PDP 150 Personal Reflective Essay

Cut and paste from your individual reflective essays passages that were especially important to you.Integrate (relate or draw connections between) what you learned in PDP 150 with what you learned in other courses and co-curricular and extra-curricular activities.Cover each dimension of PDPFor your synthesis make short (coming semesters) and long term (after BC) goals.Minimum length is 8 pages.

PDP Portfolio Requirements:Personal Reflective EssayPersonal Reflective Essay

Depth of Reflection: Depth of Reflection: ability to explain, explore, analyze and synthesize experiences in reflecting on personal development

Breadth of Reflection: Breadth of Reflection: ability to reflect on development in the four dimensions of PDP(intellect, wellness, character, citizenship).

IntegrationIntegration of experiences (200/300/400)Discussion of Life Goals Life Goals (300/ 400)ExpressionExpression

Personal Voice and Syntax Personal Voice and Syntax that is candid, authentic, and sincere.Organization and MechanicsOrganization and Mechanics that are clear and effective.

Service Learning and ReflectionService Learning and ReflectionSupporting ItemsSupporting Items: : at least four items on which you specifically reflect in your personal reflective essay.Resume and Cover Letter (300/ 400)Resume and Cover Letter (300/ 400)

Reflection

In the reflective essay, the student engages in genuine reflection, clearly reviewing his or her various thoughts, emotions, and experiences and drawing insightful and meaningful conclusions as to the significance of these experiences rather than merely cataloging or describing them. The student identifies, and then adequately illustrates, his or her changes in perception over time, placing these changes within the larger context of his or her life as a whole.

Depth of ReflectionDepth of ReflectionExploration: Exploration: Candid discussion of your preconceptions (beliefs, values, and goals) that have been challenged by your recent experiences.Explanation: Explanation: Discussion of specific curricular (class) , co-curricular (sports, clubs, etc.), and extra-curricular (your private life on and off-campus) experiences that have prompted personal development.Analysis: Analysis: Reexamine both your preconceptions and your experiences to draw conclusions about how your personal development has evolved. A good analysis will integrate a variety of experiences. Synthesis: Synthesis: Discuss the implications of your conclusions for your actions and goals in both the near (next semester) and long term (graduate school, careers, life).

Reflection vs. DescriptionStudents typically only describe their experiences in very general terms. This is the #1 problem with personal reflective essays. Step 1– ExplainExplain– Explain your experiences in as specific detail as possible. Use footnotes; refer to supporting items. It is impossible to be too detailed.Step 2– ExploreExplore– Reflect on how the experiences you describe challenged your prior beliefs, values, and/or goals.Step 3– AnalyzeAnalyze– Discuss your experiences in greater depth in order to get a handle on how your beliefs, values, and/or goals have/should change. Integrate! Step 4 – SynthesizeSynthesize– Draw some conclusions or implications from what you have learned. These implications are actionsactions , such as changing a belief, making plans to get more information (another class, an internship), or setting life goals (going to a certain graduate school program, study abroad).

Description: Don’tDon’t

Dr. Hayes’ Sociology 101 class was very important to me. She was hard, but I sure learned a lot. I didn’t think I would like sociology at first, but in the end I liked it a lot!

This is only simple and vague description!

Reflection: DoDoDr. Hayes’ Sociology 101 class was the most important course I took last semester. The discussion of social roles challenged my previous view that everything I do is a product of my own free will. I began to see how in everything I do I am actually performing a role set for me by social norms. For instance, I always took the way I dress as an expression of my true self. But now I began to see myself as just conforming unthoughtfully to stylistic conventions. The readings on ‘dramatury’ by Geertz, especially made me see parallels between New Guinean dress and college student dress. Both express status and class roles. To explore this further I have decided to take cultural anthropology next fall. I think this work may help me to be a better diplomat, my current career goal.

Synthesis:Discussion of Life Goals

The student provides a clear and thorough summary of planning for life after graduation and identifies both short and long term life goals for achieving his/her objectives. In addition to simply cataloguing these goals, the student clearly articulates the relationship between his/her interests, values, skills, and future personal and vocational choices. If the student is uncertain about life goals, he/she offers some possibilities, thoroughly explores each one, and examines the pros and cons of each.

Synthesis =Now What?

Discussion of Life GoalsDiscussion of life goals should be integral to the reflections that take place throughout your personal reflective essay. That’s what you do when you synthesizesynthesize or answer the question now what? now what? as you reflect upon your experiences.You may create a distinct Synthesis/Life Goals section in your essay in which you summarize, integrate, and discuss the implications of your various reflections for your short term (next semester), medium term (next year), or long term (5-10 years from now) goals.

