Future Social Worker
Program Outcomes for My Associate in Arts Degree
Communication Competence:
For the first program outcome, communication competence, learners must become effective communicators in their discipline. In other words, communication competence is when individuals are able to productively and credibly communicate with others in reference to their discipline.
The artifact I chose for the communication competence program outcome was my discipline-specific research report that I wrote when I took a writing and research in the disciplines course (ENG-112-2B3) during the Fall 2019 semester. I chose the affect that social media has on teenagers as my topic for this paper because I have experienced first hand and seen in my friends when I was a teenager how social media can negatively affect oneself at this extremely impressionable and vulnerable age.
One goal I made for myself in communication competence was that I will organize my thoughts appropriately and then purposefully communicate my well-organized thoughts in a sufficient manner with others pertaining to a variety of topics within my discipline. In my research report, I had to learn how to organize and connect my thoughts in a way that I could communicate my main ideas affectively with my audience without the paper being too hard to follow and all over the place. In the process of writing this report, I had to find the balance between being detailed to communicate the information and my thoughts to my audience well all while at the same time making sure not to overwhelm them with too much at one time or make it too complex for someone to follow while reading my paper. Finding this balance consisted of plenty of try and error.
Once I believed I found the perfect balance, I would come back to read it later with a fresh pair of eyes and see that the balance was still off. Tweaking the imbalances I found every time I reread my paper was essential into creating this balance for my audience. Organization took a lot of trial and error as well. In addition, creating organization within this paper came from lots of time working on an outline before turning the information within my outline into the structure that served as the bones behind my paper.
Another goal I made for myself for this program outcome was that I will successfully, effectively, and efficiently use credible sources to communicate a point regarding a specific topic within my discipline. In my research of my topic for my research report, I was able to come to the conclusion that the more teenagers use social media, the higher their chances are of developing suicidal thoughts due directly to an increase in selfies being shared among teens, an increase in the desire for cosmetic surgery among teens, and the easy access social media provides for bullies to harm their victims from behind a screen.
I was able to come to this conclusion and get this point across to my audience in an appropriate manner by using and citing credible sources within my report. The data, statistics, facts, and expert opinions that I gathered in my research that helped me come to my point and communicate my point to my audience were all from credible sources such as peer-reviewed scientific journals, and higher level education schools that focus on teen-related issues. Most of the sources I used were written by or at least partially contributed by psychiatrists and other medical professionals who focus on mental health in teenagers and have had a lot of experience in this specific area. Explanations of the importance of the texts can be seen in the report rather than just randomly stating a quote from these sources. Explaining my findings from the source and the significance it has to the point of my report helps everything tie together nicely within my paper. The appropriate in-text citations along with a references list can be found in this artifact as well.
I'm really proud of myself for how my discipline-specific research report turned out in the end. The long and challenging process that led up to the finished project made all of the struggles in between worth it. I think that without the struggle, their would really be no reward in the end.
Creative Problem Solving:
Learners will apply appropriate techniques to solving problems within their discipline. Creative problem solving is used as a mental process when an individual must solve problems that pertain to their discipline by thinking outside of the box and using the right skills.
The artifact I chose for this program outcome was the blood typing lab report that I completed in the Spring 2020 semester when I took a Principles of Biology course (BIO-110-2W1). In this lab, I had to determine what genotype and blood type individuals were along with determining possible biological relations based on these aspects by creating/using Punnett squares.
My first SMART goal for the creative problem solving program outcome is that when I am faced with a problem within my discipline, I will create an attainable action plan that uses the information available to find a solution that is backed up by affective scientific processes. In order to determine what genotype and blood types individuals were with the small amount of information I was given, I used an affective scientific process that uses Punnett squares as a technique to determining the probability of a biological outcome between two sources.
When I was then faced with the challenging tasks of determining if an individual could be the biological child of two other individuals and determining what the possible characteristics of two individuals' offspring together would be, I had to take a step back to determine what I did know. After accessing what I already had learned regarding Punnett squares, I started to try to find ways to solve these more complex problems by thinking outside of the box, breaking these problems down into smaller parts, and using the skills I already had learned from using Punnett squares to find the accurate solution.
