Core Skills
Written Communication
The learner will exchange ideas and information with others using written text in a manner effective and appropriate for the intended audience.
For my Written Communication artifact, I chose to utilize my Argument paper from my ENG-111 (Writing and Inquiry) class I took in the Fall Semester of 2021. This paper allowed me to explore the writing process and inquire about what it takes to be a good writer. For this paper, we had to construct an argument about a topic we chose. We had to introduce the topic, state our argument, approach it from all angles, and address the refutations and how we could combat them. For the topic, I chose to discuss whether standardized testing was necessary and how it does not determine academic ability. It is more than likely that you have taken some form of standardized test throughout your academic/professional career. I know I have taken multiple throughout my academic career! This is why I chose to discuss this topic because it is something that many people can relate to.
My first goal when writing this paper was to “make sure the paper was organized in an effective manner that showcased my research and argument”. Before taking ENG 111, I had been briefly introduced to what we called the outline. The purpose of this is to do just what it says: outline your paper. It is a general plan that allows you to write down the basic information in a sequential manner that enables it to flow thoughtfully. It also allows for you to pick relevant and important information from early one, which lay the perfect foundation for you to build upon when writing your paper.
My second goal was to “use scholarly research and credible sources to back up my argument”. Before taking this class, I struggled with finding scholarly sources and making sure they related to my topic. I oftentimes uses a few scholarly sources and multiple unscholarly sources to buff up my list of sources. Through this assignment and the entire course, I learned the importance of using scholarly sources. In this paper I used examples from multiple studies that correlated directly to what I was talking about. Using these studies felt vital because I was making the claim that standardized testing (which is utilized worldwide) is not effective in proving academic abilities. I would not have been able to access these sources had I not used an outlet for scholarly sources.
Being able to communicate in written form has an utmost importance in day-to-day life. Even if it is in a social, professional, or academic setting. I send text messages every day, and being able to communicate efficiently in written form makes it easy for me to get my point across. Writing emails has become a breeze after practicing the skill throughout my academic career. There is nothing negative from having good written communication skills. I know that I will continue to further and strengthen this skill all throughout my life. This may sound weird, but being able to use advanced vocabulary and organize my words in a way that sounds professional makes me feel like a genius. Strength in this skill will also enable me to communicate and understand my peers and professors when I go to university next semester.
Oral Communication
The learner will exchange ideas and information with others using the spoken word in a manner effective and appropriate for the intended audience.
For my oral communication reflection, I chose to include my final presentation for my SPA-111 (elementary Spanish) class. I took this class Fall Semester of 2020. I had previous knowledge of the language from my high school classes, but this course took it to a new level. It was a challenge at times, but I love a good challenge. Especially when it comes to learning something new. For this presentation, I had to make it all about me, but make it entirely in Spanish. At first, this sounded terrifying. Going through the motions of completing this assignment allowed me to grow much more than I thought it would. After completing it, I was so proud of myself. I was able to complete this assignment and get a good grade on it! It showed me that I can do something out of my comfort zone and enjoy it.
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My first goal was to “speak properly and fluently to the best of my abilities in the Spanish language”. Not only was this a large part of the assignment, it was also something that I wanted to be able to do. In order for me to complete this assignment and pronounce the words correctly, I practiced speaking Spanish all semester. I would look up how to pronounce the vocabulary words of the week and I would repeat them until it flowed smoothly. Participating in class also helped me build my skill up until this project. Obviously, honing in on being able to speak Spanish properly was a challenge. But it was one that I could face.
My second goal was to “be able to introduce myself while speaking Spanish”. This goal was important for me because being able to introduce myself in Spanish may be useful in the future. I could use it in my classes, future jobs, and out in the real world when someone might need help. Being able to introduce myself was the first step on a path that would allow me to be able to communicate fluently in Spanish. By learning how to introduce myself, I also learned the basic greetings and small talk to hold a conversation.
By tackling this goal, I learned so much more than the language. I learned a lot about myself. I use to shy away from speaking Spanish because I felt like I would not be good enough. After taking this course and getting feedback from my professor and peers throughout the process, I learned that it is a learning journey. I will not be perfect when I first start out. This was something that I needed, and I am forever grateful that this was a lesson that I learned! I will continue to pursue strengthening my Spanish speaking skill for many reasons. I plan on pursuing a career in the medical field, and it is vital that I am able to communicate in Spanish. I do not want to hinder my patient care by not being able to talk with them. I also want to be able to help people outside of work when they need it.
