Suggestion: Read all of the instructions before reading the articles.
Instructions: Read 1. “Mixing the Message” and 2. “Orchestrating a New Approach to Learning”. Use the information provided in those articles to write an essay. Follow the instructions for each paragraph and present the paragraphs in the order shown below.
Note: Pages must be word-processed, double spaced, and 12-point font (times new Roman) used. Refer to the Rubric for specific criteria and point values for Length, Grammar, Organization, Content, and Judgment. Submit via Canvas.
Suggestion: Before writing any paragraphs, it may helpful to outline the main points of each article. Read article one. Then write bullet points that summarize the key elements of the strategy that is used, the resources needed, the types of people involved, and the goal or end product that could result from using that strategy. This also might be a good time to think about (and make bullet points for) the benefits you think could come from that strategy and the challenges you think might be associated with using that strategy. Then read article two and make a similar bullet point list. Please note that this is a suggestion for writing the paper. You are not required to submit bullet points or a list.
Paragraph instructions and order: Write your paper with the paragraphs/topics in this order.
Paragraph 1 Introduction: Begin your paper by writing a paragraph that identifies the topic of the paper, briefly describes the aspects of the paper described in each paragraph and indicates a context in which this information could be useful.
Suggestion: It may be easiest to write this paragraph last. It gives the reader an overview of what you will say in the paper. You may want to write a sentence or two about what each paragraph entails – or you may want to simply describe the main parts of the paper. It will be similar to your final paragraph, but it should not be exactly the same. One way to think of this paragraph is “Tell us what you’re going to tell us”.
Paragraph 2 Similarities: Include detailed information about how the strategies presented in the two articles are similar. Make sure that both articles are well described. Provide at least two specific examples of how the two strategies are similar.
Suggestion: Refer to the list of bullet points that you made for each article. Look over the key elements of each strategy and describe how they are similar. Make sure to include specific examples. Refer back to the articles if needed.
Paragraph 3: Differences: Include detailed information about how the strategies presented in the two articles are different. Make sure that both articles are well described. Provide at least two specific examples of how the two strategies are different.
Suggestion: Refer to the list of bullet points that you made for each article. Look over the key elements of each strategy and describe how they are different. Make sure to include specific examples. Refer back to the articles if needed.
Paragraph 4: Benefits and Challenges Associated with Article 1: Include a detailed discussion of the benefits that could result from the strategies presented in article 1. Then include a detailed discussion of the challenges that could arise when implementing the strategies suggested in article 1. Demonstrate a high level of thoughtfulness in your consideration of the potential benefits and challenges associated with using these strategies.
Suggestion: Refer to the list of bullet points that you made for article 1. Look over the over the list of benefits and challenges that your included your bullet point list. Elaborate on those ideas in complete sentences. Make sure to discuss the benefits first and then the challenges (as stated above). Refer back to the articles if needed.
Paragraph 5: Benefits and Challenges Associated with Article 2: Include a detailed discussion of the benefits that could result from the strategies presented in article 2. Then include a detailed discussion of the challenges that could arise when implementing the strategies suggested in article 2. Demonstrate a high level of thoughtfulness in your consideration of the potential benefits and challenges associated with using these strategies.
Suggestion: Refer to the list of bullet points that you made for article 2. Look over the over the list of benefits and challenges that your included your bullet point list. Elaborate on those ideas in complete sentences. Make sure to discuss the benefits first and then the challenges (as stated above). Refer back to the articles if needed.
Paragraph 6: Selection Based on Knowledge from Multiple Sources: Decide which strategy you would choose for implantation in your future profession. Explain why you believe it to be the better choice. Your explanation could elaborate on why the strengths of that approach could be particularly beneficial. This paragraph should not only indicate which strategy you choose but should also reflect substantial consideration of the benefits and challenges associated with your selection.
Suggestion: Keep in mind that your opinion is what is important. Provide your rationale for your choice. Consider the following: In your opinion, are the benefits provided by one strategy more valuable than those provided by the other? Would the potential benefits be great enough to outweigh the potential challenges? Would one be better in a particular setting or with a certain age group? (You do not have to answer these questions, they are just examples of reasons you might choose one over the other). Explain your thoughts on that matter in complete sentences.
Paragraph 7: Personal Values and Strategy Selection: In this paragraph, thoughtfully discuss how your personal values (i.e. musical, educational, social) may have influenced your selection. Describe how your selection could be used in your future profession and how your values or choices might shape those instructional experiences.
Suggestion: Again, remember that it is your opinion that matters here. Think about why one choice appeals to you over the other – or at the very least – offer a rationale for how your personal experiences, preferences, values, etc. make the one you selected a desirable choice. Consider how your person experiences may influence those thoughts. Also consider how our education system and society may have influenced those thoughts. Provide a discussion of your reflections in this paragraph.
Paragraph 8: Values of Others and Strategy Selection: Consider the personal values that you wrote about in Paragraph 7. In what ways might someone else’s values differ from your own? Describe how a different set of values might lead to selecting a different strategy for use in a future profession. Your discussion of how different values might lead to different choices should be insightful and must present ideas connected to other values respectfully.
Comment: Now that you’ve considered (in the context of this assignment) how your personal experiences, educational experiences, and aspects of our society might have influenced your choice, it is time to consider how someone with a different set of experiences (personal, educational, and/or societal) might be moved to make a different choice. In other words, this paragraph allows you to demonstrate that you could understand how someone else’s experiences could lead them could lead them to make a choice that made sense to them – even though it might not be what you would have chosen.
Paragraph 9: Conclusion: In this final paragraph, remind the reader of the topic described in the two articles. Briefly recap how the two articles were similar and how they were different. Briefly summarize your rationale for your chosen strategy. Consider your statements about how personal values can influence choices and make a suggestion to relate personal values with a future profession.
Suggestion: This paragraph will probably be similar to the first paragraph – but it should not be exactly the same. Use this paragraph to summarize what you’ve told us in the paper. For example, you could briefly touch on the similarities and differences of each, remind us which picked with a quick explanation of why, and end with some of the reflective thoughts about how experiences influence choices.