My second SMART goal for the creative problem solving program outcome is that I will use the problem solving action plan created to solve a certain problem within my discipline in order to solve other types of problems within my discipline. While the skill of using a Punnett square is difficult to attain, the most challenging component for me with this program outcome is to transfer these techniques to be used when faced with other problems requiring more complex creative problem solving skills. Examples of this can be seen in my lab report when I used the Punnett square problem solving skill that I developed in order to solve a variety of more complex problems.
One example of this is when I had to determine what different individuals genotypes are by creating and using Punnett squares and then determining what different individuals blood types are based off of those results. In addition, I had to use these skills to determine other facts such as potential relations between individuals. Determining if someone is the biological child of two individuals and determining the possible characteristics of potential future offspring are two more complex problems I solved using the same problem solving skills but on a grander, more complex level.
Information and Media Literacy:
The information and media literacy program outcome aims for learners to demonstrate the ability to know when there is a need for information, to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively and responsibly use and share that information for the problem at hand. In short, information and media literacy is used to understand information, sources, and media and use this understanding to make informed judgments. In addition, being able to produce information or create messages in the media that pertain to your discipline are important skills to have.
The artifact I chose for this program outcome was my General Psychology Term Paper. I took a General Psychology course (PSY-241-2VB1) during the Spring 2020 semester. I chose to write this paper about Borderline Personality Disorder- including the diagnosis process, symptoms and characteristics, causes, and treatment methods. I chose this topic for my research paper because I wanted to develop a better understanding of this mental illness which has affected a very close friend of mine along with a parent of mine.
The first goal I made for myself at the very start of my Associate in Arts program was that I will successfully find credible sources for my paper. At the beginning of my Associate in Arts program journey at South Piedmont Community College, I can honestly say I had very little (if any) understanding of which sources were credible and how to efficiently and effectively find them. Using databases, like NC live, instead of just using google to find sources was a whole new experience for me. Honestly this seemed extremely intimidating at first due to my inexperience working with these databases, but I did not let these feelings get to me. I asked for help from my professors a few times and used resources for research from the SPCC library in order to learn how to use the databases in addition to learning how to determine which sources are most credible.
At the beginning of my journey to attain my Associate in Art's Degree, I made another information and media literacy goal for myself which consisting of me then successfully using and citing the credible sources in my papers. After learning how to find credible sources for my paper, the next obstacle I faced was learning how to appropriately use and cite these credible sources into a variety of different papers. Different formats, such as MLA, Chicago style, and APA for example, require distinct styles and expectations for how to use and cite sources within them.
Similar to my experience with learning how to find credible sources, I found learning how to properly use and cite credible sources in different writing styles was extremely intimidating. I decided to break this process down in order to tackle this on head on while at the same time making it less overwhelming. With each paper I wrote on my journey to earning my Associate in Arts degree, I studied and executed my developing understanding and execution of this skill until I had come to strengthen this skill. After I transfer in Fall 2021 to University in order to study Social Work, I feel more than ready to use these skills there and continue to always work on them.
I chose my General Psychology Term Paper for this program outcome because this artifact shows my strengthened skill in both my ability to find and identify credible sources along with my ability to properly use and cite them properly according to the specific writing style. This research paper was done in APA format which requires the use of intext citations along with a references page as you can see. I used credible sources from peer-reviewed scientific and medical journals and well-respected institutions for mental health research.
Although I feel that my skills in this area have definitely made a major improvement, I never see myself as ending in my progress in anything. I always find new opportunities to better solidify my skills and learn new ways that I can improve them. I believe this openness has helped me in my improvement academically and on a personal level. Continuing to be open to learning more and growing in my skills and as a person makes me truly unique academically, professionally, and personally.
Understanding the Arts and the Human Experience:
In this Associate of Arts program outcome, learners are expected to demonstrate an understanding of arts and humanities in historical and cultural contexts. Knowing, studying, and understanding many different elements of the arts and humanities in a wide range of time periods throughout history and different cultures in the past along with the present are essential to understanding the arts and the human experience.
