Author: Mikayla Fils-Aime

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Final Reflection

For my unit 2 project I researched a blend between the discrimination faced in the workplace and the underrepresentation of minorities in gifted programs. Although I wanted to dive deeply into both subjects I found that it would be easier to focus on the topic of minority gifted students. Not only was I able to fully research the project but I was able to explore the ideas and methods that could be used to solve some of the issues. When I was completing my presentation I applied skills from the course that incorporated clearly laying out information and ideas and broadening them to the readers as a whole. By precisely formatting my research I was able to truly convey to the readers my ideas and lay it out in a way that would compel them towards my ideas.

Not only was I able to lay out a presentation and research on a topic that I’m really passionate about but I was able to truly entice the readers towards my argument. Through this course I learned to adequately convey a message and share it with an audience looking for guidance. Through the use of articles, diagrams, and multiple slides I was able to show the readers how truly important the topic of racial bias is within the school place. Although the problem has been identified, there have been no true strides established in making schools more inclusive spaces in poor areas. Through the use of my research, minorities will have the resources and opportunities needed to create futures for themselves despite their opportunities.

Through giving and receiving feedback with my peers I was able to question and access my own work and reflect on the mistakes I made. I was also able to use the responses to improve my work and make the presentation more formatted to reaching critiques and an audience. Just by sharing my work with my peers I was able to interpret the reviews and specify my work more towards a specific audience. With the use of these ideas and writing tools I was able to perfect my writing and not only make it useful to myself and the individual reading it but to the audience of readers that will be interested in the topic in the future.

This assignment was valuable because the topic plays a monumental role towards the real injustices of the world. Children are continuously mis-valued in terms of education and although inequalities were constantly identified within the education programs it was important for me to learn them first hand. Students are constantly being misjudged because of their race and face bias in their education programs. Although I knew minority students were constantly unrepresented in gifted programs it was scary to see the true scale of students being kept from new opportunities. I learned how to take new information and the important things I learned and spread them on a large scale. It is important to know that in order to make change we must reflect on the issues within each problem and work towards making a positive change. I hope that with this assignment and with the work I’ve done I will be able to make vast improvements upon my writing and truly make a difference.

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Final Project

For my presentation I created a powerpoint centered towards schools with minority underrepresentation in their gifted programs. My presentation aims to provide information and opportunities for students with poor backgrounds to secure higher educations. I am able to lay out opportunities and different assessments for screening minority students and new methods on how to forgo racial bias within school systems. With these new methods schools will be able to ensure equal representation for all students and make schools more nourishing environments.

Final Presentation

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Unit 3 Draft

For my project I created a presentation that will provide information to school officials on how to promote inclusivity within public schools. Minority students struggle with finding resources and excelling in gifted programs within large schools. However, In my powerpoint I provide not only information about the gifted programs and how to create a more diverse student body but also resources on how to elevate minority students and ensure their path to success. Within this powerpoint schools will be able to learn new methods of inclusion and incorporate them into future enrichment programs.

Draft Link

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Discussion Week 7/27

The article I chose is one that models the project I wish to create and focuses on the effects of social media on adolescents and the way that peer experiences play monumental roles on their development. This article lays out in a chart the causes and effects of kids that are introduced to peer activities and exhibits the reactions to each varied experience. It is not only able to show the real life consequences of these negative impacts on the students but also the unknown ways that they are being negatively impacted and the dynamics that will be tampered with as a result. I enjoyed that his article not only talked about what’s already occurring but how the future generations will be impacted if changes are not made. It sets up a framework to exhibit to the readers how each dynamic within the adolescents life will change because of social media. Although the article presents solid information and numerous facts, I feel it turns into a rather long research presentation as it explains the various ways and situations the students can possible experience. The article is broken down into multiple concepts and frameworks in order to convey one central issue when I feel it can be condensed to present the information to the readers more efficiently. When I am creating my own project I will use some of the same methods such as presenting the information in a chart or bullet like formation and breaking apart the social issues based on cause and effect.

 

https://link-springer-com.libezproxy2.syr.edu/article/10.1007/s10567-018-0262-9

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Project Proposal

For my project I would like to create a visual presentation tailored for companies and schools that could use improvement on their guidelines regarding minority students. So many environments lack the proper knowledge on how to elevate and incorporate the minority individuals and fail to make these communities supportive towards their success. With my presentation I would provide a list of ways to incorporate minority voices and use their backgrounds and individual skills as valuable assets. I would make them more aware of how to make each space more friendly and what actions should be taken when a minority feels misrepresented or undervalued in the workplace. In a school environment I would provide methods on how to forgo racial profiling and stereotypes against minority students. New methods should be laid out for recruiting minority students into the gifted programs and they should feel encouraged, not deterred from completing school.  Minority students should be challenged to succeed in school and they should have more resources for reaching out to individuals when they feel they are being discriminated against. I did some research on companies that provide learning opportunities to minorities with specific interests and I feel incorporating some of that into my project will provide establishments with organizations tailored towards minority success.

