SelfAssessBersani

Roberta Bersani
May 2012


I. "MY SYNTHESIS PRODUCT SHOWS THAT..."

A. I can convey to whom I want to influence/affect concerning what (Subject, Audience, Purpose).

1. Something that reflects what I have achieved well related to this goal.
When I started this process two years ago, I felt a little scattered because I was not sure where to start. I knew what I wanted my project to be, but I was not sure how to explain it to others. I always understood who my audience was. Going through the steps of Action Research helped me organize my thoughts. Now that I have written my Synthesis, it is clear that I know how to explain academic coaching. My Reader has conveyed to me that my writing was clear and flowed nicely.

2. Something I have struggled with/ need more help on/ want to work further on.
Executive Functioning Skills was a subject that was more complicated than I had imagined. My Reader pointed out to me that I needed more information on metacognitive skills and how they work. This is what executive functioning is about. I knew I was helping students with their needs but I did not understand why some of my methods worked. Delving deeper into metacognitive behavior helped me understand the reasoning. Cognitive science is a difficult subject that I would like to know more about.


B. I know what others have done before, either in the form of writing or action, that informs and connects with my project, and I know what others are doing now.

1. Something that reflects what I have achieved well related to this goal.
My research led me to a few very informative books and articles. I also interviewed a Tutor who had started her own business and a teacher who had recently graduated. Their knowledge and experience proved to be an important part of my journey. Working on a part-time basis at an educational agency on weekends has given me vital experience with elementary school children.

2. Something I have struggled with/need more help on/want to work further on.
a. The woman I work for at the educational agency had invited me to go to watch her teach a science class. I should have cleared my schedule to do that. It might have helped to see how she interacted with her students. Organizing my personal time has been a challenge for me.
b. I really did not want to write so much about what others were doing but on the other hand, people need to know what has been going on as far as research into executive functioning.


C. I have teased out my vision to expand my view of issues associated with the project, exposed possible new directions, clarified direction/scope within the larger set of issues, and decided the most important direction.

1. Something that reflects what I have achieved well related to this goal.
Using the KAQF, I was able to pinpoint what my subject was for my project. This chart helped me see that I was actually concerned with more than one area in the educational system. I chose one area that I was interested in and focused on that.

2. Something I have struggled with/ need more help on/ want to work further on.
I would like to know more about executive functioning skills. I think this would require more knowledge in psychology.

D. I have identified the premises and propositions that my project depends on, and can state counter-propositions. I have taken stock of the thinking and research I need to do to counter those counter-propositions or to revise my own propositions.

1. Something that reflects what I have achieved well related to this goal.
I have identified some of the important executive functioning skills needed for academic coaching. This helps with describing the differences between academic coaching and tutoring.

2. Something I have struggled with/ need more help on/ want to work further on.
I would like to learn more about the cognitive and metacognitive psychology that explains how and why executive functions are important to students.

E. I have clear objectives with respect to product, both written and practice, and process, including personal development as a reflective practitioner. I have arranged my work in a sequence (with realistic deadlines) to realize these objectives.

1. Something that reflects what I have achieved well related to this goal.
I am able to set aside time in my personal life to take care of my academic goals. At first, it was difficult placing my own needs above what my family wanted.

2. Something I have struggled with/ need more help on/ want to work further on.
When completing an assignment it seems that I have a tendency to leave some of the requirements out. I then need to do revisions, which holds up work that needs to be completed on other assignments.

F. I have gained direct information, models, and experience not readily available from other sources.

1. Something that reflects what I have achieved well related to this goal.
I have spoken to teachers and tutors who gave me valuable insight into the educational system. From them I learned the obstacles one faces when becoming a teacher. Working on a part-time basis for an educational agency gives me experience needed in dealing with different types of students.

2. Something I have struggled with/ need more help on/ want to work further on.
I would like to learn how to better deal with behavior issues some children present. Some of them are well behaved, while others have behavior issues that are beyond what I have had to deal with.

G. I have clarified the overall progression or argument underlying my research and the written reports.

1. Something that reflects what I have achieved well related to this goal.
My written reports come together gradually. I have learned that I have to read what the assignment is asking for and make an outline. This helps me stay connected to the project. While writing a paper I will go back to read about what the requirements of the assignment is again.

2. Something I have struggled with/ need more help on/ want to work further on.
I often leave information out that I need to go back to revise. I have to remember to create an outline first.






H. My writing and other products grab the attention of the readers/audience, Orient them, move them along in Steps, so they appreciate the Position I've led them to.

1. Something that reflects what I have achieved well related to this goal.
Writing my synthesis has helped me to clarify what academic coaching is and why it is important. I have researched the metacognitive aspects that explain what executive functioning skills are and why they are important in education.

2. Something I have struggled with/ need more help on/ want to work further on.
Although I have touched upon metacognitive functioning, I feel that there is much more I need to know to a more effective academic coach.


I. I have facilitated new avenues of classroom, workplace, and public participation.

1. Something that reflects what I have achieved well related to this goal.
I think I have made others more aware of what executive functioning skills are and why they are important. I have also cleared up any misconceptions about academic coaching by explaining why it is different from tutoring and mentoring.

