Reflection 3 – Finding Your Purpose

Authors

Josh Goldblatt, CUNY La Guardia Community CollegeFollow

Document Type

Assignment

Publication Date

8-2019

Abstract

The assignment was used in the Liberal Arts: Social Science and Humanities First Year Seminar (LIF 101).

The main objectives are:

1. Facilitate student self-examination and exploration of how interests, skills and values can connect to academic and professional goals
2. Build student capacity for reflective planning, including breaking out tasks and self-assessment
3. Build student knowledge of academic and career paths
4. Support students with making a decision on proper major
5. Increase engagement with college offices and staff
6. Build writing skills – including essay organization and development

Relevant student Performance Objectives for course:

1. Locate the multiple resources available at LaGuardia and use these to solve academic problems related to advising, course selection, academic skills, and extracurricular activities.
2. Identify education and career goals and prepare an individualized educational plan, based on a structured exploration of personal interests, skills and values.
3. Define and practice academic survival and success strategies (e.g. note-taking, active reading, test preparation and taking, collaborative learning skills) and the self-management habits necessary for academic success (e.g. time management, motivation, self-responsibility and financial literacy.)
4. Demonstrate the use of skills and knowledge gained from diverse experiences to enhance learning and success.

The assignment draws from extensive in-class activities, both in lecture and Studio Hour. There are weeks’ worth of in-class activities drawn on, and the student should expect to spend a few additional weeks putting together the assignment. Some specific information on the staging of the assignment:

Stage 1 – Student Learns About Self

1. You Map – a visualization the student completes of what’s important to them and key past experiences
2. ePortfolio Understanding Myself
3. Career Coach Assessment (linked to in ePortfolio)
4. Classroom discussions and activities related to how we can learn about ourselves

Stage 2 – Student Explores Career/Transfer/Academic Possibilities Based on Prior Stage

1. Possible Lives Map – a visualization of their goals and what they want to accomplish
2. Lectures and demonstrations on academic and career research, including a document which lists out activities and resources
3. Lecture on possible trajectories and assessing what education is needed to reach certain career goals (for instance, a need for a bachelor’s and post-graduate education for certain jobs)
4. ePortfolio modules including Degree, Career and Transfer Planning
5. Student uses a “Ways to Explore” form to start thinking about concrete steps he/she can take to learn more
6. As part of the assignment, students must submit a draft of their goals and planning, using the Goal and Planning Form, before moving forward so they can get feedback

Stage 3 – Writing Up Plan and Moving Forward

1. Taking the knowledge gained and instructor feedback, student finalizes goals (or is aware that some goals are still undefined) and moves forward with completing concrete steps to learn more and create a plan that is unique to current needs
2. Every student must visit a campus office or meet with a Program Director to learn more about some aspect of their development
3. Every student must conduct some initial career research using the “Career Research Before and After” activity (which mirrors a particular module in the ePortfolio)
4. The final assignment is worth 20% of the final grade

Comments

This resource is part of the First Year Seminar Curricular Resources.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License