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Week of 7/20 Discussion

  1. In the article, “How to create a culture manifesto for your organization” the author speaks to the audience and provides knowledge on how to grow an organization and simple methods that can allow its mission to be effectively spread. She speaks to those with their own company or who have an idea that they wish to produce on a grand scale and catch the attention of others. She tries to persuade them into using some of the valued manifesto methods  to share ideas and influence in an effective and friendly manner. In order to show the audience how beneficial this practice would be to each company she models some highly successful business that have used the technique and have reached the utmost success. She calls on companies such as etsy, warby parker and b corps which created a manifesto and were able to not only draw in numerous consumers but create a safe and compassionate environment for each employee. The author is very effective in showing the audience that any idea can be mass produced as long as it has the right environment and it’s marketed the correct way. By using this technique any company will be able to expand its ideas and establish a positive work culture.
  2. For my unit 2 assignment I did my research on the discrimination faced by school kids and workers in each environment and how bias and stereotypes can keep them from establishing successful lives. I presented some ideas on how to make environments more exclusive places and how many lives are truly disproportionally affected by discrimination. So many young kids are put through terrible education systems and are exempt from gifted programs because their teachers fail to see their potential and never push them forward. It is important to me that opportunities are created for minority students and that teachers are held accountable for racially profiling their students. So many schools and workplaces fail to set each individual apart and fail to see them for what they can bring to each environment. In my project I hope to spread awareness on the discrimination faced by each student and make it that no child is ever kept from receiving a proper education. I think that when trying to engage with the readers they would mostly connect to first hand accounts of kids dropping out of school due to discrimination or racially charged events. This type of request or statement would most likely be distributed on the pages or sites of companies and organizations that strive to make change for each minority. In order to truly attain the respect and sincerity of the readers it would have to be a well calculated and authoritative speech that would effectively attain the readers sympathy but also convey the message.

 

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Week of 7/13 Discussion

  1. The resource I followed is a program called Al4All which works to teach and provide resources for minorities interested in STEM and AI. It works to expose them to the uses of artificial intelligence in every day life and give them the skills needed to pursue careers and broaden the field. Not only do they teach the basics and give them the tools required to be young innovators but they provide them with teachers and a community of organizations that will help them along the path to success. This program is so important because it provides minority students access to the stem world and allows them to develop their passions amongst a more diverse community. It adds to Wynns article because she speaks of broadening the science community in terms of representation for minorities. This program provides the opportunity for young kids to learn the traits and have the resources required to excel in any field despite their backgrounds.
  2. In this article the author is mostly speaking towards either minorities or those with disabilities who have been discriminated from a position due to things like race or gender. When she writes this article she attempts to sympathize with those who feel they have been treated wrongly for something they can’t control and wish to see a monumental change within the industry. When she says “Organizations regularly engage in practices that can reduce or reinforce inequality—such as hiring practices, performance evaluations, promotion procedures, project allocation, compensation, and termination. For women who experience multiple forms of bias (e.g. based on race or sexuality as well as gender), these practices can amplify inequalities even further.” she specifically points out the discrimination faced in each environment and how these individuals are affected by it. In this passage she attempts a call to action by asking the audience what changes can be made and whether or not they wish to see the next generation have more rights than in previous years.
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Research Portfolio-Mikayla Fils-Aime

Unit 2 Reflection

For this assignment we were asked to create a portfolio depicting the occurrence of organization culture in everyday life and how with a variety of sources and conversations we would be able to boil down and rationalize any argument. In order to test this method I decided to approach the issue of discrimination against minorities within prejudiced systems which can vary anywhere from school, work or even in everyday situations. With the use of various primary and secondary accounts I was able to get a glimpse of the discrimination minorities face and the way that it not only affects them but the way they are perceived by others. In order to further develop my research I focused on the accounts of those who were failed by each system and who face constant discrimination because of them.

