We will have many reflective moments where we will bring our experiences into the classroom; I welcome and embrace these connections.  Sometimes they will happen in relationship to the readings we are discussing, other times you will be strategically guided through questions, and there will be times where it organically appears through various other class components such as critiques or a talk.  As well, you will be writing out two reflective journals on your own at home.

Reflection Journal #1 – Goal Setting

This first journal asks you about your expectations, and to set individual goals as you embark on this experience.

1. Briefly explain your overall impression and resulting expectations of what community engaged experiential learning might look like, and what insight you hope it will give you.
2. This is an ideal time to pause and articulate personal, academic, and professional goals that you hope to achieve by the end of the course. This intentional creation of personal learning goals will help you to more fully collaborate with your partner while taking an active role in your own learning. Below are some guiding questions that you might find useful in writing one of each type of goal. Instead of simply listing the goal, provide some background/context to make it clear why this goal is important to you, and what it will mean to you if you achieve it. Setting goals that are achievable within the frame of the course is important. Consider how you will know if you have achieved them, how can you measure them?  What will that look like to you?

PERSONAL
How might this experience inform my identity as an artist and/or arts professional?
What personal characteristics do I hope to better understand and develop through this experience?

ACADEMIC
What histories, theories or models do I hope to learn more about?
What knowledge do I hope to gain about artistic practice as research?

PROFESSIONAL
What skills do I hope to gain through this experience that will help me in my future art  or related career?
How can I ensure this experience allows me to gain the skills I need to embark on a career in the arts?

Due:  To be completed by 9am on September 25^th, (no extensions) before class starts, in the Journal section in Connect.  Journals are completely confidential.  In some cases, you may not be able to meet with your partner institutions until after the due date.  Please email me ahead of time to let me know if this is the case, and you will be granted an extension to accommodate this.

Post-Reflection

A post-reflection written journal will be distributed through Connect for you to self-reflect on your entire experience. You will be asked three leading questions that you should aim to respond with deep introspection and thought.  Your ability to disseminate and articulate your experience will result in life-long learning skills, wherein you will get the tools you need to see real life experiences as learning experiences.
Due: December 8^th, midnight