914 2p

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If you reach a point where you do not know what to write, look at the questions below and see if you can address any of them in your entry while linking them to the readings of your class. These questions are not to be answered in any direct way but are there to try to get you thinking in a way that is critical and reflective. You may uses them as tools to get you going, you may bounce an idea off them you or may find you do not use them at all but at least you cannot say you didn’t know what to write about! Finally, if you do use any of these prompts remember to make connections to the readings / class assignments.

x What am I learning / have I learned and how do I know? (Don't summarize lectures and other source material; instead, refer to them / analyze them / engage with them and see what affect they are having on you and how / why).

x Who is responsible for my learning? What / who enables me to learn? Why? How? Can I be ‘forced’ to learn or not? What does this learning look like / feel like?

x What have I not understood? Why not? What is stopping me? What beliefs / ideas / concepts am I attached to that may be preventing me form learning? Why am I attached to them? What would it mean to me / my self-concept others if I changed my mind / my beliefs / my thinking / if I grew? How? Why? Explore.

x How does this new information affect my thinking? / What else does it make me think of and why? How is this new information relevant to me? OR not? If not why not? Is there a connection I am not seeing / making and if so why not?

x Have I had any dreams related to class materials if so what were they / what can I learn from them?

x Why do I think / believe / act the way I do? What has shaped my thinking / my beliefs / my identity? Can they be changed? Have they changed? How? Why?

x What beliefs/ thoughts / ideologies am I attached to and why? What would change if I changed these beliefs / thoughts / ideologies and why?

x What ideologies / beliefs about race / sex / gender / social class / sexuality / age / bodies / nations / ethnicities / religions ...etc have shaped my beliefs / thinking / ideas / identity...etc? What would happen if I changed these beliefs / ideas / thinking / identity? Who would ‘mind’? Why? How?

x What am I afraid of in terms of my own learning / thinking / society? What does this fear prevent me from looking at / thinking about / recognizing / being? Why and how?

x How do my thoughts / beliefs shape my behavior / attitudes? Can these be changed? Do I want to change them / myself? Yes / no, why / why not?

x What makes me angry about this class / this material / what I am learning? What makes me frustrated / unhappy / sad / disgusted? Why?

x What would I like to change about society / self? Why? How? How do societies / individuals change? Is all change good / bad? How? Based on what? Who decides?

x How do I feel about injustices / inequalities / oppression / privilege / poverty / war / racism / sexism / homophobia / violence / greed / deception versus justice / equality / freedom / egalitarianism / democracy / peace / respect / dignity / passivism / generosity / honesty? How do I practice these qualities / values?

x How do my family / community / nation practice these qualities or not? Do these qualities / values / practices matter? Why? To whom?

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x What are my values? What do I care about? What are my morals? Do I practice them or just talk about them? Do those I know care / practice or not? Do I consider myself open/ kind / compassionate or not and do I care?

x Using the Critical Thinking Guide how would I analyze my level of thinking? What do I spend most of my time thinking about? Why? What can I change about my thinking and how?

x Do I judge others based on what they do / wear / say / buy / eat / like/ how they look / where they live / the school they go to / who they love ..Etc? Why? What is this about for me? How does this connect to larger social issues that we are addressing in class?

x Do I believe humans are naturally evil / sinful / greedy / selfish / destructive and will always be or do I believe humans are naturally good / innocent / kind or neither? Why do I believe what I believe? How do my beliefs about human nature shape other thoughts / feelings I have about myself / others?

x What do I think is the point of life? The point of my life? Do I live according to this point or some other? Is this point of my own making or is it just taken from my parents / society / religion? What do my society / parents / elders say? Do I agree? If not how not / why not?

x Am I free (define what you mean)? Am I courageous to question myself / identity / society / elders...etc? Am I creative, imaginative, a critical thinker? If yes, how? If not why not?

x Do I realize how lucky I am to be at a university with the opportunity to learn? Do I take full advantage of this opportunity or not and if not why not? How does this advantage relate to what I am learning in this class? How does my attitude to learning reflect or not my society and issues I am learning in this class?

x Have I accepted my own mortality? Do I realize one day I will be dead and that my time on this planet is limited? How does this fact change things for me? Why? If not why not?

x Have I asked myself what I want to accomplish / do / be in this short time that I am alive? Have I considered the possibility that learning / growing may be the only thing worth doing during my life time? If so how do I feel about this and how does this relate to this class / what I am learning? If I don’t agree then what do I think is worth doing? What does society say? Why? How?

x ....????????? Keep going….

As you progress through your journal referring to these questions may not be as needed but always try to keep a deep level of reflection and analysis. Try to be as philosophical, thoughtful, and profound as possible while also linking your thoughts to the class materials.