An artifact that shows my understanding of the arts and the human experience is the art analysis and interpretation paper that I wrote as my second art criticism paper for the Art Appreciation class that I took in Fall 2019 (ART-111-2B1). In this paper, I analyzed a contemporary art piece titled "Nature Morte Aux Grenades" by the artist Mona Hatoum. In order to evaluate this piece, I studied the different mediums, colors, shapes, arrangements, and size components of the piece along with studying the background story of the artist. In doing so, I was able to develop a better understanding of the artists' perspective when creating this piece along with what other viewers admiring the art may see and feel. I used the Contextual Theory of Art in this paper in order to evaluate "Nature Morte Aux Grenades" and develop an understanding of the personal meaning behind the piece.
The first goal I set for myself pertaining to this particular program outcome was that I will learn about different styles of art across a variety of time periods and cultures. This paper was one of the many that I completed in the Art Appreciation class I took as apart of my program at South Piedmont Community College. Each paper was about analyzing different creations of art throughout time from the first known creations of art to modern day pieces. I choose this paper in specific to show my understanding of the arts and the human experience because I feel the contents of this particular paper are the perfect example of one of the countless instances I studied where an art piece is directly related to the time period and culture when the piece was created.
In learning about this piece and the context surrounding it during this time, I learned that Mona Hatoum was forced to leave her Palestine home as a devastating effect of the Lebanese Civil War that occurred from the mid 1970s to the 1990s. . Mona Hatoum used her personal first-hand experiences with war and violence in order to send a powerful message to viewers with her piece "Nature Morte Aux Grenades".
While we are different in so many ways due to different cultures and eras from different locations and periods in time, we all share so many universal parallels in the way that we express ourselves and experiences through art in order to cope with the highs and lows that come with the human experience. Many of us use art as an outlet to try to make sense of the events happening in our lives. In addition, many of us use art as a way to make a statement (political, religious, personal, etc...). Most of the art pieces that I examined had one or the other, but Mona Hatoum used both of these when creating "Nature Morte Aux Grenades".
As I worked on my Associate in Arts program at South Piedmont Community College, I also reached the second goal that I created for myself. This goal was that I will learn how to interpret and analyze a variety of different art styles. While I studied many different art styles in the Art Appreciation class I took, my favorite kind was contemporary. Another reason I chose to share this particular paper is because I analyzed a piece in my favorite style of art in it. Honestly, I had no idea what different styles of arts were like or what they really even were before this.
After going to the Mint Museum for the Art Appreciation class, all my senses were opened up to a whole new world that I had never discovered before. I had always pictured art to be boring paintings on walls of people who had passed years ago or of paintings containing a few stripes and squiggles being sold for millions-even billions- of dollars. The paper that I have chosen as my artifact for this program outcome serves as a fantastic example that art comes in so many different out of the box styles. This has helped me look at the world with a whole different perspective that I never even considered before. The lens that made me unaware and blind to other's experiences from different cultures and eras has been removed.
While opening up to this new world was overwhelming and truthfully quite intimidating, my desire to learn more and be open to new experiences helped me push through that initial fear I felt. I did not give up. I'm so grateful that I pushed through and challenged myself to trying to make sense of this whole new world that I had unlocked because without out, I would have not grown as a person and developed a stronger understanding of the arts and the human experience.
I cannot wait to study more about different culture's art styles of art and use the skills that I have learned to interpret different pieces in my free time. In having a better understanding, I have also developed a much stronger appreciation for different styles of art across different periods of time as you can see. Ultimately, this has and will continue to help me have a better understanding of the human experience. When I am a Social Worker for children one day, I will use this knowledge to encourage children and show them how to use art as a positive coping mechanism for the different emotions that come so overwhelming to children- such as feelings of strong happiness, sadness, silliness, frustration, anxiety, and anger.
