Final Education draft

We've been working all quarter pulling together stories, developing our system analyses, and considering what justice might look like for each of us and all of us. To help each of you pull it all together, we have asked you to write a 3000-word (maximum) final paper with at least 3 identities (including at least 1 systemically dominant identity and 1 systemically targeted identity); at least 5 stories that show us your world, systems, and justice; and 15 references (including at least 10 from in class and 5 from outside of class).

What is the thread that is going to hold all of these elements together?

This is up to you to decide.

What we require, though, is that you do have a thread and in that thread is your purpose and your audience.

Here are three possibilities that have been quite popular for past students.

1) Personal Statement: many students choose to use their Education 251 final paper as the first draft of a personal statement that they will use in applying to graduate school, for a dream job, or in developing a new organization or endeavor. This approach brings cohesion to your final paper in that each identity, story, and reference shows that you have lived, that you have studied, and that you know why whatever you're applying to or building is the next right thing for you. What may be challenging is that you need to have a fairly clear vision of where you are trying to go in order to take this approach.

2) Personal Letter: originally students used this approach to "come out" to loved ones about some aspect of their life such as their queer identity or else their desire to switch majors into education. Again this approach brings the same cohesion as what you shared before as well as the connection to your audience. In addition to the same sticky points as the personal statement, another benefit to this approach is that your stories can include your audience (which has included partners, family members, Greek organizations, athletic teams, departmental faculty, etc.). And similarly challenging, do you have an audience with whom you have a really important message to share?

3) Letter to Your Future Self: this one starts off feeling the strangest and has recently become quite popular. Envision talking to a future version of yourself (first decide how far in the future you will be talking with yourself). What is the first question you would ask you future self? (By the way, these questions make great section titles.) Imagine that your future self responds to whatever question you ask by asking you, "why do you care?" Now answer that question with a story and analysis of your world, systems, and justice. Why does this approach work? Because it depends on the self-reflective practices that we have taken up all quarter long to develop our stories and understanding of our worlds. Why is this approach challenging? Students taking this approach often will forget to include their systemic analysis.

I wrote this for the assignment something about me!!

For the discussion boards, please look over these options. Reflect and journal about all three of the options above.

a) What is a dream graduate program or job that you would apply to or organization/endeavor that you would start?

b) What is a message that you would want to share with someone meaningful in your life?

c) What is a question that you would ask yourself at what point in the future?

Then journal about how each option feels for you as a possibility. Post what you are ready to post, and read and respond respectfully to others.

My goal is to receive a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Pre-Med at the University of Washinton. I am studying to become a doctor which is my dream job. In the future, my goal is to become a Psychiatrist and help adults and children with mental illnesses. I am a certified Medical Assistant and I have worked at many clinics where I have assisted doctors and helped patients.

For my future self, I would write that I am goal-oriented, humble, and efficient.