Reflective Journal: Strengths-Based Reflection

Overview

In this journal, you will reflect on your perceived strengths that relate to your portfolio theme.

Requirements

In 1–2 pages (excluding attached artifacts), complete the following:

  • Identify and describe at least three main strengths in relation to the theme of your portfolio.
  • Analyze how you have developed these strengths throughout your coursework in the M.Ed. program and through your work experience. Support your discussion by identifying and discussing one piece of evidence or artifact from previous coursework that illustrates each strength.
  • Attach one to three pieces of evidence or artifacts from your work environment to demonstrate ongoing personal and professional development with respect to the strengths you identified. Identify the ID and title (for example: EDU599 – Education Capstone) of the courses for which you had produced the assignments.
  • If you do not have any workplace artifacts, reflect upon ways to amplify your strengths in order to better meet the needs of your current or prospective work team or organization. (This will become your artifact submission.)
 

Skills Analysis with Media Component

Overview

This assignment consists of two sections: a skill analysis paper and a media presentation. You must submit both sections as separate files for the completion of this assignment. Label each file name according to the section of the assignment it is written for.

Section 1: Media Presentation
  • Create a 15-minute media or multimedia presentation in which you:
    • Display the ways in which you have applied or planned to apply what you learned in the M.Ed. program (regarding the skill, lesson, or accomplishment that you identified) within your current or prospective work environment.
    • Include any of the following forms of media, but you are not limited to these: audio files, videos, PowerPoint presentations with animation, Prezi presentations, or pictures of classroom activities or projects.

Note: When incorporating information from the workplace, be sure to remove all identifying information such as the name of the organization, the names of individual affiliates, and sensitive or proprietary information. Check with your supervisor before you share information from your workplace.

Section 2: Skill Analysis Paper
  • Write a commentary of your media presentation. Analyze the development of your teaching, coaching, training, or leadership skills throughout your M.Ed. program coursework. Focus upon a specific skill, lesson, or accomplishment related to both your portfolio theme and your work environment.
  • Use the Internet or the Library to research strategies for enhancing your effectiveness in applying your knowledge to your teaching, coaching, training, or leadership.
  • Write a 3–4 page paper in which you:
    • Indicate your portfolio theme, and explain the key specific skill, lesson, or accomplishment upon which you are focusing. Describe your current or prospective work environment in order to establish a context for your analysis.
    • Analyze key aspects of your coursework that contributed to the development of the specific skill, lesson, or accomplishment upon which you are focusing. Provide one to three pieces of evidence, artifacts, or examples that demonstrate your knowledge and growth with respect to the skill, lesson, or accomplishment in question.
    • Analyze the manner in which your media presentation illustrates the previous or future application of your knowledge to your teaching, coaching, training, or leadership efforts. Provide a rationale for your analysis. Include a brief discussion of the ways in which your media presentation demonstrates application of at least one pertinent learning theory that you studied during your M.Ed. program coursework.
    • Specify at least two research-based techniques, ideas, or recommendations that you plan to employ in the future to enhance your effectiveness as a teacher, coach, trainer, or leader.

Note: The papers, artifacts, or examples that you provided are not included in the required page length but must be attached within an appendix. If you do not have an artifact, attach the description or descriptions of your chosen previous assignment or assignments.