Social Scientific Literacy:
By definition, social scientific literacy means that learners demonstrate an understanding of social science methodologies in order to explain the consequences of human actions. Put differently, individuals will learn, have knowledge of, and be able to execute their understanding of a variety of methods used in a particular area of study within their discipline and the field of social science. In doing so, the individuals will then be able to describe the outcomes of activities and efforts done by humans.
The two mid-term essays that I wrote for the World Civilizations I class (HIS-111-2B1) that I took in the Fall 2019 semester are two excellent examples of my social scientific literacy. My first essay was on the Renaissance- more specifically on how the Renaissance came to be, the culture of this time, the intellectual movement of the time, the advances made throughout this era, and some of the most influential individuals from this period in history. My second essay was on the topic of medieval feudalism. I compare and contrast feudalism in Medieval Europe and Medieval Japan along with connections made to our American society today. Next, I explain how specific conditions can lead to the development of feudalism in a particular time and place in addition to explaining why creating a singular, universal definition for the term 'feudalism' would be beneficial.
My first smart goal for the social scientific literacy program outcome was to analyze an era in history that was orchestrated by a group of people and be able to describe the aftermath and impact of the action historically. Throughout my Associate in Arts program at South Piedmont Community College, I was able to successfully fulfill this goal which can be seen specially in my first essay that I wrote for my World Civilizations mid-term. I carefully analyzed many different aspects of the Renaissance era including the changes in culture from the previous era (the Middle Ages), the most influential figures from this era, and the extreme growth during this time in advancements in art, music, literature, and philosophy. 14th century Italians living in Florence, Italy became inspired after reading about the Romans and the Greeks. This drove them to begin a whole new Humanism way of thinking that offered hope to all those who had survived the tiring, depressing, and unproductive Middle Ages era before. Long after the Renaissance era came to an end during the 17th century, the innovations created during this time along with the new way of thinking this era in history created were still very important and influential. The Renaissance era opened the door to a whole new world of rebirthed creativity that the world had never seen before. Advancements in different art forms (such as music, poetry, painting, and more) along with advancements in academics and thinking (such as literature, science, and philosophy) would forever be impacted as a result of this action.
My second smart goal for the social scientific literacy program was to relate and apply lessons to current times and events happening today that I learned from researching a historical era that was orchestrated by a group of individuals in the past. The second essay that I wrote for my World Civilizations mid-term shows my development of this skill as I was able to relate and apply lessons from feudalism in Medieval Europe and Medieval Japan to today. For example, I discussed which certain conditions in Medieval Europe and Medieval Japan led to the development of feudalism like those in power loosing control over their people and are unable to keep the peace due to conflict. Although we do not have feudalism today, I discussed its connections to propaganda schemes throughout history. For example, knights in Medieval Europe and samurais in Medieval Japan were heavily romanticized which lead to our modern romanticizing of cowboys in out western society in the United States of America. In addition, I also analyzed the understanding and use of the term 'feudalism' throughout history which lead to my conclusion that creating a singular definition of the term would be best as the broad term leads to false assumptions or miscommunications being made when teaching, learning, and discussing how societies containing feudalism functioned.
Achieving the goals I made for myself for this program outcome was very difficult as I found it challenging at times to correlate events from different periods in history to events that are currently happening in present day. I found it much easier to compare and contrast events from the same periods in history. I was able to step back and try to look at the two seemingly completely different eras or events and start to find similarities and differences. I had to learn when the appropriate time would be, if any, to consider and include my lens from my own personal life experiences.
Although I had trouble originally making connections between different periods in history, I learned one of my strengths in the process of finally doing so. I discovered that one of my strengths is my ability to appreciate different cultures- whether they are long ago in history or currently exist in our world today. Discovering this strength of mine will help me be able to better understand and communicate with others who may come from difference backgrounds and cultures. Not only is this is very useful and important skill to have for interacting with others in every day life, but this skill will also be very useful and important in my future career as a social worker. On a daily basis, I am going to likely be communicating with individuals from various different backgrounds and cultures. With my ability to appreciate different cultures along with my new ability to correlate events from different time periods to current events, I feel much closer on my journey into becoming the person and the professional that I would like to be.