There are other issues that do not relate directly to the course content but that do relate to who you are an how you feel about you / life / learning that maybe worth considering and writing about indirectly (or by connecting them to the class topics). These are such issues as what you eat / what do you buy and consume / who produces these products / where and how / who are these people and animals / how do they live / feel / eat / what affect is my consumption having on the earth / on animals / other humans? How do I feel about this? Also, it might be interesting to ask yourself about your overall health –how you feel physically / mentally and why you feel that way. Do a personal check

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in and see if you get any exercise or not / if you spend time alone / outside in nature / if you are creative in other areas of your life / if you get enough sleep / if you do things that make you feel grounded / happy that are healthy and life affirming...

You should also look into your relationships- friends, partners, family, work / class / roommates and analyze how they are shaped / controlled / organized by issues we are addressing in class. Think about how you as an individual relate to issues of freedom, courage, creativity in opposition to those you are connected to, as well as society at large. Finally, think about your relationships to technology – how dependent are you on connecting to others via technology? How does technology also shape your identity and other issues we address in class? What about trying a technology free day to see how you feel and who you are without it...

The point of all this is to get you to see your mental, physical, emotional, spiritual self as all connected. If you are interested in equality and justice (the theme of most sociology classes) then it is important to look at your personal values / lifestyle / feelings / practices …etc. Nothing is separate – we are society as much as we are ourselves so if you want to understand society the best place to start is with yourself and those around you!

“When we tug at a single thing in nature, we find it attached to the rest of the world.” ~ John Muir

Journal Assessment:

It’s a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it

~ Somerset Maugham

The best journals are completed throughout the course and show a development of a ‘voice’ that is engaging in critical thinking / deep understanding. As stated before they are: Continuous, Connected, Challenging and Contextual

You will receive three grades on your journals. The first two can be changed if you make adjustment to past entries based on feedback before the next due date and if you let me know. These first two grades will be based on this rubric. Your first grade will be based on your first 4 entries, your second grade on your next 4 entries and your third grade on your last 4-5 entries. Your final grade will be the total of all three. Another way to help you evaluate your journals / thinking is to use the Miniature Critical Thinking Guidebook to help you.

1. The best learning journals demonstrate deep understanding: You have clearly been able to integrate the readings, including quotes, from the class to a larger context and to the knowledge you already possess. You demonstrate the capability of applying new information from the readings in new situations and contexts as well as evaluating your own thinking. You have developed your own view on the readings and you are capable of coming up with new approaches. In addition, you have explored the ‘whys’ of your thinking, your identity, your values, your beliefs in

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a way that is courageous, analytical and authentic. You have used your journal creatively and imaginatively and find you have changed in complex and profound ways. You have done 4-5 entries for each section and ended with a total of 12-14 entries (20-25 pages) that develop an idea / ideas and end when you have reached some conclusion. You have followed the guide lines; you have a mid-term review and a final review. Finally, you have responded to / applied all my comments. (A/ A-)

2. If not the best, then certainly at least excellent are those journals that demonstrate understanding of concepts and their relations: You have clearly obtained a unified picture of the subject, have used the readings in most entries and have demonstrated the capability to apply the things you learned. You have engaged with the readings and yourself but not to the level where you have put everything on the line and questioned what it is, why it is as it is why you are as you are...etc. You have not made as many connections as you could have with the readings and have not been as courageous as you could have been. You have done about 3-4 each section and have ended with about 10-12 entries (15-20 pages) that develop some ideas but some are just written to write. You have followed most of the guide lines, you have a mid-term review and a final review but they could be stronger. Finally, your journal was reviewed twice before the end of the semester and you have responded to / applied some of my comments.(B+ / B)

3. Good journals demonstrate understanding: You are clearly capable of understanding concepts and ideas in isolation and you demonstrate ability to think about them. However, you have not yet formed a unified picture of the subject, have not used many readings and cannot apply what you have learned to new issues or to yourself / your own life. You have not analyzed any of the readings very deeply and you have not come up with your own unique analysis / insights. You have done about 2- 4 in a section for a total of 8-10 entries (10-15 pages) of which some are fully developed but most are written just to write. You have followed some of the guide lines, you have a mid-term review and / or a final review but they could be stronger. Finally, your journal was reviewed once (meaning when I did the second review you had no new entries) before the end of the semester and you have responded to / applied some of my comments.(B- / C+)