Breadth of Reflection: Cover all 4 Dimensions of PDP

Intellectual Growth and Discovery. In addition to meeting the minimum academic standards specified in the catalog, Bridgewater students develop the skills and perspectives to be passionate lifelong learners who can integrate their varied academic experiences in a meaningful way.

Emotional Maturation and Physical Health. Bridgewater students understand the importance of emotional and physical well-being, and possess the skills to pursue wellness during their college years and throughout the rest of their lives.

Ethical and Spiritual Growth. The curricular and co-curricular experiences at Bridgewater require students to examine and act upon fundamental ethical choices, and to define, refine, and pursue their personal spiritual paths.

Citizenship and Community Responsibility. At Bridgewater, students become more aware, involved, and effective citizens of the communities-campus, local, national, global-to which they belong. Responsible citizenship at Bridgewater implies the ability and willingness to provide leadership and other forms of service to the community.

Integration

The student is able to effectively demonstrate the ways in which he/she has achieved an integrated college experience. Utilizing a detailed discussion, the essay provides clear examples of the intellectual connections (relationships or associations which exist between ideas, concepts, etc.) the student has made between specific general education, major and elective courses. Connections should demonstrate insight and critical thought. The relevance and significance of these connections should be explored in detail.

Integration= draw connections between experiencesAs you analyze your experiences use a related experience as evidenceevidence to help you make sense of what you learned.Integrate:

Two or three different courses.A co-curricular experience with a curricular one.Service learning with curricular or co-curricular.Job or social experience with any of the above.Two different dimensions of PDP. (For instance, your intellectual development may have been important to your spiritual/ ethical development.)

Integration: DoWhen I took Introduction to Political Philosophy as a Freshman, I was intrigued with Aristotle’s notion of telos. He said that all beings naturally develop towards their highest expression. In the case of human beings, Aristotle thought this telos was self sufficiency. I was able to develop this concept further in my Christian Social Ethics class with Abshire this spring. I found that some notion such as Aristotle’s is necessary to give meaning to Christian notions of natural rights. These should be rights to human development towards self-sufficiency rather than just unconstrained freedom. This idea was confirmed for me during my service learning, for I acted ethically towards the students I tutored when I helped foster their development through discipline and high expectations rather than letting them do what they wanted which was be left alone. The experience really reinforced my sense of why I wanted to be a teacher: to help my students be free by fostering their development.

Personal Voice

The student’s voice—that is, the student’s tone, speech patterns, linguistic rhythms, and so forth--clearly demonstrates a unique, individual student performance. The voice seems candid, authentic, and sincere. The student avoids clichés and generic expressions, and presents himself or herself with a creative and unique sense of rhetorical style.

Personal Voice

DOMake your writing personal. Think of it as creative writing. Be interesting.It’s ok to use ‘I’.

Do NotUse an overly formal academic style.Use clichés or write pabulum.Be cute, glib or unprofessional.

Syntax

Appropriate punctuation, grammar, and spelling.

Suitable word choices and vocabulary.

Writing with smooth and logical flow.

Organization and Mechanics

The student is able to narrate his or her personal development in a coherent and organized essay. The essay may or may not have an explicit thesis, but each paragraph and section within it addresses or relates to how the student has changed, grown, or developed as a result of his or her college experiences. The essay does not merely catalog selected experiences but discusses each example in concrete terms that explain how it has furthered the student’s growth. The essay also demonstrates that the student clearly understands the four dimensions and recognizes how they come together to form the whole person.

Organization and Mechanics

Separate sections for the 4 dimensions is the easiest and most obvious way to organize your essay.

Don’t be afraid to integrate your discussion across dimensions, but don’t repeat yourself.

You don’t have to use the 4 dimensions to organize your essay, but you must include all of them somehow.

Service Learning Hours and Reflection

Forty hours for graduating seniors, ten hours each year for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. Reflection clearly addresses what happened at the agency served (the what), the meaning of the experience for the student (the so what), and the effects of the experience on the student’s life goals (the now what). For guidelines on appropriate types of service, and for suggestions on service learning reflection, see the PDP service learning link:http://www.bridgewater.edu/departments/pdp/pdp_service.html

Service Learning Reflection: DO NOT

Most students only describedescribe their service learning and then say how it made them feelfeel.