Intercultural Competence
The learner will demonstrate cultural awareness and objectivity through critical reflection.
I chose my Midterm Exam from HIS-132 to reflect on my intercultural competence. In this assignment, we had to tackle two topics. For this specific core skill, I will delve deeper into the first topic I wrote about. It is as follows: American History--and the history of the "Old West"--has often been presented as the story of white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant men. For a different view of America's frontier experience, discuss the role of two of the following groups in settling the West: Women, African-Americans, Native Americans, Chinese immigrants, Mexican-Americans. I took this class Spring Semester of 2020. Personally, I love history and the ins and outs of doing research to complete papers. It is one of my strong suits. Therefore, I was sort of eager and motivated to complete this assignment. Additionally, I loved how we had to look at America’s frontier experience in a different view than our own. I think doing this and completing the research helped strengthen my intercultural competence skills.
My first goal when completing this assignment was to “understand the different views and angles from different cultures and groups”. It is easy to see things from your point of view. Oftentimes, people tend to only utilize their point of view and neglect the other side. By doing this, you are preventing yourself from fully comprehending the subject. No matter what you are learning about, especially when it comes to history, there is always more than one side. There may even be multiple! By sticking to your point of view, you are more prone to accepting stereotypes and base-level beliefs. In this paper, I addressed this in my introduction. There have even been instances where I found myself applying stereotypes to a situation rather than analyzing it from the other side. This analysis and reflection helped me grasp the importance of doing this. Being able to learn the history of something by examining multiple views from different cultures is a privilege.
My second goal was, “to provide examples of historical figures to show how they combatted stereotypes”. This was an important goal of mine because it made it feel more personal to me. I was not only focusing on facts and events. I was focusing on specific people. This aspect may also help the reader understand the severity of the stereotypes, as well as how people can accomplish whatever they want to with a strong enough will power. Gathering information and conducting thorough research is a strong suit of mine. Being able to utilize this skill in this paper was vital to getting the point across.
Taking this class (along with previous history classes) told me a lot about myself. Most people turn their nose up when it comes to history because it can be seen as boring or ‘a lot of work’. It is a privilege to be able to learn about history at a level of such depth. By attending this class along with previous history classes, I was able to connect with my passion about history. However, I do think that this assignment can be improved. It was sort of smack dab in the middle of my academic career, so I think my writing skills could be tweaked a little bit. This was before taking any English classes at South Piedmont, so there is certainly room for growth. I will absolutely continue to pursue a deeper knowledge about history when I go to a four-year college.
Critical Thinking
The learner will identify, interpret, analyze, or synthesize problems before developing and implementing solutions in a manner effective and appropriate for the intended audience.
For the critical thinking core skill, I chose to reflect upon my Central Dogma and Genetic Medicine Lab from BIO-111. I took this class in the Fall semester of 2020. This was the first time I was experiencing Biology on a college level. At first, it terrified me. It sounded like a true challenge, but being able to communicate with my professors and peers made my learning experience so much better. I loved Biology class even if I struggled with the work at times. For this lab, I had to
discuss gene expression steps, genetic medicine and how they work to treat specific diseases, the key features of numerous diseases, and applying what I learned to propose a genetic medicine strategy I developed that treated patients with progeria. It was as it sounds; confusing. However, I was able to collaborate with my professor and fellow students to be able to understand everything. I chose to reflect on this because I feel that it effectively shows the process of analyzing problems to develop and implement solutions appropriate for the intended audience. In completing this assignment, I had to utilize critical thinking skills so I could solve problems and provide solutions.
My first goal was “to gain background knowledge about the role of genes in medicine and how DNA can be converted into a functional product”. I wanted to do this so I could complete the assignment as well as possible. As mentioned previously, this assignment had me scratching my head in the beginning. In order for me to be able to properly complete the assignment, I had to utilize a lot of class resources and notes provided through lectures. By doing this, I was able to learn and truly apply the critical thinking skill. I had to seriously think about what we learned, and I had to apply that to the assignment. It eventually clicked, and it was a breeze. I think that going through this experience taught me that it is okay to be stumped sometimes. However, it is not okay for you to do nothing about it! It was up to me to make sure that I completed this assignment as best as I could, and I had to apply my critical thinking skills to do so.