4. Passing journals demonstrate limited understanding: You have learned some concepts and you have written about them in a summarizing, superficial way. You have not used nor quoted from any readings. You have not related the readings to yourself or you have focused exclusively on yourself and have not engaged with the course material. You have only followed a few of the guide lines and either don’t have or have a very minor mid-term review and / or final review. You have only done about 2-3 in a section with a total of 8 or fewer entries (less than 10 pages) and most do not fully develop and are just written to write. Finally, your journal was reviewed once (meaning when I did the second review you had no new entries) before the end of the semester and you did not responded to / apply any of my comments.( C/D-)

5. Unacceptable journals do not meet any of the above criteria….. You have fewer 1-2 in a section with a total of less than 5 entries (less than 5 pages). Also, if you did get feedback from me you did not apply any of my comments. (F)

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It always comes back to the same necessity: go deep enough and there is a bedrock of truth,

however hard ~ May Sarton

4. Group Projects and Papers:

Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed,

it is the only thing that ever has ~ Margaret Mead As well as your personal journal you will also do a group project and paper. I know group projects and papers are hard but learning to work well with others, to compromise, to deal with conflict and to accomplish a collective goal are vital life skills (all graduate schools and employers ask about group skills when I do recommendations). All human relationships are ‘group projects’ – from family, to work, to community …etc. so see this as an opportunity to grow and learn new interpersonal skills. In terms of the focus of the group project, your group has the opportunity to choose a topic related to the class and to the readings that interest all of you most and to engage in some experiential learning. The key part of your project is put forth a question or a thesis (as with the papers) and to seek / explore / find evidence for your answer or your data by doing experiential research. To do this you MUST ‘experience’ some aspect of your project. For example, if you want to look at inequality in the public school system you need to actually go to a number of schools, talk to students, teachers, etc. and critically analyze about your observations. Or if you want to look at the inequality in the legal system you need to go visit courts or prisons or talk to public defendants …etc. We will take a class day (TBA) and work on getting everyone into a group based on the topics people propose. The groups should be no more than 5 people. There should be an umbrella topic and then each group member should find a specific interest under that umbrella for them to work on. For example, if you were looking at school inequality and asking ‘who benefits?’ as the umbrella topic, then some group members could do site visits, some could do interviews; some could do library research...etc. On the day we create groups your group should begin to fill in the group details sheet below (you will get one handed to you in class) and finish it over the following week. You will be asked to hand it in for feedback a week after the groups are created and will be given feedback to help you. Group Details Sheet

Failing to plan is planning to fail.~ Alan Lakein

1. Group Name: 2. Group Members: 3. Group Philosophy / Goals (how do you want to conduct yourselves / what do you want to

achieve…):

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4. What umbrella problem/ issue will you address? What umbrella question will you answer? What is your umbrella thesis? :

5. What are the smaller components/contributing issues that will be focused on? 6. How you will you address it/them? Why this manner? : 7. Who will address which aspects and why / how? : 8. How will you measure your success in addressing issue / answering question? : 9. What will be your experiential part/s? Why / How?: 10. What will be creative and original about your project?: 11. What class resources –books / articles ...etc. - will you use / what other resources? : 12. What viable solutions can be proposed based on what has been identified as creating the

problem? The first thing to do once you have your overall topic is to identify a problem / issue and look at what is creating it – what are all the social, economic and political forces that are contributing and use this information to define your argument / thesis (see Paper Rubric) and to identity what theory from the course books you will use. Group Contract

This contract is very important as you are responsible for each other’s grades. Thus, the group may decide to ‘punish’ a member who has not fulfilled their part of the contract. So please write up your group rules, goals and expectations as a group are in terms of meetings / answering emails / doing work on time / communication …etc. This is your chance to all agree to a certain level of commitment to the group and the consequences when the agreements are broken. For example, one rule I have to help you reach your goals is that you must meet at least four times and you must keep a written record of each meeting and every one must sign in and evaluate the meeting (see Meeting Vibes below) You as a group may decide that if a member misses a meeting without letting others know and without a good reason then that person should get a lower grade than the rest. Or you may come up with something else if you choose. Please, list your rules, goals and expectations and then all sign it, thereby agreeing to abide by your own rules. If you have issues with a group member/s then pls. refer to your group contract as a guide lines for how to deal with your / their issues. Please do not involve me unless you have an extenuating circumstance that requires my intervention. Learning to work as a group, to address and solve conflicts is part of your learning. Feel free to write about your group experiences in your journals and link them to the topic of your class. The contract should be scanned and included when you upload your final group paper at the end of the semester. Group Meetings When you meet you should have an agenda that you create at the meeting or that you create on-line before the meeting; you should designate a moderator who keeps everyone to the agenda; you should have a time keeper who keeps the group on-task, and you should have a vibes watcher who keeps everyone pleasant and then who accesses your meeting at the end (if you meet five times and there are five of you each member should take a turn doing each task).

