Summarize the pertinent historical, political, social, economic and cultural factors related to your chosen aspect of diversity.

/in /by

Outline and Annotated Bibliography for Research Paper

This week you will prepare a four-to-six page outline and annotated bibliography for your Research Paper. To help with the preparation of your Week Five Research Paper complete the following and submit to your instructor for feedback:

  • Outline: Develop an outline that identifies the thesis or central argument, along with any main topics and support to be included in your final paper (identified below).
  • Annotated Bibliography: Summarize at least four scholarly sources, in addition to the text, that you plan on using to support your argument.
  • APA Formatting: Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Focus of the Research Paper
For your Research Paper you will select one aspect of cultural diversity from the following list that you would like to study:
*(For improved memory and increased awareness, remember the mnemonic, GARREACS.)

  • Gender
  • Age
  • Race
  • Religion
  • Ethnicity
  • Ability
  • Class
  • Sexual Orientation

Once you have chosen one aspect of cultural diversity to study in depth, prepare a Research Paper with the following components:

  • Summarize the pertinent historical, political, social, economic and cultural factors related to your chosen aspect of diversity.
  • Consider and summarize any relevant developmental theory models related to your chosen aspect of diversity.
  • In regard to your chosen aspect of diversity, identify the relevant laws or programs that have either helped or restricted access to care and support.
  • Evaluate how your chosen aspect of diversity, in combination with two other aspects of diversity, can lead to increased needs or issues. For example, if someone is female, African American, and lesbian, will there be additional challenges? Select any combination of three aspects of diversity to discuss.
  • Describe at least two resources currently available in your area for someone needing special services related to your chosen aspect of diversity.
  • Explain how your personal characteristics will either complement or conflict with this diversity issue. Consider your own biases and prejudices or those of your family of origin.
  • Discuss relevant concerns, cautions or insights necessary for you to be a culturally competent human service professional

Explain the professional development goals you will set for yourself as a teacher and how you plan to remain a lifelong learner.

/in /by

Prior to beginning work on this assignment, read Chapters 2, 3 and 6 in Introduction to education: Choosing to teach, by Krogh. The readings in all three chapters will support your answers to the sections in this paper on views on teaching and learning, educational experience, goals for students and professional growth plans.

In your paper,

  • Examine how a teacher comes to develop his/her own personal teaching philosophy.
  • Compare which philosophy/philosophies align with your personal philosophy of teaching and learning.
  • Explain goals you will set for your students and how they will be achieved.
  • Develop a professional growth plan which will help you to remain innovative and effective throughout your career.

You have two options in completing this task: You pick

  1. Write a 2 to 3-page paper (not including the title page or reference page).
  2. Develop a 10- to 12-slide PowerPoint presentation (not including the title slide or reference slide).

If choosing options b or c, it is strongly encouraged that you provide audio support.  Consider using the resource Presentation Tips (Links to an external site.) located in the Ashford Writing Center.

Cite a minimum of one scholarly source in addition to your textbook, and consider using the resource Introduction to APA (Links to an external site.) in the Ashford Writing Center to support your formatting.  Be sure that your assignment includes the following elements:

  • Introductory Paragraph: Begin with an attention getter – a powerful statement, an intriguing question, or a general overview of how a teacher might form his/her philosophy. Consider developing your introduction using the Introductions and Conclusions (Links to an external site.) resource in the Ashford Writing Center.  Develop your thesis using the Thesis Generator (Links to an external site.)resource in the Ashford Writing Center. Your thesis will convey your personal teaching philosophy is and how it will positively impact student learning.
  • Body Paragraphs: (Fully develop four paragraphs containing five to seven sentences each)
  • Views on Teaching and Learning: Examine Chapter 2 of your text and determine which educational philosophy or philosophies are most aligned with your views of teaching and learning (i.e., progressivism, perennialism, essentialism, social reconstructionism, existentialism). Describe your views on teaching and learning and provide evidence from the text to support your assertions. In addition to the text, include a minimum of one additional scholarly source.
  • Educational Experience: Provide examples from your own educational experience that have influenced your teaching philosophy. How do these examples reflect or contradict your views of teaching and learning?
  • Goals for Students: Explain three to five goals you will set, what you will expect from your students, and how you will achieve these goals. Discuss what you want students to learn as a result of your teaching (i.e. problem solving, critical thinking, content knowledge, etc.). Examine Chapter 3 of your text and determine which learning theories (i.e., behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism, multiple intelligences) will help you to meet the diverse needs of your students. Support your views with text-based evidence.
  • Professional Growth Plan: Explain the professional development goals you will set for yourself as a teacher and how you plan to remain a lifelong learner. How will you continue to learn new trends and strategies which help you to remain innovative in the classroom? Discuss ways in which lifelong learning relates to qualities of an effective teacher.
  • Conclusion Paragraph: Return to your most important points from your paper and how they have combined to form your Personal Teaching Philosophy. Emphasize your thesis statement again and bring your paper to a powerful close by leaving the reader with more to ponder or consider. Do not simply restate the Introductory Paragraph here. The conclusion should reframe your thoughts in a different way.