With the use of the various assignments and worksheets I was able to clearly lay out in my assessment what I wanted to convey to the audience. In order to help spread the voice of these minorities and show the readers just how many individuals clearly experienced this hate I drew up a research plan the would help explain my stance. For this assignment I wanted to show the audience just how many lives were jeopardized by the unfair stereotypes put in place and the systematic oppression experienced by these individuals. I not only wished to provide first hand accounts of these occurrences but I wanted to provide methods in which change could be made by each community. We have conducted so much research on inequality and cultural insensitivity yet we have failed to truly unpack where this discrimination comes from and why so may students are continuously facing the same issues.

In the beginning I wished to solely focus on the way these individuals bounce back from oppression and are able to defy their circumstances however, I’ve realized that that isn’t always the case. So many lives are ruined and futures disregarded because of a lack of true change being made within each community. In my research I am able to point out some of the programs and opportunities being created for minorities that allow them to keep reaching their highest potential. I wish to further my knowledge on the public education systems screening methods and make it so that no child will have to face further hardship in life because of a system that failed them in the beginning. I would also love to hear accounts from those who were able to defy the odds despite being placed in a system that wasn’t built for them to succeed.

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WRT 205 Research Plan

WRT 205 Focusing flowchart

WRT 205 Rounding out the conversation worksheet

WRT 205 Complicating Research Assignment

 

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Discussion 7/6

  1. In an article titled ” More talk than action: gender and ethnic diversities in leading public health universities” which explored the discrimination faced by minority women in the workplace. The article explores the lack of women in high level positions because of their race and gender. It addresses how changes could be made in modern day workplaces to help decrease the pay gap and expose some of the racial inequality these individuals are experiencing. Although some women find themselves in senior positions it is noted they only maintain these roles so each company can reach a certain quota. However it argues that race and gender shouldn’t play such a monumental role in the hiring process and that an applicant should be viewed solely by their skill and not by their characteristics.

This article is important because it features the voices of students at public health universities and how finding high ranking positions can be particularly hard for minorities. It provides an important aspect when viewing the future world of college students and how applicants are sometimes judged not only based on their abilities. I think this piece will be important because it shows how ones livelihood can be affected by certain prejudices placed in the world. If we can address these problems even earlier in the education process we can help young minorities get the opportunities and positions they deserve.

3. Of course some might object that having an open floor plan leads to less work productivity. Although, I concede that being constantly watched by others might make you more determined to get work done, I still maintain that having an audience only makes you self conscious about your work and hinders the quality and speed at which its being done. One thing the author fails to talk about is that when people are constantly looking at the work you are doing and harshly critiquing your assignments you are unless to complete the tasks as well. I also feel anxiety when people can see the work I am doing and wondering whether it really measures up. I feel that these expectation only shelter negative effects on each worker and won’t ultimately lead to success.

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Research Plan

In this assignment my goal is to bring more awareness to the true hardship of minorities in the face of discrimination. In order to clearly articulate to the reader how the lives of these individuals are continuously impacted I plan to incorporate quotes from individuals who were discriminated from a position or  a classroom based on their race, gender r disability. In my assignment I plan to answer the question “what happens when a minority is discriminated against in a classroom or workplace and whether they are able to succeed despite their hardship”. We conduct so much research on diversity and inclusion yet we have yet to read first hands account of individuals being degraded by the system in place. In order to truly understand my research and the injustice being faced daily we must hear first hand accounts of those who have experienced it.

In my research it has been depicted the individuals who experience racial discrimination in terms of class placement sometimes fall behind and end up dropping out of school. The action of one individual profiling a minority student as unable to succeed can make or break this child at such a young age. The actions of careless individuals can ruin the lives of the student and anyone who has ever been treated differently because of the way they look. It is important to me that we hear these stories and understand what happens to an individual when they aren’t able to accomplish things beach of the way the system is built. I want to understand what type of lasting effect can this have on someone life.

Every summer I work at a summer camp as a lifeguard with a bunch of other high school/college aged kids. However I am the only minority on my team and the only member of my race. I sometimes feel self-conscious about being the only person around me and wonder how I can be the only minority working such a prestigious job. Then I realize that not many opportunities are awarded to minorities and although I work there it took many years of practice and hardship. Some people never get the same opportunity and it is unfair that workforces can facilitate such discrimination in their walls. I think it is important to have equal representation within each workplace and I think this piece will help bring attention to that.

I have mainly been focusing on the experiences of school children and work offices. These locations exhibit the most discrimination and they have countless stories of either bias or inclusion within their different programs. I will of course be using Syracuse libraries and I hope to also incorporate the experiences of college aged students or individuals similar in age .