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Please use the following questions which you pose to the whole group and then decide ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and when needed write comments. You may add others if you like but please answer the following questions at the end of each meeting. Vibes should be scanned and included with your final group paper at the end of the semester. Meeting Vibes Form – Pls. print out one for each meeting and scan at end. Meeting Date: 1. Did each member attend? If not who is missing and why / did they let others know they couldn’t make it? 2. Did each member bring to the meeting that which was agreed upon? For example, you might want to set an agenda for each meeting so that you know what you are doing / need to do. 3. Did each member contribute to the meeting? If not, why not? 4. Did each member stay on task and avoid time wasting and other needless frustrations? If not, why not? 5. Did each member maintain a pleasant disposition (good vibes)? If not, why not? 6. Did each member feel respected / heard / valued? If not why not and what needs to be done about it? 7. Does each member know what they need to do for the next meeting? If not, why not? Next meeting time and place: All sign/date and keep in order to up-load with paper. 1._______________________________________________ 2._______________________________________________ 3._______________________________________________ 4.________________________________________________ 5._________________________________________________ Group Papers:

The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people can think.

~ Edwin Schlossberg

Your paper should be structure like an edited volume, meaning that you all write the Introduction and Conclusion (about 2 pages each) and then each member writes an individual ‘chapter’ based on the research they did. In the Introduction you review the

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overall umbrella issue / problem question and talk about how the group chose to address it and why the group chose to address it the way you did. You can also review the chapters and their contents. Your Conclusion must propose creative solutions for addressing the problem / issue and look at ways you / society can implement these solutions.

Each person’s chapter will focus on a specific aspect of the issue / problem / question. All papers / chapters should still follow the Paper Rubric, by having a point / a sub-question or thesis and should have quotes / citations. The whole paper should use at least FIVE required class readings, as well as FIVE other sources (book chapters, articles that you find or that are on HCT and which weren’t required reading-- films can be used but don’t count as part of the five) that you feel best represents your specific issue and the perspective of the issue that you are taking. These references should be scattered throughout the papers and can involve multiple citations from one reading (that still counts as one).

Everyone should write about 3 pages, and the Introduction and Conclusion should

be about 2 pages each. So if you have 4 people in your group then it should be a 16 page paper. It should also have a Bibliography and any supporting data (interviews, surveys, photos…etc) that you use should be attached at the end (the data sheets do not count as pages). You will have a Draft date (TBA) to have your paper reviewed so you can make changed before it is finally reviewed for a grade.

Each group member should upload Group Paper by due date (see syllabus) so that you can all see your grade / feedback. If you need more intensive writing help: See http://www.writingcenter.uconn.edu/

Tell me and I'll forget. Show me and I may not remember. Involve me and I'll understand. ~

Native American Proverb

Paper Rubric

Writing is a lot easier if you have something to say ~ Sholem Asch

Argument: Regardless of your specific paper topic you must either answer a question or put forth a thesis that is stated in the beginning of your paper. This question or thesis can be directly related to the topics assigned or may be your own but obviously it must relate to the topic of the course and use the prescribed class readings, i.e at least 5 readings from class and at least 5 from other sources (films don’t count as sources). You must state your purpose in the beginning and how you are going to go about answering your question / making your argument using critical thinking / analysis. This is the central goal of your paper to which every paragraph should contribute. Your argument must be presented logically (create sections – see below) in an order that makes internal sense; you must examine your underlying assumptions; you must define your terms; you must reach your goal coherently and state that you have done so. Make sure you use transitional sentences

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to move your argument along. You may also say why you have chosen this topic- what it means to you and anything else personal that will make your paper more interesting and give the reader a reason to also be interested in it. Above Expectation 5 / A

4 / B Meets Expectation 3 / C

2 / D Below Expectation 1 / F

Paper has a clearly sated question / thesis around which the rest of the paper is structured. Paper answers question / argues position to the end and involves critical thinking / analysis.

Paper has a weak question / thesis that gets lost and is not answered / argued throughout.

Paper has no question / thesis and is merely a collection of ‘fact’ / descriptions about a certain issue.