Example: I worked very hard at the soup kitchen, but it made me feel good to help.

The point of service learning is not for you to feel good. It is so you reflect on your responsibilities as a citizen and your responsibility to make ethical choices and develop ethical values.

Service Learning Reflection:DOInclude your service learning reflection in one of the sections of your personal reflective essay. Think about the dimensions for which service learning is especially relevant (citizenship and character).Engage in the reflective process

ExplainExplain what you did (the What?)ExploreExplore (the So What? Compare to your old views. How does your experience relate to your views about citizenship and ethical values?)AnalyzeAnalyze (more So what? Come up with new views, especially about community responsibility and ethical/ spiritual values.)SynthesizeSynthesize (Now what? Make plans or goals related to your service learning experience).

Supporting Items

The portfolio includes meaningful supporting materials that support, illustrate, or otherwise illuminate or document selected examples discussed in the student’s essay. In general, a supporting item is a representative artifact of something the student has done. This might include a paper the student has written, the citation of something the student has read, or a photograph or other image documenting something the student has done or witnessed. The definition and the examples are purposely general and not intended to be limiting, for what is important is not the item itself but its relation to and importance for the student’s development. The key principle is that an item of supporting material is made meaningful by the student’s discussion of its importance in the context of his or her personal growth and development.

Supporting Items

In the past:In the past: The supporting materials requirement encouraged students to make scrapbooks of all kinds of materials, from term papers to t-shirts.NowNow: Do not include items unless they are discussed in your personal reflective essay. Think of items as evidence to be analyzed as part of the reflective process. Reflection about the items is way more important than the items themselves.Quality reflection is way more important than making a pretty scrapbook!

Supporting ItemsWhat and How Much?

At least 4 items. Each must be specifically reflected upon or discussed in the personal reflective essay. If you don’t discuss it it doesn’t count.Include items that are evidence of your personal development and that would give a reader added insight. A paper, for example, does this. A picture of you with your friends, a baseball, or a ticket stub doesn’t.Your supporting items don’t necessarily have to be something placed in the portfolio, especially if the item is not easily stored on the P: drive. Just make sure you clearly identify items in your essay, perhaps with a footnote.You should include some of your academic work: papers, projects, exams, lab reports etc.Include co-curricular and extra-curricular items as well.

Resume and Cover LetterThe resume is an effective and concise summary of the student’s academic, employment, and extracurricular qualifications. The student uses ‘action words’ to highlight specific skills, competencies and achievements. Likewise, the cover letter is a well-crafted summary of the student’s background and is customized for a specific and appropriate audience (e.g. internships, summer jobs, volunteer work, graduate school, or post-graduate opportunities). The cover letter demonstrates use of the skills and experiences discussed in the student’s reflective essay. Attention is given to visual presentation, layout, and omission of mechanical errors in both documents. Both the resume and the cover letter could be sent to potential employers and graduate schools as is.

Resume and Cover LetterCheck out resume formats at the BC Career Services website: http://www.bridgewater.edu/departments/career/jsi.htmlMicrosoft Word provides resume formats, including an automated ‘Resume Wizard’. Pull down ‘File’ from top menu, select ‘New’, and then select the ‘other Documents’ tab.Tailor your cover letter to a real or possible audience, someone you actually might send your resume to to be considered for a position.

Evaluation of your Portfolio: PDP 100

Evaluation of Reflective Essay: Depth of Reflection=60%,

Breadth of Reflection (4 dimensions)=20%

Expression: Personal Voice/ Organization and Mechanics = 10%

Service hours =10% (1% per hour)

Minimum Satisfactory grade is 75%

Save your portfolio by your username on the P: drive.

Evaluation of your Portfolio: PDP 200

Evaluation of Reflective Essay: Depth of Reflection=50%, Breadth of Reflection (4 dimensions)=10%Integration of Experience = 20%Expression: Personal Voice/ Organization and Mechanics = 10%Service hours =10% (1% per hour)

Minimum Satisfactory grade is 75%Save your portfolio by your username on the P: drive.

Evaluation of your Portfolio: PDP 300

Evaluation of Reflective Essay: Depth of Reflection=30%, Breadth of Reflection (4 dimensions)=10%Integration of Experience = 10%Discussion of Life Goals = 20%Expression: Personal Voice/ Organization and Mechanics = 10%Service hours =10% (1% per hour)Resume and Cover Letter = 10%

Minimum Satisfactory grade is 75%Save your portfolio by your username on the P: drive.