My second goal was “to learn and utilize proper terminology to communicate ideas with my audience”. Again, this was the first encounter of college level Biology I had ever had. It was the first encounter of Biology I had in my entire high school career to be frank. I decided to take BIO-111 and BIO-112 to use as a dual credit for high school biology. Coming into BIO-111 blind in a sense felt other-worldly. I had to learn a whole new vocabulary so that I was able to communicate effectively with my peers and audience. This in itself was a challenge, but it was one that I could face. This experience made me understand the importance of being able to connect on the same level as my peers were on. I had to use my critical thinking skills not only to learn the lingo and understand it, but also so I could use it correctly and effectively. I think that there could have been more in-depth responses for some questions in this assignment, but I believe this comes with age and experience. This assignment was a fairly early one, so I was new to the game. I am able to reflect on this artifact and see where I need to improve.
This course showed me that I can be thrown into new situations with little-to-none experience and perform well. I can thank my critical thinking skills and my peers. Even though it may seem as if a monster is coming to eat you since you do not know anything about what is going on, it is possible for you to defeat the monster. You need to be able to apply yourself and truly commit to the learning process and all it has in store for you. You need to be able to have discipline, patience, and be able to interpret information, utilize evidence, and transcend subject matter divisions. This course definitely strengthened my critical thinking skills. It forced me out of my comfort zone and forced me to be more open-minded. I did not understand the importance of being a critical thinker until taking this course, and I am grateful for it.
Information Literacy
The learner will locate, evaluate, identify, use and disseminate information ethically and responsibly.
For this core skill, I chose to reflect upon a research paper than I wrote in the Fall Semester of 2020. I conducted and gathered my research for my POL-120 class. For this assignment, I decided to research the impact of the No Child Left Behind Act. I chose to research this act because I have always felt a love towards children and sharing knowledge with
them. I was also intrigued by this act and all the inner workings of it. I had a small amount of prior knowledge, but nowhere near enough to conduct a research paper. That is why I chose to analyze the No Child Left Behind Act and the impact it has had a childhood education. This paper was one of the first research based papers I had encountered in my academic career. Nonetheless, it was very interesting to learn all about this act and the impacts, goals, relation to North Carolina, the pros and cons, and the ultimate end of it in 2015.
My first goal was “to utilize NC Live and scholarly databases to gather information to inform my readers about No Child Left Behind”. This was one of the first times I had to employ credible resources in a serious manner. I had always struggled with accessing the databases and doing in depth searches for the right sources. However, I did not want this to hinder my ability to perform well on this paper. I also felt as though taking the more strenuous and intricate path would allow me to learn more so I could properly educate my audience. It was worth it in the end. I was able to locate credible sources to do my research on and it made a world of a difference. It made me feel more connected academically to my topic. Since I already had a slight personal connection as mentioned earlier, it made writing the paper enjoyable for me.
My second goal was “to gather information that was ethical and informative to ensure credibility”. This was a goal of mine because I wanted to guarantee that all of the information I was using was ethical, credible, and appropriate for my research. I was able to understand the importance of using sources that were credible and ethical through this assignment. There was no need for me to use a source that was filled with personal beliefs and emotions. Since my main goal in this paper was to inform my readers about the act, using personal beliefs and feelings provides unnecessary information that does not educate the reader in the correct way. All of the sources I utilized were purely informative.
Being able to gather research and knowledge for this paper strengthened a lot of skills for me. I was able to learn how to properly locate, evaluate, and implement scholarly and ethical sources to share information about the topic. Having the ability to do this was necessary for this specific paper, but it is not the only instance I have had to execute this skill in my academic career. It became a vital skill to use in my English classes. After becoming more familiar and well versed with how to gather information in an ethical and responsible way, I began to apply the skill in every assignment I completed. It sort of became a second nature. This also taught me that using these scholarly databases and credible resources made conducting research more fun for me. I was able to see how information was articulated in academic and professional settings, and it pushed me forward in my academic career. It helped me recognize that I needed to be able to advance my skills so I could understand and share knowledge easily in the future.