| Keeping a Journal |
| This course is structured as a service learning
experience. A critical element of this experience is to reflect on
the experiences you have while undertaking a policy/management related
project and working with your client. Accordingly, each student will
be required to keep a journal to help you reflect on your
experiences. |
| A
journal is a place to record observations, speculate, raise questions, and
figure things out. It is not a place to simply summarize the readings.
Rather it is a way to bring together your own ideas with those presented in the
readings. It is also a way to link these ideas with your experiences
on the group project. Thus, it is a sense making exercise.
Rather than simply summarize your work on the group project look for its
broader meaning and try to identify how these experiences are indicative
of broader phenomena. |
| You are free to write anything you want
in your journals and a
single entry could range from a paragraph to many pages.
I would encourage you to write several short entries over the course of a
week rather than simply preparing one long entry for the week as it is
often best to write about your experiences when they are fresh in you
mind. Regardless of how you structure your entries, you are required
to prepare the equivalent of at least 3 single-spaced pages per
week. Types of entries might
include: |
 | Observation: what did you see in class
or in the world around you? |
| Speculation: speculate about the
results of your analysis or what you expect to find from your
research. |
| Question: talk about your doubts or
uncertainties. |
| Self awareness: what are you learning? |
| Connections: relate experiences in
class or with your projects to previous experiences in other areas. |
| Dialogue: use the journal to
communicate with the professor or pretend you are talking to other
students. |
|
| The
discussion questions at the end of each chapter in the Mintrom book may
also provide useful topics for journal entries. |
| You can keep
the journal in any form you want whether it is hand written, types, or
even online (www.livejournal.com).
However, you will be required to submit the journal periodically and will
swap journals with one student at the end of the semester for them to
read. |
| Required Journal Entries |
| In addition to the your 3-page weekly entries, you are
required to prepare the following additional required journal
entries. See the course
outline for when they are due and be prepared to discuss the contents
of these journal entries in class. |
| Required Entry #1 |
| Think about your strengths and weaknesses as
a professional. Many of you
will soon be looking for work in the field of coastal/environmental
management or be looking for careers in government or the nonprofit
sector. Presumably, you applied to the MPA program to develop your
skills and abilities and your knowledge of various subject matter.
This initial entry is designed to have you reflect on the progress
you have made and to speculate about where you want to get.
What are your career goals or ambitions?
What type of job do you want or not want?
What types of skills or experiences will be necessary to achieve
your goals? Since most career planners suggest thinking about multiple
careers, what 2 or three careers do you expect to have during your
productive working life? You
need not respond to these questions, they are designed to have you spend
some time thinking about your professional development so far and what you
still need to do. |
| Required Entry #2 |
Each
student is required to interview a planner or a policy analyst whom you
have never met before. The
goal is to get the planner/policy analyst to share some stories,
experiences, and advice with you (Read the Forester reserve readings
before conducting your interview). This
short assignment will let you practice your interviewing skills before you
begin working on your group projects.
It provides an opportunity to network with local planners/analysts.
It also provides an opportunity to learn more about a particular
type of job, agency, or program. The
person you interview can work at any coastal, environmental, or natural
resource management at the federal, state, or local level. Preferably, you should pick an individual who has been
working as a policy analyst/planner for a number of years. They should be a career civil servant not a political
appointee. Ideally, you
should choose a role model such as someone who you might model your own
career after. I want you to
ask him/her the following basic questions and be prepared to share the
answers to these questions with the class:
| Why did they
choose this line of work? |
| What is it
that you actually do? Have
them explain their job and the range of duties and activities. |
| One of there
jobs is formulating information/advice for decision makers.
How often do the decision makers follow their advice?
What does it feel like when the decision makers ignore their
advice? Asking for
examples might prompt a story. |
| What is it
like working with elected officials and high-level officials (e.g.,
town managers, agency administrators, etc.)?
What advice would they give you?
Asking them for examples of positive and negative experiences
may prompt a story. |
| What
do they find most/least rewarding about their jobs? |
Of
course you can ask them any questions you want as well.
Remember your goal is to learn more about what planners/analysts do
and to listen to stories and advice they have.
You should reflect on this experience in one or more journal
entries. |
| Required Entry #3 |
| Each
student will be required to visit a public meeting or hearing where you
are not a participant. You
have a lot of flexibility in selecting the meeting/hearing you plan to
attend but should consult with the instructor first.
Options would include meetings/hearings conducted by a federal or
state agency (e.g., NCDER) or a local government hearing. You should come to class when the assignment is due and
report back with your critique of this common form of public involvement
and education. You should
also reflect on this experience in your journal entry.
For example, what are its strengths and weaknesses based on what
you observed. |
| Required Entry #4 |
| Implementing
the projects and recommendations that you are working on may require your
organizations to adopt a wide range of innovations (policies, programs,
& practices).
Reflect on how the information presented in the readings on
Rogers’ diffusion model applies to the project you are working on.
Is your organization innovative?
Is your organization an effective change agent?
Are you recommending innovations that are likely to be adopted?
Is there useful advice you find in the Rogers readings?
Think about the projects the other groups are working on.
Based on what you have heard, do the Rogers readings seem to make
sense?
Think about the organizations you work in.
Do the readings and theories make sense?
At least one journal article should reflect on these readings. |
| Required Entry #5 |
| For this final entry I want you to reflect
on what you have learned in this course from the readings and the group
project. There are lots of ways to approach this reflection.
To get you started, consider some of the following: Have you learned
anything about yourself and your ability to work in teams or with
clients? Have these experienced enhanced your management or
analytical skills in any way? Are there things you wish you had
learned but didn't? |
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