Fluent Essays

Learning Journals Learning Journals are a way for students to synthesize the assigned course readings with critical observations and evaluation. It provides a way to reflect on the most meaningful ideas read that week with one’s own experiences and learning to date. A learning journal is both reflective in that it allows the reader to personally think through the material as well as integrative, in that it asks the reader to demonstrate an understanding of the material assigned, not just repeating back what the authors’ wrote. Each Learning Journals has specific readings assigned as well as a specific format designed to engage you, the learner, with creative forms of representing your ideas. Please review each week’s specific content and format carefully as you craft your Learning Journal. The length of the journal varies from a minimum of 1 written page (single-spaced) up to 5 pages. There is a lot of flexibility to be creative in your journals as well. You can create graphics and include images, videos, music, creative fonts, textboxes, clip art, photos...whatever connects you and the ideas with the specific week’s themes. While a title page is not necessary, in-text citations and a reference page are required in your journal entries. Please use APA 7th edition style for the citations and references. The integrative component of these activities requires you to reflect on specific content, so it is important to refer to specific quotes, page numbers, author’s etc. to demonstrate such connections. Learning Journal #3 This week’s course learning centres on the habits of a leader and Servant Leadership Portfolios #3 & #4 are entirely focused on testing out, practicing and reflecting on those inner and outer habits. So, our learning journal this week will focus on another arena of this week’s learning, namely the dynamics of teamwork. What does effective teamwork look like? What are the challenges of working in a team? What have been your experiences of working in groups and teams in school or in the workplace? What made them positive or utterly challenging? CONTENT: Read the Following: 1. Lead Like Jesus (2016) by Ken Blanchard, Phil Hodges, and Phyllis Hendry a. Parts III: Chapters 12-16 & Part VI: Chapters 25-30 4. Jesus on Leadership (1998) by C. Gene Wilkes a. Principle #3: Find Greatness in Service & Principle 7: Build a Team 5. Jason Weber (2018). Improving team effectiveness through servant leadership. Training Industry Magazine. https://trainingindustry.com/magazine/mar-apr-2018/improving- team- effectiveness-through-servant-leadership/ FORMAT: Write the following: “The 5 W’s” This week’s journal invites you to examine the dynamics of teamwork through the lens of servant leadership. Using the 5 W’s – WHO, WHAT WHERE, WHY, WHEN...reflect on this week’s readings and your own experiences in teamwork and group dynamics. Wilkes draws on the model of Jesus’ approach to serving others and building and equipping teams in his two chapters so really consider his ideas and how you might want to re-imagine teamwork by observing and maybe utilizing some of the principles Jesus practiced. WHO: Who has inspired me in a team I was part of and why? WHAT: What are the key ingredients to a great team experience? WHERE: WHY: Why do I find myself so frustrated in teamwork? WHEN: Here is an example to get your imagination started (please use your own W thinking!) GRADING RUBRIC FOR EACH LEARNING JOURNAL Criteria Outstanding 5 points Proficient 4 points Average 3 points Developing 2 points Below Expectations 0-1 point Critical Thinking & Depth of Reflection Demonstrates an exceptionally conscious and thorough understanding of the writing prompt and subject matter. Demonstrates a thoughtful understanding of the writing prompt and subject matter. Interesting and engaging. Demonstrates a basic understanding of the writing prompt and subject matter. Some interesting reflections. Demonstrates a limited understanding if the writing prompt and subject matter. Demonstrates little to no understanding of the subject matter. Not meeting university level expectations. Use of Evidence & Examples Uses specific and convincing examples from the texts to support claims. Insightful and applicable connections made. Uses relevant examples form the texts studied to support claims and makes applicable connections between ideas. Uses examples from texts to support most claims and some connections made. Uses incomplete or vaguely developed examples partially supporting claims with little to no connections made between texts. No examples from the text used and claims are unsupported or irrelevant to the topic at hand. Not meeting university level expectations. Uses sophisticated Uses language that is fluent and original. Meaningful sentences presented in a logical way. Only occasional APA and grammar errors Uses basic but Demonstrates limited language that is vague and imprecise. Limited control over grammar, sentence structure and flow of ideas. Frequent grammar, APA errors that make comprehension difficult. Language and style that is very difficult to follow. Little to no awareness of sentence structure, multiple APA and grammar errors that make comprehension almost impossible. Not meeting university level expectations. language that is appropriate APA, Style & Grammar appropriate and meaningful, precise and engaging. Flow of language, with a basic sense of sentence structure and logical flow of ideas that is easy ideas. APA and to follow. No grammar errors noticeable APA noticeable but do and grammar not hinder errors. comprehension.