2. Something I have struggled with/ need more help on/ want to work further on.
I have struggled with explaining to others why I want to do this only on a part-time basis for now. When you earn a Master’s Degree it is somewhat expected that you are somehow going to drastically change your life and when that does not happen, people think you wasted your time going to school. That is simply not the case.

J. To feed into my future learning and other work, I have taken stock of what has been working well and what needs changing.

1. Something that reflects what I have achieved well related to this goal.
This whole process has worked well for me. It seems like everything just fell into place. Shortly after I started attending U-Mass/Boston, I was lucky enough to meet the woman who owns the educational agency where I work part-time. She was able to mentor me through some of my courses and has been a major help to me.

2. Something I have struggled with/ need more help on/ want to work further on.
I have to remember that I am doing this for myself. Throughout my life from the time I was very young, I put the needs of others before my own. In the past, I had given up on any dream I had about going back to school because it was inconvenient for others. I have had to make some tough choices and will continue to do so.
II. DEVELOPING AS A REFLECTIVE PRACTITIONER, INCLUDING TAKING INITIATIVE IN AND THROUGH RELATIONSHIPS

1. I have integrated knowledge and perspectives from CCT and other courses into my own inquiry and engagement in social and/or educational change.

Through the Dialogue course and Philosophy, among other courses, I think I have learned to be a better listener in school, at work and at home. I am also able to accept the views of others even if I do not agree with what they are saying. Thinking about my own thinking has changed me.

2. I have also integrated into my own inquiry and engagement the processes, experiences, and struggles of previous courses.

I am much more interested in scientific processes like recycling, stem cell research, and agriculture. I think I pay more attention to these things by recycling and gardening. I pay more attention to what I am eating and where I am buying my food. I try to be more organic but the cost sometimes holds me back. I also pay more attention to advocacy issues.

3. I have developed efficient ways to organize my time, research materials, computer access, bibliographies, etc.

I have kept my course materials in separate folders. For example, for the Scientific & Political Change course we had four separate cases to work on with a presentation and a report due for each. I kept one folder for each case. This is how I was able to keep things readily available. I have always organized my computer files and bibliographies in folders in my computer and on a disc. Organizing time can be tricky but I have found if I work on assignments a little bit at a time, it is not so overwhelming.

4. I have experimented with new tools and experiences, even if not every one of them became part of my toolkit as a learner, teacher/facilitator of others, and reflective practitioner.

I have always liked trying new things. The free writing was an interesting process. I would start out by writing about absolutely nothing and it would evolve into writing about something. I also liked the KAQF chart. I found that extremely helpful when trying to narrow down a topic.

5. I have paid attention to the emotional dimensions of undertaking my own project but have found ways to clear away distractions from other sources (present & past) and not get blocked, turning apparent obstacles into opportunities to move into unfamiliar or uncomfortable territory.

I have learned to put my education first. When I was blocked, I walked away. That was probably one of the hardest lessons to learn. I found that ideas would come to me when I was not thinking about what I was going to do for my assignment. Sometimes you just have to put the pencil down and close that computer screen. The difficult part for me now is receiving negative feedback and trying to get beyond that. I always had a tendency to walk away from it forever thinking I was not any good at this anyways.


6. I have developed peer and other horizontal relationships. I have sought support and advice from peers, and have given support and advice to them when asked for.

I have met many students and teachers I respect. Students are all in the same boat. We are working towards a goal. It was interesting to meet so many different kinds of people. Critical & Creative Thinking is a unique program because students are there from diverse backgrounds. Some are teachers or want to be teachers. Some are painters, sculptors or musicians.

7. I have taken the lead, not dragged my feet, in dialogue with my advisor and other readers. I didn't wait for the them to tell me how to solve an expository problem, what must be read and covered in a literature review, or what was meant by some comment I didn't understand. I didn't put off giving my writing to my advisor and other readers or avoid talking to them because I thought that they didn't see things the same way as I do.

When I did the first draft of my Synthesis I sent it to my instructor and my reader as soon as possible for comments. I incorporated what I could considering the time allotted. It was returned for more revisions. I am doing my best to find the information needed to make this a passable paper for graduation.





8. I have revised seriously, which involved responding to the comments of others. I came to see this not as bowing down to the views of others, but taking them in and working them into my own reflective inquiry until I could convey more powerfully to others what I'm about (which may have changed as a result of the reflective inquiry).

I have always considered the comments of others and try to see what they are conveying. I try to look at this as constructive criticism. I may not incorporate everything they have offered, but I try to use some of the suggestions. I respect what they have to say.


9. I have inquired and negotiated about formal standards, but gone on to develop and internalize my own criteria for doing work—criteria other than jumping through hoops set by the professor so I get a good grade.

I have developed my own criteria for my papers while trying to include all of the requirements. I do not always take all suggestions for revising my papers. That is because I feel that I know what is needed for my project. However, I may have misinterpreted some things, so I try to keep an open mind.

10. I have approached the CCT synthesis course and the CCT program as works-in-progress, which means that, instead of harboring criticisms to submit after the fact, I have found opportunities to affirm what is working well and to suggest directions for further development.

My CCT Synthesis is definitely a work-in-progress. I plan to continue with my work. I joined the CCT Program because I thought it was unique and innovative. I did not see a program like this in other universities.