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PortfolioReflectionArtifact:GoPosts

GoPost#1:Whatareyougoingtodowiththat?

WilliamDeresiewiczdefinesmoralimaginationasthecapacitytoenvisionnewwaysto
liveyourlife.Inotherwords,beingabletotakeyourownpathdownlife,notnecessarilypaths
thathavebeendelineatedforyouorpathsthatamajorityofpeoplefollow.Hedefinesmoral
courageas:Thecouragetoactonyourvaluesinthefaceofwhateveryone'sgoingtosayand
dototrytomakeyouchangeyourmind.Inotherwords,followingyourownpassionsand
beliefsdespitewhatotherpeople,whichcanincludeyourpeers,family,teachers,etc.,pushyou
towards.
Aswegothroughlifeandthroughsocialinstitutions,wearetaughttothinkacertain
way.Wearetaughtthatcertaincareersandpathsarethecorrectones,thatwillleadtowhat
societymightdefineassuccess.However,thesepathsarentnecessarilywhatpeoplemightbe
passionateabout.Inaddition,mostofthesecorrectchoicesarentalwaysanoptionforpeople.
Forexample,goingtocollegeisconsideredacorrectchoiceinsociety.Peopleseethosewho
choosenottoattendcollegeaslazyornothardworking.However,thesejudgementsareoften
quiteclassistastheymightnotrealizehowmuchcollegecostsandthetollthattakesonpeople
ofalowerclass.Aswegothroughlife,wehavecertainnotionsashowtolivelifehowever,I
thinkwhatpeoplelearnastheygoalongtheyrealizethereisnowaytolivelifecorrectly.Oneof
thepointsofcollege,astheHonorsProgram,Iwouldargue,agrees,istofindonesownpath.
Yes,intheendweallchooseamajorortwo,butourexperiencesinthosemajorscanbevastly
different.Andourexperiencesaftergraduationarealsovastlydifferent.Ithinkitsdifficultto
thinkofcollegeandeducationasabroaderexperiencewhensomeoneislivingalifeofpoverty
andpayingforcollegewithstudentloansandafulltimejob.Somepeopleseecollegeasafour
yearcommitmentthatwillearnthemadegreeinordertogetajobanddomoney.Oneofthe
thingsthatgetsinthewayofstudentsseeingcollegeasanexperienceandembodyingtheseideas
ofmoralimaginationandmoralcouragecandefinitelybesocioeconomicstatus.Ithinkitisour
jobaspeopleinpositionsofprivilegetoeventheplayingfield.

GoPost#2:
Miniteachreflection

FormyminiteachItaughtmygrouphowtofoldapapercrane.Ibroughtorigamipaper
foreveryoneandprintedinstructionsinadditiontodoingademonstrationinorderto
accommodatedifferentlearningstyles.IlearnedthatjustbecauseImreallygoodatfoldinga
papercrane,doesntmeaneveryoneelseisandthatIneedtomakesureeveryoneisfollowing
whatImdoing.IwishIcouldhavetaughteveryoneinmygrouponeonone,butIhadtoteach
everyoneatthesametime.IalsolearnedthatjustbecauseIcanfoldapapercraneinunderfour

minutes,itdoesntmeaneveryoneelselearningforthefirsttimecan.IfoundthatIranoutof
timebecauseIwantedtomakesureeveryonewasonthesamepageasme.
ToimprovemyteachingIwouldwanttohavemoretimetoensureeveryonewasatthe
sameplaceasmeandunderstoodwhatIwassayingandideally,Iwouldworkoneonone.A
peerinmygroupbeganherminiteachwithwhywewerelearningwhatshewasteachingus,and
Iwouldhavelovedtobeginwithanbackgroundhistoryofpapercranesortheircultural
significance.

