Final Reflection: submit it on Blackboard by 11:59pm on Thursday, May 19th.
Activity 1: Complete the course evaluations.
The course evaluation is important to me as it includes your feedback about the class. Please complete it by May 17th.. You should have received an email from BMCC asking you to “complete the course evaluation survey.” If you have not, let me know.
Activity 2: What does it mean to reflect?
What might be some benefits of writing a reflection–about your life, about the semester, about this course?
Activity 3: The value of self-reflection.
Here is a TEDxTalk about the value of self-reflection. Do you agree?
Activity 4: Your final reflection.
Review the final reflection assignment and begin working on your draft.
The final reflection assignment asks you to revisit your own relationship with literacy as you examine your own literacy practices, identity, community and/ or hegemonic power, as well as your own learning in the course.
Final Reflection Basics:
Length: 4 pages, 12 font Times New Roman, double-spaced
Value: 10% of your final grade
Submit: on Blackboard, as a Microsoft Word document (no google docs please–if I cannot access your work, I will give you a 50)
I cannot accept any late reflections as I will be working on final grades on May 19/20th. Plus, the semester is over!
Final Reflection Steps:
Step 1: Revisit your literacy narrative.
Step 2: Revise your literacy narrative and discuss your relationship with literacy by addressing key concepts from this class: identity, community, access to power, access to education. (Yes, you can and should absolutely recycle your literacy narrative, or parts of it, and the challenge is to revise it so it touches upon class concepts, and to turn it into a coherent essay that also includes the elements listed below.)
Step 3: Select 3-5 assignments that you feel were especially helpful in developing your knowledge about literacy in the American society, as well as in developing your own sense of literacy. Examples: one of your Discussion Board posts, research essay, peer review, presentation, etc.
Step 4: Describe each of those assignments by answering the questions:
- What did you have to do and how did you complete the assignment?
- Did you face any challenges?
- What did you learn from the assignment?
- How can you apply what you learned to your life outside of this class?
Step 5: Revise, revise, revise.
Step 6: Write your conclusion. Again, restate how you now view your own literacy practices in the context of literacy practices in the US (covered in this class) as well as in the context of your own identity, community, access to power and access to education.
Remember, this is an essay, not just a list. This is your opportunity to show your growth as a scholar of literacy. Since this is not a course evaluation (there is another opportunity for that) you should not discuss me or the class. You are the subject of this essay; your goal is to demonstrate your growth and achievements in this class, as well as your takeaways. Be specific, provide examples—this is your evidence here.
Activity 5: Attend our class get together on… (see this week’s announcement).
This will be a chance to say goodbye, discuss the final reflection assignment, bond with your classmates, and celebrate the end of the semester. Please use the same Zoom link as my office hours.
Activity 6: Submit your final reflection by 11:59pm on Thursday, May 19th.
You are done!
Congratulations!
Thank you for your contributions to the class.
