actions for each Pattern? Explain why or why not. Review the tables 2.1-2.4 in Chapter 2 for descriptions of each Pattern.
• Paragraph 4 (Conclusion): We use our Learning Patterns in all areas of our life. Describe how having an awareness of your Learning Patterns can help you in each of the following areas: at home, in school, and at work.

Academic assignments typically have formatting requirements. For this assignment, it is suggested that your work is double spaced and written using Times New Roman 12-point font. Submit the final draft to Waypoint as a Microsoft Word document.

Carefully review your essay before you submit and consider these questions:

• Did you write four paragraphs, as specified in the assignment instructions? Paragraphs are typically a minimum of four sentences.
• Was each paragraph organized to effectively cover what was asked for in the instructions?
• Did you double check spelling, grammar, punctuation, and organization? Grammarly is a great tool to help with this!

Late Policy: Waypoint assignments are due on the specified days in the course. Waypoint assignments will be subject to a late penalty of up to 10% per day up to three days late. If Waypoint assignments are submitted after 72 hours past the due date, instructors can give a penalty up to and including a grade of 0 for the assignment.