GoPost#3:
Highimpactpracticesreflection
ReadingthroughthelistofhighimpactpracticesIrealizedIhavealreadyexperienced
quiteafew.Firstandforemost,myLearningCommunityhasdefinitelybeenhonors.AsI
figuredoutwhatIwantoutofmyeducation,Ifoundthathonorsfitinreallywell.Inaddition,
thepeopleIhavemetthroughhonorsreflectthebeliefsandvaluesthatIholdandsoevenif
everyoneinhonorsisntinthesamemajor(whichImsogladtheyarent!)wecanhavereally
meaningfuldiscussions.
Anotherhighimpactpracticeformehasbeenmyinternshipworkingonafilmabout
thedemolitionofHugoHouseinCapitolHill.Ithinkthisactivityalsofallsunderthe
CollaborativeProjectscategory.Withthisproject,Ihavegottenachancetoworkwithso
manyamazingpeoplethatIwouldnthavegottenachancetoworkwithotherwise.Workingon
thisprojecthastaughtmesomanythingsIwouldntnecessarilylearninaclass.Ithasalsomade
meamoreindependentpersonandgivenmeachancetoexplorewhereIliveandthemeaningof
place.
Ilikebeingabletoreflectonmyexperiencesduringmytimeincollege(anotherpartof
honors!).Inhighschool,peopleoftendidsimilaractivitiestothesehighimpactactivitiesjust
tolookgoodoncollegeapplicationsorresumes.Ihavefoundincollegepeopledothese
activitiesforthepurposeofdoingthem.Atleastforme,IdoactivitiesIdobecauseIloveit,not
becauseIfeellikeIhaveto.Ifindthattherewardsarentnecessarilytangible,butnonetheless
there.
GoPost#4:Groupteachreflection
Ithinkmygroupteachingsessionreallywentwell!Weweremissingonepersonbutwe
stillmanagedtofillineverythingandweflowedfromeachgroupmemberspartwell.Ithink
mygroupdidagoodjobworkingtogetherandwewereabletocollectivelyexplainthings
effectively.
Thegroupteachandtheminiteachweresimilarinthattherewasntenoughtimetocover
everythingIwouldhavelikedto.Whiledoingthegroupteachwehadtospeedthroughour
activitiesbecauseofthetime,Iwouldhavelikedtogothroughthemallintheirentiretyandthen

giveneveryonedoingthemachancetoshare.Ilikedthewrittenfeedbackattheend,thats
somethingwedidntdofortheminiteach.Itgaveusachancetogivefeedbacktotheother
groupsandinturn,thinkaboutthesamethingsinthecontextofourownpresentations.Ialso
enjoyedwatchingtheothergroupteachesbecauseIgottoseeotherwaysofteachingthesame
materialIwasteaching.ItgavemeideasforhowIcouldevolvetheactivitiesIdidinmygroup
tomakethemevenmoreengaging.

GoPost#5:RetreatReflection

Theretreatwassuchawonderfulexperience,ImsogladeveryoneintheHonors
communityandspecificallythePEsandtheHonorsadvisersaresuchgreathumanbeings.I
definitelygottoknoweveryonebetterwhichwasgreat.Ilikedbeingabletotalkaboutthingswe
wouldnthavebeenabletootherwiseoutsidethecontextoftheretreatanditsactivities.Ilearned
thatmyleadershipstyleisonefueledbypassion.Thisdoesntsurpriseme,becauseIknowthatI
amapassionateperson,andthereasonIdothingsisbecauseIampassionateaboutthem.I
wouldntdosomethingifIdidntcareaboutit.IhopemypassiongoesthroughwhenIam
teachingmyHonors100class.Iwouldliketomakemostofmysectionsasopenendedand
conversationbasedasIcan,Ithinkthatsthebestwaytogetinformationacrosswithoutmaking
itboring.IalsoreallyenjoyedthewritingexercisesandIthinkIwillincorporatefreewritesinto
mylessonplansaswell.Thankstoeveryoneforsuchagreatretreat!