Reference no: EM133144164

Step 1 

The first step in the "I am" exercise is for you to get you in touch with how you perceive yourself.  You should begin by first completing the I am interactive grid

Actions

 (this file is actually a PowerPoint slide so you can move the words. You can also use this file if you want to print it as a pdf - I am grid (pdf printable)

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 based on how you perceive the 16 words represent you. On the left side is the least like you of all 16 words, and on the right-hand side is the most. 

Step 2

Next, give a grid to a minimum of three people (the more people you ask, the more you'll learn), choosing participants who have differing vantage points on your life (i.e., mother/boyfriend; close friend/casual friend; co-worker/family member).  Make sure they are not all family or intimate relationships - mix of gender, age, culture, etc.  Ask them to construct a configuration (using the same format that you did for yourself) that typifies you as they see you.  Request that they be as honest as possible. You might not want to sit and watch while they complete it, but instead leave the room, or send it to them electronically.  After they complete it (and this is VERY important), discuss with them their rationale for the rankings they made (please do so in a supportive tone; your goal is to learn, not defend!). You want to find out why they chose to put the words where they did.  Please see the grading rubric for more specifics about this.

Step 3

Finally, you will write a paper that synthesizes your overall comparisons (similarities and differences) between all of the grids completed, connecting them with course concepts. I'm looking for more than mere description of what others tell you, as you will be expected to provide a copy of the grids completed as well. So this is not a "report" (i.e. my brother put that I was shy...). I want you to engage in analysis, using course concepts to make sense of the data you collect.  [Word to the wise:  The most common comment made when grading them is: "NEED TO TIE IN COURSE CONCEPTS."  Reference your book and include the page number after the reference. Keep this in mind as you write your paper.] You will also need to share the reasons why people put the words where they did (from the interviews) and at the end of the paper fully explained in at least one paragraph. You should share what changes (if any) you would make if completing your grid again and moving forward in your life; if no changes would be made then explained why. 

Issues you might want to include:

• What part did filters of perception and meaning play in this assignment?
• You probably sent the grids to the respondents with some expectations of how they would rank you. Did their rankings match your expectations?

Variations Encouraged... Here's a Few Examples:

Purpose

The purpose of this assignment is to find out how others perceive you and to compare and contrast their perceptions with your own. You will complete it in three steps, as outlined below. 

Possibilities

Feel free to run additional variations on this exercise.  Some of my favorites include:

• "Turnabout is Fair Play": Construct a configuration of the people who ranked you (and see if their evaluations of you have an impact on the way you assess them!).
• "Two Heads are Better (or Worse) Than One": Ask two or more people to work together on a configuration of you (and get ready for the sparks to fly!).
• "Twice Removed": Construct a configuration of how you think another person perceives a third person (the permutations on this are mind-boggling!).

Submission Expectations

Please be sure to provide examples and specifics from the various configurations you collect, as well as from your interactions with the people who help you complete this assignment.  Your paper will be kept confidential; feel free to be as candid as is comfortable for you. 

I am expecting a 3-5 page paper. Please use conventional APA formatting - double-spacing, 1-inch margins, and 12-point fonts.  I expect college-level writing and presentation:  in other words, proper punctuation, spelling, and syntax; complete sentences and paragraphs; no white-out, handwritten corrections, or typos.  Failure to attend to these matters will result in a lowered grade.  Having said that, this assignment is not so much a report or a research paper as it is a personal inventory and analysis.  As a result, it is appropriate (and recommended) to use first-person singular pronouns (I, me, my, mine) in describing what you experienced and learned.  Avoid impersonal or collective pronouns (you, it, we)--speak for and about yourself.

Turnitin is used for the reflections to detect any similarities to past Turnitin submissions. Once you submit your work, please look at the report that comes up, and make changes accordingly. The higher the percentage, the greater the amount of text in the submission that was highlighted as matching against information in Turnitin's repositories. 

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  • blue (no matching words)
  • green (one matching word - 24% similarity index)
  • yellow (25-49% similarity)
  • orange (50-74% similarity)
  • red (75-100% similarity)

Success Tips

A final note:  I encourage you to begin early on this project so you have time to collect adequate data and write the paper with high quality.

Be sure to check the grading rubric below for details on how the paper will be assessed.