Theory: All papers / creative projects must use / address / explore some theory based on a class reading that is clearly stated (including quotes from the source) and that you will use / apply to your specific issue. Your theory (or theories) must be identified in the beginning (including the name /s of the author /s whose theory it is) and must be explained as to why you have chosen this theory and what this theory means …etc. Also, you must apply the theory throughout your paper using quotes as opposed to just introducing it and then NOT using / applying it. Also, in your conclusion you must return to it again and say how it has helped explain the issue and what difference using the theory has made to your / the reader’s overall understanding. Above Expectation 5 / A

4 / B Meets Expectation 3 / C

2 / D Below Expectation 1 / F

Paper clearly Paper Paper has no

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introduces / explains some theory (including the name/s of the major theorists) and states why this particular theory is being used; how this theory helps illuminate the issue. In addition, the theory must be referred to throughout the paper and applied to the paper topic and used in analyzing what the topic means.

introduces some theory (including the name of major theorists) but does not clearly explain it or say why it is being used / how it helps. In addition, paper does not apply theory to issue throughout, nor is the theory used to analyze topic.

theory.

Quotes / References / Sources: You must use quotes from books, journal articles and other sources (at least 5 from class readings and 5 from outside sources). These quotes must further your argument and you must make it clear to the reader why you have chosen a particular quote and what it tells us / how it helps your argument. In other words, you must analyze each quote and say what it means. Avoid excessive quoting and very long quotes that just seem to fill up the page. Only use what you need. Often it is good to introduce the author of the quote with phrases like, for example, ---According to Karl Marx (1878), “The owner of the means of production also own the production of knowledge” (ASA style- see link on HCT). You can also make reference to works / ideas / arguments / authors / books / articles without specifically quoting from them, but by summarizing / paraphrasing their ideas. All quotes / references must be properly cited using the ASA citation system (see appendix). If you use quotes from interviews cite them using their first name only and the date of the interview. If you make reference to media sources like films…etc. again make sure you use titles, dates, directors or if you use internet sources use URL’s …etc and the date they were retrieved.

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Above Expectation 5 / A

4 / B Meets Expectation 3 / C

2 / D Below Expectation 1 / F

Paper has the required number of sources and has quotes / references throughout. The quotes further the paper’s argument, are introduced and analyzed to explain why they are being used, how they help explain an issue …etc. Paper does not over quote or use excessively long quotes. All quotes or references are cited.

Paper has number of quotes / references but does not meet the requited amount. Quotes and references are not used throughout. Quotes / references are not properly cited. Quotes are not introduced or analyzed so that the reader knows why they are being used and how they help explain the issue. Quotes are excessively long and unnecessary.

Paper has no quotes or references or Paper has a few quotes but no citations.

Interviews / Ethnographic Research Regardless of on your research focus you must do some form of primary / experiential research. The point of this is to enable you to take what you are learning in class and apply to a ‘real world’ situation. You must make this research a central part of your paper and then apply your theory and readings to it in order to analyze it in an attempt to say what it means. Whatever primary research you do you must give evidence at the end of your paper –either a transcript of interview or observation notes…etc. Paper has addressed assignment by

Paper has addressed assignment by

Paper has somewhat addressed

Paper has somewhat addressed

Paper has not addressed assignment by

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using primary research. This research is analyzed using theory and readings. Evidence of research is included in an Appendix= A

using primary research. This research is somewhat analyzed using theory and readings. Evidence of research is included in an Appendix=B

assignment by using primary research. However, this research is only somewhat analyzed using theory and readings. Inadequate evidence of research is included =C

assignment by using primary research. However, this research is not analyzed using theory and readings. No evidence of research is included = D

using primary research. =F

Analysis / Synthesis: When you introduce an issue / situation /event you may have to describe it a little but do not just end there –next say what it all means. Make sure that throughout your paper / creative project you build your argument using critical thinking / analysis (see your Critical Thinking Guide!). This means that you are constantly telling the reader what the material (quotes, examples, data, your own creative project…etc) means and why it is important and how it helps the reader understand your argument / question / thesis better. Use transitional sentences that begin with words like, “Thus, however, therefore, although…etc” to drive your argument and to keep the reader focused on what you are doing. You are making a case / argument and every sentence counts. Do not just DESCRIBE – always ANALYZE. Also, you should synthesize all the materials (readings, data, opinion,…etc) into a coherent paper. If you use quotes from interviews or data from surveys or charts or statistics again say what the quotes, data…etc mean and how they relate to your larger argument / question. Above Expectation 5 / A

4 / B Meets Expectation 3 / C

2 / D Below Expectation 1 / F

Paper uses critical thinking / analysis throughout to constantly tell the reader what the material means.

Paper has a little critical thinking / analysis but is mostly description about a topic Not analysis of what the topic means. Quotes

Paper is more of a report or a description of an issue. There is no critical thinking / analysis saying what the issue means and

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Quotes, data, examples are analyzed and synthesized and flow towards the conclusion.

are left to speak for themselves and are not analyzed. Analysis does not move the argument towards the conclusion.

how it relates to the overall argument (if there even is one). Quotes if there are any are not analyzed. Information is left to speak for itself.