Please visit your Ashford Writing Center for more guidance on writing powerful Introductions and Conclusions (Links to an external site.). For help in planning and organizing your assignment, please use this link: Week 2 Assignment TemplatePreview the document.

Create a 10-12 slide digital presentation for your social studies colleagues that promotes different technologies to be used in the classroom

/in /by

Teachers must be able to help students make meaningful connections to social studies content. Using resources such as media and technology benefits students by engaging them in making those connections. The purpose of this assignment is to analyze potential engaging technology resources that integrate real-life application in the social studies classroom.

Create a 10-12 slide digital presentation for your social studies colleagues that promotes different technologies to be used in the classroom. For your presentation select an elementary grade level(K-5th grade) and geography standard of your choice. Then locate three different technology resources that could be used to teach your selected standard.

Your presentation should explain:

  • How the technology resource works.
  • Whether students work individually or collaboratively.
  • How the technology resource could be used to support scaffolding of the geography standard you chose. Provide specific examples.
  • Why the resource is helpful and engages students.
  • How the resource promotes real-world application.

Be sure to include a title slide, reference slide, and presenter’s notes.

While APA format is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and in-text citations and references should be presented using APA documentation guidelines, which can be found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

What does life balance mean to you? Are you living a balanced life?

/in /by

For the first paragraph of your initial post select one of the three scenarios below. Describe in detail how you would use your knowledge of emotional intelligence to effectively reach a positive outcome for all parties concerned.

  1. One of your direct subordinates comes to you visibly shaken and tells you that a male coworker yelled at her and threatened to hit her because she did not have a report completed on time. She states that the male coworker has been stressed recently and he has been verbally abusive to several other employees.
  2. Your boss, the department manager, is widely disliked by his staff because of his abrupt and insensitive management style. He barks directives without explanation, reasoning, or guidance, causing his employees to feel fearful, underappreciated, and disrespected. Since you work closely with him, your colleagues have approached you and asked you to communicate their concerns to him.
  3. The vice president of your division calls you into her office to give you the great news; you have been promoted to a senior management post overseeing a new staff of 125 people. While this is a dream come true for you, you are also feeling anxious, fearful, and insecure. The vice president notices your emotions.

For the second paragraph of your post, select any one of the following bullet points and address all elements of your chosen bullet point. Select a different bullet point section than what your classmates have already posted so that we can engage several discussions on relevant topics. If all of the bullet points have been addressed, then you may begin to re-use the bullet points with the expectation that varied responses continue.

  • As organizations continue to adopt team-based work environments, team leaders find themselves in somewhat counter intuitive roles, expected to lead and also foster collaboration and equal participation among team members.
    Describe either the best or worst team experience you have had. What were the characteristics and mood of the team? What were the team’s strengths and weaknesses? Did the team leader guide, motivate, and support the efforts of the group? If so, how did the team leader demonstrate these efforts? How would you have led the team differently?
  • Mapes (2000) stated “The majority of ‘leaders’ remain blind to the reason why their people resist change. It’s FEAR. Everyone is frightened of making a mistake . . . their fear makes them tense, worried about upsetting the status quo, incurring the wrath of senior management, and pressured into playing it safe” (p. 9). “Before leaders can tackle the textbook elements of leadership, they must learn to break through fear-based thinking and recognize that the role of leadership is about continuous learning, relationships and constant self-renewal” (p. 9). 
    What comparisons can you make regarding fearless leadership and emotional intelligence? How does the author’s description of fearless leadership mimic the definition of resonant leadership? Mapes, J. (2000). Fearless Leadership. Executive Excellence, 17(12).
  • Life balance has become a popular theme in recent culture. Today, boundaries between work and personal life have become blurred. What used to be a normal 40-hour work-week has, in many cases, expanded to more than 50 hours, leaving workers feeling stressed, overworked, and out of balance. 
    Perhaps you have children, aging parents, or other personal or family issues that require a significant amount of your time and attention. How do these factors affect your life, productivity, and attitude toward work? What does life balance mean to you? Are you living a balanced life? Why or why not? How does living a balanced life affect the role of a leader? How can the leader create balance within an organization? What can you do to enhance the balance in your own life?
  • Practicing leadership with emotional intelligence can create positive, sustainable relationships and lay the foundation for long-term success.
    Propose your continuing action plan for learning to lead with emotional intelligence. What key emotional intelligence quotient (EQ) factors will you focus on for your personal and professional development? What improvements have you noticed in your own performance and professional relationships since the beginning of this course? Have you received any feedback from your supervisors or peers? How did this feedback affect you? As you reflect on your journey in this course, cite examples wherever possible. Defend your perspectives.

The final paragraph (three or four sentences) of your initial post should summarize the one or two key points that you are making in your initial response.

Justify your answers using examples and reasoning. Comment on the postings of at least two peers.

Your posting should be the equivalent of 1 to 2 single-spaced pages (500-1000 words) in length.

Katzenbach, J.R., & Khan, Z. (2010). Leading outside the lines: How to mobilize the informal organization, energize your team, and get better results.  San Francisco, CA: Jossey- Bass: 9780470589021