SelfAssessGuenin

Steve Guenin, 2015

I. "My Synthesis Product Shows That..."

A. I can convey who I want to influence/affect concerning what (Subject, Audience, Purpose).
a. My synthesis project not only gives a glimpse in to my rationale for putting together Creative Problem Solving. It also satisfies the first need when proposing a new course. My project is put together in a fashion can be presented to my administrator who is in charge of making the course available to students.
b. I struggle with presenting the resources I will use in the course. There are some required resources, but I want students to find most of the resources on their own. This is a tough idea to convince people of.

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.
a. Throughout my project I have connected my ideas with best practices and have researched what experts in the education field are saying about the importance of creativity.
b. Creativity in education is dynamic. Keeping up with current trends can be difficult, but exciting.

C. I have teased out my vision, so as to expand my view of issues associated with the project, expose possible new directions, clarify direction/scope within the larger set of issues, and decide the most important direction.
a. I have considered many options when putting together my course sequence. My experiences and knowing what works for me in the classroom determined the topics included in CPS.
b. The way CPS is designed now does not match up with Indiana Department of Education approved course. I fear I will have to change CPS to get it accepted.

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.
a. The biggest counter – proposition I foresee is all teachers should be incorporating creativity and critical thinking into their coursework. Therefore, there is no need for a course that solely focuses on creative problem solving.
b. My counter – proposition is CPS will enable all students to overcome any obstacles they might face inside or outside of the classroom.

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.
a. I did have clear objectives. I continuously worked on new topics while revising previous work.
b. The timetable was manageable, but tough to keep up with at times. Designating time each day to working on my project was not always easy. I did not like some of the sacrifices I had to make while putting the project together.

F. I have gained direct information, models, and experience not readily available from other sources.
a. Some of the best resources I found were those I had direct contact with. I was able to talk with many of many colleagues about the project who offered valuable insights.
b. This was a difficult subject to discuss with some because most agreed that with the idea. Many had similar reservations. Why should we offer this course when all teachers should be doing this?

G. I have clarified the overall progression or argument underlying my research and the written reports.
a. My report is written in a fashion that engages readers. It begins with my story and tells how my experiences have influenced my suggested coursework.
b. I struggled because there I could not find a course that included everything I was looking for. I had to make up most of the course work myself – combining bits and pieces from several resources.

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.
a. My writing grabs the attention of the readers by describing what my classroom experience will look like and then telling what will be covered and presented.
b. I had a hard time determining what to leave out. My synthesis was as much about my personal journey as it was an academic and professional one. I wanted readers to understand my background as well as develop a solid curriculum that would be accepted by administration.

I. I have facilitated new avenues of classroom, workplace, and public participation.
a. I have sought the advice from several places I might not have previously considered. My mother played a large role as an advisor and editor. My current students provided valuable feedback about my proposal. My CCT group helped with the personal trials that accompany a project like this.
b. If I was to take my course to different levels of acceptance like at a college I would have to find an alternate way of presenting it.

J. To feed into my future learning and other work, I have taken stock of what has been working well and what needs changing.
a. I have become a more efficient researcher and writer. I keep better track of my files and have a better idea of what is important and what can be discarded.
b. I am proud of what I have put together. Making changes for others will be difficult for me.

II. Developing as a Reflective Practitioner, Including Taking Initiatives 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.
a. I have taken portions from nearly all of my CCT courses and implemented them into CPS. I would not have included the importance of creative confidence had it not been for CCT courses emphasizing it.
b. I can be single – minded and often do not or will not take into account what others have done. I need to be more accepting of others’ work.

2. I have also integrated into my own inquiry and engagement the processes, experiences, and struggles of previous courses.
a. Many CCT courses raised more questions than they answered. This has made me realize the importance of self – reflection.
b. Failures and struggles can be disappointing but I cannot let them be discouraging. I need to forge ahead regardless of the obstacles I face.

3. I have developed efficient ways to organize my time, research materials, computer access, bibliographies, etc.
a. I have become more organized with my time, research materials, etc. I have learned to keep all of my files and folders in a fashion that is easy for me to understand. I have also done a much better job of backing up information in several spaces.
b. I still like to print the articles I have found. This leads to folders of papers. I do a nice job of labeling and organizing them, but the pile sometimes becomes overwhelming.

4. I have experimented with new tools and experiences, even if not every one became part of my toolkit as a learner, teacher/facilitator of others, and reflective practitioner.
a. I have learned to view each new lesson I try as a learning experience. Some are effective, others fail miserably. But, without trying new techniques I will not improve.
b. I have a problem with trying new lessons is if they do not turn out the way I hoped limited time feels wasted. However, to truly test a lesson plan it must be tried out in a classroom setting.

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.
a. Keeping my goal in mind is what kept me going throughout the process. I realize if I want to achieve what I set out to, I need to stay the course and finish what I started.
b. Keeping emotional attachment separate from the project was difficult because so much of what I proposed was based on personal experiences – successes and failures.

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.
a. Being involved with a group of people for such a long time has led to lasting relationships. My buddies and buddy groups were instrumental in all of my work. I appreciated their honesty and dedication.
b. I was not always the best buddy. I looked at others’ work, but often did not go beyond what was expected.

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.
a. I developed a strong relationship with my advisor. Our talks graduated from reporting the news to ones pertaining to personal interest. I always felt like my advisor had my best interest in mind.
b. When presenting my work to others, I sometimes felt they missed what I was trying to convey. I eventually realized it was my own fault I was not understood.

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).
a. I always felt my readers had my best interest in mind. I took their revisions seriously and made adjustments accordingly. I understood in order for my work to improve I must consider others’ thoughts.
b. I was sometimes too honest with people about their work. I hope no one took my comments personally, but as a way to improve.


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.
a. A CCT aspect I appreciated the most was the opportunity to work on meaningful projects. Doing work I am proud of become my standard.
b. Some CCT assignments were impersonal and felt like they did not relate. I did not put my best efforts into assignments I did not view as valuable.

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 in the synthesis course and program as a whole and to suggest directions for their further development.
a. I realize and appreciate CCT is a work in progress. I like the idea of constant improvement and do not mind being a part of that process. I believe my ideas were heard and taken seriously.
b. It was frustrating when technology glitches did not allow quality communication. A few times technology issues kept me from placing files where they belonged or were not