Conclusion: All papers must have a conclusion in which you tie the whole thing together and make some overall point / assertion / conclusion. In your conclusion, make sure you affirm what you have argued and / or answer the question you have addressed, the theory you have used, and be clear as to why what you have argued is important and how it changes (hopefully it does) the way the reader would see the particular issue/s. You may end with a specific quote or a creative / original proposal for the future as in what society / we/ you should do to address the issue or you may end by raising more questions / issues that still need to be asked / addressed. Try to look for ‘solutions’ and areas that need further research or areas in which you want to know more and lead the reader in that direction. Above Expectation 5 / A

4 / B Meets Expectation 3 / C

2 / D Below Expectation 1 / F

Paper has a clearly stated conclusion in which the argument is concluded / the question is answered, the theory used is re-stated, the importance of the issue affirmed and how the issue can now be seen from a different light.

Paper has a conclusion but it does not pull the paper together-it does not refer back to the theory, it does not conclude the argument or answer the question or affirm the importance of the paper / issue. No new questions are

Paper has no conclusion and rather just stops. The reader is left wondering what the point of the paper was and feeling that something is missing (it is ).

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New questions can be raised here or a call for action or change.

raised and no changes or actions are called for.

Organization: Sub-headings: Create sections with sub-headings as a way of organizing your topics. Consider such headings as Introduction, Methodology, Background, Interviews, Case Study, Analysis, Conclusion…etc. Above Expectation 5 / A

4 / B Meets Expectation 3 / C

2 / D Below Expectation 1 / F

Paper has Logical Sections that help the reader understand what you are presenting

Paper has a few Sections but they are not as logically organized as they could be

Paper has no Sections and is not well organized and is confusing to the reader.

Grammar / Spelling: Paper should be grammatically correct and with correct spelling. Citations should be correct and consistent. Use grammar / spell check or get help at the campus writing center. See http://www.writingcenter.uconn.edu/ Above Expectation 5 / A

4 / B Meets Expectation 3 / C

2 / D Below Expectation 1 / F

Paper has no grammatical or spelling errors. All citations are correct.

Paper has some grammatical and spelling errors. Citations have some errors.

Paper is full of grammatical and spelling errors. Citation (if there are any)are incorrect.

Meaningfulness:

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Please make your papers meaningful in that you must write / create them believing that you have something important to say that others need to know. If you are interested and excited by your topic then the reader will be too. I believe – know- that all of you have something important to share with me, with each other and with the world so please take yourself seriously and put time into your paper. What you write represents YOU and if you do not care about what you write then that is the same as saying you do not care about yourself, which would be unfortunate…. Above Expectation 5 / A

4 / B Meets Expectation 3 / C

2 / D Below Expectation 1 / F

Paper is meaningful to you and has something to teach others and expresses this in the care / time you have taken in researching and writing it. Paper represents you and you are proud of your work.

Paper does not have a strong sense of being meaningful. Care has not been great in researching and writing it. Paper does not show you in a very strong light.

Paper is not meaningful because you have not taken any time / care in researching and writing it. Paper shows you in a poor light.

References: All papers / creative projects must have an attached bibliography that correctly lists according to American Sociological Association style guidelines ALL of the sources that you have used including class readings / films / articles ...etc (see HCT or google for example). If there is something from the class readings that does not have the full citation on it please put as much as you have as I will know the rest. I need to be able to find any source that you have used in particular those not read in class so again included titles, authors, dates, publishers, pages…etc Above Expectation 5 / A

4 / B Meets Expectation 3 / C

2 / D Below Expectation 1 / F

Paper has a Paper has a Paper has no

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bibliography that is correctly formatted according to the ASA style guide (see appendix)

bibliography but it contains incomplete references / errors.

bibliography.

Draft-Review: All final drafts MUST be reviewed by me once before being submitting it for a grade. This is to ensure that you get the best possible grade and that you have fully understood the requirements. Self-Evaluation: The first sheet of your paper before your title page must be the group-evaluation of the paper. Please do not just list numbers– rather please write a sentence of two for each section explaining why you chose the number / grade you did (5=A, 4=B, 3=C, 2=D, 1=F). The purpose of this is for YOU to go through your paper and compare it to this rubric. You are to decide for each of the criteria listed where your paper belongs in relation to the given descriptions. You must rank your paper using the numbers but also write a few sentences explaining your choice. This is both your opportunity to look at your own work critically and to ask me for help- to take responsibility for where you are in terms of your writing process. Please look at this not as an exercise merely in self-criticism but rather a way to learn about yourself and the development of your thinking / writing process. I will use these as a means to evaluate you both in relation to your work and in relation to your understanding of your work. On your final version (for due date see syllabus) you need to decide what overall grade you would give yourself and why. - Re-writes: Re-writing is part of your process. If you make significant changes in drafts (esp. near the end) use TRACK-CHANGES (I may use them as well) so I can see what change you have made or BOLD changes. You must include a new self-evaluation and mention the changes that you have made and the difference that these changes have made to your paper as well as your overall understanding of the topic, your writing abilities and to lastly to your potential grade.

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Final Exam+ Group Presentations Your group presentation is your mandatory in-class final exam. It is possible you/your group will have presented before this time but you are still required to attend. All groups must do a group presentation that involves every member of the group (please practice so there is time for everyone to share their part). Presentations should take the main theme of your project / what you learned / what is important / interesting about it and turn it into a creative / interactive / unique presentation. Each group will have about 5-10 mins. depending on the number of groups (dates and times TBA in class but they will be last 2-3 class periods). Please find a balance between sharing information and doing an activity to engage your audience and to best illustrate the meaning of your information. Do not only lecture and share information or only do an activity. The best presentations do both! Please try not to use YouTube videos / films …etc unless you made them and if you do keep the time limit to no more than 3 mins. If you choose to use PowerPoint slides then use them to share key quotes, concepts, graphs, data, images…etc and use them well so that your presentation is interactive.

The best presentations are original, creative, interactive, informative and even entertaining! You may choose to do a skit, create a song or poem or any other more creative format that conveys the overall meaning of your group project. The worst presentations are unoriginal, uncreative, non-interactive, non-informative and at worst boring. Celebrate your learning and feel proud to teach / share with others what you have learned. Presentation involved all group members, clearly identified point of Project (argument / thesis /question), used theory and key readings, involved audience in an activity/discussion and was creative and thoughtful=A

Presentation involved all group members, but didn’t clearly identify point of Project (argument/ thesis /question), but still used theory and/or key readings, sort of involved audience in an activity /discussion and was somewhat creative/ thoughtful=B

Presentation involved all group members, but didn’t clearly identify point of Project (argument/ thesis /question), didn’t use theory and/or key readings, sort of involved audience in an activity /discussion but wasn’t creative/ thoughtful=C

Presentation didn’t involve all group members, didn’t identify point of Project (argument/ thesis /question), and didn’t use theory and/or key readings, didn’t involve audience in an activity /discussion and wasn’t creative/ professional=D

Presentation didn’t meet any of the prescribed criteria=F

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Group Project On-Line Portfolio Pls. include all the following when you upload your Group Project. 1.Group Paper (upload) (if you did a creative project pls. give me on a CD/DVD..etc.) 2. Group Contract (scan) 3. Group Meeting Vibes (scan) 4. Any data such as interviews / surveys…etc. (scan) 5. Group Self-evaluation, (what grade the group thinks they deserve on their paper and why using the paper Rubric. If you have done your presentation before you do this, then you can also talk about how it went / your grade…etc. This should be the same for all group members and get uploaded with the group paper) 6. Individual group evaluation (your personal reflection on your role / grade in the group that is posted in your Journal).

All Stress inhibits true and effective learning~ Anon *************************Final Self Evaluation:******************************* Please write this last (this in addition to your Final Journal Review) and state briefly what grade you think you have created in this course for yourself and why. This is your chance to explain issues that may have affected your work and anything else you feel would be important for me to know about you. Also, evaluate your class participation. Ask yourself if you were 'generous' with your thoughts, energy...etc. or did you just come to class and 'take' but not 'give'? If that was the case explain why and how you feel about that (imagine going to a pot-luck with no dish but still eating...) Please write this / Upload in your On-Line Journal (it doesn’t count as a journal entry) and title: Final Self-Evaluation ----------------------------------------------

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“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”– Antoine de Saint-Exupery What do you think? You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him [her] to learn by creating curiosity, he [she] will continue the learning process as long as he[she] lives~ Clay P. Bedford The Four Agreements by don Miguel Ruiz are: 1. Be Impeccable with your Word: Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the Word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your Word in the direction of truth and love. 2. Don’t Take Anything Personally Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering. 3. Don’t Make Assumptions Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings,

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sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life. 4. Always Do Your Best Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret. Apply them to your life / learning / life-learning

Stop complaining and claiming - Start doing and being!- Phoebe Godfrey

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Signature Sheet Please Copy You will be given a copy of this contact in class and will be asked to sign it then or return it in the next week. I will keep it until the end of the semester and then I will give it back to you so you can write about how you did in your Final Self-Evaluation. I_________________________________________________have read / reviewed Dr. Godfrey’s (Phoebe’s) Course Guidebook and have understood that my level of learning and my reflecting GRADE in her class is dependent on following our guidelines, in doing my own work and ultimately taking responsibility for myself / my learning. I know that if I have any questions / issues / problems with any of the requirements / readings / topics / class meetings / my grades …etc I can always choose to email / approach her after class in order to address my concerns. If I chose not to contact / talk to her then I know that I must take full responsibility for addressing or for not addressing my questions / issues / problems myself. In addition, since this class is based on my full participation I agree NOT to use my phone for distraction. The reason for this is to ensure that I stay focused for the benefit of myself and everyone else in the class. Finally, I agree NOT to photograph or record any aspect of the class (including peers or the instructor) unless permission is explicitly given beforehand. Signed ______________________________________________ Date_______________

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Professionalizing Your Learning The manner in which your course is organized is an excellent learning experience to prepare you for the professional world. Whatever you do after UCONN it is up to you to make it happen- hence the best trait you can learn is self-motivation and personal accountability. Additionally, employers and graduate schools are looking for people who again are self-motivate, have strong critical thinking skills, work well with others, have emotional intelligence, strong written and verbal skills and are creative. All of these skills can be learned in your class if you chose to learn them. Here are some other ways you can look at your learning including your learning about yourself that can translate to finding out what you want to do, translating those interests into ideas and then sharing those interests and ideas with others through essays for graduate school or to a resume for employment. Course Work Skills Involved Graduate School Link Employment

Link Personal Reward

Journals Critical Thinking, Critical and Personal Reflection, Analysis, Synthesis Writing, Self- Motivation

Aids in Figuring Interests / Strengths / Weaknesses, acts as Practice for GRE’s and Graduate Essays, and can be Highlighted as a Skill

Aids in Figuring Interests / Strengths / Weaknesses, and Writing can be Highlighted as a Skill

Greater Knowledge of Self, Increase Confidence in Writing and Critical Thinking, increased Self- Motivation

In Class Participation

Critical Thinking, Verbal Skills, Social Skills, Public Speaking and Ability to be Articulate

Aids in Interview Skills, and Public Speaking can be highlighted out as a Skill

Aids in Interview skills, and Public Speaking can be highlighted out as a Skill

Increase Confidence in Public Speaking / Interviews Socializing / Ability to be Articulate

Service Learning / Group Project / Research Papers (these Skills will vary based on what you do but Graduate Schools and Employers will be Interested to Learn about Specific

Critical Thinking, Project Management, Planning Skills, Communication, Project Outreach, Team Leadership Skills and / or Team Player Skills, Time Management, Social Skills, Emotional Intelligence, Self- Motivation and Group Motivation, Creativity and Innovation, Project

Critical Thinking, Project Management, Planning Skills, Communication, Project Outreach, Team Leadership Skills and / or Team Player Skills, Time Management, Social Skills, Emotional Intelligence, Self- Motivation and Group Motivation, Creativity and Innovation, Project Assessment, Writing Individually and as a

Critical Thinking, Project Management, Planning Skills, Communication, Project Outreach, Team Leadership Skills and / or Team Player Skills, Time Management, Social Skills, Emotional Intelligence, Self-Motivation and Group Motivation,

Critical Thinking, Project Management, Planning Skills, Communication, Project Outreach, Team Leadership Skills and / or Team Player Skills, Time Management, Social Skills, Emotional Intelligence, Self- Motivation and Group Motivation,

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Projects – highlight accordingly based on what you are applying to)

Assessment, Writing Individually and as a Team and Public Speaking – Individually and As a Team

Team and Public Speaking – Individually and As a Team

Creativity and Innovation, Project Assessment, Writing Individually and as a Team and Public Speaking –Individually and As a Team

Creativity and Innovation, Project Assessment, Writing Individually and as a Team and Public Speaking – Individually and As a Team

Class Activities

Communication, Group Leadership Skills and / or Group Member Skills, Time Management, Social Skills, Emotional Intelligence, Self- Motivation and Group Motivation, Creativity and Innovation skills.

Aids in Interview Skills, Public Speaking, Social Skills, Emotional Intelligence, Self- Motivation and Group Motivation, Creativity and Innovation skills.

Aids in Interview Skills, Public Speaking, Social Skills, Emotional Intelligence, Self-Motivation and Group Motivation, Creativity and Innovation skills.

Greater Knowledge of Self, Increase Confidence in Socializing, Physical and Creative Activities